Press Start — Fall 2026 Cohort. Four Monday evenings. Limited to eight students. No expensive equipment required.
    NEW • 4-WEEK HYBRID COURSE

    Press Start

    Launch Your Custom Products Business Without Expensive Printing Equipment

    You do not need a room full of equipment—or thousands of dollars—to start a custom apparel and products business. Press Start is a four-week hybrid business intensive designed to help beginners confidently create, price, market, and sell custom products using ready-to-press transfers.

    You'll complete 12 convenient online modules, attend four hands-on studio sessions, and create eight guided products while developing a practical plan for launching your business.

    No printer required. No previous design or business experience necessary.

    Oct 5–26, 2026

    Mondays | 7:00–9:00 PM

    4-Week Hybrid

    Matteson, Illinois

    Investment

    $397

    Limited to eight students • Beginner-friendly • No printer required

    TWO WAYS TO BUILD

    Choose the Path That Works for You

    You don't have to be a designer to start your business. During Press Start, you can choose one or combine both approaches.

    PATH 1

    Ready-to-Press Path

    Learn how to find reputable vendors and purchase finished designs and transfers that are ready to apply.

    PATH 2

    Design + Press Path

    Use ChatGPT and Canva to develop product ideas, create or customize artwork, prepare print-ready files, and create promotional mockups.

    The optional AI-assisted design training is included in your enrollment at no additional cost.

    THE CURRICULUM

    What You'll Learn

    During this four-week experience, you'll learn how to:

    Start with a heat press instead of expensive printing equipment
    Choose a profitable niche and target customer
    Decide which products to offer
    Understand DTF, sublimation, UV DTF, HTV, and other transfer options
    Select the right transfer for each product
    Find reliable transfer and blank-product vendors
    Use ChatGPT to brainstorm niches, sayings, collections, and design concepts
    Create or customize artwork using AI and Canva
    Prepare transparent, properly sized files for transfer vendors
    Press shirts, bags, drinkware, and specialty products
    Troubleshoot common pressing problems
    Calculate product costs and price for profit
    Create customer policies that protect your time and business
    Photograph, market, and sell your finished products
    Develop a simple plan for launching your business
    FOUR-WEEK EXPERIENCE

    Your Four-Week Learning Experience

    Week One

    Start Smart

    Online modules:

    • The Lean Custom-Products Business Model
    • Choosing Your Niche, Customer, and Offer
    • Understanding Transfers and Decoration Methods

    In-person projects:

    DTF T-shirtCustom tote bag

    Week Two

    Design It or Buy It

    Online modules:

    • Your Minimum Equipment and Supply Setup
    • Finding, Creating, and Preparing Designs
    • Finding Reliable Vendors and Blanks

    In-person projects:

    Custom-designed or ready-made graphic shirtCustom mug

    Optional design training: brainstorming with ChatGPT, creating AI images, customizing in Canva, adding text, removing backgrounds, transparent PNGs, sizing artwork, product mockups, and basic copyright/trademark/licensing considerations.

    Week Three

    Press With Confidence

    Online modules:

    • Ordering Transfers and Preparing Your Artwork
    • Heat Press Production and Workflow
    • Troubleshooting and Quality Control

    In-person projects:

    Sweatshirt or specialty apparel itemTumbler or specialty drinkware

    Week Four

    Price, Market, and Launch

    Online modules:

    • Pricing Your Products for Profit
    • Customer Policies and Business Protection
    • Marketing, Selling, and Launching Your Business

    In-person projects:

    Signature apparel productCoordinating add-on product
    HANDS-ON PROJECTS

    Eight Guided Projects

    Students will complete eight scheduled hands-on projects, including:

    Two apparel basics

    A tote bag

    A mug

    A sweatshirt or specialty apparel

    A tumbler or specialty drinkware

    A signature launch product

    A coordinating add-on product

    Plus skills to keep building

    Specific blanks and project selections may vary based on availability and the class curriculum.

    INCLUDED

    What's Included

    Your Press Start enrollment includes:

    12 self-paced online business modules
    Four hands-on studio sessions
    Eight guided custom-product projects
    Materials and transfers for the eight scheduled projects
    Access to heat presses and specialty equipment during class
    Optional ChatGPT and Canva design training
    Ready-to-press transfer and blank-vendor resources
    AI prompts and product-idea resources
    Pricing calculator and profit worksheets
    Business policy and planning templates
    Marketing and product-launch guidance
    60–90 days of online course access
    Certificate of completion
    YOUR OUTCOMES

    What You'll Leave With

    By the end of Press Start, you will have:

    Eight finished products
    Experience working with multiple transfer methods
    A defined niche and ideal customer
    A starter product collection
    At least one original or customized design
    A trusted vendor and sourcing plan
    Pricing for your products
    Product photographs or mockups
    Basic customer policies
    A simple marketing and launch plan
    The confidence to begin accepting orders
    WHO IT'S FOR

    Who This Course Is For

    Beginners interested in starting a custom-products business
    Creatives who are overwhelmed by expensive equipment
    People who already own a heat press but do not know what to do next
    Business owners who want to add custom products to their services
    Crafters who are ready to move from creating for fun to selling for profit
    Anyone who wants the option to purchase transfers or create original designs

    You Don't Need Every Machine to Start

    Start with a heat press, trusted vendors, practical business skills, and a clear plan. Whether you purchase your designs or create your own with AI, Press Start will show you how to turn your ideas into products—and your products into a business.

    Press Start. Create it. Price it. Sell it.

    Ready to Press Start?

    Reserve your seat and begin building your custom-products business—without purchasing expensive printing equipment.

    Four Monday Evenings

    Oct 5–26, 2026

    Limited to 8 students

    Matteson, Illinois

    12 online modules
    Four hands-on studio sessions
    Eight guided projects
    Scheduled project materials
    Optional AI-assisted design training
    Business resources
    60–90 days of course access
    Investment: $397