Exploring the Profitability of Print on Demand: My Two-Year Journey
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Print on Demand
Two years ago, I ventured into the realm of side hustles, selecting Print on Demand (POD) as my primary focus. This process involves creating unique designs and uploading them to platforms where customers can order items like t-shirts, mugs, and stickers. One of the appealing aspects of POD is its low barrier to entry—minimal costs are involved, depending on your approach, and it can easily fit into your schedule after work. However, the question remains: is it financially rewarding? Below, I share my outcomes from the second year, categorized by the six platforms I utilized.
Section 1.1: TeePublic Experience
TeePublic stands out as one of the more user-friendly POD platforms, yet not all designs are automatically featured in their marketplace. Your profile undergoes a review process, and only if it meets their standards will customers be able to discover your creations. While my designs weren't directly listed, I still managed to achieve a handful of sales, likely through organic Google searches.
Gross Profit: $50.00
Section 1.2: Zazzle Insights
The upload procedure on Zazzle is somewhat more complex compared to TeePublic, particularly if you wish to have your designs available on multiple products. However, all submitted designs are instantly searchable in their marketplace, even if their traffic is comparatively lower.
Gross Profit: $2.11
Subsection 1.2.1: Spreadshirt Overview
Spreadshirt has a bit of a learning curve when it comes to uploading designs, but it becomes manageable once you familiarize yourself with it. You are limited to uploading 200 designs initially, but can increase that limit following a sales threshold or after a review of your work.
Gross Profit: $5.48
Section 1.3: Threadless Challenges
Among the platforms I used, Threadless presented the most complicated upload process. Similar to TeePublic, your designs require approval before being displayed in their marketplace. Unfortunately, I didn't make any sales during my limited five-month activity on this site. Given additional time, I might attract some Google traffic like I did with TeePublic.
Gross Profit: $0.00
Section 1.4: Spring Overview
Spring's upload process is relatively slow, and it does not feature your designs in a common marketplace. Instead, it provides a personal storefront where you must generate traffic yourself. While they promote your designs through a network, the majority of my sales were from personal connections, as I shared this site with friends and family.
Gross Profit: $25.00
Section 1.5: Redbubble Experience
Redbubble offers one of the simplest upload processes, especially for those wanting to list designs on multiple products, and it boasts a large marketplace. For the majority of the year, it was my preferred platform. However, my account was unexpectedly suspended due to a supposed policy violation. Despite my assurance that I had adhered to the guidelines, attempts to clarify the issue yielded no satisfactory response. Consequently, I lost my final earnings payment.
Gross Profit: $46.05
Chapter 2: Overall Results
In total, I achieved gross profits of $128.64. After deducting $89.69 for Placeit, the design tool I utilized, my net profit stands at $38.95. However, excluding the earnings from Redbubble—since I no longer have access to that platform—leaves me with a net loss of $7.10.
Last year, I recorded a profit of $20.78 from Print on Demand, and my goal for this year was to double that figure. Despite reaching that amount with Redbubble's contributions, I still fell short of my target, particularly now that I have lost access to those earnings.
Is It Worth It?
So, is engaging in Print on Demand a worthwhile venture? While there are stories of individuals making a living from it, many started years ago when the market was less saturated. I believe success is still attainable, but it requires a blend of graphic design skills, marketing savvy, and a bit of luck.
For everyday individuals like me, it may not be the most viable option. Although I enjoyed creating my designs and found it to be a fun side hustle initially, I don't foresee it as a sustainable long-term solution.
I initially planned to explore POD for three years before concluding my experience, but given my recent loss with Redbubble, I've decided to wrap it up at two years. I will keep my shops open across various sites, but I won’t be uploading new designs or further promoting existing ones. Should sales begin to rise again, I might revisit the idea; however, it seems more likely that it will yield just a few dollars here and there.
Check out my TeePublic store here.