Why this price?

The answer probably isn't what you think.

First of all, thank you. Thank you for taking a few minutes to understand who we are. In a trade where every minute counts, that's a real gift.

My name is Luc, and I'm the founder of Place Projector. On this page, I'll explain very simply:

1. Where Place Projector comes from, and why it exists.
2. How a small company can offer such an accessible price against systems that cost several thousand euros.
3. How we make a living, in full transparency.
4. What we believe in, and why you are at the heart of it all.
5. And finally, how to reach me directly if you have any questions.

It's a bit long. But I'd rather explain things to you frankly than try to sell them to you.

Where does Place Projector come from?

For almost 14 years, I co-founded and ran custom apparel print and embroidery shops. We printed and embroidered several thousand custom garments. Rush orders, hot presses, designs to place in exactly the right spot, garment after garment: I know that daily life from the inside.

Back in 2017, we had put together a prototype: a projector that projected a simple grid onto the press platen. We had been using it for a year. We barely thought about it anymore.

Then came a rush order from a large pizza chain: 200 T-shirts to press with screen-printed transfers, to be delivered the next day. And that very day, our prototype projector had just broken down.

Placement was slow. Painstaking. Every shirt measured, checked, checked again. That's when we realized the tool had become essential, as much for speed as for the operator's comfort. And despite all our care, we're certain of one thing: with projection, those 200 shirts would have been placed even better.

“You only realize what a tool is worth the day it's missing.”

When we looked for a real solution, we noticed several things:

• Projection positioning systems exist, but they often cost several thousand euros. For a small shop, that's out of reach.
• Most shops still place their designs with a ruler, a cardboard template or by eye. It works… until the day it doesn't.
• The real cost isn't the tool. The real cost is wasted garments, time spent measuring, and depending on the one experienced operator who "knows how to do it".
• A placement tool has to stay simple to use every day, by any operator, even in the middle of a rush.
• Heat transfer and embroidery are often treated as two separate worlds, when the problem is the same: placing it right, the first time.

“The problem was never the price of a tool. The problem is the price of a mistake.”

So I built the tool we had missed so badly that day.

Arriving last, and going for it anyway

Let's be honest: on paper, Place Projector didn't stand a chance.

• We're not the first on this market.
• We haven't raised money from investors.
• We don't have a worldwide network of distributors.
• We're not a big heat press manufacturer.
• On the other side, there are brands that have been around for years, with catalogs, trade shows and sales teams.

“Arriving last has an advantage nobody tells you about: you get to learn from every mistake made by those who came before you.”

And that's exactly what we did. We looked at what existed, what cost too much, what was too complicated, what was sold and then forgotten. Then we did the opposite.

“We're not trying to take anyone's share. We want thousands of shops that never had access to this tool to finally get it.”

Our choice: you, rather than our competitors

There were two ways to get started. The first: copy what already exists, a little cheaper, and fight over technical specs. The second: forget the competition, and spend all our time with print shops.

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We chose the second.‍

“When you keep your eyes on your competitors, you turn your back on your customers.”

In practice, that means:

• Every feature in the app starts from a real problem found in a real shop, not from a product sheet.
• Heat transfer and embroidery are treated as equals, because you often do both.
• You control the tool from your phone, tablet or computer. No extra screen needed.
• Your designs and your customers' names are encrypted. Even we can't read them. Your customers belong to you.
• When you write to us, a human answers. Often, it's me.

Your ideas, your feedback, even your complaints shape Place Projector. When a design lands exactly in the right spot in your shop, you helped build that.

Why rent instead of sell?

From day one, one simple rule guided us: you should only pay for what truly pays you back.

Selling a system for several thousand euros means asking you to take all the risk at once. If the tool doesn't suit you, if your business changes, the money is already spent.

And there's another risk people rarely talk about: a print shop is a tough place for a projector. Heat from the presses, textile dust constantly in the air, whole days switched on, sometimes six days a week. This equipment works in far harsher conditions than a meeting room. Breakdowns happen. We know: we've been there.

So we did the opposite:

• The projector is rented, and the software is included in the monthly subscription.
• No commitment: you stay because it's useful, not because a contract holds you.
• You use your own phone, tablet or computer to run it.
• If the projector breaks down, we repair or replace it. Including everything a standard manufacturer warranty often refuses to cover: overheating, intensive use, textile dust.
• Only loss and theft remain your responsibility.

“A broken projector is our problem. Not yours.”

This model has one important consequence: our interest is exactly the same as yours. If Place Projector doesn't save you time and money every month, you leave. So we have no choice but to be good, all the time.

So how do we make a living ?

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You're probably wondering how a small company can offer a projector, complete software, constant updates, breakdown coverage and real human support, starting at €39 per month excl. VAT. Here's the answer, straight up.

1. Proven hardware, without paying for the brand. We tested many projectors and kept only the ones that do the job perfectly in a shop. The intelligence is in the software, not in the label.
2. No middlemen. No distributor, no reseller, no commission at every level. You deal directly with us, and the savings go to you.
3. No trade shows, no expensive ad campaigns. We rely on the best advertising there is: one happy shop telling another.
4. A monthly subscription, not one big sale. We earn a little every month, as long as you're happy.

To get started, there's just one cost: a €99 excl. VAT setup fee. It covers preparing your projector and shipping it. After that, there's only the subscription.

No hidden fees, no must-have option sold separately, no trap when you cancel.

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Two ways of looking at it

Model 1 — The traditional purchase. You buy a positioning system for several thousand euros. You pay everything, right away. The seller already made their money on the day of the sale: every support call, every visit costs them. The more they help you, the less they earn. And when the projector gives out because of heat or dust, the warranty doesn't always follow.

Model 2 — Place Projector. You pay a €99 excl. VAT setup fee, then from €39 excl. VAT per month, projector and software included, with no commitment. We only make money if you stay. The more we help you, the longer you stay.

Let's take an example: to spend as much as on a €3,000 solution, it would take more than 6 years of subscription. And quite often, those solutions cost even more. During those 6 years, you're free to stop whenever you want, and breakdowns are covered from the first day to the last. A standard warranty covers less, and ends much sooner.

Also do a simple calculation in your own shop: how much does one ruined garment cost you (blank + transfer or thread + time)? How many do you lose each month? For many shops, the subscription pays for itself with the first mistakes avoided.

“So, would you rather tie up several thousand euros, or pay each month for a tool that has to earn your trust?”

The questions you're probably asking yourself

"At that price, it must be a gimmick."

That's the most common reaction, and it's a normal one. But the price of a system tells you nothing about its accuracy. What places your design to the millimeter isn't an expensive box: it's a precise calibration of your platen, done once and for all, and software built for the shop floor.

“A high price doesn't measure a tool's quality. It often measures how many middlemen stand between the maker and you.”

"What if it doesn't suit my shop?"

You simply stop. There's no commitment. That's actually why we don't offer a trial month: you're free from day one, not just for 30 days.

"What if the projector breaks down?"

We repair or replace it. Heat, textile dust, long days of use: we know your shop is demanding, and that's exactly what we cover. Only loss and theft aren't covered.

"Who answers if I have a problem?"

A human. Not a bot, not a call center on the other side of the world. We're a small team, and that's exactly our strength: every shop matters.

Our mission

In a print shop, everyone is serving someone. The operator serves the customer waiting for their order. The owner serves their team and their customers. And the customer will wear that garment at their club, their company, their association, with their family.

Our role is to serve all of them, by giving you the tool that makes your work simpler, safer and calmer.

“A one-person shop deserves the same tools as a factory. Whatever its size, wherever it is.”

We believe a precision tool shouldn't be a privilege reserved for big shops. We believe you should only pay for what earns you something. And we believe a supplier has to earn your trust every month, not just on the day of the sale.

To wrap up

That was long, I know. But now you know us a little better.

Place Projector wasn't born in a marketing office. It was born in a print shop, on the evening of a rush order, between a hot press and 200 T-shirts to deliver. And it will keep growing the same way: with you, from what you live every day.

« Our only goal: to be the ones you trust. »

If you have any questions, about the tool, the price, or even your own shop, write to me directly. I'll answer you personally.

Luc, founder of Place Projector

luc@placeprojector.com