Boost Profitability With AI for Custom Printing Services

The custom printing industry, especially in areas like DTF (Direct-to-Film) printing, thrives on precision, creativity, and exceptional customer service.

Yet, business owners often face a series of challenges. This includes constant repetitive inquiries about file preparation, design adjustments, material compatibility, and order tracking, all of which can overwhelm support teams and create bottlenecks.

AI-powered tools like Tidio’s Lyro Chatbot are redefining customer support for DTF businesses by automating repetitive tasks and providing quick, accurate responses. This not only saves time and reduces costs, but also enables 24/7 support, allowing companies to focus on what matters most—delivering quality products.

In this post, we explore how to use the power of AI technology to overcome the most common obstacles faced by custom printing businesses and set your own business up for success.

Common challenges faced by custom printing businesses

Running a custom printing business is no small feat, especially when it comes to customer service. Between managing a constant flow of inquiries to meeting the expectations of VIP clients, these hurdles can overwhelm even the most prepared support teams. 

Apart from just slowing things down, they can also leave customers feeling frustrated if not handled well. In fact, as many as 60% of consumers think long holds and wait times are the most frustrating aspects of their service experience.

Let’s take a closer look at the key challenges custom printing businesses face and how addressing them effectively can improve your operations while keeping customers happy.

High volumes of repetitive inquiries

Pre-sale questions 

Customers frequently ask about anything from file preparation and printing processes to the actual pricing breakdown. Questions like “What file format do you need for gang sheets?” or “How do I upload my design?” might need to be answered multiple times a day. While important, these inquiries can create a bottleneck for your team.

Post-sale inquiries 

After completing a purchase, customers may have follow-up questions ranging from instructions and guidelines to reordering options, adding to the support team’s workload. Many of these are product-specific, such as, “What’s the best way to wash this shirt to preserve the design?” or “Can this material withstand high-temperature washes?” Despite their repetitive nature, answering these questions is crucial for ensuring client satisfaction.

Support delays

When inquiries pile up, customers are left waiting for responses, which can lead to frustration. In fact, according to our study on consumer attitudes toward chatbots, only 18% of people are willing to wait 15 minutes to ask an agent a question, while around 82% of respondents would talk to a chatbot instead of waiting. 

For instance, if someone urgently needs to know about turnaround times for a rush order and doesn’t hear back quickly, that’s likely a missed sale—and a missed opportunity to build trust.

This problem is made even more challenging by the limitations of traditional support channels. Live chat often takes several minutes for a response, and email replies can take days—far too long for the fast-paced demands of modern customer service. So, during peak seasons or periods of high inquiry volume, short-staffed teams can quickly become overwhelmed, leaving customers feeling neglected.

Unanswered queries

Sometimes questions slip through the cracks, especially when your team is overwhelmed. For example, a user might ask for help with resizing a design for a specific material or garment and not receive a timely reply. When these questions go unaddressed, they may cause the customer to lose confidence in your service and turn to competitors for better support.

Order management challenges

Requests for real-time order tracking and updates can quickly pile up, especially during peak seasons. Customers often ask questions like, “When will my order ship?” or “Can you give me a delivery update?” Since print-on-demand relies on efficient production and shipping timelines, addressing these inquiries quickly is essential to maintaining client satisfaction.

If these requests aren’t handled efficiently, frustration can build on both sides.

Managing VIP customers

Your VIP customers are often your most loyal, but they also have higher expectations. They may need personalized attention or quick solutions for bulk transfer printing orders. Imagine a long-time client placing a large order for a promotional event. If their needs aren’t prioritized, they might start looking elsewhere.

Read more: Learn how to create and manage good customer relationships for your business.

By tackling these challenges head-on, you can free up your team’s time, create a smoother workflow, and give your customers the exceptional service they deserve.

Let’s explore how this can be achieved.

How to use AI to solve challenges in the custom printing industry

By automating routine tasks and speeding up response times, AI tools are reshaping how custom printing businesses operate. Many companies are discovering how these solutions not only streamline operations but also improve customer satisfaction. 

Here’s how AI can make a difference across customer service, marketing, and sales processes. We’ll showcase examples of how our own solution, Tidio’s Lyro AI, addresses specific pain points in each area.

Customer service 

Exceptional customer service is the foundation of loyalty in the custom printing industry. However, managing a flood of inquiries, ranging from basic questions to complex technical needs, can easily overwhelm teams. 

This is where your AI chatbot steps in to provide consistent support and ensure every consumer gets the help they need, when they need it.

Automate repetitive inquiries

Custom printing businesses often face many questions about design specifications and upload processes. AI chatbots like Lyro can handle these repetitive inquiries instantly. Instead of tying up your team with constant questions like “What file format should I use?” or “Can I use this material for heat transfer printing?”, Lyro provides instant, accurate answers, freeing up human agents for more complex requests.

Lyro pulls relevant information from your knowledge base, which is a collection of data sources about your products and/or services.You can choose whether you want to add knowledge by providing specific URLs, manually writing your own Q&A, or importing everything through a CSV file. With this data, Lyro can provide accurate, context-aware answers without risk of misinformation or hallucinations.

For instance, when a user asks about acceptable file formats or material compatibility, Lyro retrieves the necessary details directly from your knowledge base. This ensures precise and helpful responses and keeps the tone conversational and personalized.

Read more: Explore key tips for creating a great knowledge base chatbot for your needs. Also, be sure to learn more about Lyro’s data sources. 

Reduce response times

Quick responses are essential in the fast-paced custom printing industry. If you’re not ready to assist a customer right away, they will likely switch to a competitor. In fact, a report from HubSpot indicates that 90% of customers consider quick responses as important when they have a question 

Lyro operates 24/7 and responds within seconds, letting customers get immediate answers to their questions, even during peak times or outside business hours. This significantly reduces the waiting period, ensuring customers feel valued and supported whenever they need help.

Ninja Transfers, a provider of premium DTF transfers, uses Lyro to provide instant support on their website. From answering questions about their products to streamlining inquiries, Lyro helps them deliver quick and consistent customer service.

Highlight unanswered questions

AI doesn’t just handle routine inquiries—it also flags the ones it can’t resolve. This allows support teams to quickly address these gaps. 

For instance, if a client asks about a new printing material not yet included in your knowledge base, Lyro notifies the team, ensuring no question goes unanswered while improving future responses.

When Lyro encounters a question it can’t handle, it automatically logs it under the Unanswered Questions section in its Suggestions panel. This feature allows support teams to review these queries and create tailored answers, which are then added to Lyro’s AI knowledge base. Over time, this improves the accuracy of Lyro’s responses and broadens the scope of its support. 

Aside from unanswered questions, Lyro also provides an Industry-based feature, which is particularly beneficial for businesses in specialized fields like custom printing. This option generates a curated list of up to 25 pre-made question-and-answer pairs tailored to the industry chosen during setup. 

For example, Direct-To-Film businesses might find ready-to-use suggestions about common inquiries like acceptable file formats, application techniques, or compatibility of materials with specific printers or presses.

Forward complex or uncommon inquiries

While AI excels at automating repetitive tasks, sometimes a customer needs a human agent for more challenging questions. 

For example, if Lyro doesn’t have the answer to a specific inquiry, it can easily escalate the issue by creating a ticket or transferring the conversation directly to a live agent. This is configurable through Lyro’s Handoff settings, allowing businesses to decide how Lyro should respond during both online and offline hours.

During live support hours, Lyro can offer the option to “Talk to a person,” transferring the entire chat history to an available agent for a smooth continuation. During offline hours, Lyro can collect the necessary client details, create a ticket, and queue the inquiry for follow-up. This minimizes disruptions and ensures no client feels neglected, all while freeing up teams to focus on critical issues.

Multilingual support

In a global market, clear communication across languages is essential. Lyro currently supports 12 languages, including English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. Lyro uses your data sources to create accurate answers, which are then automatically translated into the visitor’s preferred language, ensuring clear and timely responses without requiring manual updates to your knowledge base.

Whether it’s assisting with pre-sale questions about design file preparation in English or post-sale inquiries about application techniques in French, Lyro helps customers feel understood. For businesses operating internationally, this feature makes it easier to maintain consistent, reliable support no matter where your customers are. 

Read more: Get the key steps for building a multilingual chatbot.

Sales

AI drives sales by proactively engaging customers and making product recommendations. In the custom printing industry, where customers often need personalized product help, AI ensures a smooth process that keeps customers satisfied while driving online sales growth.

Proactive customer engagement
Think of an AI chatbot as your website’s version of a floor sales assistant—always present, approachable, and ready to help at just the right moment. 

An AI chatbot’s advanced capabilities enable it to respond dynamically to inquiries while working seamlessly with proactive chatbots to initiate meaningful interactions with your visitors. 

For example, you can use a rule-based chatbot on crucial pages of your website to trigger personalized messages based on the visitor’s behavior, like after they’ve spent a certain amount of time on a product page or added items to their cart. You could send messages like, “Do you have any questions about this product?” or “Would you like to learn more about our special offer?”

Once the visitor engages, your advanced AI chatbot, like Tidio’s Lyro AI Agent, can continue the conversation, providing in-depth assistance. This helps eliminate any doubt and makes customers feel seen and valued.

Additionally, with the help of custom tasks, Lyro can provide information about current discounts, recommend complementary products, or answer common pre-sales questions—just like an attentive sales assistant would.

Personalized product recommendations

Tailored recommendations help customers find the right print solutions for their needs, quickly increasing your sales. 

Lyro is currently the only AI Agent that can give product recommendations during conversations with customers. This feature syncs with your product info sources to suggest options based on user inquiries. 

For example, if a customer asks about heat-resistant materials for a specific application, Lyro can suggest relevant products from your inventory. It doesn’t stop there—Lyro can recommend appropriate complementary items or alternatives by clarifying with follow-up questions. This not only improves the user experience but also increases the likelihood of a sale.

Promotions of special offers

Promotions and discounts give sales that extra push, but an AI chatbot can help you use them wisely.

For example, you can use Lyro as your own dynamic sales assistant. The Tasks feature allows you to create predefined actions or use templates for a wide range of client requests—and this goes beyond things like order tracking and return policy. For example, if a user asks, “What discounts are available for bulk orders?” Lyro can activate a flow to deliver accurate promotional details instantly. These tasks are fully customizable, ensuring your business can cater to specific consumer needs with precision.

Also, integrating Lyro with platforms like Shopify enables it to access your live inventory and tailor offers based on availability, further enhancing the customer experience.

By providing a seamless experience, Lyro makes customers feel cared for, which not only secures current sales but also creates future opportunities.

Read more: Explore Lyro’s tasks feature and learn how to create custom flows for your business needs.

Marketing

Marketing in custom printing isn’t just about promoting printed products and similar items. It’s also about understanding your customer’s needs and delivering personalized interactions. AI tools like our Lyro AI Agent help businesses analyze trends, refine messaging, and nurture leads to make the customer journey feel like an engaging, tailored experience.

Lead generation

By engaging visitors at the right moment, an AI chatbot can collect contact details and qualify leads, ensuring potential customers are guided seamlessly down the sales funnel.

When a visitor shows interest in specific products or services, Lyro can prompt them with follow-up questions or forms to gather essential information, such as their email address or preferences. This allows your business to build a robust customer database while tailoring future communications to their specific needs.

By analyzing visitor behavior and responses, Lyro identifies high-intent prospects and prioritizes them for follow-up. Whether it’s through automated workflows or by transferring qualified leads to your sales team, Lyro ensures no opportunity is missed.

Data collection and actionable insights

Lyro AI doesn’t just handle automated responses—it also empowers businesses with valuable insights to enhance their support strategies. 

Through its Hub panel, Lyro tracks key metrics like the Answer rate (the percentage of questions successfully answered) and Resolution rate (the percentage of conversations resolved). These metrics provide a clear view of Lyro’s performance, helping you identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Additionally, Lyro’s Hub highlights gaps in your knowledge base, such as unanswered questions, and offers suggestions to enhance its performance. 

For custom printing businesses, these insights can reveal trends—like recurring questions about specific materials or peak times for user inquiries. These insights not only help you enhance your knowledge base, but also influence your marketing campaigns and website optimizations, ensuring your business stays aligned with customer needs.

24/7 engagement and campaign support

An AI chatbot makes sure your business is always available, keeping customers informed at any hour. This 24/7 availability is especially valuable during peak season campaigns when customer inquiries surge. 

Whether it’s answering questions about holiday discounts, bulk order pricing, or delivery times, an AI chatbot like Lyro provides real-time assistance, ensuring customers are never left waiting.

Real-life success stories of AI in the custom printing industry

Below, we explore three real-world examples of how custom printing businesses have effectively used AI in their strategies and boosted their efficiency—without sacrificing personal touch.

Ninja Transfers

Ninja Transfers specializes in high-quality Direct-to-Film (DTF) transfers for custom apparel printing. They cater to print shops, brands, artists, and businesses, providing vibrant, durable transfers for various materials and colors. 

When Ninja Transfers integrated Tidio’s Lyro AI Agent into their customer service, they aimed to tackle three key challenges: reduce response times, automate routine inquiries, and enhance the experience for VIP clients. 

The results were immediate and impressive—Lyro now handles around 70% of their inquiries. Their widget proudly proclaims “Wait: 0 Minutes,” and they truly deliver on that promise.

Beyond reduced waiting times, Ninja Transfers increased the number of sales assisted by 1.64 times compared to the previous year, showcasing how fast responses and improved functionality can turn inquiries into conversions. They also leveraged Lyro’s ability to identify high-value customer data, transferring them to a specialized team for more personalized service. This attention to VIP clients has strengthened relationships and built long-term loyalty.

Read more: Discover how Tidio’s support team streamlined their processes using Lyro’s powerful automation capabilities.

Jiffy

Jiffy is a leading U.S. online retailer specializing in blank, imprintable apparel and custom transfers. With over a decade of experience, they combine award-winning client service with rapid delivery, offering a vast selection of clothing to creators, makers, and entrepreneurs. 

For Jiffy.com, managing inquiries on their 24-hour live chat was a struggle. Our Lyro AI Agent provided much-needed relief by automating 68% of their inquiries. From file preparation questions to return requests, Lyro’s custom flows—including the use of custom links for returns and complaints based on visitor information—reduced the repetitive back-and-forth between clients and agents. 

With Lyro taking care of the basics, Jiffy.com’s live agents can focus on more complex requests, delivering a better overall experience. While Lyro alleviated the pressure on their team, customers benefited from quicker resolutions and consistent support—a win-win situation on both ends.

Stahls’

Stahls’ is a go-to provider for customizable apparel decoration solutions and high-quality prints. They offer custom products that include everything from heat transfer vinyl and direct-to-film (DTF) transfers to emblems, patches, and heat press machines. Whether you’re running a small business or managing large-scale production, their range of products and services is designed to help you create custom garments with ease.

To make things even smoother for their clients, Stahls’ uses S.E.A.N. (Stahls’ Education and Assistance Navigation), an AI-powered chatbot. S.E.A.N. is there to provide instant answers, guide users to the right products, share educational resources, and offer tips on various processes. It’s all about helping customers find what they need quickly while cutting down on wait times.

By adding S.E.A.N. to their platform, Stahls’ shows how committed they are to using technology to improve the experience for their clients.

Read more: Explore the best chatbot use cases for customer service.

Get started with AI to enhance your custom printing business

AI is changing the game for custom printing businesses, taking care of everyday challenges like handling high streams of inquiries and delivering quick support. 

Tidio’s Lyro AI gives your team the time and flexibility to focus on growing your business and keeping your clients satisfied.

Ready to take the first step? Setting up Lyro is quick and straightforward:

• Connect your platform — Add Lyro to your website or integrate it with platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce.
• Train Lyro — Use your existing knowledge base or FAQs to equip Lyro with the right information.
• Customize for your brand — Adjust Lyro’s tone of voice and configure responses to match your business style.
• Activate and automate — Turn Lyro on and start delivering instant, reliable support to your customers.

Take Tidio’s Lyro AI for a spin today—no credit card required—and discover how AI can help your custom printing business thrive.

To learn more about how Lyro can work for your business, reach out to our sales team for tailored advice and solutions.