Print-on-Demand Explained: How to Sell Custom Products without Breaking the Bank

Posted 4 years ago by Anastasia Prokofieva

Launching an桂online business might seem like an桂overwhelming endeavour. Where do桂you source products? Store them? What about shipping? Oh, and桂the桂startup costs�� The fear of桂a桂risky upfront investment is桂enough to桂make any桂aspiring entrepreneur get a桂bad case of桂cold feet.

But what if桂we桂told you that you could start a桂business without spending a桂lot of桂money on桂start-up costs, all while delegating your inventory storing and桂shipping needs to桂professionals?

Sounds too good to桂be桂true, right? But we�셱e here to桂tell you: it�셲 not! With print-on-demand services, you can quickly start selling products that you design. No桂inventory 늡곶桂money upfront needed. With just , you�셱e ready to桂go.

This blog post covers the桂basics f늡곶桂starting out selling print-on-demand shirts, jewelry, mugs, and桂anything else you can put a桂print on. Let�셲 get rolling!

What 깝끅桂Print-on-Demand?

Print-on-demand is桂an桂order fulfillment method where products are printed and桂paid f늡곶桂only when an桂order is桂made.

In桂a桂nutshell, here�셲 how it桂works:

You come up桂with a桂design to桂print on桂your products.
You set up桂an桂online store and桂connect it桂to桂a桂print-on-demand service.
A桂customer places an桂order in桂your store.
The print-on-demand service prints your design on桂the桂item the桂customer ordered and桂ships it桂to桂them.

As桂you can see, you don�셳 have to桂deal with inventory 늡곶桂끅농쓩김김쓩꾈껨�봳농깎 print-on-demand service takes care of桂all that. However, you do桂need to桂take care of桂the桂design, your website, marketing, and桂customer service.

The great thing about print-on-demand is桂that the桂order amount usually doesn�셳 matter f늡곶桂the桂POD service. If桂you got an桂order f늡곶桂just one T-shirt today, it桂would be桂sent to桂your customers.

You can choose products and桂upload your design on桂a桂print-on-demand service�셲 website (Image: Printful)

Pros and桂Cons of桂Having a桂Print-on-Demand Store

Not sure if桂a桂print-on-demand business is桂right f늡곶桂you? Consider the桂following advantages and桂disadvantages.

Pros of桂having a桂print-on-demand store:

Less stress: You don�셳 have to桂store and桂manage stock, package orders, deal with suppliers 늡곶桂shipping companies.
Mostly hands-off: Once you set up桂a桂store, you don�셳 have to桂invest a桂lot of桂time in桂keeping your business running.
No桂dead stock: As桂orders are printed after an桂order is桂placed, you don�셳 risk having a桂pile of桂dead stock (that you�셶e already paid for!) lying around.

Cons of桂having a桂print-on-demand store:

More expensive compared to桂buying items in桂bulk: Since products are made to桂order, your profit margins are lower.
No桂control over packaging and桂shipping: Since you don�셳 manage shipping, it�셲 harder to桂customize your packaging and桂control the桂price of桂shipping, 늡곶桂how long it桂will take f늡곶桂your items to桂reach your customers.
No桂personal oversight/quality control: You don�셳 see the桂product before it�셲 shipped to桂your customers. However, you can order test batches to桂check the桂quality of桂items offered by桂a桂print-on-demand company before you commit to桂their services.

깝끅桂Print-on-Demand Right For You?

The specifics of桂a桂print-on-demand business make it桂a桂great option f늡곶桂some of桂the桂following types of桂online sellers:

Beginners who would like to桂open an桂online store, but don�셳 have time to桂source products and桂deal with inventory and桂shipping.
Influencers, artists, musicians, 늡곶桂anyone else with a桂following who want to桂sell their merchandise.
People who�셝 like to桂sell their own designs 늡곶桂whose business model involves sourcing designs from other artists.
Businesses and桂nonprofits that want to桂sell branded merchandise.
Aspiring entrepreneurs that can�셳 afford to桂make risky investments up桂front.
Businesses that want to桂test new products while staying on桂a桂budget.

Branded merchandise is桂a桂popular way to桂let your followers support you (Image: Pip The Beach Cat)

What Product You Can Sell in桂a桂Print-on-Demand Store

Print-on-demand companies offer a桂selection of桂items that you can customize with your design 늡곶桂brand. Basically any桂product you can put a桂design 늡곶桂logo on桂can be桂sold with print-on-demand.

The most common products are:

Clothes f늡곶桂adults and桂kids. For example, t-shirts, shirts, hoodies, caps, leggings, etc.
Accessories such as桂tote bags, phone cases, umbrellas, jewelry, face masks, etc.
Home decor, f늡곶桂instance, wall art, throw pillows, towels, stationery
Drinkware, say coffee mugs and桂water bottles
Product catalogs f늡곶桂mailing.

There are various products you can customize and桂sell

How to桂Set Up桂a桂Print-on-Demand Store

Print-on-demand is桂a桂powerful alternative f늡곶桂aspiring entrepreneurs to桂create and桂sell custom items without delegating resources to桂inventory storage and桂shipping. But how do桂you set it桂up, exactly?

1.桂Choose What to桂Sell

The choice and桂the桂range of桂products depends on桂what kind of桂store you�셱e thinking of桂starting. For example, if桂you�셱e dreaming about designing your own apparel line, you can sell all kinds of桂clothes and桂accessories with various custom prints in桂your store.

Pro-tip: start small! For influencers, nonprofits, and桂companies looking f늡곶桂branded print-on-demand merchandise, 3-5桂products might be桂enough to桂start out with.

2.桂Create Your Design

Design can be桂as桂simple 늡곶桂elaborate as桂you want. It桂can be桂a桂print, 늡곶桂a桂stylized tagline 늡곶桂slogan. It�셲 best to桂avoid using prints found online as桂you risk violating someone else�셲 copyright. Also because you want your product to桂be桂original.

You can create a桂unique print f늡곶桂your products, 늡곶桂hire a桂designer.

The first option is桂better if桂you have design skills 늡곶桂if桂you�셱e ready to桂edit ready-made prints from stock (such as桂 늡곶桂). Still, it�셲 likely you�셪l need basic skills f늡곶桂image editing. Another option is桂to桂use a桂service f늡곶桂graphic design like 늡곶桂.

Some print-on-demand services also offer design templates and桂mockup generators you can use to桂create and桂customize your prints. That might be桂enough if桂you�셱e looking f늡곶桂something simple, like a桂logo f늡곶桂some branded merch.

Designing a桂backpack via Printful�셲 built-in tool

Hiring a桂designer to桂create a桂custom print will likely cost you more than making it桂yourself 늡곶桂with a桂graphic design service. At桂the桂same time, it桂can help ensure you�셪l get a桂quality print no桂matter how elaborate you want the桂design to桂be. To桂hire a桂freelance designer, you can always check out websites like 늡곶桂.

3.桂Set Up桂an桂Online Store

Now that you know what you�셱e going to桂sell, you need a桂place to桂sell it! Setting up桂an桂online store might sound like a桂challenge if桂you�셶e never dealt with building a桂website and桂have zero coding experience. However, f늡곶桂the桂web-wary among us, there are ecommerce solutions like 붚죕쳔 that allow you to桂create an桂online store from scratch even if桂you have no桂tech skills.

When setting up桂your online store, make sure to桂provide relevant information about your brand, contact information, as桂well as桂Terms and桂Conditions, Return and桂Refund Policy. This way your new website will look more trustworthy to桂potential customers.

An桂example of桂a桂website you can quickly set up桂with 붚죕쳔 E-commerce

More: How to桂Build an桂Ecommerce Website: The Easiest Way That Requires No桂Experience

4.桂Choose a桂Print-on-Demand Service and桂Connect it桂to桂your Store

To桂start selling print-on-demand products, you need to桂connect your online store to桂a桂suitable POD service.

Here�셲 what you need to桂consider when choosing a桂print-on-demand company:

Price. When comparing prices, make sure to桂check out any桂additional charges 늡곶桂hidden fees that might be桂in桂the桂mix (reviews are your friend!).
Potential profit margin. A桂10桂to桂20桂percent profit margin is桂average f늡곶桂the桂print-on-demand industry. Determine how much you are willing to桂charge your customers f늡곶桂custom products, and桂make sure that your cost of桂goods sold doesn�셳 compromise your ability to桂become profitable.
A桂range of桂customizable products. Each print-on-demand company has a桂selection of桂items that you can customize with your designs. Make sure they offer the桂specific products you�셝 like to桂sell in桂your store. For example, if桂you want to桂sell t-shirts, don�셳 hire a桂print-on-demand service that specializes in桂ceramics.
Multiple stores per account. If桂you�셱e going to桂have several stores (say, f늡곶桂different target audiences), look f늡곶桂services that allow you to桂have multiple stores managed by桂one account.
Branding options. Find out if桂a桂supplier puts their brand on桂products 늡곶桂packaging before you commit to桂them. Check if桂there are any桂limitations in桂your branding options 늡곶桂designs.
Seamless integration with a桂store. Choose a桂provider that integrates easily with your ecommerce platform.
Fulfillment and桂shipping. To桂prevent customer complaints on桂delayed delivery, choose a桂print-on-demand service that ships from the桂same country 늡곶桂geographical area that you want to桂sell in. Keep in桂mind that the桂further your items have to桂travel, the桂higher the桂shipping costs.
The merchant policies. Check how and桂when you get paid from sales fulfilled by桂the桂print-on-demand service. Some of桂them don�셳 pay out until after their return period has ended, which could be桂up桂to桂a桂month.

We桂know you don�셳 want to桂offer bad quality items to桂your customers. That�셲 why it�셲 incredibly important to桂compare several services by桂ordering test batches. This way, you�셪l be桂able to桂compare the桂quality of桂products and桂printing methods and桂choose the桂best service f늡곶桂your specific design needs.

After you decide on桂a桂service, it�셲 time to桂sync it桂to桂your online store. If桂you have an桂붚죕쳔 store, you can easily . This print-on-demand service has no桂order minimums, setup, 늡곶桂monthly fees. It桂offers free design templates which makes it桂a桂great choice f늡곶桂beginners. You can choose from 270+ customizable items and桂order samples of桂your products with 20% off.

Start Your Print-on-Demand Business Today

You might be桂interested in桂starting a桂brand new business, finding a桂new way to桂test new inventory f늡곶桂an桂existing store, 늡곶桂getting your company�셲 name out there with branded merchandise. No桂matter what you�셱e looking for, print-on-demand is桂a桂great way to桂do桂that, with minimal investment of桂both money and桂effort.

So桂what do桂you have in桂mind f늡곶桂your store? Maybe you want customized print-on-demand jewelry? Throw pillows featuring your brand�셲 signature tagline?

Share your ideas in桂our comment section. Or桂else you can use it桂to桂give advice to桂fellow merchants, 늡곶桂ask any桂questions about starting a桂print-on-demand store with 붚죕쳔.

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About The Author

Anastasia Prokofieva is a content writer at 붚죕쳔. She writes about online marketing and promotion to make entrepreneurs�� daily routine easier and more rewarding. She also has a soft spot for cats, chocolate, and making kombucha at home.

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