The Pinch Points
Why Commercial Printers Come to Us Instead of Their Bank
Printing runs on expensive presses and the paper for the next run — bought before the client pays net-30/60. Banks hear “printing” and think dying industry; our lenders read your contracts and your press ROI. Sound familiar?
Old Offset Press, Short Runs Lost
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.
$200K Run, Paper Due Upfront
A national retailer awarded you a $200K holiday packaging print run. Paper and ink cost $65K upfront. They pay net-60 after delivery.
Wide-Format, $15K/Month Stream
You're adding large-format and signage capabilities. A $45K wide-format printer plus installation and training opens a $15K/month revenue stream.
Rollers Out, $110K Due in 3 Weeks
Your main press rollers need re-covering — a $16K job. While they're out, your backup press handles only 40% of your volume, and you've got $110K in committed jobs due in 3 weeks.
Pharma Inserts, $72K Inspection System
A pharmaceutical company wants you to print compliant packaging inserts — 2M units/quarter. You need a $72K inline inspection system to meet FDA labeling accuracy before they'll approve your facility.
The Big Run You Front
A large print order means buying paper and ink stock and running the press before the client pays net-30/60 — so the job's cost is out the door first.
What an operator said
“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
Start Here
See Your Range in 60 Seconds
No credit check, no documents to start, and an estimated funding range on the spot. No one contacts you until you’re ready to move forward.
What Happens When You Start
Estimate Your Capital Range
Slide to your annual gross revenue. We size capital off your top line — not your credit score.
Estimated Capital Range
A conservative range based on 10-15% of annual revenue — many businesses qualify for more with strong receivables or assets behind them. Lenders return real term sheets once they see your file.
60 seconds · No obligation · Estimate only
Built for the Trade
What We Fund for Commercial Print Shops
Press Equipment, Section 179
Fund offset, digital, or wide-format presses and finishing gear with a fraction down and the full first-year write-off — new capacity earning from day one.
Trade Up Tired Presses
Equipment financing replaces an old press that's costing you short-run and wide-format work, and the upgrade pays for itself in the jobs it wins back.
A Line for Paper & Ink
A working line fronts paper and ink on a big run so the job's cost isn't out the door before the client pays.
A/R Financing on Net Terms
Advance against print invoices on net terms so a large run doesn't drain the cash you need for the next one.
Match Your Situation
The Cash-Flow Gaps We Fund for Commercial Printers
Match your situation to the structure. Every one of these funds on your revenue, not a perfect credit file.
| What It Looks Like | Funding Solution | Amount | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital press acquisition | A digital press cuts setup from 2 hours to 10 minutes and waste by 40% — essential for profitable short-run work. | Equipment Financing | $350K–$500K | 3–7 days |
| Ink and substrate inventory | Specialty inks, coatings, and paper for a $200K holiday print run cost $65K upfront — the retailer pays net-60. | Working Capital | $75K–$300K | 1–3 days |
| Digital press upgrade from offset | Transitioning from offset to digital requires presses plus training and workflow software during the changeover period. | Equipment Financing | $300K–$500K | 3–7 days |
| Bindery equipment modernization | Perfect binders, saddle stitchers, and automated cutters eliminate manual finishing bottlenecks on high-volume jobs. | Equipment Financing | $75K–$200K | 3–7 days |
| Large job paper pre-buy | A 500K-piece direct mail contract needs paper stock ordered 4 weeks before production — the client pays net-45 after mailing. | Business LOC | $75K–$300K | 1–3 days |
The Products
How Commercial Printing Financing Is Structured
Most commercial printing files fund between $75K and $5M+, structured to the press, finishing equipment, or run in front of you. Larger lines available when revenue, cash flow, and story qualify.
| Amount | Term | Best For | Funding Speed | Typical Structure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Capital | $75K–$5M+ | 6mo–10yr | Paper and ink runs, transition costs, payroll | 1–3 days | Often unsecured, daily/weekly ACH |
| Equipment Financing | $75K–$5M+ | 2yr–10yr | Digital and offset presses, wide-format, bindery | 3–7 days | Equipment serves as collateral |
| Invoice Factoring | $75K–$5M+ | Per invoice | Net-30/60 print job receivables | 1–2 days | Invoices secure the line, no PG typically |
| Business LOC | $75K–$5M+ | Revolving | Substrates, ink, and consumables as volume shifts | 1–5 days | Unsecured line, no PG by default |
Tax Strategy
Section 179 on a Digital Press, Wide-Format, and Bindery — Worked
If last year was strong and you’re about to write a check to the IRS — stop. Acquire qualifying equipment with as little as 10% down, finance the rest, and write off the full purchase price in year one. Section 179 covers it up to the annual cap; 100% bonus depreciation — made permanent in 2025, with no cap and no income limit — carries the rest.
At the top bracket, that first-year deduction can return meaningful tax savings — and for an established business with strong cash flow, it’s the difference between writing a check to the IRS and putting the same money into your own equipment. Your CPA models the exact numbers for your bracket and structure.
Worked scenario · top bracket · illustrative
You financed the machine and put down a fraction of its price — but you deduct the full price in year one. The write-off is bigger than your down payment, and the equipment keeps working the whole time.
Scales with your numbers
Illustrative only. Actual savings depend on your tax bracket, entity type, state conformity, and CPA guidance. Section 179 and bonus depreciation are elections your CPA makes for your situation; above the Section 179 cap, 100% bonus depreciation carries the balance.
Terms reflect credit, revenue, time in business, and each lender. Every file is unique — see what the desk structures for yours in the 60-second qualifier.
Bobby’s Take
“A digital press is the only way short-run work pays — offset breaks even at a few hundred copies, digital at one, and that changes your whole customer base. Put about $38K down on a $380K press and §179 writes off the full cost the first year, roughly $152K back at your bracket. Your CPA runs the math.”
Bobby Friel · Founder · 20+ years in banking and finance
How It Works
From Application to Funded
One application, 70+ lenders competing, a dedicated specialist, and most files funded in days.
60-second estimate
Enter your numbers — no credit check, no documents. You see an estimated funding range on the spot.
A specialist is assigned
A real funding specialist — not an algorithm — reviews your file, usually within 24 hours.
70+ lenders compete
Your application goes to the marketplace. Competing offers typically land 24–48 hours later.
You pick the offer
Compare structures and terms with your advisor. No obligation until you choose to sign.
Funded in days
From same-day working capital to a multi-piece stack, most files fund in days — not the bank’s 60–90.
Underwriting
What Underwriting Looks At
Funding here leads with what your business actually does — your revenue and cash flow. The specialist desk reads the real picture from your statements, then matches it to the lenders most likely to fund it.
How you’re evaluated
Revenue-first
sized off your top line, not just your balance sheet.
Cash-flow driven
your bank statements show how the business really runs.
Bank-statement underwriting
even a down year is read off 4 months of statements.
Story-driven
a big new contract, a seasonal swing, a turnaround in progress: context the raw numbers miss counts too.
What to have ready
↳Had a loss year? It’s read off the bank statements — 4 months, not 6.
Start fast, finish complete
The operators who fund quickest come to the specialist review with these ready — but you don’t need all of it to start. Your signed application and bank statements are what unblock the review; the rest can follow as trailing docs. Real term sheets come once the lenders can see a true business overview, so the move is simple: get the application and statements in right away, and don’t let a missing tax return hold up your term sheets.
Credit, straight
Qualification
Who Gets Funded — and Who’s Not Ready Yet
A straight read saves everyone time — here’s the line between a printing file that funds and one that isn’t ready yet.
↳Time in business is a factor, not a gate — newer crews with strong revenue still qualify.
Not ready yet isn’t a no — it’s a checklist. Most of it is fixable in a quarter or two, and your advisor will tell you straight which gaps to fix before a file goes in.
The Operator's Guide
Commercial Printing Financing
An Industry in the Middle of a Shift
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 press 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.
One Application, 70+ Lenders
Look — a $350K digital press that cuts setup from 2 hours to 10 minutes and waste by 40% isn't an expense, it's a $5K–$10K monthly margin improvement. A $45K wide-format printer that opens a $15K/month signage 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, and invoice factoring when clients pay net-30/60. One application, soft-pull review to start.
Common Questions
Printing Financing — Questions, Answered
Equipment financing covers the press (full Section 179 write-off) and a working line fronts the paper and ink against your revenue; soft-pull review to start.
Equipment financing covers printing presses with the press as collateral — a fraction down, sized to the equipment, your credit, and time in business. Both new and refurbished presses qualify. Soft-pull review to start.
Yes. Working capital and lines of credit cover paper, ink, substrates, and all consumable inventory. A line of credit is ideal — draw when you take a large order, repay when the client pays.
Equipment financing covers the new digital press, and working capital covers the transition period — training, marketing the new capabilities, and inventory during the changeover.
Yes. A working line or A/R financing bridges the net-terms gap so a big run doesn't drain your cash.
No. Soft credit pull only — zero FICO impact.
Recommended Funding
The Products That Fit Printing Work
Equipment Financing →
Finance digital presses, offset presses, and wide-format printers — the equipment is the collateral.
Working Capital Loans →
Fund paper and ink inventory for large print runs before client payment arrives.
Invoice Factoring →
Convert net-30/60 print job invoices into immediate cash for the next run.
Business Line of Credit →
Draw for substrates, ink, and consumables as print volume fluctuates.
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