How Does Print on Demand Work? A Beginner’s Guide (2025)

How does Print on Demand work? This popular e-commerce business model used by many content creators and designers enables you to create and sell customized products without the need to stock inventory or invest upfront in products and storage space.

You can start a clothing store brand, t-shirt business, or sell merchandise to your audience through social media accounts. The side hustle ideas you can create with Print on Demand are endless.

In this guide, we cover how print-on-demand works and why it has become an increasingly popular way to start an online business from scratch.

What is print on demand?

Print on Demand (POD) is a business model that enables entrepreneurs and companies to create their own branded, customized products through a Print on Demand company, which serves as an external supplier, handling production, packaging, and shipping of personalized products directly to customers.

And it’s no wonder, since one of the main advantages of Print on Demand is reducing the high costs associated with traditional manufacturing and its storage space.

Additionally, the growing interest in organic products has led to a focus on other models with sustainable and local shipping and production.

How does Print on Demand work?

The print-on-demand process usually consists of five different steps.

1. Choose a product and create designs

The first step to start a Print on Demand business is to select products for your catalog and upload your designs.

Most print-on-demand companies offer design tools to help you create your own designs or logo, with access to graphic elements, mockups, and stock image libraries.

According to Printful research, the best-selling Print on Demand products are typically clothing and accessories, home decor, mugs, and wall decorations, such as posters and canvases.

Most print-on-demand companies offer a wide variety of products, options, colors, and sizes to choose from, so you can find the look and feel that you want for your business idea.

Based on our experience, we recommend placing a sample order if you’re new to print-on-demand to ensure both product quality and delivery times meet your expectations.

2. Customer makes a purchase

Once you’ve chosen the product and published your designs, the next step is to promote your products through different channels (marketplaces, social media) and wait for a customer to make a purchase.

When a customer makes a purchase, the Print on Demand company’s integration with your e-commerce platform syncs the order.

3. Place an order

After receiving a purchase, the next step is to place an order with the print-on-demand company.

Orders are usually placed automatically if you use a print-on-demand company like Printful or Printify.

Next, the Print on Demand company prints the product with the design.

4. Production and packaging

Once an order is placed, the print-on-demand company begins production and packaging. Many providers offer options to include thank-you cards, discounts, or custom packaging, which helps build brand identity and encourage repeat business.

5. Shipping and delivery to the customer

Once the product is created, the print-on-demand company will process the order and ship the product directly to the customer. The print-on-demand company handles all aspects of fulfillment, including printing, packaging, and shipping.

Pros and Cons of Print-on-demand

Print-on-demand has several advantages and disadvantages compared to traditional manufacturing and inventory-based business models.

5 Advantages of the Print-on-Demand Business Model

• Low initial investment: One of the most significant advantages of print-on-demand is that it requires little to no upfront investment. You don’t have to buy inventory or production equipment, which helps you start an online business from home.

• Scalability: Print-on-demand is a scalable business model because there are no limitations on the number of products you can create. You can add new products or custom designs based on demand without worrying about production and storage costs.

• Wide product selection: Most POD companies offer customization across many product categories. The bestsellers are clothing and accessories, mugs, posters, and home decor.

• No inventory management: With print-on-demand, products are created only when an order is received, which means the risk of storing products before validating your brand or idea is reduced.

• Personalization: Print-on-demand enables the creation of customized products without the high costs typically associated with traditional manufacturing. This can be a great advantage when targeting niche or specific markets.

3 Disadvantages of Print-on-demand

Although print-on-demand has many advantages, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider.

• Lower profit margins: Print-on-demand typically has lower profit margins than traditional manufacturing. This is because the cost per unit of creating a single product is higher with print-on-demand.

• Less control over quality: since an external manufacturer creates the product, there is less control over the quality of the final product.

• Longer shipping and delivery times: Since it depends on an external supplier who produces the product, you rely on the supplier’s production and delivery times, which can result in longer delivery times.

Best Print on Demand Companies

Now that we have seen how Print on Demand works, it’s time to review which are the best Print on Demand companies today.

1. Printful

This print-on-demand company has established itself as one of the best, with over 350 products in its catalog across various categories, including clothing and accessories, home decor, and wall art, among others.

Printful has 15 fulfillment centers worldwide, including three in the USA (Charlotte, North Carolina, and Dallas, Texas), and one in Mexico (Tijuana). This enables us to offer the best shipping rates and reduce delivery times for our customers.

Printful Features

• Number of products: 350.
• Branding and customized packaging.
• Pack-ins (brochures and business cards to stickers and handwritten notes).
• Integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other ecommerce site builders.

Printful pricing

Printful does not require a minimum order to start selling products. When you register, you receive 1 sample order per month, with a maximum of 3 items per order.

You can get exclusive discounts on branding and products with Printful Growth for $24.99/month. Once you reach a specific sales threshold, the plans are free for a year.

2. Printify

Printify is the print-on-demand company with the broadest product catalog (more than 1,000 products) and the lowest prices on the market for items like t-shirts, mugs, hoodies, stickers, and much more.

It is one of the best options for Shopify and Etsy store sellers, with the largest global network of suppliers among all POD companies.

Printify also features a practical geographic routing option that ensures orders are fulfilled by the closest center to the customer’s address, thereby speeding up the shipping process.

Printify key features

• Number of products: +1,000 products.
• Integration with Etsy and the leading eCommerce platforms.
• Worldwide distribution and supplier network.
• Free Mockup Generator, Product Creator, and AI image Generator.
• Geographic routing of orders.
• Custom brand and enterprise merch.

Printify pricing

Printify offers a free plan for up to 5 stores per account with unlimited product designs. Paid plans cost $24.99/month and include discounts on products and 10 stores per account.

3. Gelato

Gelato is a print-on-demand service with over 130 partner production centers in 32 countries around the world.

This ensures that orders are shipped to the production center closest to the customer, resulting in the shortest possible delivery time.

The best thing about gelato is that it’s perfect for beginner artists who are starting to sell their own designs. From t-shirts to mugs, wall art, and accessories, you can start creating your print-on-demand business for free, and there’s no minimum order limit.

Additionally, with their Personalization Studio tool, you can add text fields and multimedia elements that the customer can customize.

Gelato Key Features

• Number of products: 90.
• 130 production sites around the world.
• Gelato connects with Shopify, Etsy, eBay, and more.
• High printing quality.
• Tax and VAT management.
• Shipping discounts.
• Multi-currency support.
• Free Mockup Generator.
• Customized packaging.
• iOS app.

Gelato Pricing

Gelato offers a free plan that lasts forever, allowing you to sell with no initial costs. Premium plans are also available starting at $25/month.

FAQs about Print on Demand

These are some of the frequently asked questions from users about what Print on Demand is.

How to succeed in Print on Demand?

Print-on-demand can be a business model that generates passive income without requiring inventory or initial capital. However, success in print on demand will depend on your product margins and your brand management to offer a unique and valuable product.

Which is better, Print on Demand or Dropshipping?

If you’re interested in starting an online business from scratch at home, you might wonder which is better: Print on Demand or Dropshipping.

The truth is that both e-commerce business models have the advantage of requiring little initial investment, as in both cases, the product is not stored, produced, or shipped.

The main difference between Print on Demand and Dropshipping is that Print on Demand does not produce any item until there is demand. At the same time, Dropshipping sells a product that already exists and has an established demand.

Print on Demand is better than Dropshipping if you’re creative and enjoy designing, as it allows you to create a white-label brand. If you want to focus on marketing and sales without putting much emphasis on the product design, Dropshipping is a good option.

What products can I sell with Print on Demand?

Some of the trending print-on-demand products are T-shirts and hoodies (clothing category), posters and canvases (wall decor), or mugs (home decor).

Print on Demand’s product diversity enables it to cater to various market niches and preferences, including sustainable fashion, children’s clothing, sportswear, and embroidery.

Conclusion

This wraps up our guide to Print on Demand and how it works.

In conclusion, print-on-demand has revolutionized the way online entrepreneurs and designers can create and sell their own customized products, eliminating the need for inventory or production equipment.

The process involves selecting a product, creating a design, placing an order with a print-on-demand provider, and completing the delivery and shipping.

In general, print-on-demand is an option for those who want to start an online business with a low initial investment and the ability to create customized products.

Learn more about Print on Demand

• Ranking of the 10 Best eCommerce Platforms.
• 4 Best Print on Demand Companies and Sites.
• Is it better to use Printful or Printify?
• Gelato vs Printful: Which is better for Print on Demand?

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