8. PRINT ON DEMAND
Introduction
Print on demand is a business model where you create custom designs for products like t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases, tote bags and posters. When a customer orders your product the print on demand platform prints the design onto the item and ships it directly to the customer. You never handle any stock, printing or shipping. Your only job is to create attractive designs, list them on the platform and market your store. Print on demand is ideal for creative beginners who enjoy design but do not want the hassle or expense of managing physical inventory. With free tools like Canva even those with no design experience can create professional and appealing products.
How It Works
You create a design using Canva or Adobe Express. You upload the design to a print on demand platform like Redbubble, Merch by Amazon or Printful. The platform places your design on a range of products. You set your price and the platform handles everything else like printing, packing and shipping. When a sale is made you receive your profit margin which is the difference between your selling price and the platform’s base cost. Some platforms like Redbubble handle everything including the storefront while others like Printful integrate with your own Shopify or Etsy store.
Earning Potential
| Level | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Beginner | $100 — $500 per month |
| Intermediate | $500 — $3,000 per month |
| Experienced | $3,000 — $10,000+ per month |
How to Get Started
- Choose your niche like dog lovers, gym enthusiasts, teachers, nurses and gamers are highly profitable niches
- Research trending designs on Redbubble and Pinterest to understand what is selling
- Create your first 10 designs using Canva, focus on simple, clean and bold designs
- Open a free seller account on Redbubble or Merch by Amazon
- Upload your designs and apply them to multiple products, t-shirts, mugs, hoodies and phone cases
- Write keyword rich titles and descriptions to help your products appear in search
- Promote your designs on Pinterest and Instagram to drive additional traffic
Tools and Platforms
| Platform | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Canva | Free design tool for creating product designs |
| Redbubble | All in one print on demand marketplace |
| Merch by Amazon | High traffic Amazon print on demand platform |
| Printful | Integrates with Etsy and Shopify stores |
| Printify | Wide range of products and suppliers |
| Drive free organic traffic to your products |
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- No inventory or upfront costs
- Completely passive once designs are listed
- Sell the same design on hundreds of products
- Global customer base
- Free to start on most platforms
Cons:
- Profit margins per sale are relatively low
- High competition on popular platforms
- Designs can be copied by other sellers
- Success requires a large volume of designs
- Organic traffic takes time to build
Tips for Success
- Upload as many designs as possible, the more designs you have the more chances of sales
- Focus on evergreen niches rather than trends, evergreen designs sell consistently all year
- Use keyword research to optimize your product titles and tags, this determines your search visibility
- Create designs for specific passionate community, dog breed owners, specific professions, hobby groups
- Use mockup generators to show your designs on real products, it increases buyer confidence
- Cross list your designs on multiple platforms to maximise exposure
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not copy other designers’ works, copyright infringement will get your account terminated
- Do not use copyrighted phrases, logos or characters, even popular quotes can be trademarked
- Do not upload low resolution designs, blurry prints lead to returns and negative reviews
- Do not put all your designs on one platform, diversify across Redbubble, Merch by Amazon and Etsy
- Do not give up after 10 or 20 designs, most successful print on demand sellers have hundreds of designs listed
FAQ
Q: Do I need design experience to start print on demand?
No. Canva has hundreds of free templates and easy to use tools that allow complete beginners to create professional designs.
Q: How much does it cost to start?
It is completely free to start on Redbubble and Merch by Amazon. You only pay when a product is sold.
Q: How long before I make my first sale?
On organic platforms like Redbubble it can take 1 to 3 months to gain visibility. Promoting on Pinterest can accelerate this significantly.
Q: What products sell best in print on demand?
T-shirts, hoodies, mugs and phone cases are consistently the top selling products across all platforms.
Q: Can I do print on demand alongside other income streams?
Absolutely. Print on demand is highly passive once your designs are listed making it perfect to run alongside other income methods.
Call to Action
Ready to launch your print on demand store? Open Canva today, create your first 5 designs for a niche you love and upload them to Redbubble for free. Your designs could be selling to customers around the world within weeks.