How To Make Money With Print On Demand in 2026
Print on demand (POD) remains one of the most accessible ways to build an online income in 2026. The business model has matured significantly, with new platforms, better fulfillment networks, and AI-powered design tools making it easier than ever to launch a profitable store.
You don’t need to hold inventory, handle shipping, or have design experience to get started. This guide covers exactly how print on demand works in 2026 and the best strategies to start earning.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
What Is Print On Demand?
Print on demand (POD) is a fulfillment model where you sell custom-printed products — t-shirts, mugs, posters, and more — without holding any inventory. Products are only printed when a customer places an order.
The entire process is automated and handled by a third-party printing company. You can set up a POD store for free with no upfront inventory costs — the supplier prints and ships each order directly to your customer.
You are not manufacturing or shipping anything yourself. A POD provider like Printful or Printify handles production and fulfillment. Your job is to create designs and upload them to your chosen store or marketplace.
Once you set your retail price, any sale is automatically submitted to your printing provider, who fulfills and ships it directly to your customer. You collect the difference between your retail price and the fulfillment cost.
All you need to get started is an internet connection. A laptop is ideal, but you can manage most POD platforms from a phone or tablet as well.
Check out this video below explaining how POD drop shipping works:
What Types of Merchandise Can I Sell?
There are literally hundreds of different types of customizable POD merchandise to chose from. Most people associate custom merchandise with t-shirts but there is now a massive variety of products. Although t-shirts are still on of the biggest sellers, its also a very saturated marketplace.
So it seems like venturing into more niche products can help you capture more sales with less competition. I have listed some of the available products below.
The most popular custom merchandise to sell are:
- T shirts, Hoodies and Tops
- Bags and Accessories
- Coffee Mugs and Cups
- Prints and Posters
- Mobile Phone Cases
- Stickers
- Cushions and Pillows
- Beach Towels
- Trainers and Shoes
There are loads more items you can add designs to. Some of the more quirky items include:
- Flip Flops
- Aprons
- Bean Bags
- Engraved Jewelry
- Socks
- Swimwear
- Sports Bras
How Can I Make Money With Print On Demand?
There are several proven ways to generate income with POD in 2026. The key is choosing the right method based on your goals, experience level, and how much time you can invest. In all cases, you create a design and upload it to a fulfillment platform — then the platform takes care of the rest.
Your design can be as simple as a text phrase or a graphic. Many platforms include built-in design tools, and AI design tools like Kittl and Ideogram have made creating professional-looking artwork faster and easier than ever. You can also hire a designer on Fiverr if you prefer.
Earning Example
How much you earn depends on the platform and your pricing. On some platforms you set your own markup; on others you earn a royalty per sale. Here’s a typical example of what you can make on a single t-shirt sale in 2026:
Sell One T-Shirt
- Retail Price: $21.99
- Cost of Fulfilment: $14.00
- Profit: $7.99
Different Methods To Make Money
One of the most important decisions in your POD journey is choosing the right method. Your starting point will determine how quickly you get sales, how much you invest upfront, and how passive the income becomes over time.
Choosing the wrong starting point is the most common beginner mistake. Pick the right one and you can start earning quickly. The three main methods are:
- Set Up Your Own POD eCommerce Website (Hard)
- Create Listings On Global Marketplaces (Moderate)
- Upload Designs To POD Platforms (Easy)
As with most businesses, the methods requiring more upfront investment generally offer higher long-term income potential. Beginners should start with methods 2 or 3. Only pursue method 1 if you already have an audience or are experienced in eCommerce.
How To Start A Print On Demand Store
Below I’ll walk through each of the three main methods in detail, covering how to get started, who it’s best for, and the real pros and cons. I have personal experience with all three approaches.
1. Set Up Your Own POD eCommerce Website (Hard)
| Question | Answer |
| Difficulty: | Hard |
| Set Up Cost: | $100 – $200 |
| Monthly Cost: | $10 – $50+ |
| Passive?: | 50% |
| Organic Traffic: | Low |
With this method you build your own branded website using a platform like Shopify or WordPress. You control everything — your branding, pricing, and customer relationships. Sales come from traffic you drive via social media, paid ads, SEO, or email marketing. This is the most scalable approach long-term, but requires the most effort to gain traction.
Who is this suitable for?
This method is not recommended for complete beginners. Without existing traffic or an audience, it can take months before your first sale. It’s best suited to those with eCommerce experience, existing brands, or content creators with a social media following.
How to set up my own POD site?
The most popular way to build your own POD site is to connect Shopify with a printing provider like Printful or Printify. Both integrate directly via the Shopify App Store, and orders are automatically submitted for fulfillment when a customer buys. Shopify plans start at $39/month (as of 2025), though the Basic plan is sufficient for most beginners.
Alternatively, you can create a self-hosted WordPress website and connect it with WooCommerce plus a POD plugin. This offers more flexibility but requires more technical setup. For hosting, providers like Bluehost or SiteGround are solid options for beginners.
Shopify regularly offers trial promotions — check their website for current deals before signing up.
Popular eCommerce Tools
Shopify WordPress – Combined with Woocommerce or Bigcommerce- Wix
Popular Printing Providers
Printful – Integrated with Shopify, Woocommerce or BigcommercePrintify – Integrated with Shopify or Woocommerce
Pros and Cons of a POD eCommerce Website
| PROS | CONS |
| – Build a customer email list | – Little or no organic traffic |
| – Full control of business | – Expensive to set up and run |
| – Bigger margin per sale, no fees | – Difficult to drive sales |
| – More Print Providers | – Less passive than other methods |
| – Asset/Future sale value | – More technical and involved |
2. Create Listings On Global Marketplaces (Moderate)
| Question | Answer |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
| Set Up Cost: | $0 |
| Monthly Cost: | $0 |
| Passive?: | 90% |
| Organic Traffic: | High |
This is personally my favorite POD method and the one that delivers the fastest results for most beginners. You connect a print provider like Printful or Printify to your Etsy, eBay, or Amazon storefront. These marketplaces have massive built-in audiences, so you can start making sales without spending on advertising.
Who is this suitable for?
This method works well for beginners, though it requires more effort than simply uploading to POD platforms. Orders can be fully automated, but you may need to handle occasional customer service inquiries. The key advantage is the ability to target specific niches and keywords, and optimize your listings over time.
How to list items on Etsy, eBay and Amazon?
First, register with a POD fulfillment provider. Printful integrates natively with Etsy, eBay, and Amazon. Printify is another top option, primarily known for its wide network of print providers and competitive pricing — it connects directly with Etsy. Gelato is a newer option worth considering, with fulfillment in 32+ countries for faster international delivery.
For a detailed walkthrough on getting started with Printful and Etsy, check out my other post:
ETSY Print On Demand – Printful Integration
Popular Printing Providers
Printful – Integrates with Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Gumroad and MorePrintify – Integrates with Etsy
Pros and Cons of listing on Etsy, eBay or Amazon
| PROS | CONS |
| – Easier niche & keyword targeting | – Fees of 10-15% per sale |
| – High organic traffic & sales | – No ownership of customer |
| – No set up costs | – Pay for orders upfront |
| – Optional paid ads | – List items one at a time |
| – Create a store front, customize listings | – Deal with complaints/returns |
3. Upload Designs To POD Platforms (Easy)
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
| Set Up Cost: | $0 |
| Monthly Cost: | $0 |
| Passive?: | 100% |
| Organic Traffic: | Medium/High |
This is the simplest and most passive POD strategy. You upload your designs directly to dedicated print-on-demand marketplaces. When a sale happens, you receive a royalty and the platform handles everything — printing, shipping, and customer service. You have zero contact with customers, making this 100% passive income once your designs are live.
Who is this suitable for?
If you want to focus purely on design and nothing else, this strategy is ideal. The tradeoff is that these marketplaces are competitive — success is a numbers game. The more quality designs you upload, the more chances you have of earning. Uploading the same design across multiple platforms maximizes your exposure at no extra cost.
How to list designs on POD platforms?
Most platforms below let you register for free and start uploading right away. Many now support AI-assisted design workflows, making it faster than ever to build a large catalog. You can use tools like Kittl, Canva, or Adobe Express to create designs.
If you are not sure how to make designs then check out my other post showing you how. Beginners T Shirt Design Guide For Merch By Amazon & Redbubble
Popular Print On Demand Marketplaces
TeePublic – Popular POD marketplace with a strong community of independent designers. Free to join with competitive royalty rates.
Zazzle – Popular POD marketplace with a huge product catalog. You set your own royalty percentage, ranging from 5% to 99%.
Spreadshirt – Popular POD marketplace for apparel and accessories. Available in multiple countries with localized storefronts.
- Merch on Demand (Amazon) – Amazon’s own POD platform (formerly Merch by Amazon). Your designs get listed directly on Amazon.com, .co.uk, .de, and more. Invitation-based with tier limits, but access to Amazon’s massive customer base is a huge advantage. Very strict on trademarks and copyright.
- Redbubble – One of the largest independent POD marketplaces. Huge product range, and you can apply one design to all products at once. Strong organic traffic and a loyal customer base of art buyers.
- Society6 – Art-focused POD marketplace similar to Redbubble. Known for high-quality home decor, wall art, and accessories. Good for artistic and illustrative designs.
- Spring (formerly Teespring) – Rebranded in 2021, Spring has evolved into a full creator commerce platform with deep integrations for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch. Ideal for content creators and social media influencers looking to sell merch to their audiences.
- CafePress – Established POD marketplace with a broad product catalog. Free to use with royalties based on your markup. Best for beginners wanting a zero-cost way to test designs.
Pros and Cons of listing on POD Platforms
| PROS | CONS |
| – 100% Passive Income | – Saturated, high competition |
| – Don’t pay for orders upfront | – No contact with customers |
| – No set up costs or fees | – Very little customization |
| – No customer service issues | – Lots of copycats and design thief’s |
| – Upload and forget | – Very strict rules on content & TM |
Summary
Print on demand is still a legitimate and growing way to make money online in 2026. The landscape is more competitive than it was a few years ago, but with the right niche, quality designs, and the correct platform strategy, it remains highly profitable. Whether you want completely passive income or a scalable branded store, there’s a POD approach that fits your goals.
The best advice remains the same: just start. Don’t let perfection prevent you from getting your first design listed. Head over to Printful or Printify, create a free account, use their mockup generator to design your first product, and get it live. You’ll learn far more from doing than from planning.
Free Print On Demand Guide
Find out more by downloading my free print on demand eBook.
Still researching? Check out my other posts and guides below for more in-depth walkthroughs on specific POD platforms and strategies.
This next post covers the easiest way to get started with Etsy for beginners, click HERE to learn how.
Feel free to comment below with any questions about how print on demand works!
