Whether you are an artist, designer or entrepreneur, you can translate your creativity or entrepreneurial spirit into physical products that will help you monetize your work.
From T-shirts to posters, backpacks to books, you can give a variety of everyday items a unique look and start selling them online. However, if you go the traditional route of selling products online with the purchase and storage of inventory, you may end up with a lot of products sitting in your warehouse that are not selling.
Print-on-demand service offers an alternative sales route that eliminates the time and investment, and therefore the risk, allowing you to start selling custom products right away with a small investment.
What is print on demand and how does it work?
Print on demand is a business where your partner is a supplier of goods that do not have labels or other designs, but who is ready to print the design you send them and even the logo on their products. Thus, you become the owner of customized products that you can sell under your own brand.
The print on demand business model allows you to not pay for the product until it is requested (purchased) by the customer, so there is no need to purchase unlabeled products or hold ready-to-sell products in your warehouse.
In addition, the entire process from printing to delivery is handled by your partner. On your part, it only takes a few clicks to send the product requested by the buyer to your partner for processing.
The print on demand service can be used for various purposes:
- Test a business idea or a new product line of an existing business without the risks associated with purchasing inventory.
- Monetize your own audience. For example, if you are a blogger or a popular person on social networks, you can offer your audience T-shirts or other products with your own designs.
- Creating products for a specific niche of buyers. For example, for people who are into games.
- Easily print unique items – T-shirts, bags, wallpaper, smartphone cases, watches, mugs and more. Unique items can be sent as gifts or simply kept for yourself.
- Sell photos online by placing them on various products listed on your company's website catalog.
In the online print-on-demand business, quality assurance is very important. There is always a chance that the design seen on the computer screen will not be exactly the same on the product. However, such details can be resolved with your partner's support service, asking for advice.
Pros and Cons of Print on Demand Business
Opening your own online store with a print-on-demand business model is one way to start selling without spending money. But this model has its pros and cons.
| Pros | Cons |
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|---|---|---|
Quick creation of products
Once you receive the design, you can create a product and put it on the site in a matter of minutes.
A third party will take care of the delivery.
Delivery and order management is handled by your partner supplier. Once the product is sold, you are only responsible for customer service.
Extensive testing capabilities
Since you don't physically have product inventory in storage, you'll find it easier to add or remove products, test ideas, or change your approach. |
Lower profits
Your profit for each item sold will be lower than when purchasing wholesale quantities of products.
Poor control over the delivery process
The shipping cost component can vary greatly from product to product. Your options are also limited by the fact that you cannot influence the shipping time or use a custom approach to shipping your products. |
Print on Demand: How to Create an Online Store
1. Hire a designer or come up with designs yourself
When developing designs for your print on demand business, it is important to consider the needs and tastes of your target audience . You can come up with unique designs yourself, research current trends and themes in your niche.
If you don't have design skills, consider hiring a professional designer or working with a freelancer.
2. Create design mockups for your selected products
Select the range of products you will offer for print on demand, such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, posters and more.
Use a graphic editor or online tools to create design layouts for each type of product. Consider the sizes, resolutions, and formats required for printing on the selected products.
3. Create an online store
Sign up for an e-commerce platform, such as Shopify , and create your online store. Upload your company logo, choose and customize a suitable store theme, and create website pages. Then add information about your business and contact details.
4. Install the print on demand app in the store
Explore the available print-on-demand apps in the Shopify marketplace. Choose the right app, install it in your store, and configure it as needed.
The app allows you to integrate your Shopify store with print-on-demand service providers, automatically transfer print data, and process orders.
5. Add printed products to your store
Create product pages with design mockups, with detailed descriptions including features, sizes, colors, available options and prices.
6. Use Marketing to Attract Visitors
Develop a marketing strategy to promote your print-on-demand business. You can use social media, content marketing, email, and other channels to attract visitors to your store. Create attractive promotions, discounts, and loyalty programs to encourage repeat purchases.
7. Process orders and provide customer support
- When you receive orders, process them in a timely manner.
- Ensure fast and reliable delivery of products.
- Provide excellent customer service by answering their questions and requests.
- Engage with your customers regularly to build brand loyalty and gain feedback.
Print on Demand Apps for Creating Custom Products
While many print-on-demand applications may appear similar at first glance, you should do some careful research before choosing the right partner for you based on the types of products, possible delivery locations, and desired retail prices.
For example, you may be lured by the low cost of a product, but later you may find that it may take 21 days for the product to be delivered to your customers.
Be smart about choosing the right app. To help you navigate the app landscape, check out the list below of popular services that cover a variety of print-on-demand business scenarios. All of these services are free (you only pay when you order a product) and integrate with Shopify .
This list is by no means exhaustive. You can see all available apps in the Shopify App Store .
Create a Shopify online store
Start your business by creating an online store on the Shopify platform - one of the leaders in the e-commerce industry in the USA and Canada.
3 days free, then only $1/month for the first 3 months.
1. Printful
Official website: https://www.printful.com
App link: Printful
Printful is popular for its wide selection of products and brands (Gildan, American Apparel, etc.), easy layout generator, and the ability to use your own branding on products in the form of stickers, packaging flyers, or custom inserts.
For clothing in particular, Printful offers a variety of printing methods. Here are some of them:
- Direct printing allows you to apply ink directly to the finished product, which is especially good for simple designs. As a result, you can place the developed design in any area of the product.
- The cut and sew method is sometimes called "all-over printing." The design is printed on sections of material, and then the sections are sewn together to create a seamless composition. While the initial cost may be higher than direct printing, the cut and sew method produces a more premium product that costs more.
- Embroidery is perhaps the most difficult printing technique because the final product is an embroidered design with a 3D effect. This printing method is most suitable for simple compositions using only a few colors, as well as for products that traditionally have embroidered designs, such as hats.
You should also be aware of additional settings that also affect the price of the product. For example, printing on a sleeve usually requires paying an additional cost on top of the base price.
In addition to apparel, Printful offers printing services on pillows, mugs, framed posters, aprons, towels and more.
2. Lulu Direct
Official website: https://www.lulu.com
App link: Lulu Direct
Lulu Direct is a platform for publishing and distributing your own print and ebooks.
The application will allow you to choose the appropriate book size, binding type and paper quality for printing your own book.
While there is no built-in book design editor, Lulu Direct offers downloadable templates to help you get started. The app will even help you calculate the cost of your upcoming project, including different shipping methods and discounts for bulk purchases.
3. Gooten
Official website: https://www.gooten.com
Link to the application: Gooten
Like Printful, Gooten has a wide range of products to offer, including calendars and dog beds.
However, since Gooten uses an international network of suppliers, there is a big difference in the quality of the goods and the delivery methods. But this also means lower prices for both the goods themselves and their delivery.
Gooten has an intuitive image editor that gives you a good idea of how the product will look with your print.
4. Printify
Official website: https://printify.com
App link: Printify
Printify is another Shopify app that provides print on demand service. You can choose t-shirt, sweatshirt, and other products as products to print.
What’s great about Printify is that the app’s global network of suppliers offers a range of unique, unbranded products that you’re unlikely to find elsewhere. Examples include jewelry, watches, shoes, and water bottles. In total, the app boasts over 200 products that you can print your designs on.
Printify is free to use, but there is also a premium subscription available for $29/month that will give you 20% off all products, which is a great deal as you scale up your business.
5. ShineOn
Official websit: https://shineon.com
App link: ShineOn
ShineOn offers a print-on-demand service with premium products such as jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, watches and more. These products will allow you to earn higher margins than popular but less profitable products such as t-shirts or tableware.
ShineOn also provides fast shipping to customers in the US and EU.
To make it easier for you to start your business, ShineOn offers not only support, but also training materials about the application itself and the organization of sales.
How to create designs if you are not a designer
It goes without saying that the design of your products plays a crucial role in the success of their sale. But you don’t have to be a designer to create original designs. There are many ways to commission or create your own designs, as long as you understand a few key concepts that help you work effectively with designers.
First, you need to know about the features of the file for printing . When discussing the work with the designer, you need to specify that the future design is intended for use as a print. For the designer, this means that, ideally, the drawing should be in 300 dpi (or ppi), have a transparent background, and meet other nuances of the design for print on demand.
Please note that print file specifications may vary depending on the printer and other printing technology used. When in doubt, send the designer the technical specifications for printing a specific product and the instructions provided by the application. This way, the designer will have the full context of what parameters the design should be prepared according to.
The developed design image must be large enough – not smaller than its actual size on the product. It is not a problem if the designer prepares it too large. But if the image turns out to be smaller than the actual one, then when it is enlarged to the required size, the quality of the image may deteriorate.
If you need to correct some details in the finished design, you can use Photoshop or, for example, a free alternative – the Pixlr editor.
Where to find design ideas and designers
The ideal option is if you are a designer yourself or know where to find a good designer. But even if you don’t know where to look for talented specialists, don’t be upset. You can easily find a suitable contractor on outsourcing .
There are freelance design exchanges on the Internet like Behance or 99 Designs that are quite capable of creating useful work if you provide the contractor with clear instructions. For example, here's how to add clarity to a design project:
- Share your opinion about your audience with the artist. Tell the designer what your product is and what your audience is. Showing your website, if you have one, can also help.
- Be clear about what you want. Use each step of approving the design work (you should agree with the designer on at least 2 or 3 steps of checking the work/making amendments) to reconsider your views on the finished result and the principles you are trying to follow. Try to formulate your thoughts on the necessary amendments as clearly and understandably as possible so that the designer receives specific tasks from you, and not a vague idea.
- Provide examples for inspiration. Provide the artist with links to designs or previous work that you like.
There are many talented designers, so searching is not the hardest task. The hardest part is understanding what exactly you want to create in the first place .
The end result should appeal to your target audience. To find design inspiration, you can use social networks such as:
- Subreddits
- Portals that your potential customers frequently visit
You can use published content, design sketches, or discussions of a concept that already resonates with your target audience as a basis for your future design solution. But be sure that by borrowing someone else's thoughts you do not violate anyone's rights .
To test how good your design idea is, you can discuss it with your potential audience on social media:
- Publish your work on your personal Facebook page or in groups.
- Use Instagram polls to get feedback.
- Share sketches of your work in the appropriate section of the Subreddit .
Create a Shopify online store
Start your business by creating an online store on the Shopify platform - one of the leaders in the e-commerce industry in the USA and Canada.
3 days free, then only $1/month for the first 3 months.
Tips for Starting a Print on Demand Business
Using a print-on-demand service can be easier than managing your own inventory. But there are some unique aspects of this business that you should be aware of. Fortunately, most of the problems can be solved with creative solutions.
1. Always order samples
Quality assurance is important when you are going to start a business selling printed products in your online store. There is always a chance that something will get lost when translating the design to the product. And the product that the buyer sees on their screen will not be exactly the same as the real product. But in any case, you can contact your supplier about any inaccuracies to correct them.
Would you like your products to look exactly the way you want them to? The best way to do this is to become your own customer so you can experience first-hand what it’s like to order products you make. Some apps, like Printful, even offer up to 20% off or free shipping, so be sure to take advantage of this opportunity.
2. Be strategic about delivery
Even if you ship your products yourself, shipping still comes with its own challenges in terms of time and cost, as well as setting the right expectations with your customers.
You must be sure that when calculating the delivery time, you correctly take into account the time it takes to print the design on the product. Whatever the delivery time, be sure to add 2-4 days for production (or more if the production process requires it).
Always communicate shipping times to your customers, otherwise your customer support inbox will be full of questions. Include estimated shipping times on your FAQ page, or consider creating a separate page that explains shipping details.
If possible, try to cover some or all of your shipping costs with your retail price. Year after year, research shows that unexpected shipping costs added at checkout can discourage customers from purchasing. Plus, free shipping helps achieve a number of other marketing goals:
- Free shipping is a great way to increase sales, even if you can only offer free shipping to certain areas.
- Conditional free shipping (where it can only be obtained by spending a certain amount in the store) encourages customers to add more items to their cart to reach the threshold.
- You can justify long delivery times by saying that it is free. Many customers are willing to wait a little longer for their order if they know it will save them some money.
3. Create mockups that showcase your products
While models can help you take attractive photos of your products, mockups can also be an effective alternative and become an important part of your product pages.
Many print-on-demand apps can help you create your own mockups, showing your products on a person or as a flat mockup. But there are also other services and a variety of free mockups that can bring your products to life.
Mockups are what will sell your products to your audience. So it’s worth considering purchasing mockups. For example, Placelt lets you create photo and video mockups for $8 per mockup. If you know the basics of Photoshop or other photo editors, you can create a mockup yourself using templates from Mockup World or Behance .
4. Focus on a niche to simplify future marketing
Marketing is what ultimately determines the success of your business. If you target everyone at once, you won’t actually sell to anyone. That’s why focus is so important, no matter what tactics you use.
Having a clearly defined audience can really help you create products that are in high demand, reduce your customer acquisition costs, and maximize your potential profits because your audience targeting marketing decisions will be more focused.
Even better, if you can build your own audience through marketing techniques, then even if your products change in the future, you will still not lose your loyal customers.
There are many marketing opportunities out there. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Create an Instagram account and create/moderate content for your target audience. Gain followers, use hashtags that get the most likes, and build relationships with your potential customers.
- Run Facebook ads based on the interests of your target customers. You can also use Facebook ads to test your ideas. It will cost you only $10, for which you can get an answer to whether the idea resonates with the audience.
- Collect emails from visitors to continue offering them your products, but without spending money on advertising services.
- Give your products to famous people who can contribute to the recognition of your products and thus help in sales.
Growing your audience of repeat customers is a must for building a long-term business , whether it's print on demand or another business.
5. Create your own online store
If you decide to start a print-on-demand business, you can sell them on various marketplaces that specialize in selling custom designs . For example, RedBubble and Zazzle offer print-on-demand services for those who set up a store on their platform. You can also sell your prints on Etsy , eBay , and Amazon .
These trading platforms have their own advantages:
- Amazon has 300 million active customers worldwide, allowing you to get your products noticed.
- Etsy has over 80 million active buyers.
- Zazzle has a strong reputation, having listed hundreds of millions of products since its founding in 2005.
Marketplaces give shoppers choice and an easy way to find products. But what they don't do is give you the experience of running a trading business .
When you create your own branded storefront on an e-commerce platform like Shopify , you can control the entire process of your business: what your store looks and feels like, how people can interact with you, how they learn about your brand. It also offers integration with leading print-on-demand services. Everything happens from one admin panel. Not to mention the lower fees you’ll pay when you own your own store.
Shoppers who aren’t loyal to big brands like Etsy or Amazon are inclined to look for alternatives. In this case, your brand has a chance to succeed. Their email list, remarketing ads, and social media profiles will help you stay in touch with them and build relationships that extend beyond your website.
Create, test, sell, develop
The print-on-demand business allows new entrepreneurs to start their own business or test their ideas without the expense of purchasing inventory.
If one of your ideas takes off and you start generating a significant amount of sales, you can always move from a print-on-demand business model to building your own inventory of finished products, or simultaneously look for new ways to expand your audience. The choice is yours.
Questions and Answers about Print on Demand Business
What is the best way to start a print on demand business?
How much money can you make with print on demand?
What are the best products to sell in a print on demand business?
The author would like to extend special thanks to Shopify UX Manager Kyle Howard and Passion Fruit owner Liz Bertorelli for sharing their expertise to create this article.
About the Author : Braveen Kumar is a member of the Shopify Content Team, where he creates content that can help aspiring entrepreneurs start and grow their own businesses.
Illustrations by Eugenia Mello
Create a Shopify online store
Start your business by creating an online store on the Shopify platform - one of the leaders in the e-commerce industry in the USA and Canada.
3 days free, then only $1/month for the first 3 months.