This Is Why You're Here
Why Printings Come to Us Instead of Their Bank
Your 15-year-old offset press needs replacing. A new digital press ($350K) would cut setup times by 80% and let you take short-run jobs profitably. Your bank doesn’t understand printing economics.
A national retailer awarded you a $200K holiday packaging print run. Paper and ink cost $65K upfront. They pay net-60 after delivery.
You’re adding large-format and signage capabilities. A $45K wide-format printer plus installation and training opens a $15K/month revenue stream.
Your main press rollers need re-covering — $16K job. While they’re out, your backup press can only handle 40% of your volume. You’ve got $110K in committed jobs due in the next 3 weeks and no way to outsource at a price that doesn’t kill your margins.
A pharmaceutical company wants you to print compliant packaging inserts — 2M units/quarter at $0.18 each. You need a $72K inline inspection system to meet FDA labeling accuracy requirements before they’ll approve your facility.
Our 10-year-old offset press was costing us $8K/month in downtime. Basecamp helped us finance a $420K digital press — approved in 6 days. Print quality went up, waste dropped 40%.
Steve H., Print Shop Owner, Charlotte, NC
Printing Financing
Get Your Printing Business Funded in 60 Seconds
Slide the calculator to see your estimated approval range. Then answer 3 quick questions to lock it in. No documents needed. Soft-pull pre-qual.
See What You Could Qualify For
Slide to your average monthly bank deposits.
Estimated Approval Range
Based on 100-150% of monthly revenue
Soft-pull pre-qual · No obligation · Estimate only
Built for Your Business
Why Printing Businesses Choose Basecamp
Old Presses Bleed Money Every Day
Your 15-year-old offset press costs $8K a month in downtime and waste. A $350K digital press cuts setup times 80% and waste 40%. We fund press upgrades in 3-10 days so you stop bleeding margin.
Paper and Ink Don't Buy Themselves
A $200K holiday print run needs $65K in paper and ink upfront. The retailer pays net-60. A credit line covers consumable inventory so you never turn down a large run over material costs.
Digital Transition Without the Cash Crunch
Moving from offset to digital is a $300K-$500K investment. Banks want a 5-year business plan for an industry they don't understand. We fund the press, and working capital covers training and transition costs.
Short Runs Finally Make Money
Digital presses make short runs profitable — if you have the equipment. A $45K wide-format printer opens $15K/month in signage revenue. Equipment financing where the printer is the collateral.
Bobby's Take
Bobby's Playbook for Printing
Most commercial printing operators walk into a bank and get steered toward general commercial real estate financing or generic equipment loans. What banks miss is that a $250K offset or digital press plus prepress workflow equipment plus paper inventory plus bindery expansion usually needs three different products from three specialists, not one generalist loan. Capital stacking changes the math. Here's how to position your transaction so the right specialists see it first.
Three things determine whether a printing transaction closes: print volume on the existing presses, customer mix (commercial print, packaging, marketing services), and the resale value of the press or digital production equipment. Not your personal FICO. Not your time in business. Specialist printing lenders care about whether your monthly contract revenue supports a $3,500-$6,500/month payment — and whether your press portfolio holds resale value to underwrite the loan against the iron.
The biggest mistake commercial printing operators make: applying without showing the breakdown between recurring contract print and one-off project work. Lenders see lumpy invoices and assume volatility. The fix: separate recurring contract print (catalog, packaging, marketing) from one-off project work. Specialist printing lenders price recurring contract print as predictable. Generalist lenders see lumpy revenue and price for the worst month.
marketing-services contract revenue lost without press time
Where this gets interesting at scale: a commercial printer adding a digital press, expanding wide-format capacity, or buying a building doesn't need ONE loan. They need equipment financing for the new press + a working capital line for paper and ink inventory + invoice factoring on the longer-paying corporate accounts + sometimes a SBA 504 for the building. Four products, multiple lenders, one application — that's how single-press commercial printers scale into full-service marketing-services operations.
The commercial printing operators who scale fastest aren't the ones who waited for the next corporate contract before adding press capacity. They're the ones who had digital or wide-format capacity ready when a marketing-services client asked for additional volume. Turning down a $200K-per-year recurring contract because you can't add press time is revenue going to a competitor. Run the numbers in 60 seconds — see what 70+ specialist lenders will offer your commercial printing business this week.
Bottom line:
Commercial printers get underwritten on lumpy revenue when recurring catalog and packaging contracts are the actual base. Show contract print separately from project work — that's how specialists price the recurring side.
Bobby Friel
Founder, Basecamp Funding
What You're Up Against
The Real Challenges Printings Face
Pricing Transparency
What Printing Funding Actually Costs
Rates and terms depend on credit, revenue, time in business, and lender. Every business is unique — see what 70+ lenders will offer you in 60 seconds. Soft-pull pre-qual.
These are industry averages. Your actual rate depends on your revenue, credit profile, and time in business — it could be lower. Run your specific numbers in 30 seconds.
Calculate Your Real Cost →Tax Strategy
Section 179 Breakdown for Printings
Finance the equipment. Keep your cash. Take the deduction. Your digital production press costs $228,000 after taxes and you never touched your reserves.
Bobby Friel
Founder, Basecamp Funding
How It Works
From Application to Funded in 5 Steps
No paperwork avalanche. No bank lobby. No guessing.
60-Second Intake
Tell us about your shop, what you produce, and monthly revenue. No P&L upload yet.
Soft Credit Screen
We screen options with no impact on your FICO or your supplier credit lines.
Manufacturing-Specialty Lenders Compete
70+ lenders who fund CNC shops, fabricators, and assemblers review your file in parallel.
One Specialist, Multiple Term Sheets
Your funding specialist walks through equipment finance, working capital, and PO/invoice structures.
Choose Your Offer, Sign, Get Funded
E-signature. Capital lands in time to keep production on schedule and POs flowing.
Printing Capital Uses
What Printing Businesses Use Funding For
Equipment & Machinery
CNC machines, lathes, presses, conveyors, welders. Finance upgrades without draining cash reserves.
Raw Materials & Inventory
Steel, resin, lumber, components. Lock in bulk pricing and fill large orders without cash crunches.
Facility Expansion
New production lines, warehouse space, cold storage. Scale your footprint to match demand.
Workforce & Hiring
Skilled operators, engineers, floor supervisors. Staff up for large contracts and seasonal surges.
Technology & Automation
Robotics, ERP systems, IoT sensors, AI quality control. Invest in Industry 4.0 without cash strain.
Supply Chain Resilience
Dual-source suppliers, safety stock, domestic reshoring. Protect against disruptions and tariff exposure.
Full Transparency
What Kills Your Qualification (And What Doesn't)
Most lenders won't tell you this upfront. We will.
✅ These Won't Stop You
These Can Be Deal-Breakers
Need commercial insurance for your printing business?
Commercial insurance is required for most equipment loans over $50K. InsuranceService365.com covers manufacturers across 29 states.
Don't Wait Until You Need Funding to Get Funded
Manufacturing revenue is concentrated — a few large customers, net-30/60 terms, raw materials due upfront. The shops that scale steadily funded equipment and working capital BEFORE the big PO landed. By the time you're scrambling for a $200K CNC down payment, the customer is already shopping a competitor. Pre-qualify when production is steady.
Ready?
See What Your Printing Business Qualifies For
Slide the calculator, answer 3 questions, and a specialist pulls your options within the hour.
See What You Could Qualify For
Slide to your average monthly bank deposits.
Estimated Approval Range
Based on 100-150% of monthly revenue
Soft-pull pre-qual · No obligation · Estimate only
Other Manufacturers Specialties We Fund
Click any specialty for tailored financing options.
Recommended Products
Recommended Funding for Printing Businesses
Working Capital
Fund raw materials and payroll before customer payment arrives.
Learn More →Equipment Financing
Finance CNC machines, presses, and production equipment — asset-backed.
Learn More →Invoice Factoring
Convert net-30/60/90 invoices into same-day cash.
Learn More →Business Line of Credit
Draw for materials and tooling as production orders fluctuate.
Learn More →FAQs
Printing Business Loan FAQs
Commercial Printing Loans & Print Shop Financing — $10K to $20M+
The printing industry is in the middle of a massive shift. Offset to digital. Long runs to short runs. And the equipment that makes it work costs $350K-$500K. Meanwhile, your old Heidelberg costs $8K a month in downtime and waste, and your clients are moving to competitors with faster turnaround. Banks hear "printing" and think the industry is dying. Our lenders hear it and look at your contracts, your production volume, and your equipment ROI.
Look — a $350K digital press that cuts setup from 2 hours to 10 minutes and waste by 40%? That's not an expense. That's a $5K-$10K monthly margin improvement. A $45K wide-format printer that opens a $15K/month signage revenue stream? The math is obvious. But you need capital to get there. Equipment financing with the press as collateral. Working capital for paper and ink on large runs. Invoice factoring when clients pay net-30/60. One application, 60 seconds, no hard pull.
Stop Letting Raw Material Costs Outpace Customer Payments. Get Your Printing Operation Funded Today.
60 seconds. Soft-pull pre-qual. No obligation.
See What You Qualify For →Soft-pull pre-qual · Free to check · Nationwide