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If you're looking to launch your own business online or to add additional income streams to an existing business, printing on demand offers a low-cost as well as high-income opportunity to offer an array of new products that customers will enjoy.
Making physical items with your unique designs is a fun and lucrative opportunity to showcase your talents in a targeted audience. But setting an operation that includes sourcing blank products, transferring your designs, the storage and distribution of your goods, as well as shipping internationally is a big commitment for a start-up company.
Print on demand (POD) comes in.
It's an easy method to market custom-made products without having to complete any manufacturing work.
What is print on demand?
Print on demand stores use the services of a third party (a print on demand manufacturer or printer) to customize white-labeled (brand-free) products. The print company sends their digital artwork. This artwork is then put on shirts, phones, water bottles, stickers as well as other items.
They will also handle the delivery, packaging, shipping, and any additional charges. Most print providers will package your products with your branding on their packaging.
A store that prints on demand serves as an intermediary that connects the consumer to the printing business. The manufacturer prints items as they're ordered each one at a given time, so there's no stock.
Successful print on demand stores specialize in a niche. They develop unique designs that are appealing to a specific audience and foster their position as a expert in their field. If you've got strong design skills and a passion to a certain subject then you could start the print-on-demand business with less risk than if you manufactured and stored inventory yourself.
Photo (c) https://rollstore.se/
Ways to use print on demand to make money
There are four different ways to make money from printing on demand as a business model, and three are requiring very little risk or investment on your part.
Make new revenues for an existing business
You may already own a firm, or even several. It could be online in offline mode, as well as both. With a print-on demand strategy, you can bolster your revenue with the introduction of a brand new line of customized merchandise.
As an example, let's say you own an online store that sells cosmetics. There is a name and a loyal client base, and a variety of merchandise. Print on demand is a method of creating products. you can launch the line of t-shirts hats, and various designs of other apparel that feature your company's name, or any different types of art that will attract your customers.
You can then use these products as upsells, gifts ideas, and bonuses when you spend a certain amount of money, as well as part of their regular purchase.
As these items are manufactured as they're required, you do not need this to generate a ton of energy to make a profit. This might just be a small addition to the core of your business but any increase will be an increase.
Create a brand new print on demand business
It's also necessary to pass through the creation phase, but product development will mostly be creating new designs and sourcing the raw materials that your designs will be able to work on.
Offer print on demand printing services to other companies
Businesses are often interested in developing custom products. Some provide them to their employees. Some give them to vendors and suppliers. Some prefer offering these to customers as in the first and second examples in this list.
The B2B sector of printing on demand is a unique business, because companies typically order larger quantities, and they have very different needs as well as expectations from individual customers.
It will require a significant amount of startup capital for this route, but you can decide to become an online print-on-demand manufacturer by yourself, and then take orders from retailers online or other companies who require custom-designed products.
T-shirts are perha[s the easiest products to manufacture through print on demand. It is necessary to have screen printing equipment (at the very minimum) as well as equipment that can utilize direct-to-garment printing or other techniques. In addition, you'll need learn when and how to use each technique.
If you're looking to print on various material, you'll require equipment such as laser printers.
Again, this is an expensive and labor-intensive venture beginning, and not the best one for those who are just beginning your first company.
Be the supplier of white labeled merchandise
The last one is one that is the least practical and most difficult to implement. You would compete with various other manufacturers of blank items. Your inventory would be available. It is necessary to store, print or customize and then ship products requested from you by a print on demand service.
Though it's the costliest businesses, this model is more stable as it's less susceptible to market trends.
Pros and cons of print on demand companies
Let's talk about the basics. At first glance, it appears like there are no downsides for adding print-on-demand to your business or maybe creating a brand new one. There are a couple points to consider along with the numerous advantages.
Pros
Let's look at the positives first.
Very little initial investment
The only time you can sell a product is when someone orders it. And you aren't managing every aspect of the product's production or even the process of shipping. It's just an order facilitating service.
That means there are few expenses upfront that stand in the method of using the printing process to earn revenues, other than getting started and implementing it. You won't need to get a business loan, or buy a whole lot of machinery, or create anything physical. Just create your online store, establish relationships with a printer and then begin selling.
No inventory management or storage and minimal labor
It's not necessary to keep stock or have a space to store it. That means, not only is there very no upfront cost to invest and there are no ongoing cost for storage.
Scaling this business simply requires larger and more frequent orders. It won't require many (or even any) employees to manage things also. Everything happens in your workplace.
Of course, you'll have to put into labor in order to implement the marketing strategy, give customers service, and manage your presence on the internet.
The ability to sell anywhere the seller can ship
Most print providers can ship almost anywhere in the world. There is no limit to local shoppers, regions, or even countries. In your niche, you can sell to anybody, anyplace.
Huge product variety
We'll discuss this more in the next few paragraphs, but there is an array of items that you can offer through print on demand services. It's about more than mugs and T-shirts although that's decent place to begin.
Cons
Yes, there are also certain disadvantages of printing on demand companies that you need to be aware of before you start. These are the most important ones:
Customer service is on you
Printing companies may be doing the work in creating the prints, but you're the one who interacts with the customer. Therefore, you'll need to set up an online customer support system.
When customers have questions they'll come to you. If they have complaints or concerns, they'll talk to you.
The reviews that they post will be about you. It's not the type of company you could create to operate by autopilot. You'll need to be able to assist your customers, answer the telephone, respond to messages and emails, reply to live chats, if you offer it, and take care of any problems that may be arising.
Fulfillment delays
Because each product is customized printing on demand, orders can't be delivered on the same day they're placed. In an age where consumers are starting to, perhaps unreasonably, expect instant, next-day and one-day shipping options, this isn't possible with print on demand.
Once the artwork has been sent to the printer by you or from your customer, the printing company is required to finish the completion process. Every single item requires time to create.
Although this does not mean that the length of time, it can't be done in one day. So customers ordering print on demand items must be told that their orders aren't going to be shipped until the next day.
More responsibility and more blame
If there is a problem with quality control, it'll be your fault. At least, that's how the client will view it. If the product is sent and the quality is not great, even if it's not the fault of the printer The customer is likely to put the blame on you.
It's the reason you should make sure you find the right company with in order to complete your orders. Your reputation, not theirs, that's in the balance in the eyes of your customer.
There is less control over the unboxing experiences
While most print providers will use packaging that reflects the brand they represent, they're not likely to produce an experience like the one certain companies use in order to make their experience memorable enough to talk about via social media.
Types of print on demand items
Let's first take the easy stuff to the side.
Clothes.
You can certainly print T-shirts. You can also the printing process to create Polo shirts, dress tops, sweatshirts, short sleeve, long-sleeve, tank tops, and basically any other top or shirt you can come up with.
It is possible to wear different kinds of clothes too -- pants, shorts socks, hats and many more. And you can do all this in female, male or even unisex designs in addition to infants, toddlers, and kids.
Shoes are probably not going be a thing, however you could get away with flip flops and things like that.
Alongside apparel, you may also use printing on demand to design a huge range of custom products by using
- Mugs
- Phone covers
- Tote bags in a variety of styles
- Backpacks
- Posters
- Coasters
- Bottles for water
- Rugs and mats
- Wall art
- Towels
- Pillows
- Ornaments
- Notepads and stationary
- Pens and pencils
How can you begin a print on demand business
So, let's get at the root of this. If you want to create your own online store with a print on demand model, here's what you need to know.
In addition in case you already own a business and want to incorporate print on demand products You can bypass the two first actions below. The remainder will be applicable to your.
1. Choose your niche
Prior to constructing your store, it is important ensure that there is a solid market and established need for the product you're thinking of selling.
The most sought-after areas that print-on-demand products include:
- Animals
- Social activism
- Humor and memes
- B2B
- Hobbies
- The holidays
There's an unending number of subgenres, genres and categories. If you want to make more money from your print on demand business, it's best to look for a popular niche. If you're just interested in it as a way to earn income but are more excited about a niche that may not be as popular, but has passionate fans like you, then pick whatever you like!
2. Find out what's hot on the internet.
3. Determine what products to sell
Once you've settled on your target market you wish to concentrate on as a result of the type of artwork that you'll display, the next task is to decide on the merchandise that you'd like to offer. Clothing? Merchandise? Some other thing?
Take the product list from earlier, decide what ones you would like initially, and get going. You can always add more at a later time. Be sure to check that the printer you choose to collaborate with provides what you are looking to sell.
4. Obtain artwork designs
Businesses that already have a print on demand plan and want to include print on demand as another line of products it is possible to use branded imagery like tags, logos, specific items you offer, or various other graphics your audience will appreciate.
Customers can also be able to upload their own designs and create truly unique items. Existing and new businesses can do this.
For new businesses it is necessary to build an inventory of your own designs that you could use for your website and then make sales. Where will you get these graphics? There are a variety of options.
You can first contract it out. Make use of sites such as Upwork or Fiverr to locate graphic designers and then have them create the design for you to sell. If you're lacking design skills or want greater options than what you're capable of creating yourself it's a good option.
Another option, should you intend to continue creating fresh graphic designs is to employ someone to complete the work in-house.
And your third option If you've got the necessary skills or are looking to start learning them then you should take on the task yourself.
If you opt for this choice graphic design has a skillset all its own. The less you know, the more you'll need to know.
Graphic design considerations
Here are a few ideas for graphic design to keep in mind before you begin to work on your designs.
The overarching principle is that the work you produce must be simple to understand. Uncomplicated, messy, and busy designs that are hard to decipher don't sell as well (unless that's your niche). In this regard, consider the design aspects like these:
- Colors. It is essential to choose the correct mix of complementary colors (not too numerous!). The color must also appear good with the material that it is printed on.
- Fonts. The words are used to be simple to read, so choose a font that isn't too dense. You'll also need to consider the size of font in relation to the type of product you're designing. As an example, you may want the font to be smaller on the phone case than on T-shirts.
- Accessibility. As always, make sure that the design you choose to use is accessible to those with vision limitations. That means considering things like color contrast and the level of visibility.
- Spacing. Utilize a suitable amount of "white space" This is the blank space around graphic elements. They will stand out and be simpler to read.
- Requirements for printing. The print on demand supplier who you're dealing with will likely have specific specifications for every product. Many have templates that you can download and work with, but make sure that you're adhering to their guidelines in terms of document bleed, color mode, dimensions, etc.
- Hierarchy. If your layout is comprising multiple elements, consider thinking about which ones you'd like to put the most emphasis on. What elements are important? After that, you can make them apart by spacing, size, color, bold fonts, etc.
Pro-tip:Many printers, at the very least, for particular types of merchandise, charge reduced costs for designs that are only one or two shades. If you create an effective design that uses fewer colors, you can enjoy higher margins.
It is necessary to invest (both financially and with your time) into design programs. Canva, Pixlr, and Photoshop are the most popular choices.
Photoshop is the more advanced of those three, but has a much greater learning curve.
After you've designed your ideas then you'll need to make mockups. Some print on demand manufacturers are able to mock your designs on their own products. It is useful, however you may still want to create your own or alter the mockups so that you can place them in different scenarios (various background and usage cases) for marketing materials. This is also helpful to determine how the design looks across different applications.
You can also hire freelancers to help you with mockups, if Photoshop is not your thing.
One last design consideration
If you aren't featuring original designs photographs, artwork or images on your products, then it's critical to make sure the artwork you create is compliant with any copyrights or trademarks.
Fan art that is based on licensed characters, texts from book, quotes with copyright, or images downloaded from internet are just some of the examples that cannot be sold for profit unless you have a written permission from the owner. Images you purchase from stock photo sites may not be legally resold, either, when you don't have the proper license.
Take the time to study the laws regarding intellectual property, and then consult an attorney.
5. Set up an online store
If you already have a firm, chances are you have your own online store. In this case you'll need to include print-on-demand products or services to your current shop. If you're starting your own firm, you'll have to need to start fresh.
provides all the functionality you need for product pages as well as the checkout process marketing products and management, SKUs tax and financial compliance, and the other systems you'll need for running an online company.
Take product images
Your fulfillment partner might have images that are blank of their products that you can utilize as a basis for mockups. If you have some graphic design skills, you can place your work on these images, or hire someone to take care of the task for you.
And even better, many print companies can mock-up the designs you design on their products in a matter of minutes. They are however, rather restricted, so the design or usage case you see might not be appealing to the people you target.
Another great option is to order an assortment of samples from your partner. This will allow you to test their quality, shipping method, and time to turnaround. If all goes well it will be possible to have items which you are able to photograph in settings that fit the market you want to target. As a bonus the photos you upload are almost guaranteed to be non-copyrighted and safe for utilize on your site.
You may one day opt to have photos taken of actual people wearing products you've designed. Also, you can display images of the various designs. Then, you can show blank products customers can buy using the designs. But, it's much less efficient.
If you allow your clients to submit their own customized images, then it's best to display the unfinished products in greater detail.
What are the best places to sell your products online?
This doesn't mean you shouldn't still use these websites. If you're interested in the greater reach of these websites, we generally suggest making use of Woo and online marketplaces, not only the market places. It is important to have at least one platform you are able to manage and control all of the content.
6. Find a good supplier
Once you know what you want to make then you need to choose an appropriate fulfillment company. Choose one that provides:
- The products you want to offer
- Printing options that are right for you to realize your vision -- some methods might limit your options when it comes to colours or designs.
- Pricing that allows you to earn a profit
- Costs of shipping that are affordable
- Quick fulfillment and time to turnaround delivery on schedule
- Worldwide impact (if this is important for you)
- Printing environmentally friendly and sending
- Quality customer care, for both you and your customers
The term "quality" doesn't only refer to the item in itself, but to the quality of printing, as well. Some print companies give you more options, like sublimation printing. This is a form of printing that lets users print images over the entire item, rather than just on a pre-defined area.
Determine which aspects are your most crucial requirements and choose a print provider which is compatible with your ideals as well as your needs. Be sure to read reviews online to find the right partner to be satisfied with.
Here are some fulfillment partners that can work with your print on demand store:
7. Determine your pricing
The next step is to decide what you want to price. As mentioned earlier, one advantage of print on demand is that costs can be easily predicted. This means you can predict your profit margins.
The print provider will have an retail price for their white labeled items with a possible charge for their ability to properly set up and print your design on their products. Along with shipping prices, that's it!
So, you will be aware of the cost per item.
The only thing you need to do is decide what amount of money you'd like to earn from every item and then balance your expectations against the amount you believe the customers are willing to be willing to pay. Importantly that you don't make the mistake of deciding at the beginning that "customers won't pay this much" for your products.
In the case of customized products, customers tend to spend higher prices. In certain instances, such as fan art, creative humor or issues they're passionate about, they'll be willing to pay more, because there is the emotional aspect of this purchase that far outweighs the cost.
As an illustration, think of Darth Vader on a mug with the words, "The caffeine is strong in you."
The price will be higher to get it than for a typical cup. This product is unique for them. Don't undervalue your prints on demand. One of the advantages of websites is that you are able to adjust your prices later.
8. Get started with marketing and begin measuring the outcomes
That's why the final task to be done is marketing and evaluating your performance. This is a area of study on its own.
After you've established your initial branding and product then you'll be spending the bulk of of your time as a store owner on marketing activities. Marketing is an ongoing process that is not just a list that you must complete and then move on.
What's selling the most? What's not doing well? Is it your pricing? Its artwork? The product itself? Do you provide appropriate delivery options?
Are you reaching the right target market? Are you able to spread the word? Do your customers know about your print on demand products? Can you bundle these together with other items or offer it a free gift when you make specific purchases?
Sell your designs by printing on demand
Print-on-demand printing is an excellent opportunity for creatives to offer their artwork in almost any item -- notebooks, T-shirts and phone cases, as well as stickers and much more without worrying about investing a lot of money with inventory, trying to manage shipping costs, or even managing fulfillment.
If you want to be successful, make the effort to know your audience, sell products that solve the problems of your customers, and then find the best fulfillment provider for your shop. provides everything you need for a gorgeous and efficient print-on-demand store that seamlessly integrates with the fulfillment company.