Do you want to get into print on demand, perhaps to create your own clothing brand? This article is made for you ! We go over the basics of this ultra-flexible e-commerce model and tell you how to do print on demand and which are the best sites to do it.
Finally, we give you the keys to succeed in print on demand and seduce customers with your designs. Follow the leader !
How does print on demand work?
Print on demand – consists of selling your own personalized designs on products such as mugs, T-shirts or phone cases, for example .
This e-commerce model has a major advantage for those who wish to start an online business simply: you do not need to buy the products before selling them: the supplier ships them directly to your customers on your behalf.
So what is a Print on Demand store? It’s very simple: you choose a “naked” product on which to affix your design and the Print on Demand site you have chosen will take care of everything: printing / manufacturing, packaging and sending to the customer. You can perform a simulation beforehand to confirm that the final rendering meets your expectations.
With this business model, you don’t have to manage inventory or worry about shipping products. You can focus on your online store and your digital marketing strategy.
Here is a summary of the benefits of print on demand :
- Personalization of your products (unlike dropshipping)
- No stock management
- An automated order management process
- A minimum investment
We have also created a training dedicated to Print On demand , which explains in 20 minutes everything you need to know to get started. It’s free, it’s in English, and it’s not to be missed to understand how to make designs and generate sales!
5 steps to start Print on demand
Wondering how to do print on demand? Good news: it is relatively easy to get started quickly, without very large initial investment. Here are the 5 main steps to start and succeed in print on demand.
Step 1: choose one or more print on demand products
First and foremost, determine what you are going to sell. What types of articles are you going to position yourself on? Think about your target and your personal experience. It will be much easier to sell and market a product that really interests you and that you could buy yourself. Study the print on demand supplier catalogs to make your choice.
We show you the products that sell the most a little further down in this article.
Do not hesitate to place an order for an item to confirm the quality of the product. Also consider the price at which you can offer the item and your markup . The chosen product must allow you to earn money, while being attractive to customers.
Step 2: Create a custom design
Have you chosen a product? Now it’s time to create a design for this article. Print on demand is based on the creation of a personalized design. To make customers want to buy, your design must be attractive and unique, while appealing to as many people as possible. Thus, to get started in print on design, it is advisable to have strong graphic skills.
If this is not your case, hire a freelance graphic designer . You can find many freelance graphic designers on international platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. Do not hesitate to put graphic designers in competition to find the best style and design for your articles. You can create one design for multiple items or one design for each item. Also remember to offer different colors: customers like to have a choice!
Step 3: launch your Shopify print on demand store
Once your products have been chosen and your design created, it’s time to launch your shop! With Shopify, creating a store is a breeze. This e-commerce solution does not require any particular skills. After creating your Shopify store, you can create an account on the provider’s site of your choice and connect your Shopify store.
Shopify already offers partnerships with sites like Printful and Printify. From the corresponding apps, you will be able to sync your products to both the apps and your Shopify store.
You will be able to import products, communicate with the print on demand supplier chosen to produce your products and send them to customers.
Make sure you have a good website design , with an attractive and well-designed online store. Work on the description of your products and make sure you have quality visuals. Ideally, rather than a simple photo of the product, offer a visual in situation thanks to Photoshop for example. You can install modules on your online store to facilitate customer communication, such as an online chat . In addition, do not neglect the legal notices of your shop. They are very important in the event of a claim or dispute.
In addition to your Shopify print on demand store , you can also sell on Etsy , which accepts this type of product. This special DIY marketplace is widely used in the United States and is starting to be widely appreciated in France as well. If you take care of your shop on this site, you will be able to benefit from almost free traffic and this could facilitate your first sales!
Step 4: promote the products
Now that your store is up and running and your products are ready to print on demand, it’s time to sell! And for that, you have to go find the customer where he is: on social networks . Explore levers such as Facebook advertising , Instagram advertising or Snapchat Ads .
You can also use influencer marketing and work with influencers. This can dramatically boost your visibility. You can negotiate a post or a story in exchange for a product donation if it is a micro-influencer. More established influencers with a large number of followers tend to demand compensation.
Step 5: Make sales and consolidate your online presence
If you have a good product and a good communication strategy, you should quickly make your first sales. Your work doesn’t stop there. This is to ensure a good customer relationship . The more satisfied your customer is, the more likely they will leave you a positive review. Opinions play a decisive role today.
Checking reviews before buying a product has become a reflex for many of us. Do not hesitate to invite your customers to leave a review online, via emailing for example.
The best print-on-demand websites
Wondering which is the best print on demand site?
There are many, and the best choice depends on the type of product you want to sell and the style you are interested in. But also unit prices (which will have an impact on your margin), targeted markets and delivery costs applied.
For example, if you want to do print on demand Europe, we recommend Printful, which has offices in Latvia and delivers throughout Europe. Printful is also widely implemented in the United States, which is rather interesting if you want to have a store in both continents and have minimum delivery costs and times.
The best is to benchmark the main providers and choose the best for you according to your needs.
Another solution is the sales strategy on print on demand marketplaces. You create your designs and upload them to marketplaces such as Spreadshirt, Redbubble or Merch by Amazon. It’s up to you to see if you prefer to have your own Shopify store or go through a marketplace… or both to maximize the visibility of your creations! For example, you work with Shopify and Printful, which offers a partnership to do Amazon print on demand.
10 Print on Demand suppliers France, Europe and USA
10 design trends for 2024
- Floral patterns and liberty prints
- The retro and the vintage
- Asian art and manga-like illustrations
- humorous messages
- The “feel good” slogans
- empowerment messages
- Animal patterns and prints
- geometric patterns
- The marked color contrasts
- artistic prints
Now you know the basics! We hope this article has enlightened you on how to do print on demand and Shopify print on demand.
If there is one thing to remember, it is the importance of finding the right product and the right design! Print on demand can be very competitive and these choices are decisive in your success. Also work on your online store and marketing strategy to attract customers and make sales. Consider diversifying your sales channels with Amazon or Etsy print on demand.
This experience can be a good way to test yourself before taking the next step and launching your own brand.
