How to Start a Print-on-Demand T-Shirt Business: 7 Steps to Success

If you open your closet, there’s a good chance many items there are t-shirts. It’s a universal garment that appeals to pretty much anyone. A quality t-shirt with a cool design is a statement piece all on its own.

In this article, we’ll look at how you can join the trendy t-shirt game as a seller. We’ll break down the process of how to start a print-on-demand t-shirt business step by step.

But before we get to that, let’s answer two questions about whether it’s worth it.

Is it worth starting a t-shirt printing business in 2024?

Yes, the global t-shirt business is booming, and tees have long been among the best-selling print-on-demand products. The size of the t-shirt industry is estimated at $45.52 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $51.72 billion by 2028. The demand is out there, and with the availability of print-on-demand services and the popularity of online shopping, the barrier to entry into the t-shirt business is lower than ever.

Read more: 20 T-Shirt Industry Statistics and Trends

Is a print-on-demand t-shirt business profitable?

Yes, it absolutely can be. It’s no secret that using a print-on-demand service means your profit margins are lower than if you order t-shirts in bulk and print them yourself. However, you save money in other areas. You don’t need a big starting budget to get your business off the ground, and you can experiment with more products and techniques. There’s also the time you save on fulfillment and inventory management, which you can spend on marketing and customer care instead.

With these two questions answered, let’s explore the process of starting an online t-shirt business using print-on-demand.

How to start a print-on-demand t-shirt business in 7 steps

Here are the 7 steps to start selling t-shirts online, from market research and product choice to designing and marketing strategy.

1. Decide on your target market

Whether you already have an idea for your online t-shirt store or start from a blank page, your first step will always be target audience research. You’ll need to find a unique niche for your t-shirt company.

It might initially seem counterintuitive—why would you want to limit your customer base like that? But the fact is you’ll never be able to appeal to absolutely everyone. By chasing after every trend, you won’t be able to create a clear brand identity.

If you want to create a successful t-shirt business, it’s a good idea to pick a niche you feel passionate about or are an expert in. This will give you a better idea of what your audience prefers and how much they’ll pay for a t-shirt.

If you’re not sure what to do about t-shirt designs and brand image, research trending products. Look up design trend reports, compare best-selling t-shirts online, get inspired by articles with design ideas, look up fashion influencers, etc. You never know what might spark an idea.

For example, go to Amazon, search for graphic t-shirts, filter the results by best-selling products, and see what people buy the most.

Source: Amazon

If you already have an idea for your online business, don’t rush to the next step—validate your niche before investing effort in it.

A great starting place to see if there’s general interest in your idea is Google Trends. Enter your idea and see how it’s performed over your chosen period. You can even compare several ideas to see which one might be more successful. For example, you want to open a t-shirt store that sells designs with insects and bugs. In this case, the potential for spider-themed designs is considerably higher than for snail t-shirts.

Source: Google Trends

You should also look up your competitors and see how they price their items, what designs they offer, etc. This research will be the basis for your business plan, so don’t skip this step. You can always return to your original idea and refine it once you get actual sales data and customer feedback.

Read more:

• 11 T-Shirt Niches to Target in 2024

• 15 Print-on-Demand Niches to Watch in 2024: Exploring the Hottest Trends

• How to Find a Niche for Your Online Store + 100 Niche Market Ideas

When you’ve settled on your target audience, it’s time to find your production partner.

2. Pick a reliable printing company

Since manufacturing your products can be too expensive and time-consuming, a print-on-demand service is your best bet to launch a successful t-shirt business online. There are many print-on-demand services, so you’ll again have to do some research to find one that fits your needs the best.

Here are some factors to consider when picking your print-on-demand partner:

• Products and fulfillment techniques

• Prices

• Product and printing quality

• Shipping prices and speeds

• Fulfillment locations

• Ecommerce platform integrations

• Customer service

• Branding options and costs

Look into each competitor and see what customers have said about them to determine the best partner to help your online t-shirt business flourish. If you have the budget, order samples from several competitors for comparison.

Read more: 10 Things to Look for in Every Print-on-Demand Service

When you know who you want to partner with, it’s time to dive deep into their product offering.

3. Choose a t-shirt model

You might think—it’s a t-shirt, is there much to choose from? In fact, there’s a lot of variety available in terms of fabrics, styles, fits, and prices.

Look at what your chosen print-on-demand service offers. You’ll likely find many high-quality t-shirts in their product catalog and different t-shirt printing options, so you’ll need to do some comparing again.

Here are some points of comparison to help you pick the right t-shirt:

• The style and fabric. Consider your target audience’s preferences—a tight or loose fit, crew neck or v-neck, fabric softness, etc.

• Available colors. While black and white will be a given for pretty much all tees, you might want to offer more variety to your buyers.

• Fulfillment techniques. The product selection will differ depending on whether you use direct-to-garment (DTG), direct-to-film (DTF), or all-over print techniques.

• Price. Your print-on-demand service’s price will affect the profit margin you set for yourself.

• Product quality. Look at customer reviews of the t-shirts you’re considering to spot the best-performing products.

• Eco-friendly options. If you’re targeting eco-conscious customers, see if your chosen print provider has organic, recycled, or eco-friendly t-shirts.

Consider offering embroidered designs as well—you can position these as premium products and sell them with a higher profit margin.

Feel free to experiment with several options and see which ones perform better. With the print-on-demand business model, the risk is much lower if some ideas don’t work out. Each item is made on demand when someone orders it, so you don’t lose any investment if a product doesn’t sell.

Read more:

• 28 Best Types of T-Shirts to Boost Your Apparel Business

• How to Choose the Best T-Shirt Materials for Your Prints

Now it’s time for the most creative part—designing your t-shirts.

4. Create designs and get samples

Your unique t-shirt designs will be the selling point of your online store. There are several ways to create your own t-shirt designs, and you don’t even have to have to be a professional designer to do that.

First, you need to decide what you’ll put on your t-shirts: images, line drawings, quotes, sketches, etc. To get inspired, you can look up t-shirt design ideas popular on online marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon, research t-shirt trends on social media platforms, etc. The same theme can be expressed in different ways, so keep your target audience in mind at all times—what type of t-shirt designs will appeal to them the most.

If you’re not a designer, don’t worry. Nowadays, various online tools are available to help you express your artistry without deep knowledge of photo editing apps. For example, you can create designs for custom shirts with the help of Canva, which offers free templates, shapes, graphics, and more.

You can also check out the design tools offered by print-on-demand services you’re considering for your online t-shirt store. Printful offers a free Design Maker with intuitive editing features and thousands of clipart, quick designs, and fonts to help you create different t-shirt designs. For example, here’s a simple design for tennis enthusiasts created in the Design Maker in just a few minutes.

Source: Printful

When you create designs for your custom t-shirts, remember the print file guidelines. You’ll find them on each t-shirt product page. Observing the guidelines will ensure your t-shirts look as great as possible.

If you can afford it, it’s also a great idea to order samples of your t-shirts before you start selling them on your store. This will let you test the quality of your print-on-demand service, see how your t-shirts look in real life, and get some samples to use for your promo efforts later.

Read more:

• How to Create a T-Shirt Design: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

• 12 T-Shirt Design Trends for 2024

• Best-Selling T-Shirt Designs: What to Design and What Not

Let’s turn our attention to where you’ll sell t-shirts online.

5. Set up an online store

When it comes to selling t-shirts online, you’re once again faced with a choice: you can create your ecommerce store, join a marketplace, or do both if you have the energy.

The advantage of having your store is that you get complete control over your entire brand—you can set up your products and storefront however you wish.

This store for movie fans has a clear brand identity, reflected in its storefront. Source: Last Exit to Nowhere

The good news is that you don’t need to be a programming wizard to set up an ecommerce store. If you pick an ecommerce platform like Shopify or Wix, you’ll find that they have an easy-to-use ecommerce website builder that lets you customize your store.

On the other hand, a marketplace like Etsy or Amazon lets you tap into their customer base, which can help you find buyers who otherwise wouldn’t stumble upon your own t-shirt business. However, the downside of marketplaces is that your store profile has fewer customization options, and it’s harder to raise brand recognition.

Just a few of the gardening-themed t-shirts available on Etsy from different sellers. Source: Etsy

No matter which route you pick, make sure that your dropshipping partner has an integration with your chosen ecommerce platform. This will help you automate orders and easily create new products.

Now, let’s combine the two ingredients—your products and your online store.

6. Publish products

With your designs ready and an ecommerce platform chosen, it’s time to add the products to your store. As always, keep in mind your niche when setting up your products. Decide on a pricing strategy that makes sense for your online t-shirt business. You need prices your customers can afford but also leave you a tidy profit after the purchase.

Read more: How to Price Custom Shirts

Another crucial aspect to pay attention to is product descriptions. Let your creativity loose—this is where your brand identity can shine. For example, here’s a movie-themed t-shirt description that presents the tee as an excellent item for movie lovers and an intriguing conversation starter.

Source: Cotton Bureau

But don’t forget that your descriptions must also be informative, answering as many questions buyers might have about your t-shirts as possible. Make sure to add size guides, fabric information, wash instructions, etc.

Once your store is ready, it’s time to direct customers to it.

7. Start marketing

As with all previous steps, this one also revolves around the characteristics of your ideal audience. It’ll determine how you talk to your potential customers and where you look for them. 

These days, brands must have a social media presence, but you need to figure out which platform will be the most suitable for your custom t-shirts. If your audience is younger, you’ll probably want to be on TikTok, whereas Instagram still reigns supreme for showcasing your designs and brand identity.

You can also consider collaborating with influencers. It’ll be hard for new brands to catch the attention of major fashion figures, but you can find micro or even nano influencers in your niche and approach them. If you have the budget, invest in ads, organize sales campaigns, etc.

Remember about reviews and social proof. People are more likely to buy from brands they see others have had a good experience with. Surveys have shown that up to 95% of people read reviews before purchasing online.

The bottom line is—you need to address your audience in a way that appeals to them the most and encourages new buyers to trust your brand.

Read more:

• 11 Effective Ways How to Market a Product

• How to Grow Your T-Shirt Business: 8 New Strategies

• 8 Effective T-Shirt Ads (And Why They Work)

Print-on-demand t-shirt business examples

Here are a few t-shirt store success stories to get inspired by.

1. Dogecore

Source: Dogecore

Dogecore is an example of turning one idea into a profitable merch store. The Dogecore apparel store grew out of an online meme page. Later, the founders used their fan base to launch a product featuring a funny design created in Microsoft Paint, which became a bestseller. Now, they offer various meme-based designs, selling t-shirts and other merch.

2. ND Renegade

Source: ND Renegade

ND Renegade is a family-owned brand that raises awareness about neurodiversity, selling themed t-shirts and other apparel. The ND Renegade store is an excellent example of cause-based entrepreneurship. You find a topic you’re passionate about and design a merch line to support your cause with profits.

3. The Philosopher’s Shirt

Source: The Philosopher’s Shirt

The Philosopher’s Shirt is another example of how personal knowledge and experience can be used to create products that people will love. One of the founders studied philosophy at university, and his later work in a marketing agency helped him spot the potential for funny philosophy-themed t-shirts.

It’s tee time

As you can see, launching your custom t-shirt store is fairly straightforward. Print-on-demand services take care of the production side of things, but you need good ideas for profitable t-shirt niches and a willingness to work hard to build your brand.

So get started with your idea now and beat the competition—there’s no time like the present!