It’s so easy to jump straight in and start doing things right away, especially when you’re excited and can’t wait to get going. I did the same!
After a few weeks, I found myself thinking, “Why did I do that?”, “Why didn’t I do that?”, and “Well, that wasn’t my smartest move.” So, let’s take a look at the mistakes I made when I first started with sublimation printing.
Rushing
It’s so tempting to rush into your first listing or sale — I did exactly that! The first thing I made went straight up, and now I look at it and think, “Really?”
When you’re starting with sublimation, take the time to refine your designs and get to know your process. It’s easy to jump in, but even easier to make mistakes — smudges, ghosting, faded prints, you name it.
I rushed a few designs and ended up wasting mugs and cringing at the results. So trust me — slow down, test things out, and get comfortable with your equipment. You’ll save time, money, and a lot of frustration later on.
Under Pricing
I honestly didn’t think I should be charging what I should have done at the beginning. I lost quite a bit of money in the first few months.
It’s not just the cost of materials; it’s the packing costs, the cost of time to print, press and parcel, it’s undervaluing your talent, and of course, Etsy’s charges take a cut of your sales.
Research others on Etsy or other market platforms and see what their pricing is. It can help you give a good idea of what your work should be pricing your work.
Lack of Prep for Christmas
I mean, oh my goodness! This was a big one. I thought people were crazy doing their Christmas planning in July. Did I learn a big lesson?
Christmas orders smacked me in the face hard in September, I ran out of stock for Binary Code mugs, LCARS wall plate and another Christmas, my Coffee Decoration.
I also left it too late to upload new designs and products, so they never got the views or sales they should have gotten. So make sure you start behind-the-scenes prep work early. And earlier than you think.
Incorrect Postage
I didn’t do my research — simple as that. I should’ve weighed my products, checked the postage costs on my carrier’s website, and added that to my pricing or listed it accurately.
Because I didn’t, I lost my very first mug sale to the USA when the shipping turned out to be way higher than I expected. It was an expensive lesson! So don’t guess the weight — grab your kitchen scales and get it right from the start.
Equipment I Didn’t Need
My husband bought me sublimation equipment for my birthday, and it came with loads of extras and add-ons that felt so exciting at the time. I had presses for baseball caps, plates, bowls — even ones for tapered products like travel cups.
Now, all of it just sits above my flat press — unused and untested. My husband thought it’d be handy to have “just in case,” but now it’s only taking up space. I wish I’d stuck with the two mug press sizes and a flat press, then added more later if I needed them.
So start with the essentials, and build up as you go. Otherwise, you might end up with expensive dust collectors sitting in the corner!
Conclusion
I hope that was insightful and helpful. It is daunting to start a small, creative business.
What are your top mistakes? Use the comment section below.
Until next time.
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