Selling Products Online: Print on Demand for Content Creators
In this article, I'm discussing a service that I use quite a bit! Print on demand (POD), which is a unique fulfillment method for selling products online.
It allows you to sell products without having to worry about inventory or shipping. When an order is placed, the product is made to order by the fulfillment company and shipped directly to the customer.
This is a great way to launch and start selling products with little to no monetary investment. Plus, it allows you to offer a wider variety of products, try new things, and create personalized items without purchasing and storing inventory.
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Article TLDR
Printify – Best variety
Printed Mint – Best packaging; best shipping options
TeeLaunch – Best interface
Printique – Best for prints and wall art
Printful – Best for embroidery
How Does Print on Demand Work?
The process is simple:
You need a website or platform to set up a store on. (I recommend
You create a design and select POD partner(s). I've outlined my favorite partners below.
Browse their catalog and choose the products you want to sell.
Upload your design and set your prices. Push the product to your online store or marketplace.
When a customer places an order, you pay the POD partner to make and ship the product.
Your website or marketplace pays you (minus any of their fees) and you profit from the difference.
What are the Benefits for Content Creators?
There are many benefits to using POD, including:
No upfront costs: You only pay for the product to be made after you make a sale.
No inventory: You don't have to worry about storing or shipping products.
Wide variety: You can sell almost anything you like and test new ones, including t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and more.
Easy to get started: POD platforms are easy to use and you can get started quickly.
Easy Replacements: If a customers product arrives defective, misprinted, or damaged, the POD company will replace it and ship that directly to the customer.
What Are the Cons?
There are also some drawbacks to using POD, including:
Lower profit margins: POD products are more expensive than ordering one design in bulk.
Less control over quality: You don't have as much control over the quality of the products. Ordering samples of anything you want to sell is highly recommended.
Longer shipping times: POD products can take longer to deliver due to the made-to-order process.
My Preferred Print on Demand Partners
There are many POD platforms available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Below are my personal favorites that I currently work with and can speak about, pros and cons.
I've included here Printify, Printful, Printed Mint, Printique, and TeeLaunch.
Printify
Printify is probably my favorite POD platform and the one I recommend to pretty much everyone due to it's versatility, ease of use, and pop-up shops feature.
They offer a wide variety of products by connecting you to a network of independent fulfillment companies around the globe. Plus, they integrate with any major sales platform you can think of. Their Premium plan is a great feature for high-volume sellers by offering huge discounts.
Printify easily integrates with all major e-commerce platforms and marketplaces plus offers an API connection option.
Pros:
Wide variety of products
Integrates with all major sales channels
Set up a pop-up shop and start selling right away
Premium plan available with product pricing discounts
Great support
Cons:
Pricing and shipping costs vary wildly, so do your research when pricing your items
Products are available around the globe, but it's a good idea to work with only the companies serving your primary market.
Printed Mint
Printed Mint is a POD company that offers a smaller variety of products and ships only from their facility located in Arizona. But, their main advantage over all the others is their custom packaging options to fit your branding.
Though custom packaging makes the pricing of items a little more, the combination of this with their wide variety of shipping options available, you can create a wonderfully personalized experience for your customers.
Another important feature of Printed Mint is that they currently only integrate for automatic fulfillment with Etsy and Shopify. More integrations are hopefully on the horizon soon.
Printed Mint offers the amazing value-add of custom packaging and express shipping options to brand your products in a way the others cannot.
Pros:
Wide variety of shipping options and expedited upgrades
Custom packaging to fit your brand
Lots of unique products found nowhere else
Cons:
Only integrates with Shopify and Etsy
May not be the best option for international sellers
TeeLaunch
TeeLaunch is a wonderful and reliable POD partner that offers a variety of unique products shipped from a selection of fulfillment companies around the US.
They also integrate with most platforms and marketplaces including Etsy, Shopify, Woocommerce, and Bigcommerce. The biggest standout feature offered by TeeLaunch is there lastest integration with TikTok Shops.
TeeLaunch grows their product line in a more considered way. They have a selection of products that cannot be found elsewhere! Their simplified approach to item costs and shipping also helps ensure you are priced for profit from the beginning.
Teelaunch simple platform is powerful and easy to use. Integrating with your online business wherever it is with their latest connection to TikTok Shops as a stand out.
Pros:
Variety of unique products
Ships from fulfillment partners around the US
Integrates with many platforms, including TikTok Shops
Cons:
May not be the best option for international sellers unless the US is their primary market
Some items do not ship internationally so look at the products closely when creating
CONNECT YOUR ONLINE STORE TO TEELAUNCH
Printique
Printique is my go to POD partner for selling prints and fine art. They fulfill professional-quality wall art products of your favorite pieces. Their prices are up there, but the consistency and the pro photo lab experience is second to none in the print on demand landscape.
Currently, their only integration is with Squarespace. You can always fulfill your products manually, though cumbersome, this may be the best solution for a lot of artists.
Printique is a professional photo lab disguised as a print on demand fulfillment partner. With prosumer level wall art products, they are my go to for selling artwork on my Squarespace website.
Pros:
Wide variety of wall art products
Pro photo lab quality
Owns the fulfillment and production warehouse
Cons:
High quality means high prices
Only integrates with Squarespace
Submitting products from Printique to Squarespace is a little clunky and takes some trial and error to get right
Printful
Printful is probably the most well know and popular POD platform out there. They offer a wide variety of products and integrate with almost every major sales channel you can think of.
They also have their own fulfillment and production warehouses located around the world. This can help sellers looking to reach the international market efficiently and speed up shipping times.
Where Printful really stands above all the others is with embroidery. The ease, variety, and quality of their embroidered products doesn't compare to any other POD company out there.
Printful is probably the most popular POD partner and can offer amazing solutions for sellers trying to reach a global market effectively.
Pros:
Wide variety of products
Integrates with every major sales channel
Own fulfillment and production warehouses around the world
Best POD embroidery quality, customization, and selection
Cons:
Most expensive catalog for the same products found elsewhere
Some products may not be available in all countries
Shipping costs can be confusing, do your research
Which Print on Demand Products Should I Sell?
The best POD products to sell are the ones people want but also the ones you genuinely like or use. Some of the most popular POD products include t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, tote bags, and stickers.
It's important to research the products you're interested in selling to make sure they fit your customer base. Pricing and shipping costs are also extremely important to consider from the very start.
Always order a sample before putting anything up for sale. This will allow you to create and take your own photos but also test the quality and customer experience.
Tips for Selling Print on Demand Products
Here are a few tips for selling POD products:
Create high-quality designs: Your designs are the most important part of your POD business. Make sure your designs are high-quality and eye-catching.
Promote your products: Once you've created your products, you need to promote them. Use social media, email marketing, and other channels to get the word out.
Offer excellent customer service: If you want to build a successful POD business, you need to offer excellent customer service. Respond to customer inquiries promptly and resolve any issues quickly.
Price for profit: Pricing for print on demand products can be overwhelming and confusing if not looked at closely. Choose your items and create a spreadsheet breaking down all costs and expenses. Include productions costs, shipping costs, and your platform or marketplace fees.
Print on demand can be a great way for content creators to sell products without having to worry about inventory or shipping. However, it's important to choose the right POD platform and products to sell that fit to your brand.
anytime with your questions, wins, or struggles! I want you to succeed and be profitable wherever you are selling.
Links:
Here are my preferred tools and links to everything I discuss in this article:
Printify – Best variety
Printed Mint – Best packaging; best shipping options
TeeLaunch – Best interface
Printique – Best for prints and wall art
Printful – Best for embroidery
Shopify – Connects to Printify, Printed Mint, TeeLaunch, and Printful
Squarespace – Connects to Printify, Printique, and Printful
Etsy – Connects to Printify, Printed Mint, TeeLaunch, and Printful
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