Online shopping is quite popular nowadays - it’s fast, simple, there is more product variety than in regular stores, and the best part is that the products can be delivered right to your doorstep.
There is one niche of ecommerce which is perfect for artists and creative people in general, who want to monetize their talent. It is called, you guessed it, print on demand. Whether you are just starting out and don't know which print products would be best for your designs, or an experienced shopkeeper looking to expand into new markets, this article will help you pick out what you need!
Apparel
There always has been and will be a high demand for apparel - that's the main argument why try selling custom print apparel. Clothes are a necessity for every one of us, but they are much more than that. Apparel is a part of people's personality and image. And nowadays people especially enjoy custom apparel with cool designs, even the smallest and most simple ones can get good recognition, like quotes. So, if you have a worthy idea in your mind, no matter how simple, you should consider selling apparel in your online store too.
Classic print on demand apparel choices are T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies. Almost anything can look great on T-shirts, however, transparent elements (designs without straight borders) are an especially good choice for T-shirts and apparel in general. These include patterns, quotes of all kinds, and designs where the background is cut out, leaving only the subject itself. Honestly, you can put almost anything on a T-shirt!
As for hoodies, there is a market for cool urban designs, such as graffiti style art. They are also popular as merch products for bands, streamers & more. People can feel like they are a part of the squad! It's worth noting that designs for hoodies are usually printed on the backside, because it is more stylish that way, plus the print area is not interrupted by the kangaroo pockets like in the front.
And these products are also available for kids. We all know how fast they grow out of their clothing, so selling kids’ apparel is potentially quite a profitable business.
Printseekers apparel is mostly cotton - most T-shirts are 100% cotton and the sweatshirts & hoodies are a blend with 80% cotton. Cotton itself is pleasant to the touch and is suited for allergic people or those with sensitive skin, so if you wish to sell apparel, our cotton products are a great choice, you can’t go wrong with those!
Tote bags
Print on demand tote bags are becoming more and more popular because people start to care about the footprint they leave in this world and try to live more eco-friendly. They are a reusable, stylish alternative to plastic bags that significantly reduces plastic waste. You can carry anything in a tote bag - groceries, your sportswear, books, PC, you can even put your small dog or cat in a tote bag and cruise down the streets together! If you want to capitalize on the worldwide eco-trend, this is the product to sell.
Like with apparel, tote bags are well suited for designs with transparent elements. Eco-friendly, hippie-ish quotes fit this product nicely. Designs for tote bags are often softer, light-hearted in nature, possibly due to a narrower target audience than general apparel (tote bags won't work for everyone), as well as the fact that the standard color is natural, beige. Of course, all of this is not set in stone - if you want to go dark, do it!
Canvas & framed canvas
Print on demand canvas are a wonderful home decor and can spice up any boring, plain room. That’s why many people choose canvas as a gift to their loved ones. This product also has rather high perceived value, which means that, if your art is really exclusive, high level, then you can set a big price tag despite the low production cost. People will think it's worth it!
In contrast to apparel, canvas are well suited for classic, full-size art. There is a market for all kinds of designs, from digital collages to scanned physical art pieces. Sceneries work for anyone and any room, so if you specialize in creating nature designs or photographs, selling canvas might be a great option for you! Also, motivational canvas are quite popular. Everyone needs a crumb of motivation from time to time, no matter if it’s considering work or private life, so, perhaps, you can come up with something inspirational to put on canvas? Last but not least, now is the rise of the personalized canvas, where customer can choose certain aspects of the final design. Examples include maps with customer-chosen cities, digital pet portraits, favourite recepies & more.
Printseekers offer both cotton and polyester canvas of multiple types. We have stretched canvas with two depth options. They can be framed using floating frames -those look especially amazing and make the picture itself stand out. For something bolder, multipanel canvas (one design split across two or more canvas) are an option. You can also sell the good old canvas roll by itself. All of these canvas are available in various sizes, including custom ones, and the frames have different colors & types too, so you can offer something seriously cool to your customers!
Posters & framed posters
Posters, just like canvas, can freshen up one's dwelling. Unframed posters are easier to install and don’t damage the wall, that’s why those are popular among students who live in dorms or people with rented apartaments. They are better known and common than canvas, so the demand is always high. Posters are relatively inexpensive to produce, but can be sold for a great amount of money and in great quantities, so it is definitely worth adding them to your online store!
As for designs, anything goes, really. One major area for poster designs is pop culture, since the creative industry itself uses posters to market their creations, from movies to video games. Geeky stuff has a huge following. You can offer your own versions of famous media, watch out for copyright, though. Other than that, posters have potential everywhere, from entry level, such as kids' educational designs, to upmarket luxury digital paintings. Might want to get a frame for those!
At Printseekers, you have multiple poster material options, such as glossy, matte, fine art & others. Custom sizes are available as well, there is definitely a market for both tiny and gigantic posters! Small sized ones have great shipping rates, while large posters can be sold at a premium price. As mentioned before, we have frames as well, from classic black to rare golden finish. By offering frames, you keep more revenue for yourself, since many people who buy unframed posters, later add a frame to them via third party services.
Wallpaper
It’s a bit tricky to create wallpaper designs, because interior design plays a big role in purchasing decisions. Unlike posters or canvas, which add a nice touch to a room, wallpaper can directly change the whole look & feel of the interior. That's also a major reason why you should sell wallpaper - it’s usually purchased in large quantities. And since we offer not only regular wallpaper, but also the peel and stick type, people have the chance to change their interior more often and experiment with different styles, which means more sales for you! It is also worth mentioning that print on demand wallpapers definitely have less competition than other products, such as apparel.
Classic wallpaper designs feature repeatable patterns - the design ends on one sheet and seamlessly continues on the next one. Patterns include a limited number of related elements, such as leaves or animals. However, the sky is the limit here, because you can print any designs on wallpaper, they don't have to be patterned. A mural is basically a wallpaper that has a single design on it, like a photo or a painting. For example, an amazing landscape photo will make the room look bigger.
As mentioned, we have two types of wallpaper - traditional and peel & stick. First one is made from non-woven paper and needs glue, which is sold separately, and the second one is made from polyester and has an adhesive backside, which means no need for glue. That's a good selling point, because not everyone wants to hire a professional.
If you want to learn more about print on demand wallpaper, we have a blog post just for you!
Not the end of the list
If you didn’t see a product here that you think would be a real cash cow in your store, don’t worry, we still might be able to produce it for you! You might have noticed a section called “Your custom product” on our website. We are open to your suggestions and ideas, all you have to do is contact us!
Best of luck in your print business!
