Print on demand companies (POD) are a great way for entrepreneurs to sell customized products without worrying about order fulfillment or spending any money.
In fact, print on demand is the cheapest and easiest way to create products to sell online with zero upfront cost.
With a print on demand company, you can instantly offer hundreds of personally customized products at the push of a button. If you’re on a tight budget or looking to test out a business idea, print on demand is also a great way to dip your toes in the ecommerce waters.
For example, my 9 and 11 year old kids started their own t-shirt business over at KidInCharge.com for less than $3!
Right now, the custom t-shirt printing market alone is expected to generate more than $10 billion by 2025!.
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What Is A Print On Demand Company?
A print on demand company is a business that allows you to print custom designs on a variety of products such as t-shirts, mugs, pillowcases etc… on an as needed basis to sell online. Print on demand companies typically maintain an inventory of these products and prints them only when an order is placed.
Through print on demand, you can sell custom designs on products such as t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, books, and home decor. There are many options to choose from.
While major apparel companies and publishing houses print products in bulk, print on demand companies print in smaller quantities based on individual customer orders.
In most cases, there are no upfront costs to list a product online and there are no minimum order quantities.
How Does A Print On Demand Company Work?
A print on demand company works by printing and shipping out custom products with your provided designs on an as-needed basis.
Here’s how a typical print on demand company works:
- You upload your design to the print on demand website.
- A customer places an order on your ecommerce store and you collect the money. (This depends on the print on demand company that you choose. Some print on demand companies force you to send customers to a landing page hosted on their company’s website)
- The order information from your shopping cart is forwarded to the print on demand company’s servers.
- The print on demand company ships the order on your behalf.
- You pay the print on demand company the wholesale cost for your product.
- You keep the difference in profit.
Print on demand is a low-risk way to launch an online store without carrying inventory. However, keep in mind that there are trade-offs such as lower profit margins and customer service challenges.
Essentially, print on demand is a form of dropshipping. To learn more about the tradeoffs of dropshipping and using a POD company, read this post.
Who Can Benefit From Print On Demand Companies?
Print on demand is the perfect ecommerce business model for artists, creative entrepreneurs on a budget and influencers who have a large audience.
Artists
Print on demand companies provide a platform for artists to upload their designs and expand their reach across the globe. These sites allow artists to make a profit every time a customer buys their designs.
The best part is that artists don’t have to pay any upfront costs and they have an avenue to proliferate their works of art to the masses.
Creative Entrepreneurs On A Budget
Print on demand provides an opportunity to focus on a niche and sell to customers who seek custom made and unique products. Because ecommerce is highly competitive, selling a differentiated product is essential to building a successful online store.
If you have a creative mind, you can make money by printing clever designs on practically any household item.
Influencers
If you have a large following on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram etc… and you want to make some extra money selling physical products, then selling shirts and mugs with your logo or cover art generally sells extremely well.
Your fans want to support you and chances are, they are begging to wear your custom designed merchandise.
Best Print On Demand Companies For Custom Products
The 3 best print on demand companies are Gelato, Printful and CustomCat because they allow you to take orders on your own website in a true dropshipping arrangement. These POD companies are the best because they allow you to establish your own online store brand.
Other print on demand companies such as Merch By Amazon, require customers to place orders on their marketplace but they provide you with a large audience of buyers so you can generate instant traffic and sales.
When it comes to selling your own custom merchandise, the challenge is choosing the best print on demand company to work with among the many options.
To reduce your time and effort, I’ve compiled a list of the best print on demand companies available online. This list covers product options and the unique features of each.
Editor’s Note: If you are deciding between Printful and Printify, check out my comprehensive comparison of Printful vs Printfy
Gelato
Gelato is a print on demand company that offers a vast network of over 130 printing facilities spread across over 33 countries.
They carefully vet every print partner in their network based on production quality and customer service and only allow the best. Gelato also offers a unified platform for designers to engage and design their own custom products with a variety of providers.
Compared to other POD providers on this list, Gelato is one of the largest, most established companies in the print on demand space with over 15 years of experience.
Gelato is also one of the few print on demand companies that allow true dropshipping from your own website.
Unlike most POD companies, Gelato allows you to take orders on your own store and they’ll fulfill your order. They also offer options for branded labels and packaging inserts to include in your shipment.
The Gelato platform conveniently integrates with popular shopping carts like Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce and Etsy.
Why Gelato is one of the best
- Huge global network: Gelato has a vast network of over 130 printing facilities spread across more than 33 countries. This extensive network allows you to print and ship your products closer to customers, reducing shipping time and costs.
- Wide product range: Gelato offers a broad selection of products, including apparel, home decor, promotional products, and more. Basically, you can print on practically anything you can think of.
- Quality: Gelato maintains high-quality print standards for their products. They work closely with their printing partners to ensure consistent quality across their global network.
- Branded packing: Gelato can ship out your orders with your own branded packaging, allowing you to maintain your brand identity. Customers will believe that all products are shipped by your company.
- Integration with popular e-commerce platforms: Gelato integrates with various e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce, making it easy for you to set up and manage your print-on-demand services.
- Sustainability: Gelato is committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility. By printing products closer to customers, they reduce carbon emissions from excess transportation.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Wall art
- Wallpaper
- Mugs
- Photo books
- Cards
- Calendars
- Stationery
- Bags
Click Here To Try Gelato For FREE
Printful
Printful is a print-on-demand (POD) fulfillment company that enables ecommerce businesses to sell custom-printed products without investing in inventory or managing production.
You can choose from hundreds of different products including t-shirts, hats, bags, and pillows.
Printful is one of the largest, most well known print on demand companies out there, and they support most shopping carts right out of the box including Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce.
Like Gelato, Printful also allows true dropshipping from your own website.
For example, when your customer receives their order, they will not know that Printful processed the shipment. Instead, the box and all of the packaging will contain your logo and company name. This is important for establishing your own brand in the long run!
Printful also allows custom branding options like the ability to add a custom garment label with your logo if you sell t shirts!
However, Printful is slightly more expensive than other print on demand companies which may hurt your profit margin. But they more than make up for their higher prices by offering superior print quality, cost effective shipping, and a wide array of customization options.
Here’s how Printful works
- Connect your online store to Printful.
- Create product images with your designs through Printful’s mockup generator
- A customer orders a product from your store.
- Printful automatically receives the order. Afterward, Printful prints, packs, and ships your product. You get a notification and tracking number when Printful ships your order.
- Your customer receives their order in your brand packaging, so it looks like it directly came from your store.
Here’s what you can print
- Clothes
- Phone cases
- Wall art
- Tote bags
- Pillow covers and towels
- Decor
Why Printful is great
Printful sells very high quality products, their print quality is excellent and their packaging is customizable. In addition, there’s no minimum purchase and Printful will accept single item orders.
Pricing is tiered so that if you decide to purchase in bulk, you can save a significant amount of money.
Finally, Printful allows you to use your own logo on your packaging and invoices so your brand still gets the credit for your delivered products.
Overall, Printful offers a suite of print on demand services including direct to garment printing, dye sublimation, embroidery and basically everything you need to create your own white label products. This is why Printful is one of the best print on demand companies to work with and one of my top choices.
Click Here To Try Printful For Free
CustomCat
CustomCat is a print on demand company that allows you to create custom printed products with your own designs and images.
Very similar to Printful, CustomCat offers a wide range of products like shirts, jackets, hats, and bags. However, CustomCat has a much smaller product range than Printful, but it’s noticeably cheaper.
For example, a 9 dollar printed shirt on Printful costs only 7 dollars on CustomCat.
However, CustomCat’s user interface is not as sleek as Printful’s website and will take some getting used to. But CustomCat is still one of the best print on demand sites to work with because of their low prices.
In addition, CustomCat only supports Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce at the present time so if you are using any other ecommerce platform, you are out of luck.
How CustomCat works
- Install the CustomCat app on your online store.
- Choose a CustomCat plan that suits your needs.
- Design & upload your products directly from the CustomCat dashboard.
- Choose the type of printing and product you prefer.
- When a customer orders a product on your store, CustomCat prints, packages, and ships the order on your behalf.
- You make a profit each time a customer buys your product.
What you can print
- Digital printer products
- T-shirts
- Jerseys
- Hoodies
- Sweats & More
- Embroidery products
- Backpacks
- Hats
- Dress shirts
- Dye sublimation products
- Phone cases
- Jewelry
- Water bottles
- Mugs
Why CustomCat is great
CustomCat has a huge range of over 500+ customizable products. There are no minimum orders and their factories print their products 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no downtime and they fulfill orders pretty quickly.
In addition, CustomCat is less expensive than other providers which allows you to make more money selling your custom designed goods.
Similar to Printful, CustomCat offers an array of print on demand services and printing methods which include direct to garment printing, dye sublimation and custom embroidery.
Click Here To Try CustomCat For Free
Printify
Printify is a print-on-demand company that enables ecommerce businesses to outsource their printing and shipping needs.
Printify is unique for its network of print providers in over 90 locations in the UK, USA, Australia, Germany, and China. Instead of physically printing their own goods, Printify partners with different print providers to offer a wide range of customizable products.
As a result, the print quality will be largely dependent on the specific provider you end up with.
How Printify works
- Choose a print provider from over 90 locations across five countries
- Choose and customize over 250 products
- Customize your design with Printify’s free mockup generator. You can also order samples to make sure the products are up to your standards.
- Publish your custom products to your online store.
- Printify produces and ships your products to your customers.
What you can print.
- T-shirts
- Hoodies
- Accessories
- Mugs
- Phone cases
Why Printify is great
Printify is one of the best print on demand services in the world because of the sheer size of their print on demand business network.
There are over 250+ unique products to choose from and there over 90 international locations in the UK, USA, Australia, Germany, and China.
Printify also has an excellent mockup generator which allows you to quickly and easily create designs and publish custom design mockups.
Overall, Printify competes directly with Printful and CustomCat in that they offer true drop ship print on demand services. And because their network is so large, you’ll easily find a print on demand provider that meets your needs.
Click Here To Try Printify For Free
Redbubble
Redbubble is a free print on demand marketplace dedicated to individual artists who want to sell their creations and showcase their work. The platform is home to over 700,000 artists, with more than 60 high-quality products to choose from.
Customers can expect to find quirky designs on awesome products on Redbubble: from a phone case with a galloping donut to a tote bag with a star-surfing astronaut. Redbubble is a haven for self-expression.
Here’s how Redbubble works.
- Create your design & upload it to the Redbubble site. You then choose your products and set your pricing.
- Millions of Redbubble monthly users will see your print on demand products but orders must be placed directly on the Redbubble website. However, you can link and display products from your Redbubble shop on your own site.
- Redbubble handles customer transactions, printing, and shipping.
- Redbubble has a customer service team that will handle support issues for you.
Here’s what you can print.
- Clothes
- Accessories
- Wall art
- Stickers
- Phone cases
- Stationery
- Home accessories like bath mats, bedding, and pillows
Why Redbubble is great
Redbubble offers high quality print on demand products for customization but what sets them apart is their marketplace. Redbubble is known as a platform where customers can find unique designs made by talented artists and they have a large installed base of shoppers.
They also invest in socially responsible production to offset carbon emissions, offer worldwide shipping, free returns and 24/7 customer support to handle issues for you.
However, Redbubble can not integrate with your ecommerce platform and customers can only shop on the Redbubble website directly.
Zazzle
Zazzle is one of the largest print on demand companies in the world and you can choose from over 1300+ products. They also have nearly 30 million monthly visitors which makes it a great place to reach a wide customer base.
Here’s how Zazzle works
- Sign up for an account: Designer, maker, or affiliate
- Designer: Upload your designs on the platform, choose where to print your products, and sell your own print on demand products on Zazzle’s marketplace. Zazzle handles printing and shipping.
- Maker: Manufacture your own products and sell them on Zazzle. Makers must handle their own shipping and fulfillment.
- Affiliate: Earn commissions from every referred sale, whether or not it’s your product.
Here’s what you can print.
- T-shirts
- Fabric
- Tote bags
- Yard signs
- Mugs
- Business cards
- Postcards
- Invitations
- Stickers
- Playing cards
- Ping pong paddles and balls
Why Zazzle is great
Because Zazzle has such a large installed base of shoppers, your listings will generally get more traffic than other POD marketplaces.
Zazzle also allows you to earn royalties for your work and provides a large repository of tutorials and tips to improve your product.
Zazzle also offers a huge array of different product options for their 1300+ product offerings. It’s definitely worth a look.
However, Zazzle can not integrate with your ecommerce platform and customers can only shop on the Zazzle website directly.
Click Here To Try Zazzle For Free
Threadless
Threadless is a Chicago-based online community of artists and designers who submit, vote on, and print their own designs on demand.
Threadless hand curates hundreds of unique and high-quality designs. This means that a design must go through a stringent selection process before it can be available for sale.
Once your creations are approved, you get to enjoy the many benefits of selling on this platform.
How it works
- Upload your design.
- Choose from hundreds of products and fill up your store.
- Customize your products with Threadless’ editing tool.
- Spread the word and start earning.
What you can print.
- T-shirts
- Stickers
- Phone cases
- Blankets
- Bags
- Shoes
- Notebooks
Why it’s great
Because Threadless curates all designs, the overall quality of their products is much higher than other print on demand marketplaces.
As with other POD companies, Threadless allows fully customizable designs and great customer service with out any minimums.
If you are unsure about pricing, you can also let Threadless manage pricing and promotions for you. Threadless also ships worldwide.
However, unlike CustomCat or Printful, Threadless can not integrate with your shopping cart and customers can only shop on the Threadless website directly.
Click Here To Try Threadless For Free
Society6
Society6 is a print on demand company that allows users to upload and sell their artwork as prints, phone cases, tote bags, and more.
Society6 welcomes artists from anywhere in the world. No matter where you’re located, you can upload and sell your designs on Society6. This print on demand company specializes in art prints while offering other products as well.
How Society6 works
- Upload your design to your artist shop
- Choose from products such as wall art, furniture, apparel, lifestyle products, and home decor
- Sell your work on their marketplace
- Society6 prints and ships products for you
What you can print
- Apparel
- Gifts
- Furnishings
- Art prints & framed art prints
- Stretched canvases
Why it’s great
Society6 distinguishes itself from the rest of the print on demand companies by focusing on artists. In fact, they are known as one of the best print on demand marketplaces for art lovers.
If you are an artist, then Society6 might be a good fit for you.
However, you can not sell your products on your own website and all transactions must take place on Society6’s website.
Click Here To Try Society6 For Free
Design By Humans
Design By Humans is a great print on demand provider for artists, designers, gamers, and YouTubers. Users know to visit this website for amazing pieces of art.
This platform regularly holds themed shirt competitions. Customers can then buy the winning designs at discounted rates. With each sale, an artist makes a commission.
How it works
Like every other print on demand company, Design By Humans produces, fulfills, and ships your custom products for you and you maintain the rights to your designs.
However, Design By Humans caters more to gamers, YouTubers and musicians more than anyone else.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Mugs
- Buttons
- Hats
- Art prints
- Phone cases
- Stickers
Why it’s great
If you are a YouTuber, gamer or musician, then Design By Humans is worth checking out. What sets them apart from other print on demand companies is that they have a supportive community that empowers artists around the world.
Meanwhile, the profit margins are good and they handle everything for you including returns and exchanges.
Click Here To Try Design By Humans For Free
SPOD
Owned by Spreadshirt, SPOD is a print on demand company that prides itself in the fastest fulfillment times in the industry. 95% of its orders are shipped within 48 hours.
While SPOD doesn’t offer a large variety of products, it does offer competitive prices and an easy-to-use product design tool. SPOD has a simple pricing model based on order value rather than individual product costs.
How it works
- A customer orders a product from your Shopify store.
- SPOD picks, prints, and ships the order within two days.
- Your credit card is charged once the order is shipped. You get charged based on total order value instead of individual costs per product.
What you can print
- Classic t-shirts (as low as $6.39)
- Organic t-shirts
- Tank tops
- Aprons
- Baseball caps
- Camper mugs
- Socks
Why it’s great
SPOD sets itself apart by offering competitive pricing and super fast product fulfillment. In fact, no other print on demand company offers 48 hour fulfillment so if speed is important to you, then SPOD might be a good fit.
The main downside is that SPOD only supports Shopify but overall, they offer an easy-to-use product design tool and boasts a below 0.8% return rate per 100,000 items shipped.
Sample orders are also discounted by 20%.
Click Here To Try SPOD For Free
Lulu xPress
Lulu Xpress is a print-on-demand and e-book publishing service provided by Lulu.com. They allow authors to create and sell professional-quality print and e-book editions of their work with no upfront costs or minimum print runs.
If you’re looking to turn your ideas into a book or monetize your talent, Lulu xPress is a great print on demand option.
The best part is that Lulu xPress doesn’t stop you from selling your work on other distribution channels like retail book stores and Amazon.
Through Lulu xPress, you can easily test an idea or self-publish under your own brand. In general, Lulu xPress is recommended for writers, illustrators, photographers, educators, and other types of creatives.
How it works
- Upload your files.
- Create your book for free. Just pay for printing and shipping costs.
- Choose digital printing options: Paper type, size, print quality and color, binding type, and matter or glossy finish
- Place your order
Lulu xPress does not have a store or retail distribution. But you can go to Lulu.com to find tools for selling your book online through the Lulu Bookstore.
What you can print
- Novels
- Photo books
- Cookbooks
- Journals
- Artbooks
- Poetry books
- Calendars
- Comic books
Why it’s great
Lulu xPress specializes in printing on paper and they offer over 3,000 format options, binding types, and book layouts.
There are no minimums, no hidden fees and they ship to over 150 countries worldwide. They also allow you to sell your books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble in addition to the Lulu marketplace.
Merch By Amazon
Merch by Amazon is a print on demand (POD) service that allows you to sell custom products on the Amazon marketplace.
Products can only be sold on Amazon and the program is invite only. But if approved, you can upload your own designs for t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts and a variety of other items to be printed on demand.
Because the Amazon marketplace is so large, you can instantly get exposure to millions of shoppers worldwide.
What you can print
- T-shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Hoodies
Spocket
Spocket is a dropshipping app that allows users to connect to a network of dropshipping suppliers who ship products directly to customers on the user’s behalf.
Using the Spocket app, you can instantly add dropshipped products to your online store at the push of a button. While Spocket’s primary purpose is to help you find dropship suppliers, many suppliers on Spocket offer print on demand services to customize your products.
Like Printful, Spocket offers full integration to most popular shopping carts like Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce. In addition, Spocket is well known for their product quality, fast shipping and real time order tracking.
Even though Spocket only offers a limited selection of print on demand products compared to other POD companies on this list, their quality control and product quality is better than average.
Click Here To Try Spocket
Print Best
PrintBest is a print on demand company that offers high-quality printing services at an affordable price. Similar to Printful, Printify and CustomCat, PrintBest allows you to sell customizable products on popular platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Ecwid and Etsy in a true dropshipping arrangement.
As a result, you can easily build your own brand by owning your own online store.
While PrintBest offers a smaller selection that Printful, PrintBest specializes in offering fast 1-2 day shipping and low pricing that is typically 20% cheaper than other competitors.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Mugs
- Water bottles
- Puzzles
- Keychains
- Coasters
- Mousepads
- Signs & Posters
T-Pop
T-Pop is a print on demand service based in France that allows you to print custom T-shirts without having to order in bulk.
Even though T-Pop has a smaller product offering than other POD providers, they allow you to completely white label their products by adding your brand to your merchandise, packaging slips and shipping boxes.
T-Pop is also eco-friendly and uses recycled materials wherever possible.
T-Pop integrates with popular shopping carts like Shopify, WooCommerce and Etsy.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Bags
- Posters
- Stickers
- Bibs
- Mugs
- Water bottles
JetPrint
JetPrint is a print on demand company based in China that allows you to print on specialized items such as shoes, watches, shirts, rings and small fashion accessories.
There is no minimum order quantity and all print-on-demand products are dropshipped from China via air freight with 3 day production times and 7-day express shipping.
JetPrint integrates with popular shopping carts like Shopify, WooCommerce and Etsy.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Bags
- Posters
- Stickers
- Mugs
- Water bottles
- Shoes
- Gifts
- Watches
- Home Decor
- Phone accessories
- Yoga clothing
Printy6
Printy6 is a print on demand company based in China that specializes in printing on apparel, shoes and home decor.
The main advantage of Printy6 over other POD companies based in China is that they allow you to sell customizable products on popular platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Ecwid and Etsy in a true dropshipping arrangement.
Like JetPrint, there is no MOQ. However, the downside is that all products are shipped from China.
As a result, shipping can take between 10-30 days. However, the pricing is generally cheaper than the United States.
What you can print
Apliiq
Apliiq is a print on demand company that provides a platform for custom apparel and accessories. They allow businesses and individuals to design and order custom products with no minimum order quantity.
Based in Los Angeles, California, Apliiq specializes in t-shirts, hoodies and streetwear. They also provide graphic design services for an additional fee to help you create the apparel that you want.
To facilitate dropshipping, Apliiq offers full integration to popular shopping carts like Shopify and WooCommerce.
What you can print
- Pocket tees
Printed tees
Beanies
Hoodies
Snapbacks
Joggers
AOP+
AOP+ is a print on demand company that produces all of their products in-house in London, England.
There are no upfront costs and they offer over 120 products with fast shipping anywhere in the world.
What sets AOP+ apart from other POD companies is that their products are less expensive. Because they do everything in-house, they can keep costs down while still providing superior print quality.
AOP+ also supports true dropshipping and integrates with popular platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce and Etsy.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Home decor
- Wall decor
- Accessories
- Pet supplies
- Phone cases
Print Aura
Print Aura is a print on demand company that allows you to print custom designs on t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and more.
There is no minimum order and they can turn around orders within 48 hours. Print Aura’s main focus is helping brands sell their own private label products.
You can have customizable return labels, packing slips, neck labels and more to promote your brand.
Print Aura is a POD company that supports true dropshipping and integrates seamlessly with Shopify, WooCommerce, OpenCart and Etsy.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Home decor
- Wall decor
- Accessories
- Phone cases
- Hats
- Bags
- Drinkware
- Masks
Modalyst
Modalyst is a dropshipping platform that enables ecommerce businesses to source wholesale clothing from global suppliers and ship them directly to their customers.
Together with Snob Apparel, Modalyst now offers print on demand services on a wide selection of t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, accessories, and swag.
What sets Modalyst’s POD program apart from other print on demand companies is that you will receive images of real models wearing your products and product shots with your branding and graphics.
They have access to a variety of models, both male and female, to demo your products.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Home decor
- Accessories
- Hats
SunFrog
SunFrog is a print on demand company that provides services such as laser engraving, DTC printing, embroidery, screen printing and leather working.
Unlike other POD companies, SunFrog can print or engrave your design on practically any type of product.
SunFrog also integrates with platforms like Shopify so you can dropship directly on your own website.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Socks
- Hats
- Stickers
- Drinkware
- Flags
GearLaunch
GearLaunch is a print on demand company based in the United States that integrates with Shopify to provide true dropshipping from your website.
What’s unique about GearLaunch is that they have an academy that will teach you how to run a successful print on demand dropshipping business including how to advertise and grow your audience.
They also hold annual events and sales contests for designers on their platform.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Home decor
- Drinkware
- Jewelry
- Kitchenware
- Ornaments
- Pet products
- Phone cases
- Puzzles
- Stationery
- Stickers
- Tapestries
- Bags
- Wall art
Viral Style
Viral Style is a print on demand company that allows you to sell your own custom products on a site hosted on their platform.
They do not integrate with ecommerce platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce so you must drive traffic to their website.
Overall, Viral Style is a simple and intuitive website and you can get started selling quickly with no fees or upfront costs.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Drinkware
- Accessories
Pillow Profits
Pillow Profits is a print on demand company that specializes in custom home goods and footwear.
Some of the unique products that Pillow Profits offers are bed sheets, pillow covers, shoes, bags, duvet covers and more.
The only downside is that you must pay a monthly fee to access their print on demand services.
However, Pillow Profits does allow you integrate with Shopify so you can dropship directly from your website.
What you can print
- Home goods
- Shoes
- Accessories
TeeSpring
Teespring is a platform that allows users to create and sell custom apparel. The company was founded in 2011, and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Instead of charging a per item fee based on garment type, Teespring takes a fixed percentage cut of every sale.
Teespring has been used to raise money for charities, causes, and individuals. The company has also partnered with brands and celebrities to create custom merchandise.
The main downside to Teespring is that it does not integrate with any ecommerce platform.
What you can print
- T-shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Hoodies
TeeLaunch
Teelaunch is a print-on-demand ecommerce fulfillment company that specializes in custom apparel.
Unlike Teespring, TeeLaunch allows you to connect with popular shopping carts like Shopify, BigCommerce, Etsy, WooCommerce and other platforms through their custom API.
There are no monthly fees or subscription fees and TeeLaunch offers some of the lowest prices in the indistry.
What you can print
- Accesories
- Apparel
- Drinkware
- Home goods
- Kitchenware
- Office supplies
- Pet supplies
- Sports products
- Wall art
TeeChip
TeeChip is a print on demand company that specializes in selling custom t-shirts.
They offer one of the largest selections of apparel but like TeeSpring, they do not integrate with platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce which is a big negative.
Outside of a large variety of apparel, there is nothing in particular that stands out with their service.
What you can print
- T-shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Hoodies
- Jewelry
- Bags
- Hats
- Car seat covers
- Drinkware
- Home decor
- Wall art
- Accessories
SpreadShirt
Spreadshirt is a print on demand platform that allows you to customize clothing, accessories, and more. They offer over 250 different products which can all be printed on demand.
What sets Spreadshirt apart from other apparel POD companies is that they work with SPOD to offer fast fulfillment.
In addition, Spreadshirt seamlessly integrates with Shopify and WooCommerce to offer dropshipping on your website.
What you can print
- T-shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Hoodies
- Bags
- Hats
- Masks
- Drinkware
- Home goods
- Pillowcases
- Magnets
Prodigi
Prodigi is a print on demand company that specializes in fine art printing. They offer a complete range of fine art and photo print paper and a variety of framing options as well.
Prodigi is trusted by prestigious brands such as the Natural History Museum, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Society.
While they also offer print on demand clothing and accessories, printing artwork is their primary strength and specialty. Prodigi also integrates with Shopify to allow dropshipping from your website.
What you can print
- Art prints
- Photo prints
- Posters
- Mounted prints
- Framed prints
- Canvas
- Stickers
- Phone cases
- Photo books
- Panels
- Home decor
- Stationery
- Apparel
InkThreadable
InkThreadable is a print on demand company based in the UK that sells clothing, accessories, hats and home decor.
They offer both DTC and dye sublimation printing and provide a 10% discount on samples.
Unfortunately, Inkthreadable does not integrate with other platforms so you must sell your products through their website.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Home decor
- Mugs
- Bags
- Aprons
- Hats
- Wall art
Two Fifteen
Two Fifteen is a print on demand company based in the UK that sells clothing, accessories, hats and home decor.
What sets Two Fifteen apart from other POD companies in the UK is that they integrate with almost every ecommerce platform.
For example, you can integrate Two Fifteen to Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, BigCartel, BigCommerce and Tiktok.
Overall, Two Fifteen offers true dropshipping, fast shipping and unbranded packaging for your products.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Home decor
- Mugs
- Bags
- Aprons
- Hats
- Wall art
Contrado
Contrado is a London based print on demand company that specializes in custom luxury products that are high quality and sustainable.
All products on the Contrado website are made of eco-friendly materials designed by artists all over the world.
Every order is handmade inside of their facility within 24-48 hours.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Curtains
- Cushions
- Pillowcases
- Leather goods
- Wall paper
Fuel
Fuel is a print on demand company that seamlessly integrates with the Shopify platform to offer low prices on their goods.
Because the app is tightly integrated with Shopify, you can easily find products and upload them to your store at the push of a button.
Fuel specializes in apparel, hats and bags with fast turnaround times. You must have Shopify in order to use this platform.
What you can print
- Apparel
- Hats
- Bags
- Mugs
- Posters
- Drinkware
- Floormats
Subliminator
Subliminator is a print on demand company that offers cut and sew services as well as custom printing on demand.
Cut & sew means that you can have apparel custom made to your exact measurements and specifications which are then printed with your designs.
All products are manufactured in China to ensure the lowest prices possible and there’s an integration with Shopify to provide dropshipping on your website.
The only downside is that shipping and fulfillment times are longer but it’s one of the only POD companies that offer cut and sew services.
What you can print
- Shirts
- Hoodies
- Swimwear
- Joggers
- Jackets
HugePOD
HugePOD is a print on demand company based in China that offers the lowest prices on shirts, hoodies, jackets, swimwear and other apparel.
The prices at HugePOD are up to 50% less than their nearest competitors because the labor is cheaper in China.
Furthermore, HugePOD has offices and fulfillment centers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and Italy to offer fast shipping to those countries.
What you can print
- Shirts
- Hoodies
- Swimwear
- Joggers
- Jackets
How To Find A Profitable Niche For Your Custom Products
There are two ways to start a profitable print on demand business. You can either focus on a product niche or a subject niche.
Product niche
Focusing on a product niche is where you concentrate on selling a single type of product or a selection of similar products. For example, my online store focuses on selling personalized handkerchiefs for special occasions.
By narrowing down your selection to a specific type of product, you can sell many designs while building a good reputation for a specific type of product.
Subject niche
Meanwhile, a subject niche focuses on a specific theme or trendy subject rather than a specific product type.
For example, an online seller may choose to sell watercolor-style stationery but eventually branch out to other products such as tote bags and phone cases.
Tools like Google Trends and eRank can help you find trendy products.
In fact there are many tools and services out there that can help you find profitable products to sell online.
For example, you can use a service called PickFu to get instant feedback on your design or business idea before launching your online store.
Click Here To Get 50% Off Your First PickFu Poll
These resources will increase your chances of success with your POD store.
Mistakes To Avoid In Your Print On Demand Business
A print on demand company takes inventory and product fulfillment off of your plate which allows you to focus on making amazing designs.
However, you will still face many challenges because the barriers to entry are so low for a POD dropshipping business.
Below are mistakes you should avoid to improve your chances of success.
Don’t expect immediate success
A print on demand business is easy to start but difficult to attract sales because there’s so much competition.
In order to create a profitable POD business, you must build a following and create content that resonates with your customers.
This will take time so don’t expect to make significant money with your shop until after at least a year.
Don’t sell “me too” designs
The print on demand industry is saturated with generic designs. The best way to succeed is to carve out a niche and focus on your creativity. Do not copy other people’s designs and try to stand out!
Don’t offer too many disparate themes
When it comes to selling your own designs, you need to focus on one thing and do it well. If you sell funny tshirts to gamers, then target all of your products towards gamers.
Going as narrow as possible is the key to success. By committing to a specific niche or type of product, you’re giving your designs a chance to shine.
Set proper fulfillment expectations
The expectation that Amazon has set with ecommerce orders is 2 day shipping and next or same day fulfillment. However, your POD business can’t compete with Amazon Prime’s fast delivery times.
Print on demand products naturally take longer to ship.
Unless you are using SPOD, custom products can take up to a week to personalize before they are shipped. As a result US orders usually take a week or two before arriving at your customer’s doorstep.
Make sure your delivery times are clearly stated.
Final thoughts
Print on demand companies provide an easy way to sell your own custom products. And POD services will save you the effort of carrying inventory and fulfilling orders.
However, your POD’s performance and customer service practices will reflect on your brand and it’s a tightly coupled partnership.
As a result, it’s important to choose a reliable print on demand company to work with. After all, a reputable POD provider will minimize or eliminate the need to deal with customer issues.
Knowing what you want to sell and the audience you want to target will also help you choose the right print on demand company to work with.
Aside from pricing and features, pay close attention to how a POD company communicates its values on their website.
Does it have great customer reviews or low order return rates? Does the POD provider cater to a specific audience?
By knowing what to look out for, it will be easier to identify the print on demand company that meets your needs and aligns with your vision.
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Steve Chou is a highly recognized influencer in the ecommerce space and has taught thousands of students how to effectively sell physical products online over at ProfitableOnlineStore.com.
His blog, MyWifeQuitHerJob.com, has been featured in Forbes, Inc, The New York Times, Entrepreneur and MSNBC.
He's also a contributing author for BigCommerce, Klaviyo, ManyChat, Printful, Privy, CXL, Ecommerce Fuel, GlockApps, Privy, Social Media Examiner, Web Designer Depot, Sumo and other leading business publications.
In addition, he runs a popular ecommerce podcast, My Wife Quit Her Job, which is a top 25 marketing show on all of Apple Podcasts.
To stay up to date with all of the latest ecommerce trends, Steve runs a 7 figure ecommerce store, BumblebeeLinens.com, with his wife and puts on an annual ecommerce conference called The Sellers Summit.
Steve carries both a bachelors and a masters degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Despite majoring in electrical engineering, he spent a good portion of his graduate education studying entrepreneurship and the mechanics of running small businesses.
I agree with most of the recommendations except CustomCat. Print quality is terrible! That’ll definitely ruin your brand, you will not get repeat customers. Just read the reviews. And during the holidays? Forget it. I had an awful experience. Some of my Shopify orders did not sync with their system. I had to call and have it manually ported over. Nope. Just nope. Then for Printify, they use a variety of fulfillment companies. So print quality for the same product like a shirt will vary. It’s not consistent.
Interesting. We use CustomCat and have never had any issues. I agree with you on Printify and I tried to convey this in the post. Because they don’t do any of their own printing, it’s highly dependent on who you get.
Thanks for sharing this useful list. It is really useful for merchants and start-ups to decide where to begin with. I am in the apparel business and regularly working with print-on-demand service. I have worked with Threadless and Shirtee.cloud for production and their print service is pretty good.