The Ultimate Guide to the Print on Demand Business in 2026

Today's society is the era of the side hustle, so have you considered making some extra cash with a Print on Demand business? Print on Demand is not some virtual reality concept, but a very real dropshipping business model. POD creates the potential and opportunity for many end retailers to make big money. For beginners, Print on Demand is a highly attractive category within e-commerce, and starting it is simple as sellers don't need to handle inventory. However, to balance this e-commerce model, sellers must fully leverage their creativity and initiative.

What is Print on Demand?

Print on Demand is a model that allows sellers to sell custom-designed products, where the seller only prints the product after receiving an order. By utilizing the Print on Demand cross-border e-commerce model, sellers don't need to worry about inventory issues. Sellers only need to register on a Print on Demand platform, and the platform will handle product printing and order fulfillment for them.

Print on demand is a type of dropshipping model where merchants don't have to deal with inventory and logistics issues. These tasks are handled by a third party, meaning there are zero inventory costs.

Multi-vendor e-commerce retail platforms like Amazon and Alibaba sell generic hoodies, T-shirts, mugs, and hats, which are basically standard-quality goods. Online retailers can access online product sourcing and design patterns, while Print on Demand gives sellers the freedom to personalize and DIY the products they want to sell. Similarly, sellers have the capability to handle products designed by customers. This means there are no restrictions on product design for either buyers or sellers. Moreover, printed-on-demand products have a solid customer base. Once a customer places an order, the retailer can immediately design and manufacture the product, then ship it to the buyer.

Print on Demand Fulfillment Services vs. Print on Demand Marketplaces

Print on Demand fulfillment services refer to backend fulfillment partners like Printful, Printify, and PeaPrint. Sellers can integrate their online stores directly with these platforms. When a buyer places an order in your store, the order is transferred to the service provider, who prints the product and fulfills the order.

On the other hand, Print on Demand marketplaces handle both the front end and back end of this process. In this model, sellers just need to upload their custom designs to the marketplace website, and the platform will handle the sales for them. This means the seller only needs to apply their designs to physical products and doesn't need to engage in sales activities themselves. Examples of such platforms include Redbubble and Zazzle.

Which method you choose to launch your Print on Demand business depends on your own business model and preferences. If you want to own your brand and have more control over marketing, then a Print on Demand fulfillment service might be the ideal choice. However, it's worth noting that choosing this means the seller needs to spend more time and effort maintaining operations, as they are dealing directly with buyers.

On the flip side, if you don't like dealing with sales, marketing, and printing yourself, you can opt for a Print on Demand marketplace. Under this model, all the seller has to do is upload their products, and leave the rest entirely to the marketplace. However, this model has a major drawback: sellers don't have access to buyer data, nor can they communicate directly with their customers.

Note: Most of the content in this article focuses on Print on Demand fulfillment services.

How the Print on Demand E-commerce Model Works

The print on demand model is suitable for many businesses. Online writers can also use this model to make money, for example, by selling print-on-demand books. Designers and art professionals can also profit from this model. Currently, it's not very common to see this type of print-on-demand wall art sold on third-party platforms.

Compared to other dropshipping models, certain print-on-demand businesses might be a better fit for sellers. To reach their target audience, sellers may need to invest a lot of time and effort into generating traffic and building a customer base. Additionally, sellers need to build customer confidence in their products. Many large print-on-demand e-commerce companies use this strategy to get repeat customers, and they do it consistently over the years—after all, product quality is king.

The raw materials sellers use need to meet industry standards, or even exceed them in quality; otherwise, it will be hard for sellers to hit their sales targets. Generally speaking, sellers must ensure their customers see value through the product. Therefore, the first thing a seller needs to do is source high-quality products from suppliers. To print a customized product, a seller needs a blank, unbranded item.

Pros and Cons of a Print on Demand Business

Every business model has its pros and cons, and print on demand is certainly no exception. After understanding the following points, you can then decide whether you want to pursue this e-commerce model.

Pros

Easy to start. The vast majority of Print on Demand platforms are easy to use. Generally, the process involves signing up, creating a homepage, and adding products. Users can upload designs in minutes without worrying about technical issues.

No need to handle inventory. The print-on-demand e-commerce model eliminates the hassles associated with product storage. Products are only printed after a buyer places an order, so sellers don't need to worry about unsold inventory. Situations like overstocking or out-of-stock items don't exist, and sellers don't have to worry about minimum order quantities or delivery deadlines.

Hands-off order fulfillment. One of the biggest headaches for all retailers is fulfilling orders. The packaging and shipping processes involve a lot of tedious details, making this area quite difficult to manage for small businesses and everyday designers. Print on Demand platforms handle this for sellers, so they don't have to worry about products not reaching their customers.

Allows sellers to focus on what they do best. The points above are basically the core advantages of the print-on-demand model; sellers have more time to do what they are actually good at within their business. So, instead of spending time packing orders or worrying about logistics, sellers are better off doing what they truly excel at, such as creating innovative designs, building a community, or expanding their business.

Cons

Lower profit margins. Engaging in the print-on-demand business means your product costs will be higher than wholesale, squeezing your profit margins. Suppose a T-shirt with a creative design sells for $24. You might find a similar item on wholesale sites like Alibaba for $7, but that $7 price usually requires a minimum order of 1,000 units. While prices on Alibaba are indeed very affordable, the risks are higher, and there are order quantity requirements.

Lack of control over the customer experience. While not dealing with fulfillment has its advantages, it also means the seller has no visibility into the packaging and shipping processes. Although print-on-demand platforms have their own fulfillment processes, sellers cannot offer buyers a uniquely convenient or personalized customer experience. For example, sellers cannot include business cards or freebies. Therefore, if you want to build a strong brand, print on demand might not be your best choice.

Limited data. Compared to traditional dropshipping on sites like AliExpress, Print on Demand might not be a great choice for sellers who prefer to make data-driven market decisions. After all, platforms like Alibaba offer plenty of buyer reviews, star ratings, and other information. Print-on-demand platforms generally do not include this type of data or information about top-selling items. It's also very difficult for sellers to predict who the top sellers are or what the trending products are in the market.

Limited product types. Sellers can only sell the products provided by their fulfillment partner. If you're selling generic items like T-shirts, it's fine, but this model isn't great for niche or unusual products. For instance, if a seller wants to sell highly customized window blinds, finding a corresponding print-on-demand platform would be very difficult. Or, if a seller wants to sell custom clothing made from special fabrics, it would likely be hard to source those items from suppliers.

Mainstream Products in Print on Demand

Next, let's take a look at the products frequently sold on design-oriented e-commerce websites; perhaps these product categories will give sellers some inspiration and ideas.

T-Shirts

Sellers can use the print-on-demand e-commerce model to validate various ideas and test-sell different products. Standard T-shirts are the top choice for most print-on-demand merchants because they involve many styles—V-necks, crew necks, polo shirts, etc.—and the retail price isn't too high.

The demand for T-shirts is also relatively high, making them highly suitable for various types of personalized printing. Many small and medium-sized businesses print their company logos on T-shirts. We can find high-quality T-shirts on the following websites:

• Printful
• TeeLaunch
• PeaPrint
• Printify
• Gooten

Backpacks

This niche is actually not saturated, and this product category has a high conversion rate. Sellers can learn from trendy designs on constantly updating platforms like Pinterest, as the designs there are quite innovative. For millennials or students, owning a unique backpack is essential. Therefore, sellers engaged in the print-on-demand model should pay attention to the target demographic using the product and create detailed buyer personas for them.

Drawstring Backpacks also fall into this category. Generally, many organizations use drawstring backpacks for promotional and marketing purposes. This product category is actually quite similar to T-shirts; sellers can find backpack templates via Placeit to study others' creative ideas. You can find backpack products on the following platforms:

• Printful
• Gooten
• PeaPrint

Hoodies

Hoodies are similar to T-shirts, though selling custom-designed hoodies might take a little more time. So far, the hoodies sold in the Chinese domestic market are still relatively uniform in style. If you see a "Champion" hoodie selling for $30 on AliExpress, it's very likely a replica. Even so, retailers still make good money. However, focusing on hoodie quality remains crucial. Therefore, if retailers sell personalized hoodies to buyers, the chances of making a profit are still very high. These platforms offer good quality hoodies:

• Printful
• PeaPrint
• Printify
• Gelato

Mugs

Mugs are a relatively saturated category in the print-on-demand e-commerce space, but they are also a highly productive one. If you walk into a large enterprise, it's not hard to spot their logos printed on many of their mugs. For most companies, enterprises, and organizations, this is almost like a ritual. Mugs come in various shapes and sizes, with both professional and highly novel design samples available. Sellers can source them from the following platforms:

• Printful
• TeeLaunch
• Pixels
• Printify
• Gooten
• PeaPrint

Yoga Pants (Leggings)

Currently, many fitness centers offer yoga classes, and yoga pants are a product particularly well-suited for the print-on-demand business. Moreover, yoga pants are easy to integrate with a variety of design patterns. Just look at the global population of yoga enthusiasts to understand the massive potential of this market. In other words, sellers can use the print-on-demand model to sell yoga pants on their own websites. We can find yoga pants or yoga skirts on the following platforms:

• Printful
• Printify
• PeaPrint

Hats

Although hats might seem like a saturated market, there is still plenty of room for demand in the print-on-demand space. People wear hats on many occasions; for instance, sellers can use hats as promotional items or sell them as fashion accessories. Sellers engaged in the print-on-demand business have a lot of freedom in hat design; they can choose baseball caps, wedding hats, trucker hats, and other types for DIY personalization. Sellers can find hat mockups on the following platforms:

• Printful
• Printify
• Inkthreadable
• PeaPrint

Socks

Socks are a great fit for sellers who are interested in the apparel sector but don't want to dive in too deep. The great thing about socks is that sellers don't necessarily have to run a fashion boutique to sell them. If socks can be customized, they also make excellent gifts.

This specific niche of socks has actually stood the test of time, and the profit margins are huge. Sellers can sell socks using the latest trending prints, add buyers' names to the socks, or let them choose the colors. Sellers can check out the following platforms for print-on-demand sock suppliers:

• Printify
• TeeLaunch
• Inkthreadable
• Printful
• Placeit

Makeup Bags

We mentioned backpacks earlier, but there are other types of bags, and perhaps each type has its corresponding market. If you're interested in the cosmetics industry, you could sell your own makeup line and then print personalized makeup bags for your customers. If you post these kinds of pictures on social media, you might attract the attention of many users.

Makeup bags are essential luggage items for women traveling, and many sellers offer them as free gifts or add-ons to buyers when selling products. Sellers can find makeup bags on the following platforms:

• Printify
• Pixels
• Gooten
• TeeLaunch
• Redbubble
• PeaPrint

Yoga Mats

Yoga mats are extremely popular products right now, and even many men are buying them. As the health and fitness industry continues to scale, selling personalized yoga mats might attract more fitness enthusiasts. Users even show off their respective yoga mats to each other. However, yoga mats aren't just used by yoga enthusiasts and practitioners. Sellers can find yoga mats on the following platforms:

• Gooten
• Pixels
• Aprons

Aprons fall under the home goods category; many people use aprons when cooking at home. Generally, the target demographic for aprons includes adult women, bakers, and others who cook frequently. Aprons can serve as an add-on product for merchants selling home goods and kitchenware, and sellers can add their own logos or designs to achieve true personalization. Sellers can find DIY-friendly aprons on the following platforms:

• Printful
• Gooten
• Inkthreadable
• PeaPrint

Throw Pillows

Printable products aren't limited to clothes and aprons; throw pillows can also be printed on demand. Sellers can add unique slogans and patterns to pillows, and even bundle them with other items like clothing for sale. The following platforms offer print-on-demand throw pillows:

• Kite.ly
• Printify
• Gooten
• Printful
• Inkthreadable

Blankets

If you sell bedding, you can sell highly personalized blankets alongside comforters. Moreover, blankets serve different purposes and uses, allowing sellers to tap into one or several specific niches. Platforms that offer personalized blanket printing include:

• Gooten
• Printify
• TeeLaunch
• PeaPrint

Calendars

Even though every phone has a calendar function nowadays, many people still like to keep physical paper calendars at home or in the workplace. If your online store sells stationery, you can add calendars to your shop. Additionally, all calendars have an expiration date, so buyers will regularly replace them. Sellers can personalize calendars on Gooten.

Mouse Pads

Whether your target audience is students, parents, businesses, or children, mouse pads have found their way into countless homes. Both gamers and regular office workers appreciate a mouse pad with a great feel. If we want to engage in the print-on-demand mouse pad business, we need to design them beautifully. At the same time, the mouse pads designed by sellers must be able to stand the test of time. If a seller sells within the stationery category, they should consider selling personalized mouse pads as well.

• TeeLaunch
• Gooten
• Redbubble
• PeaPrint

Pet Accessories

There are many pet lovers and pet owners today, and there's no shortage of personalized pet-related products. For example, we can sell customized leashes, collars, or even pet bandanas. Sellers can design personalized pet accessories on the following platforms:

PeaPrint

Gooten

Printify

Launching Your Print on Demand Business

Through the content above, you now have a basic understanding of the print-on-demand business; next, we need to look at how to launch it successfully.

The Best Print on Demand Platforms

With the continuous growth of the global print-on-demand business, buyers have many choices when selecting personalized products. Moreover, there are currently many companies that specifically provide print-on-demand services. So, which of these platforms are the best? We've compared top POD platforms in detail in the two articles below, hoping they will be helpful to you.

Honest Review of 9 Print on Demand Websites

Top 10 Print on Demand Platforms Compared

How Can Non-Designers Design Products?

We all have to admit one thing: design skills and capabilities are extremely important in the print-on-demand space. However, sellers don't necessarily have to be professional designers; they can use various product mockup tools to design their items.

First, let's talk about the file to be printed. If a seller hires someone else to design a product, they must specify that the design must be printable. Generally, a resolution of 300 DPI or higher is ideal, preferably with a transparent background. However, the required file specifications also depend on the printer and the related printing technology. If necessary, sellers can provide designers with the product's printing specifications and guidelines.

The designed artwork should be a bit larger to ensure it covers the actual print area; perhaps it should be even larger, as some images lose quality when scaled up. If sellers don't know how to use Photoshop, they can also use free tools like Pixlr, Canva, or other image editing software.

Where to Find Inspiration and Designers?

The ideal scenario is that the seller is a designer themselves or knows designers they can collaborate with. If you don't have access to such professionals, you can hire freelancers through outsourcing platforms like Fiverr; many professionals take on gigs on these platforms.

Of course, when describing our projects, we must pay attention to the following:

• Share your vision with the designer. Sellers need to tell their designers who their target audience is and, if necessary, show them their website or store.
• Clearly communicate your requirements. Sellers need to maintain good communication with their designers every step of the way, making sure every detail of the design is crystal clear.
• Provide creative examples. Sellers can give designers some reference materials they like to guide their designs.

Sellers can look for content, messaging, or styles that have already gained significant traction among their target audience to spark creativity together. However, you must ensure you do not infringe on others' designs.

Social media networks are also great places to validate ideas. If you want to attract more users on social media platforms, you can try the following methods:

• Post your work in Facebook groups or other communities;
• Use Instagram's Poll & Question stickers to gather user feedback;
• Share your designs on Reddit to get feedback.