Printwear & Promotion The Total Promotional Package
From a kitchen-table operation to supplying rhinestones for the Eurovision Song Contest, The Transfer Press has built a business around specialist products, exclusive UK distribution and a willingness to explore niche markets. Acting editor, Benjamin Austin, spoke with owner Graeme Turner about how the company has evolved – and why innovation remains central to its future.
In an industry where speed, margin pressure and me-too products dominate much of the conversation, differentiation has become increasingly valuable.
For The Transfer Press, that differentiation has been built across more than two decades through exclusive distribution agreements, specialist finishes and an openness to markets others may overlook.
Co-owned by partners, Graeme Turner and Julia Williscroft, the business operates from Dunkeswell in East Devon.
Graeme explained: “Julia and I co-own it 50/50.
“We’re in a little village called Dunkeswell (East Devon), which nobody has ever heard of unless they’re into go-karting or parachuting.” But the company’s reach extends far beyond the South West.
From printing roots to a distribution specialist
The origins of The Transfer Press lie firmly in garment decoration rather than distribution. Graeme continued: “Many moons ago, my partner had a T shirt printing business, and she basically was buying in transfers via an agent of American companies.
“The guy who was importing the transfers decided he wanted to stop, and she took it over. “Then I got involved, this was back in 2003.”
At the time, Graeme was balancing consultancy work with his own garments’ interests. “I was a marketing consultant and had a small sportswear business, but this just seemed interesting, and something I could get involved in, and it just went on from there.”
What began as a practical solution soon developed into a focused business model. He said: “We started it fresh and took over the agency for transfers and built from there. We just sell the transfers to printers to other people, and we are the exclusive UK distributors of the transfers.”
Growth was steady rather than explosive. Grame said: “We started with a couple of thousand a month on a kitchen table, and it grew from there.
“It’s been over 20 years, and I’m not saying we have everything perfect, but it’s going pretty well.”
Adding value through specialist products
A key part of that evolution has been expanding the product range beyond the original transfers. Graeme explained: “We’d got into sublimation products, at that time a far smaller market than it is today, and that’s how most people still know us.”
“We came to rhinestones a little later – again it was by chance – a major rhinestone distributor got out of the market, and we saw the opportunity to distribute both pre-made rhinestone designs from the far east and the individual stones and supplies.
“Then we were approached to develop a couple of exclusive designs for someone and realised that we could create custom designs here in the UK.”
“They’re iron-on and very simple to do, but they are one of those things that very much fall in and out of fashion. We have had spells of hardly anything for a couple of years, and then all of a sudden people get back into it.”
That willingness to stay invested paid off in 2023, when The Transfer Press supplied stones for a Eurovision Song Contest costume. Graeme said: “We had an enquiry one day from someone saying they were making a costume for a Eurovision song contest entrant, but they wanted to bling it up, and can you help us. We were very happy to do so.
“We then sat through the entire competition to watch our jacket for about two minutes. It was nice to see our work on stage, even if we had to sit through the entire show to see it.
Graeme also explained the company’s advancements with rhinestones. He said: “Over the last year to 18 months, we’ve had increasing success combining rhinestones and HTV – we distribute the DaeHa range and their vinyls (particularly the glitters and metallics) work really well with rhinestones.”
Exclusive brands, exclusive opportunities
Exclusivity has become a defining feature of The Transfer Press proposition. The company works closely with Art Brands, which Graeme describes as “now the world’s largest producers of transfers.” Through those partnerships, the business has secured UK-only distribution for several licensed and specialist products.
He continued: “Our brands have deals with a bunch of companies. The Betty Boops are a real winner worldwide. We are the only official distributor of Betty Boop transfers in the UK.”
For garment decorators, that kind of exclusivity can be commercially significant, allowing them to offer designs unavailable elsewhere in the market.
Solar Trans: Colour change without complexity
One of the most eye-catching innovations now available through The Transfer Press is Solar Trans, a patented process developed by Art Brands.
Graeme spoke highly about them, saying: “Art Brands has a patented process which is called Solar Trans, which, when you’re indoors, you have a black and white T shirt, but when you go into the sunlight, it turns full colour.
“It’s a really remarkable process and is applied just like a normal transfer.”
For printers, the appeal lies not just in the visual impact, but in the fact that no specialist application equipment is required – making it accessible to a wide range of businesses.
Niche markets, real returns
Despite more than two decades in the sector, Graeme is clear that the business is not standing still. “Just because we’ve been around for 20 years, we’re not resting; we are looking at things for the future.”
“We’re hoping soon that we’ll be able to offer things like chenille lettering, like what they have on American college jackets. We would be hoping to offer that soon, exclusively, as one of the largest worldwide manufacturers of those. It’s a really interesting look.”
Alongside this, The Transfer Press continues to expand its range of embroidered badges, leather patches and short-run specialist items.
Graeme said: “Some are very niche markets, but having said that, a lot of people have made money out of those markets.”
The company is also the sole UK distributor for Vapour sublimation T shirts. “We’re the sole Uk distributor for Vapour sublimation T shirts, which we think is probably the best sublimation range in the world,” said Graeme, adding: “I’m old and come from a generation where you say polyester T shirt, and it was like putting on a carrier bag, but these feel like a good quality polycotton shirt.”
A business built on being different
From gymnastics and dance groups to fashion shows and international competitions, The Transfer Press has built a reputation for specialist solutions rather than mass-market sameness.
Operating from rural Devon but supplying across the UK, the business demonstrates how exclusivity, innovation and long-term partnerships can create sustainable differentiation.
In a market where standing out is increasingly difficult, The Transfer Press’ approach offers a clear reminder: Sometimes the strongest competitive advantage is simply doing something others don’t.
