How to Start a Print-on-Demand Business in 2025: Step-by-Step Guide to Earning $100+ a Day
Print-on-Demand (POD) is one of the easiest ways to start an online business with no inventory. You can create custom T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases, and home decor—without ever handling stock.
With low startup costs and passive income potential, POD is an ideal side hustle or full-time business. In this guide, you’ll learn:
✅ How Print-on-Demand Works
✅ Best Platforms to Start Your POD Store
✅ Top Niches for Maximum Profits
✅ How to Design & Upload Products
✅ Marketing Strategies to Get Sales
By following this step-by-step guide, you can launch your POD business in 2025 and start making $100+ per day.
1. What is Print-on-Demand and How Does It Work?
Print-on-Demand (POD) is a dropshipping business model where products are only printed and shipped when a customer places an order. You don’t need to buy inventory upfront—your supplier handles printing, packing, and shipping.
How Print-on-Demand Works:
- Create a design for a T-shirt, mug, hoodie, etc.
- Upload the design to a POD platform like Printful, Teespring, or Redbubble.
- A customer buys your product from your online store.
- The POD supplier prints and ships the order to the customer.
- You keep the profit (Selling Price – Product Cost = Your Profit).
Since you only pay for production after a sale is made, it’s a low-risk business model.
2. Best Print-on-Demand Platforms in 2025
Choosing the right POD platform depends on whether you want to sell on a marketplace (no marketing needed) or create your own brand (more control, higher profits).
POD Marketplaces (No Need for Ads):
These platforms handle everything, including customer traffic, so you don’t need to spend money on advertising.
| Platform | Best For | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Redbubble | Art & graphic designs | No fees |
| TeePublic | T-shirts, hoodies | No fees |
| Zazzle | Home decor, gifts | No fees |
| Society6 | Wall art, prints | No fees |
Pros: No upfront cost, built-in customer base.
Cons: Lower profits due to platform commissions.
POD Suppliers for Your Own Online Store (Higher Profits):
If you want full control over pricing, branding, and marketing, you can integrate these POD suppliers with Shopify, WooCommerce, or Etsy.
| Supplier | Best For | Integration |
|---|---|---|
| Printful | Clothing, accessories, home decor | Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce |
| Printify | T-shirts, mugs, posters | Shopify, Wix, Etsy |
| AOP+ | Eco-friendly clothing | Shopify |
| TeeLaunch | Apparel, drinkware | Shopify |
Pros: Higher profits, branding control, direct customer relationships.
Cons: Requires marketing efforts (Facebook Ads, Instagram, SEO).
If you’re just starting, marketplaces like Redbubble or TeePublic are easier. Once you scale, migrating to Shopify or Etsy is the best move for long-term growth.
3. Top Niches for Print-on-Demand in 2025
Choosing the right niche is the key to success. A good niche should have:
✅ High demand (People are searching for it)
✅ Low competition (Not too saturated)
✅ Emotional appeal (People love it and want to wear or display it)
Best Niches for Print-on-Demand:
- Pet Lovers – Dog/cat T-shirts, mugs, bandanas.
- Fitness & Gym – Workout motivation shirts, leggings.
- Mental Health & Positivity – Self-care, therapy-inspired quotes.
- Travel & Adventure – Van life, hiking, beach lovers.
- Gaming & Anime – Esports merch, gaming T-shirts, funny anime hoodies.
- Funny & Sarcastic Quotes – Relatable humor designs.
- Hobbies & Professions – Nurses, teachers, engineers, mechanics.
A niche with a loyal audience makes it easier to get repeat customers and build a strong brand.
4. How to Create Designs for Print-on-Demand
If you’re not a designer, don’t worry! There are three ways to get designs for your POD store:
1. DIY – Create Your Own Designs
🛠 Use Canva (Free), Photoshop, or Procreate.
🖌 Free resources: Pixabay, Unsplash, Pexels for images.
✅ Simple text-based designs (quotes) sell well!
2. Buy Pre-Made Designs
🎨 Buy ready-to-use POD designs from:
- Creative Market (https://creativemarket.com)
- Vexels (https://www.vexels.com)
3. Hire a Designer
💰 Get custom designs from:
- Fiverr (https://www.fiverr.com)
- Upwork (https://www.upwork.com)
Simple quote-based T-shirts and mugs sell well and don’t require complex graphics.
5. How to Market Your Print-on-Demand Business
Once your designs are uploaded, you need to drive traffic to your store. Here’s how:
1. Free Traffic Methods (No Ads Needed)
🚀 SEO & Pinterest: Optimize product descriptions with keywords (e.g., “funny cat T-shirt”) and pin designs on Pinterest.
📢 TikTok & Instagram Reels: Showcase products in short viral videos.
🛍 Etsy SEO: Use trending keywords in product titles & tags.
2. Paid Advertising (Fast Results)
💰 Facebook Ads: Target interests like “Dog Lovers” for pet T-shirts.
📈 Google Shopping Ads: Show your products when people search on Google.
For beginners, focus on free traffic first. Once you make consistent sales, reinvest in Facebook & Google Ads to scale.
6. How Much Can You Earn with Print-on-Demand?
Your earnings depend on profit margins, traffic, and pricing.
Profit Breakdown (Example):
- Selling Price (T-shirt): $25
- POD Cost (Printful/Printify): $10
- Profit: $15 per shirt
Realistic Income Potential:
| Sales Per Day | Profit Per Day | Profit Per Month |
|---|---|---|
| 5 sales | $75 | $2,250 |
| 10 sales | $150 | $4,500 |
| 20 sales | $300 | $9,000 |
Many POD store owners scale to $10,000+ per month by reinvesting in ads and adding new trending designs.
Final Thoughts: Is Print-on-Demand Worth It in 2025?
Yes! POD is one of the best ways to make passive income with no inventory costs.
✅ Low startup cost (No upfront inventory)
✅ Passive income potential (Sales happen automatically)
✅ Scalable business model
If you’re ready to start, pick a niche, create designs, and upload products today! 🚀
Have any questions? Let me know in the comments! 🚀
