As more people look for creative ways to start a side hustle, maybe you’re interested in building your own business. If you’re looking for a low-risk, flexible way to sell custom products online, print-on-demand products may be for you.
Print-on-demand (POD) is an exciting business model because you don’t need any inventory. Essentially, you’re only creating a product when a customer orders it—the beauty of print-on-demand products!
What are Print-on-Demand Products?
POD leverages a third-party print-on-demand service to manufacture, print, and ship your products for you. While you’ll manage the online store and marketing, your print-on-demand service partner will fulfill each order as it arrives.
This ecommerce business offers lots of advantages. Some perks include low startup costs, the flexibility to sell a variety of products in your online store, and not needing a lot of storage space. On the flip side, you’ll be working with lower profit margins, have less control over the fulfillment process, and be competing against more businesses.
Best Selling Print-on-Demand Products to Sell Online
But if you know what to sell, you can beat the competition. First, you’ll need to decide what print-on-demand products to start with. Do you consider yourself more of an artist? Or maybe you have an eye for emerging fashion trends.
Whichever lane speaks to you most, think about what you might enjoy designing and putting out into the world. Consider a few of these product categories:
Apparel
You really can’t go wrong with starting an online store to sell t-shirts, even in 2024. After all, everyone needs a good-quality t-shirt—but there’s so much more you can offer to your customers, like all-over print yoga pants, unisex t-shirts, hoodies, engraved jewelry, and even custom socks.
It might be strategic to branch out with a variety of styles like all-over print hoodies. Popular streetwear brands leverage this method of online business to create quality products with a bit more edge than your standard hoodie.
Take the brand Beloved, for example. According to Shopify, this company built a $3,000-a-day business selling novelty all-over print yoga pants.
Home Décor
Believe it or not, wall art is more popular than ever, especially personalized art. During COVID, while everyone stayed home more than usual, home improvement projects were all the rage. So, while life might be returning to “normal,” the trend of personalized art in homes doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
Beyond framed posters, also consider items like cushions, towels, or even custom puzzles featuring personal photographs or commissioned illustrations.
Another great route to explore? Maps. Check out how the company iLikeMaps targets travelers with a variety of collections from Art Deco to Chroma.
Accessories
Everyone loves having cool accessories, so choosing this specific niche could mean great sales for you. Because let’s be honest—who *doesn’t* need a great new mug, tote bag, or water bottle?
Just because everyone has a water bottle doesn’t mean this isn’t a lucrative product. Especially since about 69% of Gen Z adults have admitted to carrying around a reusable water bottle, proving just how lucrative this target market could be.
Think about what types of accessories are trending on social media, too.
For example, belt bags, or “fanny packs,” have become more fashionable in recent years. This is all thanks to celebrities and fashion brands, who make them excellent for carrying a small bag.
Some print-on-demand businesses now even allow customization options like all-over printing, which means a wider range of design possibilities.
Designing Print-on-Demand Products
Are you worried because you wouldn’t call yourself a designer? The good news is that anyone can create stunning, print-quality designs using user-friendly graphic design software (even if you’re a beginner). And here’s how:
1. Select your Software
Although many quality paid graphic design products (like Photoshop or Illustrator) are available, there are several free options to start with. Some platforms, like Canva, have pre-made templates for a variety of products.
But if you have a strong vision for your print-on-demand products, free software such as Pixlr or Photopea gives you full reign. However, make sure you’re saving each file as either a PSD or transparent PNG, using the highest resolution possible.
2. Check Design Specifications
Not all designs will transfer properly on every item you want to sell. For example, an image that fits on an 11-ounce coffee mug may need a few tweaks to print correctly on a tote bag or t-shirt.
And don’t forget to always double-check the printing requirements of each print provider and supplier so your product is perfect when the customer gets it.
3. Buy Design Templates
Short on time? Luckily, if designing isn’t your forte, there’s always the option of using a design template for your product. Several online platforms allow artists and graphic designers to list their artwork as purchasable templates.
You’ll lose the copyright or any exclusive rights to the designs, but if you’re trying to get your online store off the ground quickly, this might be your answer.
Websites like Designious or Tshirt-factory even offer print-on-demand t-shirt templates, ranging from around $7 to $25 per template.
Pricing Your Print-on-Demand Products
Pricing print-on-demand products is challenging for even seasoned business owners. Yes, profit margins tend to be lower. But that doesn’t mean you won’t make money—it’s all about strategy.
This starts with wisely choosing high-quality products and leveraging social media to test them before listing them on your website’s product catalog.
Step 1: Understand Your Expenses
Before you start selling unique products, you need to understand your expenses. The retail price of your custom products will come from subtracting your expenses and desired profit margin. You’ll need to determine the base cost of your product (charged by the supplier).
After selecting your product, you can better evaluate production and shipping costs (which vary based on your location and where your customers live). These expenses make up your product cost. You’ll then need to factor in your desired profit margin.
Step 2: Use a Pricing Formula
Although several formulas exist, an easy calculation to start with is cost-plus pricing. You’ll begin by adding your desired markup percentage to the product cost. Your product cost multiplied by your markup percentage is your markup.
Don’t know how to choose a markup? Let’s imagine that your print-on-demand item has a product cost of $10, and you’re interested in adding a 50% markup.
Here’s the calculation:
|
Item Cost | |
|
Product Cost |
$10.00 |
|
Markup Percentage |
+50% |
|
Markup (Product Cost x Markup Percentage) |
$5.00 |
|
Selling Price (Product Cost + Markup) |
$15.00 |
In this case, a $5 markup means your retail price to the customer will be $15. Keep in mind that different categories of print-on-demand items come with variable markup ranges, so do your research when creating your prices.
For example, while apparel allows for a markup between 30% and 65%, you might be able to get away with a 100% to 150% markup for jewelry because the production costs are much less than a bulkier item.
Although cost-plus pricing is commonly used to determine prices, a major con is that it disregards market value and competitor analysis.
However, this simple calculation is great for helping beginners like yourself gain confidence in this leading ecommerce option and achieve competitive prices.
Popular Print-on-Demand Platforms
Now that you know a little more about this lucrative side hustle, let’s go through where you might consider listing your products. Whether you already own your website or perhaps use social media for a side business, consider these popular print-on-demand companies:
1. Shopify
It doesn’t get any more convenient when integrating print-on-demand products with the Shopify platform. That’s because you can create a visually appealing website within Shopify to list products. What’s the major benefit of choosing Shopify over marketplaces like Etsy?
You can personalize every detail about how your online store looks. Although monthly subscriptions start at $39 for a basic plan, feel free to choose this popular option, as the built-in SEO tools, apps, marketing resources, and robust customer support are there to make your life easier.
Just be prepared to promote your print-on-demand services heavily through paid advertisement if you aren’t already established.
2. Etsy
Known as an online marketplace where artists and collectors from across the world meet to buy and sell products, opening up shop on Etsy comes with several advantages (especially compared to platforms like Shopify).
You’ll find significantly less competition when setting up an Etsy store, which helps if your marketing budget is nonexistent or your target audience hasn’t been built.
Creating an account is completely free; however, the more you list, the more the platform will charge you listing fees (as it costs money for them to store and show your listings).
Nonetheless, the Etsy platform prides itself on fostering a helpful community and even has built-in support tools.
The best? Because it receives more organic traffic overall, this could translate to less spending money on advertisement and social media promotion in comparison to websites that aren’t marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon.
So, if you want a wide variety of customers, Etsy is best for selling custom print-on-demand products. This includes niche artwork for greeting cards, posters, tote bags, mugs, or t-shirts.
3. Redbubble
Founded back in 2006 by a team in Australia, today, over 700,000 artists and designers from across the world call this platform home. Their entire business model revolves around the magic of print-on-demand services—from phone cases to wall art.
You’ll even find that their selection far exceeds even popular ecommerce platforms, like Printful, Printify, and even Gelato. Thus, you can say that Redbubble has a global client base.
If you’re worried about the costs of global shipping—Redbubble offers worldwide shipping, which many customers expect. However, even better, Redbubble shoppers also get to leverage free shipping for many of their favorite products through exclusive partnerships with certain print-on-demand product companies.
What’s more? Redbubble is one of the few platforms known to have its own associates program, a nice bonus in addition to attracting around 5.3 million monthly users.
4. Other Platforms Offering Print-on-Demand Services
There are a lot of platforms out there, but these are some of the other popular POD platforms:
Printful: One of the biggest names is Printful. Many people like them because they offer a wide selection of products and integrate with several e-commerce platforms. Plus, they handle the printing and shipping, so you don’t have to.
Printify: It’s another popular choice, especially if you’re just starting out. You can start free subscription as they have a free plan that lets you sell up to 25 products per month. They also have a ton of different print providers so that you can shop around for the best prices and quality.
Gooten: If you want a good option with a global reach, consider Goote. They have production partners all over the world so that they can get your products to your customers quickly and affordably. They also have a cool design tool that makes it easy to create your products.
Society6: This is another popular marketplace for print-on-demand products. Like Redbubble, they handle everything from printing to shipping. They have a huge selection of products, from art prints to phone cases to shower curtains, too.
These are just a few of the many print-on-demand platforms available. The best one for you will depend on your specific needs and goals, but this should give you a good starting point for your research.
Conclusion
For budding entrepreneurs and seasoned sellers alike, launching a successful print-on-demand business is well within reach in today’s ecommerce landscape. Platforms like Printful and Printify seamlessly bridge the gap between creative vision and physical product.
But the secret?
With careful planning, engaging design, and savvy marketing, turning your designs into sought-after print-on-demand products could become your reality.
FAQs
Is Print-on-demand Still Profitable?
Print-on-demand remains a very profitable business model—even in 2024. It’s true that the market is becoming increasingly saturated. But this simply means that carving out a very specific niche will be essential to stand out from competitors.
How do I actually make money with print-on-demand?
This is where your inner entrepreneur shines. First, you find a POD platform you like. Then, you open an ecommerce store and create awesome designs that people actually want to buy. When someone orders a product with your design, the POD company makes it and ships it. You get a cut of the profits!
What are the best print-on-demand products to sell?
The most popular (and often profitable) print-on-demand products are things people use every day. Think about it: t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases, mugs, tote bags—the list goes on. The key is to find products that resonate with your target audience and offer designs they’ll love.
