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Funding for your situation

Adding a press to your print shop: what it costs and how it pays back.

The real cost of adding a press, what funders look at, and a worked example using illustrative figures.

✓ Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.

Why the timing matters

A new press is easier to justify than a new location, and easier to underfund. A trade-show client wants a rush order that the old press cannot handle. The purchase, the people and the first weeks of ramp-up all land at once.

Merchant Fund Express is a funding marketplace: you apply once, and the file is matched to the structure that fits it. The sections below show what this situation usually costs, how a funder reads it, and what to prepare.

Typical useBuying capacity: one more truck, chair, bay or crew
TimelineSame-day decision on a complete file; funding typically the next business day after signing
CreditMinimum FICO is 500; better credit means better offers
DocumentsAbout three months of business bank statements and a short application

Retail card orders plus corporate accounts on net terms. A reviewer sees that pattern in the statements before reading a word of the application.

Equipment is part of the picture. A failure such as a press repair or a plotter replacement can run $6,200 to $6,200 and interrupt revenue while it is down.

The documents that usually matter most for a print shop are an equipment quote and corporate account or invoice report, alongside the bank statements.

Election cycles, holidays and trade-show seasons drive spikes. For a print shop, that rhythm decides when a funding request reads best and how it should be repaid.

A worked example: one more press

Cost itemIllustrative amount
Production press$55,000
Finishing equipment$15,000
Stock and ink inventory$6,000
Operator training$3,000
Cushion for overruns and slow early weeks (about 10%)$8,000
Funding need for one more press$87,000

Sizing check. If the full repayment shown in an offer were $113,000 over about 26 weeks, the weekly debit would be about $4,346. Against illustrative monthly deposits of $140,000 (about $32,308 a week), that is roughly 13% of weekly deposits. Your own offer states the real repayment amount in dollars; run your numbers on the factor rate calculator before you accept anything.

Source: worksheet by Merchant Fund Express. Illustrative only: these figures are not an offer, and real amounts depend on your file and the funder.

What adding a press usually involves

Production press ($55,000)

A fixed purchase with a quote you can put in front of a funder.

Finishing equipment ($15,000)

A fixed purchase with a quote you can put in front of a funder.

Stock and ink inventory ($6,000)

Bought ahead of the first sale and sitting as cash until it turns.

Operator training ($3,000)

People are paid on a schedule that does not wait for new revenue to ramp.

Common mistakes to avoid

Funding the press itself but not the weeks of payroll before it pays for itself
Choosing the biggest, newest option when a used or smaller unit would reach the same revenue
Taking on a payment sized for the best week rather than a typical one

What the review looks at

Whether current deposits show the demand the new press is meant to serve
A quote or bill of sale for the main purchase
Whether any part of the purchase is already financed on the same account
Corporate receivable timing
Equipment already financed
Job mix

These are the same factors described on revenue and deposit requirements and time in business. Merchant Fund Express walks you through how your own file reads before you apply.

Related funding structures

Equipment financing: Built around the equipment itself, which often keeps the payment tied to what it earns.
Working capital loans: Lump-sum capital sized on your deposits, for a defined need with a clear payback.
Business line of credit: A reusable pool you draw on and repay, useful when costs arrive in pieces.
Merchant cash advance: Repaid from future revenue; fast, and priced as a fixed total, so read the full repayment amount.
How funders read a print shop: Industry-specific notes on what the file needs.
Print shop funding guide: The full industry guide, with every product and topic.
Print shop funding in Florida: State-level funding page for this industry.
How much can I borrow: A closely related situation, explained in detail.
Revenue and deposit requirements: A closely related situation, explained in detail.
Same-day business funding: A closely related situation, explained in detail.
Factor rate calculator: Run your own numbers before accepting an offer.
More funding situations: Other growth, operating and recovery moments.

What to have ready

Three months of business bank statements
A completed application
A government-issued ID for the owner
An equipment quote
Corporate account or invoice report
A quote or bill of sale for the press

A complete file is what makes a same-day decision possible. If something is missing, tell us and we will work around it.

Common questions

How fast can I get funded to add a press?

Merchant Fund Express gives a same-day decision on a complete file, and funding is typically the next business day after signing. The quote or bill of sale for the press is the document that usually moves things along.

Is this equipment financing or working capital?

It can be either. If the purchase is a single asset with a quote, equipment financing may fit; if you also need payroll and supplies for the ramp-up, working capital covers the whole package.

Does a used press work?

Often yes. A used purchase can shorten the payback, and a quote or invoice from the seller is what the file needs.

What credit score do I need?

The minimum FICO is 500, and better credit means better products and terms. See credit score requirements for how the tiers work.

See what you qualify for

Merchant Fund Express gives a same-day decision on a complete file. Applying takes a few minutes and will not affect your credit score.

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