Print on demand is a service that allows you to customize white-label products, with your own designs, to sell them on a per-order basis.
It is an alternative way to save time and investment as well as avoid the tedious process of inventory management. So you can channel your creativity and simply sell your custom products at a fraction of the cost.
If you want to know about how print on demand works, how to set it up, etc click here.
There are essential pointers that one needs to evaluate before signing up for a print on demand service. In this article, we are going to talk about the pros and cons of Print on demand, for designers looking to set up their own store on POD services.
The majority of POD platforms are incredibly easy to use. It is mostly a simple process of signing up, creating a profile, and uploading your designs or products. This can be done in minutes.
While some of the sites offer a free setup, some charge a registration fee. On the other hand, sites like Merch by Amazon need you to get accepted into the POD program to begin selling your products.
One of the biggest pros of print on demand service is that the model gets rid of the biggest downside of inventory-based troubles such as stock costs, expenses, etc. It also eliminates the possibility of getting stuck with extra merchandise that you’re unable to sell or stock-outs because the merchandise goes into production after an order is placed.
Since most of the technical, logistics and production bits are handled for you by the print-on-demand service, you can have the freedom to focus on what you’re good at and spend your time producing more designs, and products that you want to sell.
Print-on-demand services are white-labeled, which means you can customize your products and packaging with your branding so that when your customers receive their orders, there’s no sign of the third party service.
The fact that a third party handles the production for your designs, eliminates the need to have your own machinery needed to print your own stock. The technical part of the printing process is handled directly by your POD partner.
The cost of goods for an on-demand printing service will be higher as compared to buying wholesale. This means that your profit margins will be lower.
Because the print on demand companies handle the whole of the shipping, packaging, and selling, they are going to take a larger percentage of the profit, and pay you a commission for the product being sold.
Artists can either be paid through a percentage on each sale, that is through royalties, or markup from the bottom line cost of the product, where the artist can choose to finalize the retail price. Hence, depending on the product, the profit margin can be quite low.
While these print on demand companies handle the selling for you, they are following the market carefully and capturing buyer information, so they can market to them again and hopefully make more sales.
Because you’re selling on their site, you won’t ever get to know who loved your work and bought it. You won’t get their information so you can make more sales unless they somehow reach out to you.
You might also miss the chance to stage your brand. Odds are, big POD companies package and ship products with their logo attached to them, not yours.
So while it may be helpful to you that they are facilitating the sale and delivery of the products, it is important to know the limitations of the service as well.
While you create your art, your designs, and your products, make sure the print on demand service you are investing in holds quality as a priority. Some print on demand companies care about the bottom line and in the process, the quality is lost. This can reflect badly on your art business and affect your sales.
Do your research to see which companies have the highest quality printing. Check into the quality of their website and customer service department, too.
On the other hand, if you’re a seller looking for extremely customized and specific products to sell, some print on demand companies might not have the option for you. Mainstream apparel or merchandise like T-shirts etc won’t be an issue since they are common products.
However, if you wish to sell, for example, products only of a specific fabric, then you might find it difficult to sell through a print on demand service.
POD companies work with different suppliers to source products or product materials, for example, fabric. This means there are a lot of moving parts, and sometimes products may go out of stock or become unavailable.
Since every product is printed on-demand, it takes longer to fulfill orders than it would if you already had your products available in stock. While this may not be a con for the designer, it may be a con for the customer ordering your product.
Having said this…
… it is important to understand that there are challenges with the convenience that print on demand services offer. However, a deeper understanding and evaluation of the crucial elements of the POD company such as the quality of the product, the delivery time, your profit percentage of the sale, etc, can help you make the right decision for your artwork business.
So whether you decide to go ahead with a Print on Demand service or just sell your custom designed merchandise on your own e-commerce website or store, Design Shifu can create your designs for you. Design Shifu is an on-demand graphic design agency that designs merchandise and much more with a 24 to 48 hour turnaround time, for a flat monthly fee! Check out our portfolio and our pricing page.
When the pandemic hit, many of your friends probably opened eCommerce stores. Some of those friends were successful, and others returned to their usual office grind. Suppose you are thinking of printing t-shirts and novelty items via one of several print on-demand companies in Canada. In that case, you should know there are a few advantages and disadvantages to opening this type of business.
AdvantagesIf you have a great idea for a t-shirt, it has never been easier to make your vision a reality. All you have to do is go online and find an on-demand printing company. Upload your t-shirt design to the company website or design a shirt using the company’s tools. After that, just select a size and style of t-shirt. The company will print it and send it to you.
A Chance To Sell Your Own DesignsMost eCommerce stores offer cheap products that are made overseas and stored in a drop shipping warehouse. Many of these stores sell the same thing as their competitors and are likely to have to pay for advertising to make themselves stand out from their competition.
When you offer t-shirts that you design yourself, no one will have a product that is just like yours. Not only will you get to express yourself creatively, but it will give you a competitive edge against other e-commerce stores.
Very Little InvestmentNothing is worse than opening a small business and losing all your money. people with a dream of starting a small business often end up taking a second mortgage out on their homes or spending their children’s college funds just to keep their dream alive.
The one great thing about owning any e-commerce store is that there is very little investment involved. Most eCommerce platforms offer a two-week free trial. After that, you can run the store for around $29 a month and can cancel it anytime. Your children’s college funds will be safe.
Seamless ServiceIf you choose your on-demand printer wisely, customers can easily order your products. The on-demand printer should be able to link directly to your eCommerce store. So, when your customers order a product, the on-demand printer will take their fee out of the payment, print the item the customer ordered, and send it to them. Your customers may never even know that they went through a third party.
A good on-demand drop shipping warehouse will have a wide variety of clothing and novelty items on which your design might appear. They should also have a good selection of colors and sizes as well.
Getting Attention For Your Product is SimpleIf you have a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram page, you can easily get your product out in front of people. If you think people do not want to commit to the $15 or $20 a t-shirt would cost, you can always put your design on a mug.
You will have the most luck if you target people who are likely to buy your product. For instance, if you have a design for democrats, join Facebook groups for democrats and post your shirt there. If you have a shirt for republicans, hashtag them on Twitter.
You should look for an on-demand company that has been around for a few years since you should be leery of fly-by-night companies when you own an eCommerce store.
DisadvantagesThere are a few disadvantages of which to be aware when you use an on-demand printer.
CostWhen you first start out, you will save plenty of money by using an on-demand printer. Instead of ordering a bunch of shirts and storing them in your garage, the on-demand printer will take them from an enormous warehouse and print them up. However, your customers will have to pay a bit more for shirts when they order them, and you will get less profit. It is best to start out using the on-demand printer and explore other options if you are successful.
ShippingWhen one of your customers orders a shirt, they will expect to get it on a certain date. If the printer does not get it to them on time, the customer will blame you, not them. That means you may end up having to give a partial refund or two.
Starting a business that uses an on-demand printer can be fun and exciting. Just remember to look for a reputable company that allows your customers to place and receive orders easily.
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