What is Print on Demand? (Beginners Guide)

Print on Demand , which can also be translated as “print on demand” , or POD for short, is an ideal option for people who want to get into e-commerce but do not have any capital. Since the products put up for sale with this method are only produced at the time of order, there is no additional cost before the sale takes place. 
 

Print on Demand can also be considered for those who want to express their creativity and bring them together with the e-commerce world. With POD, you can create special designs for many different products and quickly implement your own brand to sell to the whole world.

“What is Print on Demand?” By reviewing our article, you can get detailed information about the Print on Demand system with all its details.

What is Print on Demand?


If you want to sell your own designed products and create a passive income source for yourself in the long run , you can choose Print on Demand services.

With Print on Demand , you cannot cover the production expenses of your products that you have designed before they are sold . In addition, warehouse expenses after the sale is not your responsibility. As a seller, you are responsible for providing designs for these products and listing them in a sales channel.

If you want to try your new ideas and jump into e-commerce quickly, you should definitely consider Print on Demand.

“What is Print on Demand? You can find the answers to your questions “How to Print on Demand” in detail in the continuation of our article.

How Does Print on Demand Work?

Before you enter the world of e-commerce with Print on Demand, you should familiarize yourself with the Print on Demand websites that can help you create your designs and set up a store online.

Through these Print on Demand sites, you can create your own design on hundreds of products, including t-shirts , mugs , key chains , tote bags . After creating your design, you can set up the channels you want to sell. Your sales channel can be your own e-commerce site or large e-commerce sites where you can sell online. You can start selling both ways if you want. Then you can connect the shopping channels with the site you are designing.

One of the biggest contributions of Print on Demand at this stage is that it will not require any cost. The product you upload to the sales channel will not be produced before it is sold. In addition, you do not need to pay any warehouse fees, since it will be shipped directly to the buyer after production. After the sale, Print on Demand sites will explain to you the profit you will earn by deducting the costs such as shipping and production fees . In short, when your customers buy a t-shirt you designed, you will automatically buy it from the Print-on-demand site you work with.

POD sites will also support you during the design of your products. If you want, you can benefit from the visual library of the site you are collaborating with . Print on demand sites also have a rich catalog of products. Thus, you can get detailed information about each product you can Print on Demand and design your designs specifically for the products.

So, is Print on Demand a good option for some countries as well? Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to automatically perform e-commerce store integrations in some countries with Print on Demand sites. However, when the sale is made, you can quickly make the purchase from the Print on Demand site yourself and have the product specially produced and shipped to your customer. Many Print on Demand sites also send cargo to some countries. But keep in mind that since many of them do not have a manufacturing center in some countries, they will ship from Europe or North America, so the cost and time may be longer.

Also, keep in mind that unless you are a taxpayer living in the United States and have a Social Security Number (SSN), Social Security Number or Tax Number, you will pay income tax to some countries, not the United States. Be sure to fill out the United States tax exemption form by thoroughly reviewing the Print on Demand site where you will be working and contacting customer service if necessary.

There are many websites that offer Print on Demand service; You can start working with the most suitable service for you by comparing various features such as quality , cost and ease of use . We will provide detailed information about these sites in the continuation of our article.

What are the Advantages of Printing on Demand?


With print-on-demand, you don't need to invest in products you can't sell yet . In addition, you do not have to rent a warehouse where you can put these products or hire warehouse personnel. Thus, with this business model , you spend minimum and do not risk losing money.

Also, if you want to get into e-commerce but don't know how and where to start, print on demand draws attention as it is a beginner-friendly model. You can start designing your products by signing up for free to various Print on Demand sites and following the instructions without any experience . You can find support at every stage of sales with the customer service support of print-on-demand sites.

Print on Demand sites also have a rich inventory ; You can design different printing options by browsing different products. Many options will be waiting for you, such as customized hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, phone cases, bags, coffee mugs, baby products or pet products.

Speaking of designing, you do not need to have advanced design skills and knowledge to design your products. You can easily create your own designs by focusing on minimal designs and using the image libraries on the Print on Demand sites . If you want to expand your business later, you can consider getting support from various designers.

Print on Demand is also global in nature . You can bring your designs together with potential customers all over the world; You can sell both locally and internationally.

What are the Disadvantages of Printing on Demand?

Once you start selling with Print on Demand, you should not expect to make a profit quickly and in large amounts. Do not forget that you will share the total turnover you will earn with the POD company that will cover the printing, warehouse and cargo, and with the channels you will sell. When considering the profit you will earn with this business, you should definitely calculate the commission rates you will pay to all these areas. Many Print-on-Demand companies have tools on their websites to easily calculate profits. You may want to consider designing products for a niche audience that you plan to sell to in order to turn a profit faster.

Since the products are not produced in advance and are not kept in stock, the shipping process may not take place quickly. Note that as a Print-on-demand seller you may encounter longer shipping times, although this varies from region to region.

In addition, the quality of your products will vary according to the products of the Print on Demand site you are working with. Therefore, by placing sample orders, you can better decide which company you want to work with in the end.

Sites You Can Print on Demand

Printify

With over 4 million users worldwide, Printify is completely free to use . By integrating sales platforms such as Walmart, eBay and Etsy , you can quickly and easily sell the products you design from Printify. You can create custom designs for more than 800 products in Printify .

If you want to grow your business, Printify also has paid membership models . With the free model, you can design unlimited, connect to customer service, connect five stores to your account; When you switch to paid premium models, you can make monthly or annual payments and use many different features such as purchasing Printify's products at a discount, integrating unlimited stores, and so on.

According to Printify, if you sell a t-shirt for $30 , Printify's commission will be $12 . So the $18 in between will be your sales revenue. You will not pay this commission amount before the sale takes place. Printify will undertake the production process after the sale is made . Do not forget that you will also pay a fee for shipping according to the country where the product is going. Prices may vary depending on the regions where Printify has production centers and the country to which the product will be shipped. After the product reaches your customer, Printify will take care of potential problems in shipping and/or return processes for you.

printful

Similar to Printify, Printful also provides you with free library and design tools where you can make custom designs, and performs production , warehousing and worldwide shipping services for you.

Based on reviews, Printful's print and product quality is better than Printify, while Printify offers better customer service. Printify's commission rates and product prices are also lower. Moreover, Printify works with third parties for printing services, while Printify handles all the operations on its own.

Perhaps as the most important benchmark, it is possible to integrate Printful and your Amazon retail store, in addition to other stores. Printify, on the other hand, does not have Amazon integration.

Upgrade to paid models is also possible on Printful, and you can check out the tools to grow your business for lower fees compared to Printify.

prodigies

More than 500 thousand product options of Prodigi are already waiting for you. You can easily integrate your Prodigi account with your Etsy account.

Prodigi, which makes environmentally friendly production, also reduces cargo prices by supporting local production. Compared to its competitors, Prodigi's production time is also quite short; In just 1-2 days, the production of your products takes place and they are on their way to your customers.

With Prodigi, you can also buy samples of the products you design at a discount; You can perform quality control, if you want, you can take photos for promotion.
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