How To Sell Print-On-Demand T-Shirts: 7-Step Guide

Every year, fashion brands generate billions of dollars from t-shirts. Their universal appeal and endless design options make tees a good choice for starting a business.

The best t-shirt businesses find ways to stand out in a crowded market. Whether through premium materials, original graphics, or an irresistible brand, you’ll need to differentiate your products from the rest.

An accessible way to enter this industry is by selling print-on-demand t-shirts. This method allows you to start your business with minimal costs and time.

Here are seven steps to help you create your shirts and launch your online store.

Ready to start your business? Create your website today or learn more about Shopify’s tools for selling online and in person.

How to sell print-on-demand t-shirts (7 steps)

1. Find your t-shirt niche
2. Create your store
3. Pick a print-on-demand app and products
4. Create t-shirt designs
5. Add products to your store
6. Add sales channels
7. Plan your marketing strategy

1. Find your t-shirt niche

To successfully sell online as a small business, you need a niche. A niche is a defined set of customers with specific interests and needs. For example, the athleisure niche targets consumers looking for workout clothing that also functions as everyday wear.

With so many t-shirt options available to consumers, unique t-shirts that resonate with a niche audience can make all the difference. Start by researching existing businesses to identify market gaps—this will help you spot opportunities where your designs can stand out and serve an unmet customer need.

When you’ve pinpointed a niche, use your research into customer interests and behaviors to develop a buyer persona. Personas are fictional descriptions of your ideal customers, and they can guide you as you create your store, hone your brand, and craft messages that connect with your audience.

2. Create your store

After you’ve found a niche, the next step is to create a place to sell your t-shirts. For most businesses, this means building an online store.

Shopify is a popular choice for entrepreneurs and clothing designers, because it allows you to easily build a store and connect your favorite print-on-demand app. This makes it simple to list your products for sale and send orders to your print-on-demand partner for fulfillment.

To start building your store, follow this startup guide.

You’ll begin by setting up basic elements of your store, including:

• Store name and domain address
• Store theme and appearance
• Homepage and menu navigation
• Checkout settings

Store name and domain

Choose a name for your store and register a domain. Find a relevant name with an available domain for your website using the free business name generator.

Store theme

The right store theme can make your store visually appealing and user-friendly. Choose a theme that you can easily customize later as you build a brand around your t-shirt designs.

Navigation and basic pages

Next, create your initial pages, such as a homepage and a page outlining your shipping policy.

Your shipping and returns policies will need to align with the terms provided by your print-on-demand supplier, so you may want to wait until you’ve chosen a provider before finalizing this page.

Checkout

Configure your checkout so customers can pay for their tees. If you’re using Shopify, you can take advantage of one-click checkout features to streamline the process and make it as easy as possible for your customers.

Once you’ve established these basic elements of your store, you can move on to finding a print-on-demand partner and creating your first products. When your shirts are ready, return to your store to import them and add any final touches.

3. Pick a print-on-demand app and products

Every print-on-demand service offers a different range of products, design tools, and shipping options. You’ll want to select a service that stocks the types of t-shirts your customers love, provides customization options that align with your design vision, and can produce and ship your shirts efficiently to satisfy your customers.

Most popular print-on-demand providers offer apps that integrate with Shopify. 

Consider experimenting with multiple providers to see which offers the best service for your business. Once you’ve chosen a print-on-demand service, follow the app’s instructions to integrate it with your store.

Below are some of the most popular print-on-demand apps used by Shopify merchants. Check out the types of t-shirts each app offers, along with design options, and production times:

• Apliiq
• Teelaunch
• Printify
• Printful
• Teeinblue

Apliiq

Apliiq specializes in apparel, offering a wide selection of t-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, and sweatshirts. Choose from a range of colors and materials to match your brand.

In addition to screen printing, Apliiq provides customization options including private labeling, woven tags, embroidery, and patches, allowing you to create a truly unique product. You can order samples without minimum requirements and access discounts by bulk ordering.

• Brands include: Comfort Colors, Hanes, New Era, Nike.
• Fits include: Crew neck, cropped, lightweight, pocket tee.
• Materials include: Cotton, dryblend, heavy cotton, jersey, polyester.
• Customization options: Digital printing, embroidery, labeling, screen printing.
• Average fulfillment time: Two business days.
• Mockup generator: Yes.

Teelaunch

Teelaunch stocks men’s, women’s, and unisex t-shirts, tank tops, long-sleeve tees, and sweatshirts. Their collection features options for youth, toddlers, and babies, with a variety of colors and sizes available.

Teelaunch provides a user-friendly platform for creating unique designs. Although the app does not offer free samples, first-time users can benefit from a discount on their initial order.

• Brands include: Canvas, Champion, District, Gildan.
• Fits include: Cropped, long sleeve, tank, V-neck.
• Materials include: Cotton, polyester.
• Customization options: All-over printing, direct-to-garment printing.
• Average fulfillment time: Four to 12 business days.
• Mockup generator: Yes.

Printify

Printify offers an extensive catalog of print-on-demand products, including a wide selection of t-shirts, tank tops, and hoodies. With more than 850 products available, you can find various styles and colors to suit your brand.

With a network of more than 90 printers worldwide, you can reach a global audience while viewing average fulfillment times for each supplier. You can also order samples to ensure the quality of your products before listing them for sale. 

• Brands include: Adidas, American Apparel, Fruit of the Loom, Sport-Tek.
• Fits include: Crew neck, tall, unisex, V-neck.
• Materials include: Cotton, heavyweight, polyester, tri-blend.
• Customization options: All-over print, embroidery, gift messages, inserts, labeling, printing.
• Average fulfillment time: Two to seven business days.
• Mockup generator: Yes.

Printful

Printful is a popular choice for print-on-demand sellers, offering a variety of t-shirts, including options for men, women, and children. Its selection includes standard t-shirts, polo shirts, and tank tops, all available in multiple colors and styles.

With no order minimums or upfront fees, Printful is accessible to all sellers. The app offers custom packaging and handles all warehousing and fulfillment.

• Brands include: Champion, Columbia, Cotton Heritage, Gildan.
• Fits include: Athletic, curved hem, oversized, standard, slim, unisex.
• Materials include: Blend, cotton, organic cotton, polyester. 
• Customization options: Cut and sew, embroidery, labeling, printing.
• Average fulfillment time: Two to five business days.
• Mockup generator: Yes.

Teeinblue

Teeinblue is a product personalizer designed for print-on-demand businesses. It lets you offer customers the ability to personalize t-shirts and other items, then connects you with printing partners who can produce and ship orders.

With Teeinblue, you can offer real-time previews of personalized products, so customers can visualize customizations as they shop. The app supports a range of personalization options, including custom text, photos, maps, and clipart.

4. Create t-shirt designs

You might already have designs for your t-shirts in mind, especially if you’re an artist or illustrator with an established audience and a signature style.

Alternatively, you could be looking to sell shirts featuring a logo or an existing graphic you own, such as merchandise for a specific brand or event.

Or, perhaps you have no design experience and need to outsource your t-shirt designs.

Regardless of your starting point, it’s possible to create print-on-demand shirt designs that compete with those from established brands. Your design process will likely fall into one of three categories:

• Handmade designs
• Pre-existing assets
• Outsourced design

Handmade designs

Use your visual design skills to create unique t-shirts that resonate with your target audience.

Craft original illustrations that reference popular memes. Create intricate fan art that’s irresistible to fans. Or, invent aesthetically appealing interpretations of your brand’s logo.

For those comfortable with self-design but who could use some guidance, there are plenty of t-shirt templates and mockups available online. These resources provide free templates to make the design process easier and less technical.

Pre-existing assets

If you already own a logo or graphics, you may choose to use them as the starting point for your t-shirt designs. Leveraging pre-existing assets saves time and costs, whether it’s a company logo, a memorable catchphrase, or a graphic created for an event.

Outsourced design

Platforms like Shopify Partners connect you with designers who can bring your t-shirt concept to life.

Outsourcing product design can allow you to focus on other aspects of your business, such as marketing and customer support.

5. Add products to your store

Once your t-shirt designs are ready for sale, add them to your online store so customers can find and browse your product line.

If you’re using a compatible print-on-demand app, this process should be straightforward and mostly automated. In some cases, you may need to follow your print-on-demand partner’s instructions to connect your product listings or manually upload product information.

After importing your products, enhance your product pages with content that makes each item discoverable and gives customers the information they need to make a purchasing decision. The goal of your product pages is to promote your t-shirts, improve their visibility in online searches and Google Shopping, and ultimately persuade shoppers to buy.

When building product pages, be sure to include the following details:

• Unique and descriptive product names
• Detailed product descriptions
• Clear pricing information
• Varied product photos

Descriptive product names

Crafting unique and descriptive title tags for your product pages is essential for helping shoppers find your items in search engine results.

Incorporate essential product details into your page titles to enhance visibility. For instance, if you’re selling a slim-fit t-shirt featuring a car graphic, a descriptive title like “Men’s Retro Chevy T-Shirt – Ultimate Slim Fit” will likely perform better than a generic name like “Men’s Tee,” as it includes popular keywords and highlights customer benefits.

Detail product descriptions

Similarly, product descriptions should provide all the details customers might want to know. Cater to the interests of your niche and incorporate information in a Google-friendly format. A well-structured description might include information about a shirt’s material, fit, care instructions, and any unique features.

Pricing information

Clear and simple pricing helps customers trust your brand and feel confident about their purchases.

Consider offering discounts or promotions to entice buyers. Implement cross-sells to encourage customers to buy complementary products.

Product photos

Investing in high-quality product photos to showcase your designs is key to attracting buyers. Include a variety of images showing your designs from different angles, including close-ups to highlight fabric quality and print details.

Lifestyle photos, which show your t-shirts being worn in real-life settings, can also help customers visualize how a product fits into their lives. If you ordered samples of your shirts during the design phase, you can use those samples in lifestyle photos.

Additionally, consider creating product videos to provide a dynamic view of your t-shirts.

6. Add sales channels

Selling t-shirts through your online store is just the beginning. To reach more customers and increase the visibility of your products, connect your store to online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. Online marketplaces attract millions of shoppers.

With Shopify, you can also connect your store to social media storefronts on Instagram and Facebook, as well as TikTok and YouTube. Social storefronts allow users to browse and buy items without leaving the social platform.

Consider adding a wholesale sales channel to your t-shirt business, so you can sell your shirts to other retailers in your niche.

7. Plan your marketing strategy

Once your store is live, it’s time to attract customers. Start by identifying where your target audience spends time online—whether that’s on social media, forums, or websites.

Plan a marketing strategy that allows you to reach your audience on these platforms. This might involve:

• Social media advertising
• Content marketing
• Influencer partnerships

Be sure to create marketing content that expresses your brand’s personality and highlights what makes your t-shirts unique.

Even if you’re starting your business on a budget, there are plenty of ways to promote your brand for free. Consider:

• Sharing behind-the-scenes content and design stories with your audience via social media posts
• Collaborating with other small businesses or creators to cross-promote products
• Sending personal emails to share your story with customers and keep them informed about new designs and special offers

Also consider running a launch promotion, like offering a discount on first purchases or a two-for-one deal, to entice new customers to check out your store.

Get started with print-on-demand

The great thing about print-on-demand is its flexibility. You can continually test designs, try out different niches, and adjust your products based on customer feedback. When you’re ready, it’s simple to expand your business using Shopify’s tools and features.