The 7 Best Print-on-Demand Sites for Beginners: A Detailed Tutorial (2024)
Have you ever dreamed of translating your designs into products that can be sold on the market to generate high revenues? If yes, then print-on-demand (POD) is one of the best options for you. The POD model gives anyone who has that spark of creativity a chance to share their creativity on various releases such as mugs, t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases, and wall art –without the burden of having to manage inventory or order fulfillment.
No wonder the POD industry is in great demand! However, with many POD platforms out there, it can be quite challenging to determine which POD sites are the best for beginners. This blog will help you! Here is a step-by-step guide for the seven print-on-demand sites for beginners. It is time to have fun and find the best match for your designs!
Page overview:
What is Print-On-Demand and How Does It Work?
7 Best Sites to Build Print-on-Demand Business
How to Start a Print-On-Demand Business with Inkedjoy in 2024?
How to Choose Print-on-Demand Sites as a Beginner
Common Mistakes and Difficulties that Beginners Meet
How to Create Attractive Designs: Design Like a Pro (Even Without Experience!)
What is Print-On-Demand and How Does It Work?
Picture this: You draw a stylish t-shirt, and people order it online. It is produced and delivered to the customer—all this happens automatically. Here’s how to make it happen:
Step 1: Locate Your Specialization and Target Market
First, you need to decide what type of products you want to design and offer to sell —perhaps t-shirts for a laugh, art for the office, or cases with cats doing silly things. Next, try to determine who your audience is — who would appreciate your designs?
Step 2: Set Up Your Ecommerce Store
Set up shop! For beginners, there are some platforms that are especially favorable and most used, such as Shopify or Etsy. These services have easy-to-understand and very simple interfaces. This makes it incredibly easy for their owners to create and design an online shop, even if they don’t know how to code.
Step 3: Select a Print-on-Demand Partner
It is now time to search for your POD partner! Compare what each of the POD partners offers in terms of product range, cost, delivery, and return policies to choose the best partner for your business.
This article will provide information on the top print-on-demand companies for beginners in the business. These are the companies that accomplish your creations in terms of printing options, packaging, and shipment.
Step 4: Integrate Your Ecommerce Store
Connect your online store to the selected POD service so that orders are processed effectively. Almost all POD companies have available plugins or apps that can easily integrate with your store, allowing you to easily manage your products and orders.
Step 5: Select Products and Upload Designs to POD Marketplace
Decide on the products you would like to sell on the POD platform and then upload your great designs. Do not produce poor designs that will not attract the attention of your target customers.
Step 6: Launch Products in Your Store and Sell
Last but not least, present your products in your e-commerce store. Compose descriptive and stimulating copy for the products and utilize superior picture quality to market the products.
After the shop is set, post your products on your online store, and behold, your creations go online!
7 Best Sites to a Build Print-on-Demand Business
Now that you know the basics, let’s explore some of the best print-on-demand services for beginners to kickstart your creative journey! Here’s a breakdown of 7 beginner-friendly POD sites, each with its own strengths:
1. Inkedjoy
Inkedjoy is a great choice for beginners who value ease of use. It’s completely free to sign up, and its user-friendly interface makes creating your online store a breeze.
Inkedjoy offers competitive pricing on 1500+ products, from t-shirts and mugs to phone cases, tote bags, pillows, lamps, and much more. They also make it simple to integrate your store with their platform, allowing you to fulfill orders seamlessly under your own brand. Moreover, Inkedjoy offers white-label project to promote your brand.
But here’s the real kicker: Inkedjoy allows your customers to customize their products in your store. This can be a game-changer, letting your customers add a personal touch and making your store even more popular.
Advanced Features:
- Seamless store integration for easy setup (Etsy, Shopify, WooCommerce).
- Custom branding on packaging and labels.
- Extensive product catalog with customizable options.
- Reliable customer support and fulfillment services.
2. Printful
If top-notch quality is your priority, Printful is a fantastic option. Trusted by countless brands, they use high-quality materials and printing methods to make sure the final designs look their absolute best.
Printful also offers diverse products and a user-friendly platform that makes uploading designs and managing your store effortless. Plus, they handle everything from printing to fulfillment.
Advanced Features:
- Products are available for bulk delivery (with discounts!).
- Automated order fulfillment and shipping.
- High-quality print technology ensures vibrant and durable designs.
- On-demand warehousing for high-volume sellers.
3. Redbubble
Redbubble operates as an art marketplace, allowing artists to sell their designs to an international audience.
It offers worldwide shipping, secure payments, and free returns, making it a convenient option for both sellers and buyers.
Redbubble’s community of artists and its emphasis on unique designs set it apart from other POD platforms.
Advanced Features:
- A large, active marketplace with a built-in audience.
- Tools for promoting and marketing your designs.
- A wide range of customizable product, including clothing, stickers, and home goods.
- Artist-friendly policies, including fair royalties and support.
4. Merchize
Merchize is ideal for those who want a diverse collection of products without worrying about minimum order quantities (MOQ).
The platform enforces strict quality criteria, ensuring that every product meets high standards.
Merchize’s flexibility and wide range of products make it a great choice for beginners looking to offer several products.
Advanced Features:
- Extensive product catalog, from apparel to accessories.
- Advanced customization options, including custom packaging and branding.
- Customer service solutions.
- Cross-docking services.
5. PrintDoors
PrintDoors is another wonderful site for novices looking for an easy-to-navigate site. Joining is free, and their subsequent design interfaces ensure that you are able to develop your online business and load designs easily.
They research the general market to offer reduced prices at which all products can be bought to provide quality products to end customers. They also have quality printing to make sure that the customers are satisfied and receive the best quality prints.
PrintDoors also integrates with different ecommerce platforms, making it easier for you to run an online store.
Advanced Features:
- Extensive library of clipart and design elements.
- Bulk editing tools for efficient design management.
- Real-time order tracking for both you and your customers.
- Custom brand solutions.
6. Underground Printing
Underground Printing is a print on demand powerhouse specializing in apparel, with a particular focus on collegiate designs. They offer a blazing-fast 2-day lightning rush turnaround for orders, perfect for students on tight deadlines.
Underground Printing boasts partnerships with the top brands in the industry, ensuring your designs are printed on high-quality garments built to last.
Advanced Features:
- Extensive selection of collegiate licensed apparel.
- On-demand sample printing for quality assurance.
- Discounted pricing for bulk orders.
- Dedicated customer support team.
7. Awkward Styles
Awkward Styles is one of the best print-on-demand sites for beginners, offering over 300 items for customization.
Their user-friendly mockup generator makes it easy to visualize your designs on products before placing an order.
Additionally, they provide 24/7 email support to assist you with any issues, so you know you always have someone to answer your questions.
Advanced Features:
- User-friendly mockup generator for easy design visualization.
- Discount codes and promotions for customer engagement.
- Heat transfers and direct-to-film transfers.
- Access to Awkward Styles artist gallery.
How to Start a Print-On-Demand Business with Inkedjoy in 2024?
Inkedjoy makes starting your online business a breeze! Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you up and running in no time:
Find Your Niche
Before diving in, research current trends and identify your niche. What kind of designs do you excel at? Are you targeting a specific audience? A strong niche helps you attract the right customers.
Build Your Online Store & Integrate with Inkedjoy
Choose a platform like Etsy or Shopify and set up your online store. Inkedjoy easily integrates with various platforms, streamlining the process.
Explore Inkedjoy’s Products
Browse Inkedjoy’s wide range of product catalogs featuring t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and more! Decide which products best suit your designs and target audience.
Design Time: Create Designs with Mockup Generator
Inkedjoy’s user-friendly mockup generator lets you visualize your designs on different products. This helps you see how your artwork will translate into physical products.
Set Your Price and Description
Determine a competitive price for your products that factors in your profit margin and production costs. Craft compelling and engaging product descriptions that not only spotlight the unique features and benefits of your designs but also capture the distinctiveness and appeal of each item.
Inkedjoy Auto-Fulfill Your Orders
Inkedjoy takes care of the rest! Once an order comes through, Inkedjoy automatically fulfills it, handling printing, packaging, and shipping directly to your customers.
Market Products and Monitor Sales
Promote your products on social media, run targeted ads, or explore influencer marketing. Inkedjoy provides sales data so you can monitor your performance and make adjustments as needed.
With Inkedjoy’s user-friendly platform and comprehensive services, you’ll be well on your way to launching a successful print-on-demand business in no time!
How to Choose Print-on-Demand Sites as a Beginner
With so many POD platforms, how do you pick the best print-on-demand companies for beginners? Here are some key factors to consider as a beginner to ensure a successful launch:
- Product Range: Does the platform offer a variety of products that suit your design style and target audience? Look for options beyond just t-shirts and mugs. Catering to specific niches might be a plus.
- Quality of Products: High-quality printing and products are crucial for happy customers. Research the platform’s reputation for quality and consider ordering samples to see the products firsthand.
- Ecommerce Integration: Seamless integration with your chosen ecommerce platform is essential. This allows for easy product upload, order management, and inventory syncing.
- Turnaround Time: How long does it take for the platform to process and ship orders? Faster turnaround times and low shipping cost can be a selling point, especially if your target customers who need products quickly.
- User Interface and Experience: Is the platform’s user interface intuitive and easy to navigate? Uploading designs, managing products, and tracking orders should be a breeze, even for beginners.
- Reputation and Reliability: Look for a POD platform with a good reputation for quality, customer service, and on-time fulfillment. Reading online reviews and checking the platform’s track record can be helpful.
By considering these key factors, you’ll be well-equipped to choose the perfect POD site that matches your needs and sets you up for success as a beginner.
Common Mistakes and Difficulties that Beginners Meet
The POD world is a world of fun and innovation; however, nobody is infallible; even the greatest minds can falter! Here are some common mistakes and difficulties beginners encounter, along with ways to navigate them:
- Underestimating Market Research: Failure to follow the proper market research process puts you in the wrong market, a market with small returns. Learn the popular trends, find out your market and study your competitors’ designs. This assists in developing services or merchandise that appeal to the target clients.
- Marketing Mishap: Your design can be the most brilliant, but if no one notices where you have placed it, then your business will not grow. Don’t neglect marketing! Go on social networks to advertise your products and gain a group of followers. Do surveys, interact with the target audience, and advertise; explore partnerships with the target niche influencers.
- Customer Service Slump: It is the quality that creates trust with customers and makes them want to come again and again to that store or business. Each customer should be answered as soon as possible, all complaints should be answered politely and professionally, and a return guarantee should be given. Thus, the saying is correct: happy customers are loyal customers!
- Competition Conundrum: In other words, the POD environment is competitive and forces brands to be more creative. Don’t be discouraged! According to the principles of personality marketing, it is necessary to concentrate on the individual features that distinguish your designs and make them stronger. Be among the best suppliers for products, base client-oriented customer service, and aim at developing exclusive patterned products.
- Trend Tunnel Vision: This is especially important since the world moves fast and one needs to be ahead of the game. At least once a month, search for current trends, especially in designs, colors, and styles to ensure the relevancy of products. It may be advisable to come up with seasonal designs or designs related to specific occasions, as people would be more willing to pay for them.
It is important to know these potential problems in order to be able to apply solutions beforehand and successfully start the journey in the world of print-on-demand. Managing them takes time and effort, and sometimes, more resources are allocated. Remember, success takes time and dedication!
How to Create Attractive Designs: Design Like a Pro (Even Without Experience!)
The beauty of POD is that anyone can use their creative POD ideas to sell custom products. But what if you’re a design novice? Don’t worry, you’ve got this! Here are some tips to create attractive designs even without prior experience:
- Embrace Online Design Tools: There are fantastic online design tools like Canva, Placeit, and Crello that offer user-friendly interfaces. These platforms provide pre-made templates, drag-and-drop functionality, and access to free stock photos and design elements. You can customize these elements in any way you like to create graphic designs for your POD products.
- Free Resources Are Your Friends: The Internet is a treasure trove of free design resources. Websites like Unsplash and Pexels offer stunning royalty-free stock photos you can incorporate into your designs. Explore free fonts from Google Fonts to add a personal touch to your text. With a little searching, you can find a plethora of free design assets to elevate your creations.
- The Power of Templates: Don’t shy away from pre-made templates! Many online design tools and POD platforms offer a variety of customizable templates for different product types. These can serve as a starting point, allowing you to swap out graphics, change fonts, and adjust colors to match your vision. Templates are a great way to get your creative juices flowing and create professional-looking designs in no time.
- Stay on Trend: Keeping an eye on current design trends can significantly boost your product’s appeal. Browse social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram to see what’s popular. Explore trending color palettes, typography styles, and popular themes. While it’s important to maintain your unique style, incorporating trendy elements can help your designs resonate with a wider audience.
Remember, design is a journey, and the most important thing is to start creating! With these tips and a little practice, you’ll be well on your way to crafting attractive and marketable designs for your POD business.
Wrap Up
All in all, it is possible to conclude that choosing the most appropriate print-on-demand services for beginners is one of the critical factors in building a successful online store. While Inkedjoy appears to be the best option, all seven of the platforms mentioned in this guide have unique merits and settings that will suit newcomers to the POD business industry.
Thus, in this phase of the development of POD businesses, serious consideration of niche, target market, and enterprising goals is crucial. The seven POD platforms that we explored will enable you to start your store effectively and establish a sound business in a short time. Discover them today to turn your designs into profitable goods!
