Etsy print on demand has been raised as a popular lucrative business idea for its low entry cost and inventory risk but high flexibility for several years. But is this business model still worth it in 2024? If yes, how to start an Etsy print on demand business?
In this guide, I will walk through everything you need to know about Etsy POD.
Etsy Print on Demand – Key Takeaways:
✅ With 91.50 million active buyers, Etsy shows strong potential for POD, driven by its user-friendly features and a growing market.
✅ Etsy POD allows sellers to offer unique, customizable products without holding inventory, reducing upfront costs and risks.
✅ Gelato, Printful, Printify,… are top-tier Etsy POD companies
So excited, right? Let’s get started!
What is Print on Demand Etsy?
First things first, Etsy print-on-demand refers to a business model that allows sellers to create and sell custom-made products without holding inventory.
To be more precise, “how does print on demand work with Etsy?” When you upload your designed items on Etsy and receive an order, POD providers then produce and ship the products directly to customers. Thus, print on demand can be considered a form of Etsy dropshipping.
This business model allows sellers to focus on creating and strategizing for sales while their Etsy print on demand partners handle printing, shipping, and logistics, making it a low-risk way to sell custom-designed items.
But with these appealing benefits above, many sellers have been using this business model. Should you follow their steps, or is this business model still a good choice in 2024? I’ll answer in the next part.
How to Sell Print on Demand on Etsy?
Have you decided to start selling on Etsy with this model? Let’s see how to make this Etsy business idea come true.
Here are 5 steps on how to start a print on demand business on Etsy:
1. Find your POD niche to sell on Etsy
2. Look for trusted Etsy print on demand companies
3. Open your Etsy shop
4. List your products on Etsy
5. Connect your POD partners to Etsy
6. Publish your Etsy shop
Step 1: Find your product niche to sell on Etsy
The first step in selling print-on-demand on Etsy is to find a niche.
According to Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results, over 6.7 million sellers are active on Etsy as of September 30, 2023. Finding your right niche and product can help you reduce the competition and more easily become a dominant supplier for a specific and undersupplied demand. The underlying technique is finding a small niche where there are few quality sellers and then providing those products.\
Here’s how you can find your niche:
- Use Etsy’s search bar: Start by typing in potential product ideas into Etsy’s default search bar. This will show you how many products are available in that category. If you find too many results, consider narrowing your focus by adding more specific keywords (e.g., instead of “t-shirts,” try “funny dog lover t-shirts”).
- Check product potential: After searching, analyze the top-selling items in that niche. Look for customer reviews, sales numbers, and trending products in Etsy’s best-selling categories. This will give you a better idea of what’s working in the market and what could be improved.
- Research competitors: Go beyond Etsy. Use tools like Google Trends and Etsy’s Keyword Tool to understand demand outside the platform. Check competitor stores to see their product listings, pricing strategies, and customer feedback. This will help you identify gaps where you can offer something better or different.
Here are some promising niches for your Etsy print-on-demand store:
- Animals and Pets
- Activism and Social Causes
- Families and Couples
- Humor and Internet Memes
- Jobs and Hobbies
- Events and Special Occasions
- Outer Space
- Health & Fitness
Want to make money with Etsy, you might also want to read:
Step 2: Look for trusted Etsy print on demand companies
Once you determine your niche products, it’s essential that you look for trusted print on demand companies for Etsy. You should do thorough research and refer to existing reviews for an informed decision about who to partner with.
Criteria to choose POD companies
Here are the key factors to consider when selecting a print-on-demand company:
- Product range: Ensure the supplier offers a wide variety of customizable products, such as clothing, accessories, or home decor.
- Quality control: Look for a partner with a reputation for delivering high-quality, durable products. This is crucial to maintain good reviews and repeat customers.
- Pricing and fees: Check their pricing structure, including base product costs, shipping fees, and any additional charges for customizations. Some companies may charge monthly fees, while others only deduct costs when you make a sale.
- Production time: Fast turnaround times are essential to meet customer expectations and Etsy’s shipping policies. Ideally, your supplier should ship products within 3-5 business days.
- Shipping locations: Partner with a supplier who can ship worldwide or has multiple locations to offer fast and affordable shipping to your main customer base.
5 Best print-on-demand firms
Now, let’s take a closer look at five of the best print-on-demand companies for Etsy.
1. Printful
Let’s start with Printful – one of the top suppliers for Etsy print on demand products. They offer a variety of products to sell, including clothing, phone cases, and home decor. Moreover, the supplier also provides a wide range of personalized print-on-demand options, making it easy for sellers to offer diverse items to buy at their stores.
The cost of using Printful’s services varies depending on the product being sold. However, Printful does not charge any upfront fees or subscription fees. The cost of the product and shipping is deducted from the sales price, and the remaining profit is paid to the seller.
2. Printify
Printify is another one of the best print on demand sites for Etsy.
Unlike Printiful, they don’t have their own printing factories. Instead, they work with lots of printing partners all over the world and manage all the orders in one place. They’ve teamed up with 90 printing factories worldwide, including in America, Europe, Canada, and Australia.
As for product selection, you can customize almost anything on Printify, from clothes and home items to unique stuff like scented candles and yoga mats.
3. Galeto
Gelato is a great option for sellers looking for a reliable Etsy print-on-demand supplier with 24/7 customer service. In addition to providing a wide range of high-quality products, Gelato offers excellent buyer support. This means sellers can trust them to build customer trust and loyalty, which is essential for any successful business.
Additionally, Gelato does not charge any upfront fees or subscription fees, which can help to keep costs down for sellers.
4. Teelaunch
Teelaunch is another famous supplier of Etsy print-on-demand products. They offer a variety of products to sell, including clothing, accessories, home decor, and more. Moreover, Teelaunch is also reputed as a Shopify POD app. Hence, sellers can leverage this chance to expand beyond Etsy and sell on multichannel.
When choosing Teelaunch as a supplier for your Etsy print-on-demand business, you may need to pay product and shipping costs. These fees depend on the items you want to sell and the location of your customers.
5. Custom Cat
Continuing in the list of best Etsy print-on-demand suppliers, Custom Cat is a provider specializing in custom printed products such as apparel or housewares. Additionally, the supplier commits that 95% of your items are out the door within 3 business days so your customers get their products as quickly as possible.
So, I’ve walked you through 5 best suppliers for print-on-demand Etsy integration. If you want more tips on starting an Etsy print-on-demand business, keep on reading!
Step 3: Open your Etsy print on demand shop
Now, let your Etsy shop start right on the ground!
1. Open your Etsy account
First, you need to create an Etsy account. You can either sign up on Etsy via the single sign-on (SSO) feature using your Google, Facebook, or Apple account or create an independent account. However, having an Etsy account doesn’t make you an Etsy seller.
2. Select your shop’s preferences
You can start creating an Etsy shop by clicking the Sell on Etsy button on your Etsy homepage. The platform will then take you to a dashboard where you can set up several basic shop preferences.
- Shop language. This is where you choose the default language for your item description. Be cautious for this part as you can not switch to other language options once save this setting.
- Shop country. This field refers to the country where your store is based. This setting determines your shop eligibility for using Etsy Payment services. In case you can find your country on the list, you can look for a detailed explanation on the Etsy FAQs page.
- Shop currency. This refers to the currency you use for pricing your items. If your bank currency differs from your shop currency, Etsy will charge a 2.5 % conversion fee for the sale amount.
3. Name your Etsy print-on-demand shop
Moving to the next steps of selling personalized print on demand on Etsy, you’ll need a name for your shop. The name should be easy for customers to read and remember. It should also reflect your brand identity and your items.
Nevertheless, your shop name can be anything you prefer if it doesn’t infringe on Etsy’s guidelines. In general, your storefront name should:
- Be from 4 to 20 characters;
- Include no space and special characters (i.e, exclamation mark, exclamation point, etc.);
- Exclude profanities and names already in use by other Etsy sellers;
- Violate no trademark infringements.
Once you enter your shop name, Etsy will automatically check the availability of the name. In case it’s already used by other Etsy sellers, the marketplace will provide you with a name suggestion.
Step 4: List your products on Etsy
This is the crucial step to succeed in selling print on demand with Etsy. The secret lies in creating and optimizing product listings for buyers’ product searches. Etsy allows sellers to list physical and digital goods, but the listing process is slightly different for each type.
Generally, you must go through the following procedure
- Add photos & video. You should use at least 5 (maximum 10) photos from various angles for each item. Image sizes should be at least 1,000 pixels square. You can also refer to Etsy’s guidelines and best practices for item images.
- Choose your thumbnail image. The first image you upload in the previous step is your product thumbnail by default. You can change it by dragging another photo to the first slot. The thumbnail photo will represent the product on product search results.
- Add listing details. This is where you include product information such as title, about this listing, and categories. You can browse for further details in Etsy Help Center articles.
- Describe your listings. This includes detailed descriptions and product tags for your listings. It is also where you determine whether your products are physical or digital.
This step is really crucial and will determine how your shop is ranked or visible to millions of Etsy customers. Hence, learning about Etsy SEO is necessary for listing descriptions and titles.
Otherwise, if you want to sell your print on demand products on both your web-based store using eCommerce platforms (like Shopify, BigCommerce, etc) and your Etsy shop, LitCommerce is a powerful multichannel listing tool that helps you simplify your listing process.
Try LitCommerce to List Your Etsy POD Items
LitCommerce is an all-in-one listing tool that helps sellers list and sell POD items on Etsy with full of SEO guide and other advanced listing features.
Step 5: Connect your POD partner with your Etsy shop
Once you finish listing details for your personalized print-on-demand store, you proceed to connect Etsy print on demand partners. Under the same listing page, you will find the Production Partners part to add your Etsy print fulfillment.
You will have to provide information in several fields to enable print-on-demand integration with Etsy, including:
- Production partner. This is where you type in your Production Partner’s name. In case you want to keep it a secret from your buyers, click the toggle and choose to add a Descriptive title.
- Location. The location where the service provider is based.
- About production partner. A short description of the manufacturer…
- About your partnership. This is where you have to answer a few questions about the partnership.
- Why are you working with this partner?
- What is your role in the design process?
- What is the partner’s role in the production process?
When you complete, click Save Partner.
Step 6: Finish your Etsy shop settings and Go live
The last step in selling print on demand on Etsy is to finish the following settings for your Etsy seller account.
- Etsy payments. You need to select your business type (either individual or business) for tax purposes before giving out your bank details.
- Subscription billing options. For sellers residing outside the US, Etsy will require a credit card for identity validation and authorization purposes. You will also need a card for Etsy fee billing. This is automatically charged on credit cards for US citizens.
- Shop customizations. This is where you design features for the front end of your store, such as the About section, Banner, Featured products, etc.
Once you finish the steps above, your Etsy print-on-demand shop will be ready to be published!
Etsy Print on Demand Tips: 3 Key Do’s and 4 Don’ts
Entering the world of Etsy print on demand presents both opportunities and challenges. To maximize your success and avoid your shop getting no sales on Etsy, here are some essential Do’s and Don’ts of selling print on demand products on Etsy.
Do’s of selling print on demand on Etsy
Let’s go for what you should do when it comes to print on demand on Etsy first!
- Partner with trusted manufacturers: It’s crucial to partner with reliable print-on-demand manufacturers. Look for those with a wide range of quality products and easy-to-use platforms to ensure customer satisfaction and avoid issues with product quality and delivery.
- Embrace your Etsy shop as a POD business: Follow Etsy’s rules for selling print on demand products, ensuring that all designs are original and don’t infringe on copyright. Make sure to obtain commercial licensing for any designs created by professional designers to avoid potential copyright issues.
- Think globally: Take advantage of the global reach of platforms like Etsy by considering international markets when designing products. Leveraging Print on Demand services with printing facilities in various countries allows you to cater to a broader audience and tap into cultural trends worldwide.
Don’ts in Etsy print on demand selling
While there are some Etsy print on demand tips to keep in mind, it’s also crucial to avoid some practices.
- Copy another sellers’s products or designs: When you create a design, you have intellectual property rights over it, including copyrights and trademarks. Selling products with designs that you don’t own or have permission to use infringes upon these rights.
- Assume POD is easy: Don’t underestimate the effort required to run a successful Etsy print on demand shop. Effective marketing, attentive customer service, and quality product management are essential for long-term success. Stay proactive in managing your shop and continuously optimize your strategies to drive growth and profitability.
- Use “print on demand” keywords: Avoid using industry terms like “print on demand” in your Etsy listings, as they are unlikely to resonate with potential customers. Instead, focus on keywords that accurately describe your products and highlight their unique features to attract the right audience.
- Only sell T-shirts: Don’t limit yourself to selling just T-shirts. Explore the full range of products available through print on demand services, including home decor, accessories, pet products, and more. Diversifying your product offerings can attract a wider customer base and increase sales opportunities.
- Forget to inspect your products: Even though you’re not physically stocking inventory, it’s essential to inspect the quality of products before selling them. Consider purchasing samples from your Etsy print on demand partner to assess the quality firsthand and ensure customer satisfaction.
Top 5 Etsy Print on Demand Products
Still wondering which print-on-demand product is the best to sell on Etsy? Based on market trends, sales data, and product demand analysis, here are 5 winning items that consistently perform well on Etsy:
1. Custom apparel
Personalized t-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts remain a cornerstone of Etsy print-on-demand market. Furthermore, the global custom t-shirt printing market is projected to reach $10 billion by 2025, showcasing its immense potential. Etsy shoppers consistently gravitate toward unique and personalized apparel that resonates with their individual style, beliefs, or identity.
2. Home decor
Personalized home decor items such as throw pillows, tapestries, canvas prints, and wall decals have gained immense popularity on Etsy. This is because people are spending more time at home due to remote work and lifestyle changes, leading to a sharp rise in interest in home beautification. Etsy’s 2023 trend report highlighted the rising demand for unique and personalized home accents.
3. Accessories
Custom accessories, including tote bags, phone cases, and mugs, offer an opportunity to create highly customizable, functional items. In fact, according to a report by Statista, The Accessories market worldwide is projected to generate a revenue of US$578.30 billion in 2024. Additionally, Etsy’s search trends indicate a steady interest in custom-designed accessories. Capitalizing on this demand can lead to consistent sales and repeat customers.
4. Stationery
The allure of personalized stationery persists, with notebooks, planners, and greeting cards offering a canvas for creativity. While the overall stationery market faces digital challenges, the demand for unique and handcrafted items remains strong on Etsy. Custom stationery appeals to those seeking thoughtful gifts and personalized tools for self-organization and expression.
5. Pet products
The pet industry is booming, and Etsy is no exception when it comes to pet lovers looking for unique, customized products. Pet-related products such as custom pet bandanas, tags, and pet beds are in high demand. To illustrate, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets in 2022, and this figure is expected to keep growing.
Craft Your POD Items, Let LitCommerce Manage the Rest!
With streamlined integration, our app ensures seamless listing across various channels, optimized order management, and precise inventory sync.
FAQs – Etsy Print on Demand
Yes, it is. You can sell print on demand products on Etsy by connecting to your manufacturing partner when listing a product. As long as you own the copyright of their designs and disclose the Etsy printing partners, you are allowed to sell them through print on demand on the Etsy platform. Etsy print on demand is a business model where sellers create and sell customized products on Etsy without holding inventory. It is a variation of the dropshipping model where sellers work with print-on-demand suppliers to deliver customized items to customers. Some of the best print on demand companies collaborating with Etsy, include Printful, Printify, Galeto, teelaunch, and Custom Art. These companies integrate with Etsy to provide services such as printing, packaging, and shipping of custom-designed products. Check out 5 steps to start a print-on-demand business on Etsy: Yes, it is. Print on demand can be a profitable business model for sellers, as it allows them to offer a wide range of unique and personalized products to customers without holding inventory. The costs and risks associated with traditional inventory management are also reduced with print on demand. Some of the best-selling print-on-demand items on Etsy include home decor (wallpaper, curtains, lamps, mugs), T-shirts (V-neck t-shirt, unisex t-shirt), stationery (notebook), or cards (business cards). You are charged $0.20 for each listing you publish on your print on demand Etsy. When you make a sale, Etsy will charge you a transition fee of 6.5% of the total order amount.
Etsy Print on Demand: Conclusion
Etsy promotes a sustainable growing space for print-on-demand businesses desiring to concentrate on developing arts and designs. When going for Etsy print on demand, you have a chance to focus on the creative and marketing aspects of running a business.
Nevertheless, the only way you can identify the most suitable business model is to test the water across platforms. With the help of Litcommerce, scaling to other channels has never been this easy. We help businesses manage inventory, orders, stock updates, and more with one concentrated solution.
Excited to find out more? Drop us a message, and our supporting team will contact you in no time.
