Email Strategies for Print Shops, Custom Printing Businesses, Screen Printing Companies, Promotional Products Distributors, Sign Shops and Large Format Printers
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The Reorder Business
Print shops have a structural advantage that many service businesses lack: their customers need to reorder. Business cards run out. Promotional products get distributed at trade shows and need to be replenished. Seasonal merchandise (school spirit wear, sports team uniforms, holiday promotional items) comes around every year. Marketing collateral gets updated when branding changes, new products launch, or campaigns rotate.
This reorder dynamic means that a print shop's most profitable growth strategy is not acquiring new customers -- it is maximizing the lifetime value of existing customers by ensuring they reorder on time, discover additional services the shop offers, and do not drift to a competitor between orders. Email is the tool that maintains the relationship between orders, which for many print customers can be months or even a year.
Without email, the relationship between a print shop and its customer exists only at the moment of the order. The customer thinks of the print shop when they need something printed, but they do not think of the print shop in between. This creates vulnerability: if a competitor reaches the customer during that dormant period with a compelling offer or a convenient online ordering experience, the print shop loses the customer without ever knowing they were at risk.
Reorder Reminders
The most straightforward and highest-converting email a print shop can send is the reorder reminder. If a customer ordered 500 business cards six months ago, they are probably running low. If a nonprofit ordered event banners last September for their annual gala, they will need them again this September. If a school ordered spirit wear in August for the fall season, they will need a new batch next August.
"Hi [Name], it has been about [timeframe] since your last order of [product: 500 business cards / 200 t-shirts for the school fundraiser / trade show banners]. If you are getting low or if the next [season/event] is coming up, now is a good time to reorder -- we still have your artwork on file and can turn around the same order in [X] business days, or update the design if anything has changed. Reply with 'same order' and we will get it started, or let us know what needs to change. [Print Shop Name], [contact info]."
This email requires tracking order history by customer, which every modern print shop management system (Printavo, InkSoft, ShopWorks, DecoNetwork) supports. Export order history and customer contact data from the management system. Upload to Email Extractor to consolidate customer email addresses across orders -- a customer who has placed five orders over three years may have used different email addresses for different orders, or the same email may appear under slightly different spellings of their name.
Trade Show Season Campaigns
Trade show season (typically September-November and January-March) drives significant volume for print shops that serve B2B customers. Companies need banners, booth graphics, printed handouts, branded promotional products (pens, tote bags, USB drives, water bottles), staff shirts, and tablecloths -- all with their branding and messaging, all needed before a specific, non-negotiable deadline.
The trade show campaign email goes out 6-8 weeks before major industry trade shows in your area or your customers' industries. The lead time is critical: promotional products have production timelines of 2-4 weeks, large format printing needs 1-2 weeks, and embroidered or screen printed apparel needs 2-3 weeks. A customer who contacts you 3 days before the trade show is a rush order (which you can charge a premium for) or a lost opportunity (if you cannot accommodate the timeline).
"Trade show season is here -- are you ready? If your team is exhibiting at [specific trade show name if you know their industry] or any upcoming events, here is a checklist of what exhibitors typically need and the lead times for each: banners and retractable displays (2 weeks), printed collateral like brochures and flyers (1 week), branded promotional giveaways like pens, tote bags, and USB drives (3-4 weeks -- promotional products have the longest lead time), and staff shirts or polos with your logo (2-3 weeks for screen printing, 3 weeks for embroidery). We have produced trade show materials for [number] companies in [area], and we can handle everything from design to delivery. Reply with your event date and what you need, and we will build a production timeline that gets everything done on schedule."
Sports and School Spirit Wear
Screen printing and embroidery shops have a seasonal revenue stream from school spirit wear (t-shirts, hoodies, hats for school fundraisers, spirit weeks, and athletic programs) and sports team uniforms (jerseys, warm-ups, practice gear for youth leagues, high school teams, and adult recreational leagues).
These orders are predictable in timing but require proactive outreach. The athletic director or booster club president who ordered 200 football jerseys last July will need to reorder for next season, but they may not think about it until June -- leaving insufficient time for custom orders with names and numbers.
"Hi [Name], it is that time of year again -- [Season] sports season is [X weeks] away, which means uniform and spirit wear orders need to go in soon to ensure delivery before the first [game/event/practice]. Last year, we produced [specific order: 200 jerseys for the football team, 150 spirit t-shirts for homecoming] and we have the artwork and setup files saved. If you need the same order, we can get it into production immediately. If there are changes (new players, updated design, different items), let us know and we will turn around updated proofs within [X] business days. The deadline to guarantee delivery by [first game date] is [order deadline]. Reply or call [number] to get started."
Cross-Selling Additional Services
Many print shop customers use only one service -- they know you as "the business card place" or "the t-shirt printer" -- when the shop actually offers a dozen services they do not know about. A customer who orders business cards may not realize you also print brochures, postcards, stickers, banners, and promotional products. A customer who orders screen printed t-shirts may not know you also do embroidery, heat transfer, and direct-to-garment printing.
Cross-selling campaigns introduce existing customers to services they have not used. The approach is not a generic catalog email ("here is everything we do!") but a targeted suggestion based on what the customer already orders.
"Hi [Name], since you order [current product: business cards] from us regularly, I wanted to let you know we also produce [related product: branded stationery, letterhead, and envelopes] that match your business card design. Many of our business card customers find that having a consistent branded set -- cards, letterhead, envelopes, and notecards -- makes a stronger impression than cards alone. We already have your logo files and brand colors on file, so turning your card design into a matching stationery set is straightforward. Want to see a proof? Reply and I will put one together -- no obligation."
Building Your Customer Email List
Print shop customer contacts come from the print management system (Printavo, InkSoft, ShopWorks, or similar), order forms and invoices (especially for walk-in customers whose information may not be in the management system), website order forms (for shops with online ordering), and trade show and event leads (business cards collected at networking events, leads from your own trade show booth).
Export customer records from all sources. Upload to Email Extractor to extract and deduplicate email addresses. Print shops commonly have the same customer under multiple records: the person's name for small orders, their company name for business orders, and their school or organization name for group orders. Deduplication consolidates these into a single customer profile that captures their full order history and communication preferences.
