How to Make Money Selling Custom T-Shirts with Print on Demand

Want to start an online business without inventory, upfront costs, or shipping hassles? Selling custom T-shirts with print on demand (POD) is one of the easiest and most profitable ways to earn passive income. You design the shirts, a POD company prints & ships them, and you collect the profits!

Let’s break down how to start, market, and scale a successful print-on-demand T-shirt business step by step.

Step 1: Choose a Profitable Niche

🔹 Why Niching Down Matters

A broad T-shirt business is hard to market. Instead, focus on a specific audience that will love and buy your designs.

🔹 Best-Selling T-Shirt Niches

  • Funny & Meme Tees – Pop culture, internet trends, sarcasm.
  • Pet Lovers – Dog, cat, and animal-themed shirts.
  • Motivational & Fitness – Gym quotes, mindset slogans.
  • Social Causes & Activism – Climate change, feminism, LGBTQ+ pride.
  • Career & Hobbies – Nurses, teachers, gamers, photographers.
  • Family & Relationship Tees – Matching couple shirts, baby reveal designs.

💡 Pro Tip: Check Etsy, Amazon, and Pinterest to find trending T-shirt designs in your niche!

Step 2: Create Unique & High-Demand Designs

🔹 Tools to Design T-Shirts (No Experience Needed)

  • Canva – Beginner-friendly, drag-and-drop editor.
  • Adobe Illustrator – Best for high-quality vector designs.
  • Placeit – Ready-made T-shirt templates.
  • Procreate (iPad) – Great for hand-drawn artwork.

🔹 T-Shirt Design Tips

  • Use bold, easy-to-read fonts.
  • Stick to simple yet eye-catching graphics.
  • Make niche-specific designs that people relate to.
  • Keep trendy colors & minimalistic styles for wider appeal.

💡 Pro Tip: Use free commercial-use fonts & graphics from sites like Creative Fabrica & Freepik.

Step 3: Pick a Print-on-Demand Supplier

🔹 Best POD Companies for Custom T-Shirts

  • Printful – High-quality prints, seamless Shopify integration.
  • Printify – Multiple print providers, lower base costs.
  • TeeSpring (Now Spring) – Built-in marketplace for easy selling.
  • Redbubble – Good for organic sales from their marketplace.
  • SPOD (Spreadshirt) – Fastest shipping times in the POD industry.

🔹 How Print-on-Demand Works

  1. Upload your T-shirt design to a POD platform.
  2. Customers buy from your online store (Etsy, Shopify, etc.).
  3. The POD company prints & ships the order for you.
  4. You collect the profit without handling inventory!

💡 Pro Tip: Compare base costs & profit margins for different POD suppliers before choosing.

Step 4: Set Up Your Online Store

🔹 Best Platforms to Sell Your T-Shirts

  • Etsy – Best for organic traffic & custom designs.
  • Shopify – Full control over branding & pricing.
  • Amazon Merch on Demand – Huge audience, but approval needed.
  • Redbubble & TeeSpring – No upfront costs, but lower profits.

🔹 What to Include in Your Store

  • High-Quality Product Images – Use mockups from Placeit or Printful.
  • Compelling Descriptions – Highlight fabric, fit, and unique selling points.
  • SEO-Friendly Titles – Example: “Funny Cat Lover T-Shirt – Gift for Pet Owners.”
  • Pricing Strategy – Set prices at $19–$30 per shirt for good profit margins.

💡 Pro Tip: Add lifestyle mockups (people wearing your designs) to boost conversions!

Step 5: Market & Sell More T-Shirts

🔹 Free Marketing Strategies

  • Pinterest – Create viral T-shirt pins linking to your store.
  • TikTok & Instagram Reels – Show behind-the-scenes of your design process.
  • Facebook Groups & Reddit – Share your niche designs in relevant communities.
  • SEO for Etsy & Shopify – Optimize listings with high-ranking keywords.

🔹 Paid Ads for Faster Sales

  • Facebook & Instagram Ads – Target niche audiences (e.g., “dog lovers in the U.S.”).
  • Google Shopping Ads – Drive search traffic to your Shopify store.
  • Pinterest Ads – Promote your T-shirt pins to high-intent buyers.

💡 Pro Tip: Run limited-time discounts (e.g., “20% off this week only!”) to boost urgency & sales.

Step 6: Scale to $5,000+ Per Month

🔹 How to Increase Your T-Shirt Sales

  • Add More Designs – More listings = more chances to sell.
  • Launch Seasonal Collections – Holiday, back-to-school, Valentine’s Day themes.
  • Create Bundles & Discounts – Offer “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” deals.
  • Expand to Other POD Products – Sell hoodies, mugs, tote bags with your designs.
  • Offer Custom Orders – Let customers personalize shirts for a premium price.

💡 Pro Tip: Top POD sellers build a brand, not just a store—focus on niche identity & customer loyalty!

Final Thoughts

Selling custom T-shirts with print on demand is a low-risk, high-reward business that lets you earn passive income without holding inventory. By choosing a profitable niche, designing unique shirts, and marketing smartly, you can build a successful T-shirt brand from home.

🔥 Want step-by-step coaching? Check out our Print-on-Demand Masterclass and start making money today! 🚀