How to Start a Print-on-Demand Business in 2025 in 8 Steps

Looking to break into ecommerce or add a new revenue stream to your existing business? Print-on-demand is a flexible, low-risk way to get started.

This article will guide you through the essentials, whether you’re just starting out or refining your current approach to maximize success.

After reading, you’ll know:

• What a print-on-demand business is

• Whether the print-on-demand business model is right for you

• How to choose the right print-on-demand services

• How to start a print-on-demand business in 8 steps

• . . . and much more

We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s dive in!

What is a print-on-demand business?

A print-on-demand business is an ecommerce model where custom products are made only after an order is made. Unlike traditional retail, there’s no need to buy or store your own inventory in bulk. A business owner designs products like custom t-shirts and custom hoodies, and a print-on-demand company handles fulfillment and shipping.

How to know if print-on-demand business model is right for you

A print-on-demand business model is ideal if you seek minimal upfront investment and want to focus on designing products, marketing, and running your store without managing inventory. It suits artists, influencers, and entrepreneurs targeting a niche market who prefer flexibility in product offerings.

How to start a print-on-demand business in 8 steps

Now, let’s get into the steps you must take to launch your print-on-demand store and sell custom products online.

1. Come up with a business idea and pick a niche

Choosing the right niche is the foundation of a successful print-on-demand business. Start by identifying a specific group of shoppers whose needs, interests, or challenges you understand well. Whether it’s fitness enthusiasts, pet lovers, or fans of quirky designs, focus on a target audience that excites you and offers profitable opportunities.

Valuable read: 15 Print-on-Demand Niches to Watch

There are considerable benefits of clearly defining and targeting a specific niche: 

• Targeted marketing. Craft focused, persuasive campaigns that resonate with your audience’s interests and needs.

• Reduced competition. A specialized market often has fewer direct competitors, making it easier for your brand to stand out.

• Higher customer loyalty. A well-defined niche fosters a strong, loyal community around your brand.

• Enhanced expertise. Specializing in a niche allows you to become an expert in your area, boosting credibility and trust among potential customers. 

• Better product fit. Tailoring products to a specific audience ensures they meet your customers’ needs, increasing satisfaction and driving sales.

Not being specific about the target audience is among the most common dropshipping mistakes ecommerce newcomers make. You’ll reach no one by targeting everyone, and your sales will suffer.

Here’s how to find a print-on-demand niche for your store:

• Use personal interests and expertise. Combining your passions or areas of expertise with market demand can lead to finding your ideal niche. Plus, having first-hand knowledge of your audience’s needs or pain points is a huge advantage.

• Analyze market trends. Tools like Google Trends or social media analytics can help you identify popular and emerging trends. This can help you spot opportunities in real-time and understand what potential customers are interested in.

• Explore existing stores. Checking out successful print-on-demand stores on ecommerce platforms and marketplaces can inspire you for what you want to create. Once you’ve found a store you like, identify gaps in their product lines and read reviews on their ecommerce store to know how to deliver better products.

An excellent example of a brand with a well-defined niche is The Philosopher’s Shirt. The brand creates products with a particular audience in mind: philosophy enthusiasts. It sells printed and embroidered apparel with funny philosophy memes, references to famous thinkers, and witty pop culture wordplay.

Source: The Philosopher’s Shirt

Understanding who you’re trying to reach will make it easier for you to create designs and connect with your audience. So, before you start selling custom products, research print-on-demand niches and decide who your customers are.

Valuable read: Profitable Dropshipping Niches in 2024: How to Find Them + Top Picks

2. Pick a reliable POD fulfillment service

The third-party supplier you choose directly impacts customer satisfaction and your brand’s reputation. After all, your print provider is responsible for product and print quality and shipping, so do your due diligence before choosing your print-on-demand service.

No print-on-demand company stands out as the best because each has different perks and cons. These companies differ by fulfillment locations, available techniques, customer support availability, branding options, and other aspects. Check out our competitor comparison page for a clear overview of the differences. 

Source: Printful

The main things to look for in a print-on-demand company are: 

• Delivery times and prices

• Customer reviews

• Product quality and range

• Integration with your ecommerce marketplace or platform

Always order samples! Try different fulfillment techniques and products to assess the overall product quality, shipping speed, and packaging your customers will receive.

Some online store owners use more than one print provider, but we suggest starting with one. That way, you can test the quality of their services before diversifying your supplier network.

3. Select products

Now, it’s time to pick and create custom products for your online store. If you want to start a clothing brand, you can go for evergreen trending products like custom t-shirts and custom hoodies. Regardless of the type of business you want to create, explore the most sought-after products in your niche or experiment with items that reflect your brand’s personality and values.

Valuable read: 10 Best Online Marketplaces for Print-on-Demand Sellers

For additional inspiration, you can visit the bestseller section on Printful’s Catalog.

Source: Printful

We recommend choosing print-on-demand products that complement each other, creating a cohesive collection that encourages customers to make multiple purchases.

For example, if you’re targeting shoppers with active lifestyles, you could add your designs to t-shirts, leggings, sports bras, duffle bags, and water bottles.

You can also offer a home decor product line that includes wall art, tableware, candles, blankets, and pillows.

A cohesive collection ensures your brand identity is consistent, making your store more memorable and increasing the likelihood of repeat purchases. It also allows customers to mix and match items, improving their shopping experience. Plus, it positions your brand as a one-stop shop for specific lifestyle or decor needs, potentially boosting your average order value.

4. Create designs

Your designs are the heart of your print-on-demand business. They’re what catch the eye of potential buyers and keep them coming back for more. But how do you create designs that stand out in a crowded market? 

The secret to a great design lies in understanding your audience. Think about the styles, themes, and colors that resonate with your chosen niche. A fitness-focused audience might prefer bold typography, while a niche focused on mindfulness may respond better to minimalist illustrations. 

Inspiration is everywhere if you know where to look. Social media platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok are excellent places to discover trending styles and themes.

You can also browse online marketplaces like Etsy or Redbubble to spot trending designs and draw inspiration for your unique twist. Additionally, pop culture, current events, and even everyday life can spark creative ideas—keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas as they come.

Once you’ve gathered your inspiration, it’s time to bring your ideas to life.

With the right tools, creating professional-quality designs is possible, whether you’re an experienced designer or a complete beginner. Programs like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are industry standards that offer endless customization options.

For those new to design, Canva is a user-friendly platform with pre-made templates and design elements you can tweak to suit your style.

With Printful, you can design your products with our free Design Maker. You can either upload your existing designs or use the Design Maker’s tools and resources:

• 700+ fonts

• 20400+ clipart (300+ clipart collections)

• 3100+ quick designs (ready-made designs)

• 550+ background graphics and 175 colors

Valuable read: 11 Things You Didn’t Know Printful’s Design Maker Could Do

Creating designs for print-on-demand combines creativity with strategy. Keep experimenting, stay inspired, and focus on what resonates with your audience to create designs that truly stand out.

5. Choose where to sell products

When starting your print-on-demand business, you’ll need to decide where to sell your products. You have two main options:

1. Online marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, and eBay

2. Ecommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce

So, what’s the difference between marketplaces and platforms? 

Online marketplaces are shared platforms where multiple sellers offer their products and services. These platforms handle the transaction process and connect you with a large, built-in audience, making it easier to start selling quickly.

Valuable read: 10 Best Online Marketplaces for Print-on-Demand Sellers

Ecommerce platforms give you the tools to create and manage your own online store. You control the branding, customer experience, and marketing strategies. These platforms also offer features for tracking interactions, analyzing data, and running marketing campaigns.

Valuable read: 10 Best Ecommerce Platforms for Dropshipping Business

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, so consider these three key factors when making your decision:

1. Time and maintenance. Do you want a quick setup with minimal ongoing effort, as offered by marketplaces, or are you willing to invest more time in building and maintaining a fully customized store, like on a platform?

2. Branding control. Do you want full control over your branding, or are you okay with fitting into a marketplace format?

3. Traffic and marketing. Do you want to rely on the marketplace’s traffic, or are you prepared to build your own audience through marketing efforts?

Answering these questions will help clarify which option fits your business best.

6. Build your print-on-demand store

The store setup process varies depending on whether you choose an online marketplace or an ecommerce platform. For marketplaces, the setup process will be faster as you have to personalize your storefront, and you’re good to go. For platforms, the building stage will take longer, but the result will be a unique website.

To find guides for different marketplaces and platforms, explore our YouTube channel and blog.

After your store is ready, connect it with a reliable print-on-demand service like Printful, so your orders can be automatically received, fulfilled, and shipped to your customers.

You can sign up to Printful for free using your email address or Facebook, Google, or Apple account.

Source: Printful

Next, from your Dashboard, click Stores > Choose platform.

Source: Printful

You’ll be taken to a window with all the platform and marketplace options you have with Printful. Find the platform your store is on, click Connect, and follow the instructions.

Source: Printful

Once you’ve connected your store to Printful, we’ll take care of your orders as they come in.

7. Decide on pricing

Now it’s time to set prices for your dropshipping store. Setting the right product price involves several factors to ensure you cover costs, remain competitive, and make a profit. 

• Calculate your costs. Sum up production, shipping, taxes, fees, and website or marketplace costs.

• Research competitors. Compare prices for similar niche products to stay competitive.

• Consider your brand positioning. Adjust prices based on quality and brand exclusivity.

• Factor in profit margin. Aim for a 20%-50% markup on costs.

• Test and adjust. Revise prices based on feedback and sales data.

Online consumers are 6 times more likely to value free shipping over fast shipping. If you want to offer free shipping, include the shipping costs in your final price so your profit margins don’t suffer.

Transparency with your customers about why your products are priced a certain way can also help justify higher prices, especially if you offer superior quality or time-consuming, unique designs.

You can visit our pricing guide for valuable information on what you must pay for each product category and links to resources on taxes, shipping, and more.

Valuable read: 8 Ways to Market Expensive Products So They Look Like a Steal

8. Create a marketing strategy

Now, on to the last part of launching your POD business—the marketing. Creating a marketing strategy is a huge component of attracting customers to your print-on-demand business. 

Valuable read: How to Develop an Effective Marketing Strategy

Here’s how to get started:

• Identify your target audience. Let your ideal customers’ demographics guide your marketing efforts: their demographics, interests, and buying behaviors.

• Choose your channels. Pick and use the marketing channels that best reach your audience. Social media, email, and content marketing (like blogs and videos) are good starting points.

• Create engaging content. Use visuals of your products, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of your design process.

• Leverage SEO. Optimize your store and content for search engines to increase visibility by using keywords related to your products and niche. If your store’s on a marketplace, the SEO will vary based on the site you’re on.

• Run promotions. Offer introductory discounts or bundle deals to encourage first-time purchases.

• Analyze and adjust. Use analytics to track the performance of your marketing activities and adapt your strategy based on what works best.

Engage actively with your audience by responding to comments and messages to foster a sense of community. Always collect feedback from your shoppers to continuously improve your products and marketing strategies.

Remember, marketing is about trial and error. Stay flexible, test different approaches, and refine your strategy based on results.

Read also:

• Proven Ways How to Get Sales with Print-on-Demand

• How to Promote Your Print-on-Demand Business: 11 Free and Paid Ways

How to choose between print-on-demand services

When choosing between print-on-demand services, consider these five key factors:

• Product quality and variety. Evaluate the range of products offered and assess the quality of samples. Also, consider print quality and your product’s packaging, which will contribute to customer satisfaction. High-quality products, prints, and packaging are crucial to be successful.

• Printing and shipping costs. Compare and weigh out the costs associated with printing and shipping. While lower costs can increase your profit margins, you must check if the price point doesn’t come at the expense of quality. 

• Integration capabilities. Look for an on-demand service that easily integrates with your online store platform (e.g., Shopify, Etsy). If you don’t have a store yet, look for the company offering the widest platform selection so you get the most options.

• Customer service and support. Choose a print-on-demand service with reliable customer support. Efficient handling of issues, like order errors or shipping delays, is vital for customer satisfaction.

• User reviews and reputation. Research reviews and the print-on-demand company’s reputation on Facebook groups, online forums, and industry-specific websites. This can give you a broader understanding of their reliability, product quality, and customer service.

Researching and comparing print-on-demand companies is fundamental to the success of your online business, so consider these factors carefully.

Read also: Is Print-on-Demand Worth It in 2025?

Time to launch your own online store and start selling

Equipped with this blueprint for launching a successful print-on-demand business, the only thing left is to take that leap. Don’t let hesitation hold you back. Launch your online store, bring your creative ideas to life, and start selling today. Your entrepreneurial journey begins now—embrace it with confidence and enthusiasm.

Read next: Print-on-Demand Statistics and Trends