What are the best print-on-demand platforms?

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What is a print-on-demand platform?

I find the term “print-on-demand platform” to be a little ambiguous. On the one hand, we have print-on-demand websites (companies) that allow users (creatives) to mock up designs on their products and upload them to their websites. These companies are often responsible for marketing their websites, managing orders, and fulfilling orders. I call these companies print-on-demand websites. A good example is Red Bubble.

On the other hand, we have companies that are simply known for accepting orders from other websites and fulfilling on their behalf. You need to integrate them with your website to start making sales. I like to call these print-on-demand platforms. Printful is a good example.

So unless you specify which “print-on-demand platform” you’re referring to, it’s a little confusing. However, I will attempt to address your question here to the best of my ability.

Which is the best print-on-demand platform?

“Best” in this context is correlative. An appropriate answer can only be provided with a specific parameter in mind. For instance, which is the best print-on-demand platform with regard to traffic, sales, or quality of service (QoS)? I will assume that your question is referring to each of these things because all of them are vital to the success of your business.

In my opinion, it really depends on what you’re looking for and who your target customer is. For instance, Printful fulfills orders from over 4 different continents and as much as half of their orders are dispatched in less than 3 days. However, Printful’s products are also quite pricey, which means your profit margins take a hit unless your target audience is okay paying over $30 for a crew neck t-shirt.

With these factors in mind, I would recommend that before you get started, take some time to compare several platforms in terms of product prices, fulfillment centers, shipping times, customer support, product variety, and the printing technologies each of them uses to print their products.

Remember to have a healthy balance between quality and price. You don’t want to pay $5 for a t-shirt and then keep your customers waiting 4–6 weeks for it to arrive all in an effort to make $3; this will hurt your business.

Available print-on-demand platforms.

Now that you know what to look out for, here are my favorite companies, which you can compare and pick whichever works for you. Also, feel free to look up more options, there are many alternatives out there.