If you’re a graphic designer, artist, or any other type of creator, you may have considered using a print-on-demand company to sell your digital designs. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of using a print-on-demand company to sell your work. We’ll also provide some tips for getting started.
What is Print-on-Demand?
Print-on-demand is a service offered by some print companies that allows you to sell your digital designs. Physical products like t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more are available to you to choose from! The print company will handle the printing and shipping of the product, and you’ll earn a commission on each sale. There are a few things to consider before you dive in. So let’s look at the pros and cons of print-on-demand.
Pros and Cons of using a POD
Pros of print-on-demand
- Print-on-demand companies print and ship your products for you so you don’t have to worry about inventory or fulfillment. That means no inventory risk for you! You can sell your products without investing in a bunch of inventory upfront. They print products as they are ordered so there’s no need to buy products in bulk and hope that they sell. It’s a great way to test out product ideas before you invest a lot of time and money into them.
- Most print-on-demand companies can print and ship products to your customers anywhere in the world. This could mean higher shipping costs for you, but it’s worth it to have the ability to reach a global audience.
- Print-on-demand companies typically have low setup fees and no monthly fees, so they’re a cost-effective way to sell your work. This makes it a low-risk way for you to start selling your designs.
- Print-on-demand companies often offer discounts for larger orders. So, if you want to go the wholesale route and print a lot of products, it’ll be more cost-effective for you in the long run.
Cons of print-on-demand
- You may have to pay a higher price per unit than if you were to print your designs yourself. Think about it, print-on-demand companies have to print, package and ship your products which all costs money. They need to make a profit too, so their prices will be higher than if you were to print the product yourself.
- You may have less profit than if you outsourced the products yourself. This is because companies will also take a cut of your profits. How much they take will depend on the print-on-demand company but it’s something to be aware of.
- You may have less control over the quality of the final product as print-on-demand companies often have their own printers and materials that they use. It is always a good idea to order a sample of your product before you start selling to make sure that you’re happy with the quality.
Getting Started
If you’re considering using a print-on-demand company to sell your digital designs, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, some companies can print and ship products to your customers anywhere in the world. This is a huge benefit if you have an international customer base. When you have social media followers from all around the world, being able to ship to them makes one happy customer!
How to pick a Print on Demand company
- The quality of the print on the product matters! If you’re going to put your name on a product, you want it to look good. Print-on-demand companies will have different capabilities. Some print on fabric and some print on paper. If you sell digital designs that are meant to be printed on t-shirts, make sure the print-on-demand company you pick can print high-quality images on fabric.
- You want to work with a print-on-demand company that offers amazing customer service. This is important because if there are any problems with an order, you want to be able to get in touch with someone quickly to solve the problem. You also want to make sure that the company you choose has a good reputation. Read reviews and see what other people have said about their experience working with the company.
- Finally, take a look at their shipping costs and timelines. You want to make sure that they can get your orders to your customers promptly and at a reasonable cost. If you are shipping to a customer outside of the USA, you will want to make sure you communicate with your customer that the timelines will more than likely be longer than if they were shipping to someone in the USA.
Now that you know the pros and cons of using a print-on-demand company, you can make an informed decision about whether or not it is the right option for you. If you decide to use a POD company, be sure to do your research.
Take all of these factors into consideration when choosing a company to work with. You will be sure to find one that is the perfect fit for you and your business!
Best Print-on-Demand companies
Here is a list of my favorite print-on-demand companies that you should check out! Each one I have ordered from and shipped to customers from my shop.
- Printed Mint is my all-time favorite and they print and ship from the USA. They have a wide range of products that you can print your designs on, including mugs, t-shirts, tote bags, candles, and more! Not only do they have a wide variety of products, but their quality is amazing and their customer service is wonderful. They are also quick to print and ship orders!
- Another great company is Printful. They are based in Latvia but also have print facilities in California. They have a huge variety of products that you can choose from and the print quality is really good! I like that they have a lot of options for shipping, so you can choose the most economical option for your customers.
- Printify is another company that is based in Europe (Lithuania) but has print facilities in the USA and Europe. They have a good range of products and the print quality is great! Just be sure to check the shipping rates before you commit to using them, as they can be a bit higher than some of the other companies which will affect your profit margin.
I have had great experiences with all three of these companies and I highly recommend them! If you are looking for a print-on-demand company to work with, be sure to check out one of these three!
So those are some of my favorite companies that I have used to sell my digital designs. Do you have any that you love? Let me know in the comments below! ⬇️
If you want to take a deep dive into how to take your digital art on Procreate and create an online Etsy shop with Print on Demand, be sure to check out my course, “Procreate to Product.” In this course, I will walk you through every step of the process from creating digital designs in Procreate to listing them in your Etsy shop. You’ll learn how to sell your products through a Print on Demand company. And, we will write great product descriptions, create beautiful product photos, and more!
Thank you for reading! I hope this helped give you a better understanding of the pros and cons of using a POD company to sell your digital designs. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me in the comments below. Or send me an email, fiddlesandfern@gmail.com
Happy creating! 🙂
🖤 Michelle