# How to Start a Custom Phone Case Business with a Desktop UV Printer

**URL:** <https://community.printelvia.com/t/how-to-start-a-custom-phone-case-business-with-a-desktop-uv-printer/34>\
**Category:** Tutorials\
**Created:** [October 11, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.printelvia.com/t/how-to-start-a-custom-phone-case-business-with-a-desktop-uv-printer/34 "2026-10-11T14:44:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![printelvia\_admin](https://community.printelvia.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@printelvia\_admin](https://community.printelvia.com/u/printelvia_admin)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.printelvia.com/t/how-to-start-a-custom-phone-case-business-with-a-desktop-uv-printer/34/1 "2026-10-11T14:44:57Z")

</div>

## Goal

Goal: launch an Etsy or Shopify shop selling 100–300 custom phone cases per month. This tutorial walks you through the whole launch — equipment, blank cases, designs, pricing and your first 10 orders — in 2 to 4 weeks, using a desktop UV printer like our PV-A5 Smart or PV-A3 Pro.

## What You Need

- **Printer:** A3 UV Printer
- **Materials:** pc\_case

## Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Pick your niche: 2–3 design styles for a specific audience (pet lovers, gamers, weddings)
2. Order blank TPU/PC cases for the 5 best-selling phone models only
3. Print samples and photograph them in natural light — photos sell cases, not specs
4. List on Etsy with 10 designs; price at $15–25 with free shipping built in
5. Print orders in batches of 12 using a positioning jig (see our batch recipe)
6. Ship in a branded kraft box with a thank-you card — reviews drive everything

## Common Mistakes

Skipping test prints: always print one sample of every new case model before listing.

Neglecting white ink maintenance: shake white ink bottles daily and never let the printer sit unused for more than 3 days.

Pricing too low: a $9.99 case signals low quality and leaves no margin for ads.

## Cost Breakdown

Blank case: ~$0.80 | Ink per case: ~$0.30 | Packaging: ~$0.50 | Total cost ≈ $1.60–2.00 per case. At a $19.99 selling price the gross margin is over 85% before platform fees.

## Summary

A desktop UV printer plus a $200 starter stock of blank cases is a complete business in a box. Start narrow, photograph well, batch print, and reinvest the first month’s profit into more designs. Settings tested on our in-house printers. Always run a small test print first and fine-tune for your own machine and ink batch.

 ![tutorial-phone-case-business.png](https://cdn-community.printelvia.com/original/1X/c15c907bd4e09ab6fbcde7a7e4bbd6950fb207ab.jpeg)

 ![gallery](https://cdn-community.printelvia.com/original/1X/b51e6aea8f2868e78f2b59ffb581ff7690084ae9.jpeg)