As a freelancer, your time is your most precious asset, so generating income without spending more time is a game changer. A technique to do that is through the use of print-on-demand sites where artists can create merchandise reminiscent of T-shirts, stickers, mugs, and more and sell them directly to consumers.
In case you’ve been on the earth of freelancers for even a short while, there’s an excellent likelihood you’ve got heard the phrase “passive income.” That is the thought that you may earn money if you end up not actively working. That is essential for independent artists who want to take their business to the following level.
But how do you go from this improbable idea to making money?
One option is to create and sell products yourself. Nevertheless, this requires finding a printer, storing supplies, spending time running forwards and backwards to the post office to ship things, and coping with customers on your personal.
There have to be a greater option, right?
There’s!
The print-on-demand model allows artists to upload and sell their designs without having to take care of all of the logistics.
In this text, we’ll cover among the best print-on-demand sites for artists, talk in regards to the features and warning signs to be careful for, and make it easier to take the step that can change the way in which you make money.
So let’s go!
The 5 best print-on-demand sites for artists
1. Red bubble
In case you’ve been shopping for independent art, oddly specific stickers or prints, you’ve got probably heard of Redbubble.
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benefits: There’s lots to love about Redbubble. The site has quite a large reach and a fame for high search engine optimisation rating, with an analytics tool you should use to tailor your personal strategy. They display ads to drive traffic to your projects for free of charge.
There are over 75 various kinds of products, so you may submit one design and, with some tweaking, have loads of potential buyer options.
Redbubble also has a novel associates program that permits you to sell legally licensed artwork for 37 different popular brands. This makes the platform stand out as one in every of the best print-on-demand sites for artists.
cons: Redbubble is a fairly saturated market, so you will have to work hard to get your projects noticed. Plus, they operate on a commission-based model, so you do not earn huge amounts of money on every sale. Profits include high volume, which is unquestionably possible, but plan to invest a while in marketing.
Fees: Redbubble has no account or listing fees, it’s completely free to start using the platform. When one in every of your designs is sold, you’ll receive a portion of the sale price. You could have some control over the pricing structure – Redbubble sets a base price per product type based on the region you are selling from, and also you control the contractor’s margin.
The higher your product prices, the more money you will make out of your sales, but have in mind that higher prices can sometimes scare away customers. Also note that Redbubble is not going to money out until you reach $20 in commission.
2. Zazzle
Zazzle is one in every of the early print-on-demand sites for artists. They focus on customizable designs, which implies customers can order wedding invitations, name-printed T-shirts, and more.
benefits: Like the opposite sites on this list, Zazzle takes care of the production and logistics for you, so all you could have to do is create the artwork and upload it. But what really sets Zazzle apart as one in every of the best print-on-demand sites for artists is their additional associates program.
If you could have a WordPress blog or site, you may even make money by posting product links on the location, including your personal products.
cons: Some users complain about Zazzle’s UI, so it is probably not as easy to learn as other print-on-demand sites. Moreover, Zazzle has what they call the “Zazzle Make Program”. That is great for manufacturers who want to run small jobs, but it surely means your designs will be printed in numerous locations and the standard is not all the time the identical.
Fees:
Opening a Zazzle account is free and there are not any listing fees. You control your personal marker, anywhere from 15% to 99%. Zazzle pays out every month, but for the previous month’s earnings, so it could actually take up to 75 days to receive your money.
3. Printable
Printful works a bit in another way than among the other sites on this list. As a substitute of paying artists a commission, you open a store and pay them for achievement services.
benefits: Printful makes an inventory of the best print-on-demand sites for artists because it offers a more personalized service for you as a business owner. You order your packaging so you may add branded elements reminiscent of colours and logos to each the inside and outside of the box, making unboxing truly shareable.
One other thing that many artists like is the choices for eco-friendly materials, so you may rest easy knowing your goods are sustainable.
cons: Printful has fewer product options than another sites, so you could have more limited selling options. Prices are also high, which can equate to prime quality, but scares off some customers, leaving fewer sales.
Fees: Joining Printful is free and there isn’t any monthly subscription. Nevertheless, watch out of the several fees. You pay Printful for the whole turnaround, including printing, packaging and shipping.
Printful doesn’t provide a merchant platform, so you furthermore may bear all the prices related to establishing your personal website and billing service. You set the retail prices yourself, so you select how much you earn on each sale.
4. Society6
Society6 has a vibe of its own with a greater concentrate on home products reminiscent of beautiful framed paintings, tapestries, shower curtains and bedspreads. Because of this landscape designers and photographers will probably feel right at home here, but everyone seems to be welcome.
benefits: Society6 is extremely rated by users who maintain a high standard of quality on all their products so your artwork will look great and your customers shall be completely happy. Society can also be a worldwide company, open to each artists and consumers around the globe, so your art can reach anyone, anywhere.
cons: Society6 is a smaller site than another print-on-demand sites for artists. And there just isn’t much room for profit margin.
Plus, Society6 doesn’t have a solid customer support service, so in the event you run into issues, you may have to wait some time for them to sort things out.
Fees: It’s free to join and upload designs, and artists earn 10% from product sales, but can set their very own tags for prints.
5. Amazon merchandise
No list of the best print-on-demand sites for artists is complete without mentioning e-commerce heavyweight champion Amazon. Likelihood is you’ve got ordered all the things from books to toilet paper from Amazon, but did you already know they’ve their very own print-on-demand platform, Amazon Merch?
benefits: The obvious plus is that Amazon is a large platform with access to more customers than some other site. As a highly visible brand, Amazon has a vested interest in protecting its fame, so their print quality is frequently solid.
cons: The biggest downside to Merch by Amazon is that you just need an invitation to join. The best way to get accepted is to develop your personal social media presence and submit your best projects.
One other major scam is the whole lack of control over the artists. No control over prices, profits, printing or available products. There is no such thing as a flexibility in any of those elements.
Fees: As with every other option on our list of the best print-on-demand sites for artists, you may join Amazon Merch when you get an invitation. Sellers earn 13%-37% on each item sold.
The best part about Amazon’s pricing structure is that royalties are routinely added to your account with every purchase, and there isn’t any minimum monthly payout. In case your account is over $0, you receives a commission.
How to choose from the best print-on-demand sites for artists
Each site on this list has benefits and every has disadvantages. The best site will rely on your skills, business model and goals.
In case you’re looking for a hassle-free experience, Amazon Merch might be an excellent start line. In case you want to construct a business that provides you essentially the most control over platform, products and pricing, take a take a look at Printful.
Try each site and see which one suits your style, graphics, and level of engagement.
Start selling today
Perhaps an important thing to have in mind when looking for the best print-on-demand sites for artists is that you’ll get as much out of your corporation as you set into it. Except for Amazon, most sites don’t do targeted marketing for you. It takes work to get noticed, featured on homepages, and drive traffic to your store.
Nevertheless, spreading the word about your products is something that will be done from anywhere with a tablet or smartphone, so you may really start making a passive income stream, whether you are on vacation, at college, at home together with your family, or on a break for lunch on a day by day basis.
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