by Cassandra Balentine
As with any industry, the role of print continues to shift to support evolving consumer demands. The wholesale portion of the print industry is no exception.
Above: Stouse combines deep printing expertise, flexible technologies, and unmatched customer service
Trade-only wholesale printers are well adapt at creating high volumes of applications. They can act as a business extension, help print providers test new markets, and be relied upon in a pinch.
Trade Only
Several trends impact the trade-only wholesale print space today.
“The trade print landscape has shifted dramatically. COVID and the post-pandemic supply chain crisis exposed weaknesses across the industry—long lead times, material shortages, and inconsistent service disrupted many distributor relationships. Those challenges forced distributors to rethink their vendor mix and prioritize reliability, speed, and communication,” shares Jennifer Hoyt, director of marketing and ecommerce, Stouse.
At the same time, demand for customized products and faster turnarounds has grown. Advancements in digital printing and automation raised the bar, making flexibility and responsiveness critical to staying competitive. “Distributors now lean harder on trade partners who simplify the process, deliver consistently, and offer a range of solutions,” adds Hoyt.
Hoyt expects distributors to continue to demand more—more product variety, more speed, more support, and more flexibility. “That shift already drives change across trade printing, and it won’t slow down. The most successful trade partners will invest in automation, expand digital capabilities, and remove friction from every stage of the process, from quoting to production to delivery.”
Supply chain pressure also hasn’t disappeared. Hoyt stresses that printers need smarter sourcing strategies, stronger vendor relationships, and better systems to adapt quickly when challenges hit.
Bob Saunders, VP of sales, Wise, sees a rise of trade print through industry consolidation. “Over the past five years, one of the most significant shifts in the trade print business is the opportunity created by consolidation among direct-selling manufacturers. Just within the past six months we have seen multiple closures of printing facilities producing business forms. But there are still customers for these forms, so that volume has to go somewhere. Ironically, while these companies are shuttering facilities, we’re seeing a growth in our plants.”
Saunders suggests thinking about it this way, “let’s say you have a company with 100 sales reps selling printed products, and you have a plant dedicated just to those reps. If there is a decline in key product lines, you still have to feed that plant. Increasingly, there’s not enough business to support a dedicated facility. So you may still want to offer that product line, but it doesn’t make sense to carry all that overhead. So you shut it down and send that business to a trade manufacturer. The result? More business for trade printers and fewer barriers for commercial printers or resellers who want to maintain access to these product lines.”
Another notable evolution in the trade print space, according to Saunders, is the growing number of commercial printers entering the reselling market. “This allows them to expand their offerings and meet customer needs without expanding their own production capabilities. This trend is especially visible at major industry events where entire exhibit halls are now devoted to promotional products.”
Wholesale Printers
A variety of trade-only wholesale printers are available to assist. Here are a few trade-only print providers serving the industry today.
Print Rail Wholesale
Headquartered in Blue Springs, MO, Print Rail Wholesale produces direct to film (DTF), UVDTF, stickers, and completed tees at wholesale prices.
The company started selling DTF transfers in October 2022. It ships from Kansas City, MO.
Signs365
Signs365 is a grand format, trade-only wholesale printer. The Shelby Township, MI-based company offers a variety of full-color, high-quality printed products all produced in 24 hours.
SinaLite
Wholesale trade printer SinaLite celebrates over 20 years in business. It operates out of a 100,000 square foot facility in Dublin, OH. In addition to large format printing of wholesale signs, banners, and wall decals, it also provides clients with business cards, promotional materials, stationery, labels and packaging, and apparel.
Stouse
Stouse Sign Service began in the early 1950s, specializing in hand-painted signs and billboards. New ownership took over in 1977 and expanded Stouse’s product line to include bumper stickers and other screenprinted products. Since then, Stouse has evolved as a trade printer, supporting the distributor channel for nearly five decades.
Stouse ships across the U.S. and Canada, with the majority of orders delivered to distributor locations or blind-shipped directly to end customers. Its production model supports coast-to-coast reach with fast, reliable fulfillment.
Wise
In business since 1969, Wise is a trade-only print manufacturer specializing in traditional business forms—including continuous, cut sheet, unit sets, jumbo rolls, and checks, along with industrial and prime labels, tags, and digital printing solutions tailored exclusively for resellers.
Wise maintains multiple production locations across the U.S. to support nationwide—but primarily Midwest, East Coast, and Southeast—reseller coverage.
Working with Wholesale
Using a trusted trade-only wholesale printer for certain jobs or applications can be a win-win situation. It is essential to form strong relationships that serve your needs and requirements.
Oct2025, DPS Magazine
