Designing Custom Products for Print on Demand

Starting a drop-shipping business selling print-on-demand products can be straightforward by uploading an image and setting up an online shop. However, the process may appear overwhelming for new entrepreneurs.

In 2024, the total U.S. sales from on-demand printing on items like apparel and posters reached an estimated $2.3 billion. The print-on-demand dropshipping industry is expected to grow significantly, reaching around $26 billion in 2034.

Let’s explore two examples: (i) an AI-generated t-shirt uploaded to Printful and (ii) a simple wall art design added to Prodigi.

Sourcing Artwork

Regardless of whether a shop sells t-shirts, postcards, or wall art, the design is the key product. Customers are purchasing the art. Where can entrepreneurs find art, and what are the arrangements for reselling it?

There are at least seven ways to source artwork for print-on-demand products:

• Create it: Artists and designers can create their own art using tools like Canva or Photoshop.
• Hire a freelance designer: Entrepreneurs can commission custom artwork from freelance designers on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
• Collaborate with artists: Partner with artists on platforms like Behance or ArtStation for various arrangements.
• Buy stock images: Purchase licensed stock images from sites like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock.
• Use ready-made designs: Many print-on-demand companies offer pre-made designs.
• Use public domain art: Utilize artwork in the public domain for print-on-demand products.
• Have AI generate it: Use artificial intelligence models to create artwork.

In 2023, Kevin Stecko from 80sTees.com highlighted the importance of licensing artwork, especially for characters from entities like Disney, Star Wars, or Marvel comics.

Printful

Let’s dive into creating and publishing a product in Printful, assuming the seller has a Printful account integrated with a Shopify store through an app.

Creating a new product starts with selecting the item to sell, such as a t-shirt, and choosing colors and sizes.

Uploading the t-shirt design, whether AI-generated or otherwise, is a simple process like uploading any file online.

Merchants can further customize the t-shirt by adding logos or additional artwork to various areas.

The newly designed t-shirt can be added to the integrated Shopify shop almost instantly.

After selecting mockups, naming the product, and customizing its description, Printful seamlessly pushes the product to Shopify.

Prodigi

Prodigi is another print-on-demand provider. In this scenario, the Prodigi account is connected to a Squarespace shop.

The process involves selecting items to be variations of the Squarespace product, like a specific frame for an art print.

After finalizing details like product mockups and descriptions, the product is ready for fulfillment through Squarespace.

Print-on-demand

The process of sourcing art, selecting products, and uploading art is similar across various print-on-demand services. Apart from Printful and Prodigi, other suppliers like Gooten, Gelato, and Sellfy offer different options and integrations with ecommerce platforms.

Each supplier has unique strengths and integration levels with different platforms. For example, Prodigi integrates well with Squarespace but may have different compatibility with other platforms.