Print on Demand Hats: Complete Guide for Designers & Sellers

Hats are one of those products that never truly go out of style. The demand for fashionable headwear continues to grow each year. The global headwear market was valued at around USD 37.01 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 62.83 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 6.9%

If you've been thinking about adding to your product lineup, you're in the right place.

This guide walks you through everything you need to know about designing, printing, and selling print on demand hats. You'll get a clear picture of the process, costs, and decisions involved before launching.

Hat Styles & Design Options

Custom hats are one of the most versatile products you can sell, offering both fashion and function. Understanding different styles and how they can be designed for your audience is key to creating products that stand out and sell consistently.

Here's a breakdown of the most popular hat styles and their design possibilities.

Baseball Caps

Baseball caps remain a classic choice with strong everyday demand. Their universally loved style appeals to a wide range of customers, from teens to adults, making them a reliable product for Etsy sellers.

Most baseball caps feature an adjustable strap or a snapback, ensuring comfort a comfortable and personalized fit for all wearers. They also offer versatile customization options, including embroidery, patches, and full-color prints, allowing your brand or artwork to shine on a simple yet iconic canvas.

Trucker & Snapback Hats

Trucker and snapback hats bring a bold, streetwear-inspired aesthetic to your collection. With breathable mesh backs and adjustable sizing, these hats are comfortable for all-day wear while making a strong style statement.

Their flat front panels provide ample space for high-impact graphics, logos, or typography, making them perfect ideal for designs that need to stand out. These hats are especially popular with younger audiences and urban fashion enthusiasts, giving your products a trendy edge.

Dad Hats & Bucket Hats

Dad hats and bucket hats emphasize comfort-first design, combining casual style with functionality. They provide sun protection while maintaining a laid-back, approachable look, appealing to a broad demographic.

Both styles offer flexible design space for embroidery, patches, and small logos. Their versatile nature makes them easy to incorporate into various collections, whether you're targeting streetwear, casual everyday wear, or gift buyers.

Beanies & Seasonal Headwear

Beanies and other seasonal hats are perfect for colder months or gift-giving occasions. Made from soft knit materials, they provide warmth without sacrificing style.

Seasonal headwear is highly gift-ready, making it an ideal product for holiday sales and limited-edition collections. You can personalize these hats with embroidery, applique, or unique color combinations, creating items that are both practical and fashionable.

Flat Brims

Flat-brim hats are a modern fashion statement, often associated with urban and premium streetwear. They offer a distinctive look and a larger design area, allowing your graphics to stand out prominently.

Adjustable fits make them wearable for a wide audience, while their bold style makes them highly attractive for retail display. Flat brims are perfect for sellers aiming to create standout, statement-making hats that appeal to trend-conscious customers.

Top 6 Print on Demand Hat Platforms

Choosing the right print-on-demand (POD) platform for hats can make or break your Etsy store. The best platforms provide high-quality products, reliable fulfillment, and strong customization options to help your designs stand out. Here's a breakdown of the top six POD platforms that excel for hat sellers.

Inkedjoy

Inkedjoy is a versatile POD platform with a strong reputation among Etsy sellers for both quality and affordability. It offers a wide range of hats, from baseball caps to beanies, making it ideal for sellers looking to diversify their offerings.

Inkedjoy also provides unified order fulfillment, which automates much of the logistics, so you can focus on designing and marketing your products.

Key Features:

• Large product diversity, including multiple hat styles
• Very competitive pricing for small and bulk orders
• Unified order fulfillment system for seamless processing
• Strong branding options like custom labels and packaging
• Fast express shipping to key markets

Printful

Printful is one of the most popular POD platforms worldwide, known for its high and consistent product quality. Its global fulfillment network ensures that your customers receive their hats quickly, regardless of location.

Printful supports a massive range of integrations, including Etsy, Shopify, and WooCommerce, and doesn't require minimum orders, making it perfect for small-scale or growing sellers.

Key Features:

• High and consistent product quality
• Massive integration options for multiple platforms
• No minimum order requirements
• Global fulfillment network for faster shipping
• Supports embroidery, screen printing, and direct-to-garment

Printify

Printify offers one of the broadest POD catalogs, including various hat styles suitable for Etsy sellers. Its large network of global print partners allows sellers to choose based on price, location, and fulfillment speed.

Printify also supports a variety of print methods, giving you flexibility depending on your design complexity and quality requirements.

Key Features:

• Broad product catalog with multiple hat styles
• Flexible pricing options and discounts for bulk orders
• Huge global print partner network
• Variety of print methods, including embroidery and sublimation
• Integration with Etsy and other e-commerce platforms

Apliiq

Apliiq specializes in streetwear and fashion-focused apparel, making it a top choice for sellers looking to create premium or trendy hat designs. It offers multiple customization methods, including embroidery, patches, and woven labels, and doesn't require minimum order quantities. This flexibility allows Etsy sellers to experiment with niche or limited-edition designs without risk.

Key Features:

• Strong focus on streetwear and fashion
• Multiple customization methods, like embroidery and patches
• No minimum order requirements
• High-quality fabrics suitable for premium hats

Gooten

Gooten is a reliable POD platform with a global manufacturing network. It offers volume discounts for larger orders, which can improve your margins if your store scales quickly. Gooten also provides seamless integrations with Etsy and other platforms, making automated order processing simple and dependable.

Key Features:

• Global manufacturing and fulfillment support
• Volume discounts for bulk orders
• Reliable integration with Etsy and e-commerce platforms
• Supports multiple hat styles and print methods

Gelato

Gelato is a global POD platform with a focus on sustainability. Its network of local fulfillment centers reduces shipping times and environmental impact.

Gelato also allows custom packaging options, making it ideal for sellers who want to deliver a premium, brand-focused experience. Integration with Etsy and other platforms ensures smooth order management and automated tracking.

Key Features:

• Huge global print network
• Eco-friendly and sustainable production options
• Custom packaging and branding options
• Seamless integrations with Etsy and other platforms
• Fast and localized shipping worldwide

How to Sell Print on Demand Hats Online

Selling print-on-demand (POD) hats online can be a profitable business if you follow a structured approach. From choosing the right styles to marketing your products, each step ensures your hats stand out and attract buyers.

Step 1: Choose Popular Hat Styles

Start by selecting the hat styles that are in demand. Baseball caps, dad hats, trucker hats, beanies, and flat brims are all top-selling options.

Consider your target audience and their preferences—streetwear enthusiasts may prefer trucker or flat-brim hats, while casual shoppers often go for baseball caps or dad hats. Offering a variety of styles increases your chances of making sales.

Step 2: Choose a Print on Demand Platform

Next, pick a reliable POD platform to handle production and fulfillment. Platforms like Inkedjoy offer large product diversity, fast shipping, and strong branding options, making it easier to deliver high-quality hats without holding inventory. Other options like Printful, Printify, and Gelato are also excellent choices depending on your target market and design needs.

Step 3: Set Up Your Store

Create an online store on a platform like Etsy, Shopify, or WooCommerce. Ensure your store branding is consistent, with a clear logo, banner, and product categories. High-quality product images, mockups, and detailed descriptions are essential to attract buyers and build trust.

Step 4: Connect with Your Online Store

Integrate your chosen POD platform with your store to automate order processing and tracking. This ensures a smooth customer experience and reduces manual work, especially as your orders grow.

Step 5: Set a Profitable Price

Determine a price that covers your production costs, platform fees, and desired profit margin while remaining competitive. Consider offering bundles, seasonal promotions, or discounts to encourage repeat purchases.

Step 6: Promote Your Hats

Finally, market your hats through social media, email campaigns, SEO-optimized product listings, and influencer collaborations. High-quality visuals, engaging descriptions, and clear branding will help your hats stand out and drive consistent sales.

Conclusion

Print on demand hats offer designers and sellers a flexible way to enter the custom apparel market without upfront inventory risks. With a wide range of styles, printing options, and fulfillment platforms available, you can easily test designs and scale what works.

Success comes down to choosing quality blanks, understanding your audience, and partnering with a reliable print provider. When done right, print on demand hats can become a profitable and brand-building addition to your online store.

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