Print on demand sites, or also known as POD, is a great way to earn some passive income online while expressing your creative ideas in different ways. These sites do not oblige you to order in bulk or keep an inventory, instead, they do the order fulfillment and shipping for you, so you will just have to worry about the selling process. There are a lot of print-on-demand sites nowadays, however, you have to choose the one that will have all the things you need for your online business.
To help you out, here is a narrowed-down list of PODs, so you can pick one without going through all the trouble of never-ending research.
1. Printful
Printful is one of the best and most popular print-on-demand sites that is perfect both for beginners and experienced entrepreneurs. This is the first site whose focus is on entrepreneurs helping them establish a good storefront with the simple integration with the most popular online store platforms, such as eBay and Etsy. The best thing about Printful is that there is an automatic forward of the orders once they are received, meaning that you will not be bothered with cross-platform integration.
This print-on-demand site comes with unique features, such as a built-in mockup generator that allows you to sell in minutes. Shipping conditions are also excellent since the products are shipped within 2-5 business days, and the orders are ready in around five days.
When it comes to printing options, Printful offers you a great variety of possibilities. You can print your designs directly on clothes, mugs, phone cases, framed posters, and so on. What is more, you can add tear-away tags, as well as stickers, although they come with some additional costs. You can also make your own logo and labels on the packaging, so you can develop your brand and promote repeat business or a product line.
Printful is a free online platform, and your costs are only for the items you sell. This means that you will need to pay only per item, and everything that is paid additionally is not mandatory, i.e. you can use the paid features only if you want or need to. In other words, you will be the only one who determines the profits and the costs according to your needs.
2. Printify
Another pick on this list is Printify, an online platform that offers a wide variety of custom-designed apparel, accessories, and homeware. It is a print-on-demand site that provides you a large network of printing partners from around the world. It not only has a great selection of products but you are also allowed to choose the printer according to the country where you intend to sell, so the shipping will be faster and more economical.
Printify does not offer you to have a storefront, however, it has easy integration with various online store platforms. That means that you will not be required to do anything on your own since your shipping will be done automatically. Once an order is made, it will be directly forwarded, meaning that the online platforms will do the job for you.
A great feature offered by Printify is that it allows you to order samples of the products with your printed designs. This way you can check out the quality of your products, and decide whether it is something you really want to sell. It is always good to know what you are selling before diving into the business.
It is a recommended site for all those who want to gain flexible and passive income without storing inventory or buying in bulk. It is especially good for entrepreneurs who want to sell specific items in a specific region or country.
3. SunFrog
If you are looking for something that is focused more on clothing, especially T-shirt printing, the ideal choice for you would be SunFrog. Although they provide printing on mugs and posters as well, their particular focus is on T-shirt designs. Unlike other platforms, SunFrog works on its own, meaning it does not integrate with other online store marketplaces.
They offer the unique ability to promote and design your own products for a commission, as well as products made by other artists. It also provides templates and design tools that you can use for designing your own prints without prior background knowledge of graphic design. You just build up your collection, and you select the products you want to sell with your own designs or designs of other artists.
SunFrog offers you promo images for free that will help you see how your collection will look like. So, before you decide what you will sell, you will have the ability to see whether your collection looks professional enough. You can use the platform for free, however, you will have some additional costs that will depend on the further setup of your collection.
4. Zazzle
If you are looking for a site with unique customization options, then Zazzle will do the trick for you. The unique feature that this site offers is the option for the shoppers to customize their products before they purchase them, and this is something that they enjoy doing. Zazzle does not integrate with other online marketplaces and e-Commerce platforms, so there would be a limit when it comes to on-site selling options.
You can sign up as a maker, designer, or associate, and create your own storefront. Designers design and make their own products, while the makers sell their own manufactured products. Associates sell the products of other people and gain commission for each sold item.
You can print your designs on clothes, accessories, mugs, posters, notebooks, and so on. If you sign up as a maker you will need to do the shipping on your own, while designers operate through dropshipping. The sign-up is free of charge, and you can set your prices from 5-99% above the Zazzle price.
If you are looking to dive into the online business and earn some passive profit, the print-on-demand sites will provide the features you need for establishing a good platform. The sites on the list above are proven to offer the best conditions, so you just have to pick one.
If you are looking to get started with some great designs or tools to create your own, you may want to read our Vexels review here.