How To Make Money With Print On Demand (POD)

Ever thought your doodles, quotes, or artwork could actually make you money? If you’re creative or just have an eye for design, Print on Demand (POD) could be your low-risk way to launch an online business. No inventory. No shipping stress. Just your designs on real products that people buy.

Let’s break it down in a no-fluff, straight-up way.

What is Print on Demand (POD)?

Think of POD as your personal online shop—without the warehouse. You create designs, upload them to platforms like Printful, Teespring, or Redbubble, and when someone orders your product, the platform prints and ships it for you.

You’re only in charge of the creative side and marketing. No upfront costs, no storing boxes in your garage. Perfect, right?

What You’ll Need to Get Started

Basic design skills.
You don’t need to be Picasso. Tools like Canva (free and easy) or Photoshop can help you whip up cool, simple designs. Not a designer? No stress. Hire one on Fiverr—you can get quality designs for as low as $10.
A POD platform.
Here are three beginner-friendly platforms to start with:
- Printful: Integrates with your Shopify or Etsy store, giving you full control over branding.
- Teespring: Now called “Spring,” it’s beginner-focused and lets you create a full storefront.
- Redbubble: Already has an active marketplace, so your designs can get discovered organically.
A niche and target audience.
Don’t try to design for everyone. Pick a niche. Dog lovers? Yoga fans? Retro memes? Find what you love and design around that.

How Much Can You Make?

Most platforms let you set your own prices. Say you design a t-shirt that sells for $25. After the platform takes its cut (for production, fulfillment, etc.), you might make $5 to $15 profit per sale.

Example:

You sell 100 t-shirts in a month.
Profit per shirt = $10
You just made $1,000—without touching a single product.

Pro Tip: It’s not just about designs—it’s about marketing. Use Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or even start a blog to showcase your work.

Shopify’s Ultimate Guide to POD

How to Stand Out (and Actually Sell)

Let’s be honest—POD is easy to start, but standing out takes strategy. Here’s what works:

Niche designs. Don’t be generic. Niche down. A shirt that says “Introverted Plant Parent” will sell better than “I love plants.”
Use mockups. Make your designs look real with lifestyle mockups. Placeit is your best friend for this.
SEO matters. Use keywords in your product titles and descriptions. Think how your buyer would search.

Boost Your Sales with These Tips

Offer limited editions. Scarcity sells.
Engage your audience. Run polls on Instagram asking which design they prefer.
Bundle items. Sell matching mugs and shirts.
Tap into trends. Stay on top of memes or seasonal events—like funny Halloween designs.

Check out our post on Top Passive Income Ideas You Can Start This Weekend for more ways to grow your online earnings.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a simple, low-risk way to turn creativity into cash, Print on Demand is one of the best hustles out there. No stock, no stress—just solid designs and smart marketing.

It won’t make you rich overnight. But with the right niche, good designs, and a bit of patience, it can grow into a real income stream. And hey, you’ll have your own brand without the overhead.

So go on—create that weird cat pun tee or that sleek minimalist quote mug. The internet is ready.

Ready to start your POD journey?
Choose your platform and drop your first design today. You’ve got nothing to lose—and a lot of passive income to gain.