Print on demand

Print on demand or POD is a type of ecommerce option, where you can collaborate with a supplier and customize products produced by another company and rebrand it and sell it like it is your own product. These kinds of products are known as white-label products.

You can sell the product by rebranding it to your brand name or customize the designs to your choice.

In print on demand business, we work with a third party supplier who handles everything from the point of order being placed to being shipped to the customer. We don’t have to pay till the order is printed by the supplier. It is a drop shipping type of business, where you can accept the customer orders and then get the stock ready.

How does it work?

So the whole process of sale and shipping of product is done in two steps:

First the customer places the order of the desired products like customized mugs, pens, t-shirts and so on in your website.

Now we pass on the order to the third party supplier who will customize each product to order, package the product and ships it to the customer.

How to get started with POD

1. First you set up an online store. You can also sell the products through popular marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy.

2. Next choose the right print on demand supplier partner and link it to your online store. You need to find a reliable supplier who can meet your demands and budget.

3. Make a list of all the products you wish to sell on your store.

4. The customer visits your ecommerce store and places an order. Then order is passed to your chosen print on demand partner.

5. The supplier prints the customized design onto the product. The order is packed and shipped directly to the customer by the supplier.

What kind of products I can select to sell?

There are endless options on what type of print on demand product you want to sell.

Hundreds of different white-label products are available that you can customize to sell, depending on the supplier you choose. You can sell everything from clothing to photos, tech accessories and other sure to sell products. It is necessary to consider base costs, customization choices, printing methods, and available sizes, when deciding which products to customize.

It is very important to choose the right designs to create unique and custom products. You can create your own custom designs or you can hire a designer to turn your ideas into reality.

Here is a list of some popular companies that offer print-on-demand services:

Printful
Redbubble
Society6
Teespring
Zazzle
CafePress
Printify
CustomCat
Spreadshirt

These companies allow customers to upload their designs, which are then printed on various products such as t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and more. The products are then shipped directly to the customer, making it a convenient option for those looking to create custom merchandise without having to handle the production and shipping logistics themselves.

PROS and CONS of POD

PROS:

1. More cost-effective than other business methods because you only pay for the items you order rather than paying for a large inventory.

2. Zero fulfilment effort as once the product is ordered in your website, rest of the order fulfilment responsibility is handled by the POD supplier where the product is customized, packaged and shipped out to the customer.

3. Personalization and better flexibility: as there is an increased demand for personalization these days, you can personalize your items in various ways like adding names, pictures, and other details which add a personal touch. You have more flexibility with POD, as you can test a new design on a few sample copies rather than ordering in larger numbers.

4. As there is no minimum order volume in most POD sites, we can therefore order as many items as we want without collecting huge amounts of inventory.

5. Easy-to-use: POD is a very easy to use platform, where the seller can place the order without any special tools or training. Hence it is cost effective, as we need not employ a specialist or a new team to handle this.

CONS:

1. Limited range of product selection.

2. Profits based on pricing: as smaller production purchases cost more than bulk purchase of inventory.

3. Shipping and customization of products can differ and get complicated based on your supplier.

Final thoughts:

Print on demand is a great marketing concept to sell personalized products without the issue of minimum order requirement or maintaining huge inventory.
Print on Demand is a game-changing technology with great opportunity for businesses of all sizes. The rapid increase in online shopping, as well as demand for personalization, print on demand business opportunity is here to stay. According to the market research, POD will continue to grow, with a compound annual growth of 25-30% by 2030.