Five years ago, Melissa was creating personalized vinyl stickers out of her Brooklyn apartment. What started as a way to decorate water bottles, laptops and planners for friends has slowly become a small business. She set up an Etsy shop, started to go to local craft fairs and developed a devoted customer base that was obsessed with her crisp designs and fast turnaround. Over time, her side hustle gained momentum — she made 1,000 Etsy sales in less than two years and became a full-time creator.
“It was just me, my vinyl printer and cutter
, and a dream,” Melissa laughs. “I didn’t expect it to grow, but people kept ordering—and asking for more.”
Melissa’s Journey at a Glance:
- 2019: Started selling vinyl stickers on Etsy
2021: Reached 1,000 sales milestone
2023: Discovered DTF printing through YouTube and craft groups
2024: Bought DTF printer, added T-shirts & totes to her product line
2025: Plans to open a small studio and hire part-time help
The Question That Changed Everything
As her brand gained traction, customers began asking for more: “Do you do T-shirts too?” became a question she heard weekly. At first, she turned those requests down.
“People started asking if I could put the designs on shirts, totes, even baby onesies. At first, I always said no.”
She tried heat transfer vinyl, but it was time-consuming and didn’t produce the quality she wanted. DTG printing was out of her budget, and sublimation had too many limitations. Then, through YouTube and Facebook craft groups, she discovered DTF (Direct-to-Film) printing .
Curious, Melissa began researching other printing options. DTG seemed too expensive. Sublimation was too limiting. Then she discovered DTF printing —a process that didn’t require pretreatment, worked on all fabric types, and produced vivid, durable prints.
Taking the Leap with the R1390
After weeks of deliberating and searching, Melissa chose the R1390 DTF printer —a compact, highly budget-friendly machine that was within reach.
While it's technically not plug-and-play, Melissa appreciated being able to get professional-grade results using a bit of manual effort and a willingness to learn without breaking the bank. It wasn't the most straightforward fix, but to a creative business owner looking to take the next step, it was the ideal fix.
“It was a big step for me, especially buying it on installment. But I saw so many people like me making it work.”
Even though she was nervous about the technical side, she decided to take the leap. She signed up for an installment plan and carved out a corner just for printing.
“I remember thinking, ‘If this works, it could change everything.’ It felt like a gamble—but the good kind,” she says.
The learning curve was real—figuring out white ink circulation, film settings, and powder curing took patience. But by her second week, she had her first successful T-shirt order. Soon after, her best-selling sticker designs were also available as custom tees and tote bags. Her average order value doubled.
She cleared space in her living room, watched every tutorial she could find, and dove into the process. The first week was all trial and error—but by the second week, she completed her first apparel order of 12 custom tote bags with confidence.
Customer Feedback That Changed Everything
Melissa’s first DTF apparel order— 12 custom tote bags for a local bridal shower —felt like a milestone. But it was the feedback that followed which truly validated her decision to invest in DTF printing.
Just a few days after the order was delivered, the customer, Jenna R. , left a 5-star review on Melissa’s Etsy store:
“I was blown away! The tote bags were even better than the listing photos. The colors were vibrant, the designs were crisp, and the quality was professional—nothing like what you would get at a craft fair. My bridesmaids couldn't stop questioning me about where I had them done. I’ll definitely be ordering shirts for the bachelorette party!”
Melissa says that moment felt surreal:
“That review made everything worth it. I had tried days of fiddling with print settings and curing times, and to have it come out like that—it made me keep going."
Since then, Melissa's Etsy store has seen a boost of repeat buyers and word of mouth. Shoppers frequently mention the business-like appearance of her new clothing line, which they term as:
“These tees feel like something you’d buy in a boutique.”
“I didn’t know custom printing could look this polished.”
“The print hasn’t cracked or faded after multiple washes—so impressed!”
This kind of feedback didn’t just affirm her work—it helped her stand out in a competitive Etsy market and grow her brand beyond custom vinyl printing.
A Milestone Order That Meant More Than Money
Melissa’s first major DTF win came just two months after she began offering apparel. A local yoga studio in Williamsburg reached out, asking if she could create a set of 25 matching T-shirts and tote bags for their upcoming weekend retreat.
“It was the kind of order I used to dream about, but never thought I could actually fulfill on my own,” Melissa says.
The studio wanted earth-tone color palettes, their logo printed in full color, and a customized slogan on the back of each shirt. It was her first time using DTF for multi-layer artwork on both apparel and fabric bags, but the results impressed even her.
“That order pushed me creatively and technically. I spent two nights perfecting the print alignment and ink density for the bags. But when I saw them all lined up, ready to ship—it felt like a real turning point.”
The yoga studio later tagged her on Instagram, showing their attendees wearing the shirts during morning meditation on the retreat lawn.
"That order covered half of my rent that month," she recalls proudly, "but beyond that, it was the first time I felt like an actual brand—not just a one-woman craft enterprise."
Since then, Melissa has received several other bulk orders for weddings, startups, and community events, but the yoga studio job will always have a special place in her heart, she says.
Turning a Setback into a Success
Like many beginners with DTF, Melissa soon realized that the process wasn't always smooth. One morning, while producing a rush order for a neighborhood bakery, her white ink suddenly stopped printing. After some panicked troubleshooting, she realized the printhead had clogged overnight.
“I ended up wasting four sheets of film trying to figure out what was wrong,” she admits. "I was nearly about to text the customer to delay the order."
Rather than backing down, she found inspiration in the very online communities that had spurred her into action. A little more from the video and a few more times of flushing out the ink lines, and she got the printer working again. The order shipped just a day later than planned—and the customer still left a glowing review.
“It was frustrating, sure. But it taught me not to panic. DTF isn’t perfect, but if you stay calm and solve the problem, it’s totally manageable.”
Business Reimagined
Melissa set up her R1390 printer on a sturdy table, right next to her Cricut machine. She uses a 15x15-inch heat press she already owned from her vinyl printing days and stores her PET film in clear drawer bins from IKEA to stay organized. A mini air purifier helps keep powder dust under control in her small space, and she now uses a newly purchased curing oven to cure the printed film—a big upgrade from her early heat lamp and baking tray setup.
It’s a modest setup, but one that now allows her to produce up to 20 shirts in a single afternoon —something that used to take all weekend with vinyl printing.
Today, Melissa offers full event bundles: custom shirts, tote bags, stickers, and decals for birthdays, bridal showers, small businesses, and local events. Adding DTF printing didn’t just expand her product line—it doubled her average order value , going from $18 to $35 per order , and opened the door to entirely new markets.
Before DTF , Melissa spent 20–30 minutes layering vinyl printing for each shirt and often turned away apparel requests because of time constraints and limited design flexibility.
After switching to DTF , she produces full-color shirts in just 5–10 minutes , can print in batches, and easily handles bulk orders for events and businesses —something she couldn’t offer before. The addition of DTF has transformed one-off craft sales into scalable, profitable packages.
“I used to say no to a lot of things. Now I can say yes to everything—from a single custom tee to a full set of branded merch.”
She’s still running the business from her apartment, but already planning to rent a studio space in the next year.
Now, Melissa runs a Creative Customization Store, offering full event bundles: shirts, decals, mugs, and more. Since adding the Inksonic R1390 to her setup, she now averages 30–40 apparel orders per month on top of her ongoing sticker sales. Within just three months, apparel products began generating nearly 50% of her total revenue, and her average order value jumped from $18 to $35 —thanks to bundled products and full-color custom tees. She still ships everything herself from her Brooklyn apartment, but she’s booked through the holidays and actively looking to rent a small studio next year to keep up with demand.
What started as stickers has become a full-blown creative business. And for Melissa, investing in a DTF printer wasn’t just about equipment—it was about finally saying “yes” to the growth she knew was possible.
Advice to Other Creators
“If you are like me—doing decals and wondering whether or not it's worth risking it—I'd advise you to take the leap. Start small, figure out what to do, and where it takes you. DTF provided me with the power to expand without necessarily needing an astronomical budget.”
In the future, Melissa hopes to open a small, Brooklyn storefront — one that’s bright and airy, where people can come in, hold and see the work in person, or have bespoke bundles made for events or businesses or as gifts, right there on the spot. She’d love to offer DIY workshops, partner up with other local makers and create a maker space that fosters community.
“It began with an itty-bitty package of stickers and a Cricut,” she says. “And now, I’m building something far greater than I ever could have imagined.”
It is now for Melissa, less about printing shirts or selling products and more about building a business from the heart, one that invites others to believe in what happens when you say yes to expansion.
