Best Print on Demand Tees: Top Companies & Sites for 2025

Choosing the right Print on Demand (POD) partner is crucial, especially when you’re focused on selling Print On Demand Tees. Your long-term success hinges on selecting a provider that meets your needs in terms of quality, cost, and service. In this guide, leveraging years of hands-on experience in the print on demand industry, we review the best Print on Demand Companies and the best Print on Demand Sites specifically for print on demand tees. This in-depth analysis will empower you to make an informed decision and choose the perfect partner for your business.

These are our top Print on Demand recommendations for March 2025, with a particular focus on print on demand tees. We’ll also share valuable tips, tricks, and hacks to help you maximize your success with these Print on Demand Companies and platforms.

Print on Demand Companies

Best Overall for Tees:
Printify
For fast turnaround on print on demand tees, a wide range of t-shirt styles, and competitive prices, Printify stands out.
Try Printify
Read Full Review →

Top Quality Tees:
Printful
If premium quality print on demand tees are your priority, Printful delivers exceptional products and a user-friendly platform.
Try Printful
Read Full Review →

Best for Budget Tees:
Gelato
While known for posters, Gelato is a quality and cost-effective option for print on demand tees with reliable printing and global reach.
Try Gelato
Read Full Review →

All-In-One Tee Solution:
Sellfy
For a fully integrated solution to sell print on demand tees and more, including store hosting, Sellfy offers a quick and easy setup.
Try Sellfy

Biggest Tee Market Reach:
Merch by Amazon Merch on DemandAmazon Merch On Demand
Access the world’s largest marketplace to sell your print on demand tees directly on Amazon.
Try Merch On Demand
Read Full Review →

Easiest Tee Start:
TeepublicTeepublic
The simplest platform to get started with print on demand tees, especially great for trending designs and organic traffic.
Try Teepublic
Read Full Review →

Wide Audience for Tees:
RedbubbleRedbubble
Easy to launch your print on demand tee business with access to a large and engaged customer base.
Try Redbubble
Read Full Review →

Top 5 Print On Demand Companies for Tees

Top 6 Print On Demand Sites for Tees

If you’re looking specifically for a POD T-Shirt fulfillment company to integrate with your Shopify or Etsy store and sell print on demand tees, we’re going to delve into each option in detail, particularly comparing Printful vs Printify for your tee business.

Continue reading to discover which Print on Demand company is the optimal choice for your business – whether you’re an independent artist just starting your journey with print on demand dropshipping for tees, or a seasoned seller seeking the best Printful alternatives for your print on demand tees.

Note: I am an affiliate and partner for many of the companies reviewed here. This means I may receive a commission if you sign up through my links (at no cost to you).

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Printify Review for Print On Demand Tees

Printify Review

Sign up with Printify here

Printify has rapidly become a dominant force in the Print on Demand fulfillment space, especially for print on demand tees. What sets Printify apart from some competitors is its unique approach: they don’t handle any printing ‘in-house’.

Instead, Printify collaborates with a vast network of printing ‘partners’ located around the globe to manage the production and delivery of goods, including print on demand tees. Printify essentially acts as the central hub, streamlining order management across its partner network.

Currently, Printify boasts partnerships with over 140 printing facilities worldwide, offering an expansive reach for your print on demand tees business.

This extensive network translates to an impressive product catalog on Printify, where you can find virtually any product you might want to customize, from standard apparel like print on demand tees and homeware to more niche items like scented candles, yoga mats, and outdoor Bluetooth speakers.

While Printify’s model differs slightly from some competitors, their significant presence and strong backing solidify their position as major players in the print on demand tees market.

Let’s dive into the specifics of Printify, particularly as they relate to print on demand tees.

How Does Printify Work for Print On Demand Tees?

Printify operates as the ‘backend’ infrastructure for your store, expertly managing the printing, packaging, and shipping of your orders, including print on demand tees.

They accommodate manual orders and offer seamless integrations with leading e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, WooCommerce, and TikTok, making it easy to sell print on demand tees across multiple channels.

The key differentiator in Printify’s workflow is that you select a specific print facility when setting up your product listing (unless you opt for ‘Printify Choice’ – more on that later). Consequently, every order for that product is routed to your chosen printing facility. This model presents both advantages and disadvantages, which we will explore in this review as they pertain to print on demand tees.

Printify’s Quality Of Print On Demand Tees

It’s important to reiterate that because Printify isn’t a direct printer, the quality of their print on demand tees will vary depending on the chosen print provider. You can find a comprehensive list of Printify’s providers here.

The sheer number of print providers available on Printify has exploded recently, which can make selecting the right one for your print on demand tees feel overwhelming.

To assist in your decision, Printify provides a ranking score for each provider. This score is derived from product reprints and production times over the previous 30 days. Alongside this, they display the average production time for the last 30 days. While generally reliable, this average production time can become less accurate during peak seasons. It’s always wise to check recent reviews and potentially order samples to gauge current performance for print on demand tees.

Based on my extensive experience with Printify, I can confidently recommend Monster Digital, SwiftPOD in the US, and T-Shirt and Sons (UK) as reliable providers for high-quality print on demand tees.

While I might explore other providers for specific product needs or color availability, these three consistently deliver excellent prints for print on demand tees.

Assessing print quality across different providers can be challenging, but overall quality appears to be consistently improving throughout the Printify network. In my experience, the average customer is unlikely to discern any significant difference in print quality between Printify’s recommended printers and higher-priced options like Printful, especially when it comes to print on demand tees. I personally receive very few complaints about print quality, regardless of the provider used for print on demand tees.

Given the vast number of print providers now on Printify, providing detailed insights on each one is beyond the scope of this review. However, for print on demand tees, I confidently recommend Monster Digital, SwiftPOD, and T-Shirt and Sons.

Note: Printify recently introduced Printify Choice, an automated provider selection system. Currently limited to popular products and US-based providers, it includes branding options like inserts, gift messages, and expedited shipping. Learn more about Printify Choice here. This feature can streamline the process for popular print on demand tees.

Printify’s Cost Of Goods for Print On Demand Tees

Printify’s pricing is competitive in the print on demand tees market, positioning itself as a solid mid-range option among major competitors like Printful and Gelato. They aren’t the absolute cheapest, but they offer a strong balance of price and quality for print on demand tees.

You can further reduce costs by subscribing to Printify’s monthly premium plan, which, at $29/month, offers per-shirt savings. If you sell around 14 shirts a month, the premium plan essentially pays for itself, making it a worthwhile consideration for businesses focused on print on demand tees.

If competitive pricing is a key factor for your print on demand tees business, Printify offers a compelling solution.

Printify’s Integrations for Selling Print On Demand Tees

Printify is rapidly catching up to Printful in terms of integration options, ensuring compatibility with all major platforms relevant to selling print on demand tees.

You can find a complete list of Printify integrations here, including:

• Etsy
• Shopify
• Amazon
• WooCommerce
• eBay
• TikTok
• …and more.

Chances are, Printify integrates with your preferred sales channel for print on demand tees. They also offer an API and a Printify Pop-Up option (a free, basic branded storefront, US-only). While Printful currently offers a wider range of integrations, Printify likely covers your needs unless you require a very niche integration for your print on demand tees business.

Printify’s Turnaround Time for Print On Demand Tees – The Fastest Provider?

Turnaround time on Printify is provider-dependent. However, based on my experience, Monster Digital and SwiftPOD generally adhere to their stated production time of 1-2 days (outside of peak season) for print on demand tees. It’s always recommended to conduct your own test orders to obtain the most current and accurate turnaround times, especially for print on demand tees during busy periods.

While there may not be a significant difference in turnaround time between major players during normal periods, Printify currently earns my vote as the fastest Print on Demand company, particularly for print on demand tees.

Industry-wide, turnaround times have improved in recent years, a trend we hope continues. If you’re using another provider for your print on demand tees, placing test orders is crucial to get a clear picture of their current turnaround times.

Printify’s Fulfillment Locations for Global Print On Demand Tee Sales

Printify boasts a global network of Print Providers. (Click here to view all current Printify providers.) This is advantageous for sellers aiming to produce and ship print on demand tees closer to their international customers.

Printify Locations

However, each product on Printify must be linked to a single provider. Currently, there’s no automatic order routing to the nearest fulfillment partner (unless your customer is in the US and you utilize Printify Choice). This means for international print on demand tees orders, some manual adjustments may be necessary.

For example, if your US Etsy store receives a UK order for a specific print on demand tee, you’d need to manually “copy” the product and “replace” it with a UK-based provider before adding it to the order. More information on this process is available here.

Despite this slight complexity for international print on demand tees sales, Printify still offers strong global coverage for those seeking international options.

Other Notable Aspects of Printify for Print On Demand Tees

Like other leading platforms, Printify offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies product creation and ordering for print on demand tees.

Printify Order Interface

Their diverse provider network allows for a constantly expanding product catalog, including unique items not always found elsewhere, broadening your options for print on demand tees and related merchandise.

On the downside, customer service with Printify has historically been less streamlined due to the outsourcing layer. However, improvements have been made recently, including a “chat” option and faster response times. This is crucial for resolving any issues related to your print on demand tees business.

Printify has also added “cancel order” and “upgrade shipping” buttons, enhancing order management efficiency, which is beneficial for high-volume print on demand tees sellers.

In contrast, Printful, with its in-house printing operations, often provides more immediate customer service responses, especially for issues related to print on demand tees.

Printify Overall Verdict for Print On Demand Tees

Printify’s key strengths for print on demand tees include competitive pricing, consistently fast turnaround times, and a broad selection of providers and products.

However, if your primary market isn’t the US, or if you require advanced features like custom labels, pack-ins, or warehousing for your print on demand tees business, Printify may not fully meet your needs. (In such cases, Printful might be a better fit due to its more comprehensive service offerings.)

However, as of March 2025, I confidently recommend Printify as an excellent starting point for your print on demand tees venture. They provide competitive prices, essential features for most sellers, and reliable service. Remember that Printify outsources production, so testing individual suppliers is crucial. (For detailed guidance, refer to my guide on placing a sample order with Printify for print on demand tees).

Sign up with Printify here

Printful Review for Print On Demand Tees

Printful Review

Sign up with Printful here

Printful, originating from Latvia but now operating globally with facilities in the UK and Canada, has rapidly risen to prominence in the Print-On-Demand fulfillment industry, particularly for print on demand tees.

Let’s examine how Printful performs in key areas relevant to print on demand tees.

How Does Printful Work for Print On Demand Tees?

Printful acts as the ‘backend’ for your store, managing the printing, packaging, and shipping of products, including print on demand tees, directly to your customers on demand.

Orders can be submitted to Printful manually or automatically through their extensive integrations with platforms like Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, and WooCommerce, streamlining the sales process for print on demand tees.

Printful’s Quality Of Print On Demand Tees

Printful Quality Comparison

Printful consistently delivers high-quality prints, meeting or exceeding industry standards for print on demand tees.

Printful also offers a broad product range, encompassing nearly every type of apparel imaginable, including a wide variety of print on demand tees, and an array of other merchandise (though not as extensive as Printify).

Printful’s Cost Of Goods for Print On Demand Tees

Answering “How Much Does Printful Cost?” isn’t straightforward, but generally, Printful is positioned among the more expensive Print-on-demand fulfillment companies. While they offer excellent quality for print on demand tees, it comes at a premium.

Printful’s pricing for print on demand tees is traditionally higher. For example, a Bella & Canvas 3001 t-shirt, a popular choice for print on demand tees, was priced at $11.75 at last check, which is now only slightly above Printify’s pricing. It’s important to compare current prices based on your specific t-shirt styles and print needs.

Printful’s Integrations for Selling Print On Demand Tees

Printful excels in integration options, offering more than any other provider, making it exceptionally convenient for selling print on demand tees across various platforms.

The Best Print on Demand Company for Shopify Tees?

Printful has become widely recognized as the leading Print on Demand company for Shopify users, particularly for print on demand tees. It is currently the most installed and highly-rated Print on Demand app on the Shopify App Store, maintaining a consistently high review score.

Printful Integrations

However, their integration list extends far beyond Shopify, surpassing all competitors in breadth. Here’s a glimpse of their current offerings, all beneficial for selling print on demand tees:

Printful Integrations:

• Shopify
• Etsy
• Amazon
• WooCommerce
• eBay
• BigCommerce
• Wix
• Squarespace
• Big Cartel
• Ecwid
• PrestaShop
• Magento
• Launch Cart
• 3dcart
• API

Regardless of your chosen sales platform for print on demand tees, Printful likely has you covered. They also offer a simple manual order submission process if you prefer a more hands-on approach, particularly when starting out with print on demand tees.

How Long Does Printful Take To Ship Print On Demand Tees?

Printful’s stated turnaround time is 2-7 business days. In practice, they are consistently approaching the 2-day mark, often exceeding expectations. I frequently observe orders shipping out on the same day, even during peak periods for print on demand tees.

Overall, I’m satisfied with Printful’s ability to process orders and ship print on demand tees in a timely manner.

Where Is Printful Located and Where Does Printful Ship Print On Demand Tees From?

Printful operates its own facilities in the USA, Mexico, Latvia, Spain, Canada, and the UK, with partner facilities in Brazil, Japan, and Australia. This extensive network enables them to reach most customers globally within a few days, crucial for efficient delivery of print on demand tees.

Note: Printful has launched its UK Print on Demand base in Birmingham. For a detailed review of their UK operations and product quality, refer to this article: Print on Demand UK: Is Printful The Best Choice? This is particularly relevant for sellers targeting the UK market for print on demand tees.

If you set your “selling region” to “worldwide,” Printful automatically routes orders to the closest facility. This is a significant advantage over companies like Printify, which currently lacks this automated routing capability, making Printful a more streamlined option for global print on demand tees sales.

Other Notable Aspects of Printful for Print On Demand Tees

Printful’s end-to-end ownership of its operations translates to responsive customer service, capable of resolving issues quickly. This contrasts with providers like Printify, which outsource printing. This direct control can be beneficial for addressing any concerns related to your print on demand tees orders.

Printful’s origins as a technology company are evident in their site design and ordering process. Everything is streamlined and user-friendly, making it ideal for beginners venturing into print on demand tees.

Printful Order Process

Printful offers valuable branding features like inside labels and pack-ins. These options allow you to enhance your brand’s professionalism for an additional fee. While not essential for beginners, these features become increasingly important as your print on demand tees business grows.

They also offer personalized gift messages, a great feature for marketplaces like Etsy, especially for print on demand tees intended as gifts. (Note: Printify now offers this feature with select providers).

Printful invests heavily in education and training resources to help users maximize their platform usage and grow their online businesses selling print on demand tees.

They offer sample orders at a 20% discount with free shipping, an excellent incentive to test their services and quality for print on demand tees.

(To assess Printful’s quality without fully integrating your store, refer to my guide on placing a Printful Sample order for print on demand tees).

Printful Review Verdict for Print On Demand Tees

It’s easy to see why Printful is a top-rated name in Print on Demand, especially for print on demand tees.

Their continuous investment in infrastructure and user experience makes them arguably the most user-friendly print-on-demand fulfillment option. They cover all essential aspects, offer a wide product range including diverse print on demand tees, and consistently deliver high-quality goods.

While Printful is slightly more expensive than some alternatives, the consistent print quality and branding options like custom packaging and inside label printing can justify the price for sellers prioritizing brand building and premium print on demand tees.

With Printful’s rapidly expanding global footprint, they offer excellent coverage for major markets. While their product range might not be as extensive as Printify’s in niche categories, if you prioritize quality, custom branding, seamless integrations, and a user-friendly workflow for your print on demand tees business, Printful is a strong choice.

Sign up with Printful here

Gelato Review for Print On Demand Tees

Gelato has been steadily gaining traction in the POD world, particularly since 2020 when I started focusing more on art prints. They are increasingly becoming a viable option for print on demand tees as well.

Gelato positions itself as a “software company” that “does not own any printers.” They function as a facilitator, connecting you with print fulfillment facilities, similar to Printify but with key differences in their approach to print on demand tees and other products.

Unlike Printify, where you manually select a provider, Gelato uses sophisticated software to optimize order routing, selecting the most suitable print provider based on the delivery destination. This automated routing is a significant difference when selling print on demand tees internationally. Additionally, Gelato integrates its software with network partners, allowing for enhanced control over production.

Gelato’s “advanced routing algorithm” determines the optimal printing location for each order. This intelligent system offers advantages and disadvantages, which we’ll explore as they pertain to print on demand tees.

Gelato’s Quality Of Print On Demand Tees

Gelato initially focused on paper-based POD products (posters, cards, calendars, etc.) but has gradually expanded its offerings to include a robust apparel line, now featuring print on demand tees.

My primary experience with Gelato has been with art prints and posters. They use high-quality, thick poster paper and produce clear, vibrant prints. More recently, with the introduction of Bella and Canvas t-shirts to their catalog, I’ve used Gelato for print on demand tee printing and have been impressed with the print quality – consistently receiving shirts with clear prints and bright colors.

However, based on my experience, product quality and finish can exhibit some variability between orders. I attribute this to their outsourcing model, where printing is distributed across multiple providers. This potential variability is something to consider for businesses prioritizing absolute consistency across all print on demand tees.

For most of my orders, which are typically one-offs shipped directly to customers, this slight variation is not an issue. Customers generally wouldn’t notice minor inconsistencies from one order to the next. Gelato also backs its service with a 100% guarantee if quality issues arise, providing reassurance for your print on demand tees business. However, if product continuity is paramount to your brand, this potential variation is a factor to consider.

A standout feature that differentiates Gelato from other POD companies is their pack-in option. This is particularly relevant for brands focused on enhancing the customer experience for their print on demand tees.

Gelato now offers the ability to include custom pack-in cards and branded labels with your packaging. This allows for personalized touches like thank-you notes, store information, social media links, or discount codes for future purchases of print on demand tees.

This pack-in option is a significant advantage for brand building. It adds a personal, handcrafted feel to orders, making your store more memorable and fostering customer loyalty for repeat purchases of print on demand tees. Selling to existing customers is often more efficient than acquiring new ones!

Each pack-in add-on costs $0.70 USD (0.69 EUR) and can be activated per store within your Gelato account. Currently available on select art print products in the UK, USA, Germany, and Sweden, Gelato plans to expand these options soon, potentially including print on demand tees in the future.

Gelato’s Cost Of Goods for Print On Demand Tees

Gelato’s product pricing is generally more competitive than Printful and often on par with Printify, making them a cost-effective option for print on demand tees. Recently, Gelato has become even more aggressive with its pricing, making them a compelling choice for budget-conscious sellers of print on demand tees.

For example, a Bella Canvas 3001 t-shirt (medium size) is priced around $10.12, with shipping to the US mainland at $4.66, totaling $14.78. This is more affordable than Printify’s comparable offering (around $15.41+) and significantly less than Printful, making Gelato an attractive option for print on demand tees based on price.

Pricing may vary depending on your selling location, but Gelato can often be the most economical choice, especially for countries outside the US. This global pricing advantage is important for sellers targeting international markets with print on demand tees.

For sellers based in the UK, Gelato currently stands out as the most affordable POD option for both art prints and t-shirts (Bella and Canvas), making them a strong contender for UK-based print on demand tees businesses.

Gelato also offers several discount opportunities:

• Quantity discounts (when ordering multiple units of the same product, beneficial for sample orders of print on demand tees)
• Gelato+ member discounts (30% off standard shipping, reducing shipping costs for print on demand tees) and Gelato+ Gold subscription (30 days free shipping with annual plan + up to 50% discount on shipping + 30% off branded labels and packaging inserts, significant savings for high-volume print on demand tees businesses).

Gelato’s Integrations for Selling Print On Demand Tees

Gelato offers easy-to-integrate plugins for most major e-commerce platforms, simplifying the process of selling print on demand tees online.

Gelato Integrations

They also provide API options and integration through orderdesk.com for other platforms, ensuring integration possibilities with most e-commerce sites for selling print on demand tees.

Gelato’s Turnaround Time for Print On Demand Tees

Production times vary by product, but Gelato generally offers slightly faster predicted production times than Printify or Printful for most items. However, apparel, including print on demand tees, has a slightly slower predicted turnaround time compared to these top two competitors.

• Cards: 1-3 days
• Posters, Canvas and Frames: 1-4 days
• Mugs: 2-3 days
• Acrylic and Metallic: 2-4 days
• Photobooks: 3-4 days
• Calendars: 2-3 days
• Apparel (Print On Demand Tees): 2-6 days

Despite the slightly longer predicted turnaround for apparel, my experience shows that most orders, including print on demand tees, ship within 1-4 days, aligning with Printify/Printful standards. Posters often ship within 48 hours, indicating efficient processing for certain product categories.

Gelato’s Fulfillment Locations for Global Print On Demand Tee Sales

Gelato partners with over 140 local printing partners, providing extensive global reach and increasing the likelihood of local fulfillment for your print on demand tees.

It’s important to note that not all locations produce every product. However, Gelato provides clear visibility into product availability by country through a dropdown selection tool on each product page, allowing you to see where your print on demand tees will be fulfilled.

As mentioned, Gelato uses an “advanced routing algorithm” to select the optimal production location for each order. In most cases, products are fulfilled at the closest production center. While international shipping may occur due to stock issues, Gelato reports fulfilling approximately 90% of orders within the destination country, minimizing shipping times and costs for print on demand tees.

Gelato Support for Print On Demand Tees Sellers

Gelato provides 24/7 support via live chat and offers a comprehensive FAQ and support section. I’ve found their support articles helpful for resolving most queries related to print on demand tees and other products.

For specific order issues, Gelato offers a “report problem” button on the order page and a live chat option, facilitating quick resolution of any concerns related to your print on demand tees orders.

Gelato Overall Verdict for Print On Demand Tees

Gelato’s user-friendly system, responsive customer support, and expanding product range make it a strong Printify/Printful alternative, especially for print on demand tees. In fact, if your store caters more to international markets than the USA, or if art prints and posters are a significant part of your product mix alongside print on demand tees, Gelato may be a superior choice compared to Printify.

Gelato effectively addresses Printify’s main drawback – the manual routing of orders for international shipping or stock issues. They offer this streamlined service alongside competitive pricing, making them a compelling option for sellers of print on demand tees.

However, this automated routing, while efficient, comes with a trade-off: potentially less control over the specific print provider and a possibility of slight inconsistencies in print quality for print on demand tees.

Is Gelato a serious contender against Printify and Printful? Yes – especially for art prints, posters, and increasingly for print on demand tees, particularly for businesses with a global customer base.

Sign up with Gelato here

Scalable Press for Print On Demand Tees

Scalable Press is another early entrant in the Print-On-Demand white-label space. They handle fulfillment for some major brands, indicating their capacity and reliability, including for print on demand tees.

Scalable Press Review

Their pricing is competitive (around $9 for a Bella Canvas shirt plus shipping), and their order process is fairly straightforward. However, their turnaround times can fluctuate significantly, which can be a concern for businesses needing consistent delivery for print on demand tees.

Scalable Press appears to be more geared towards large brands and bulk order production than the individual seller market focused on print on demand tees.

However, for posters, I’ve found Scalable Press to be the most competitively priced and exceptionally fast in turnaround. I’ve consistently used them for posters for over a year without issues, benefiting from low prices and quick turnaround throughout the year. While this is specific to posters, it suggests their operational efficiency and potential for competitive pricing on other products like print on demand tees.

While I can’t directly comment on their T-Shirt printing quality for print on demand tees, I can confidently recommend ScalablePress as a cheap and fast print-on-demand poster fulfillment company. Their poster performance suggests they could be a cost-effective option for budget-conscious sellers looking to explore print on demand tees as well.

This concludes my guide to the best Print on Demand companies for print on demand tees.

Now, let’s shift our focus to Print on Demand sites, especially for artists and designers looking for platforms to sell their print on demand tees and merchandise online.

Whether you’re searching for the best place to sell shirts online or seeking alternatives to sites like Redbubble for your print on demand tees, this guide will provide valuable insights.

We’ll compare Redbubble vs. TeeSpring, and many more, to help you identify the optimal platform to showcase and sell your art as print on demand tees and other products.

Best Print on Demand Sites

The 7 Best Print On Demand Sites for Tees & More:

Here’s my curated list of the best Print on Demand websites right now, perfect for selling print on demand tees and a wider range of merchandise: (click the name to jump to my in-depth review)

1. Merch By Amazon
2. Redbubble
3. Teepublic
4. Society6
5. Displate
6. Threadless
7. Fine Art America (Mentioned in “Other Print on Demand Options”)

In this section, I’ll review each of these Print on Demand sites in detail, explaining their strengths for selling print on demand tees, reasons to consider them, and share my personal experiences with each platform.

Following these reviews, I’ll cover other Print on Demand sites (Zazzle, Spreadshirt, etc.) and offer recommendations for artists seeking a Print on Demand Storefront to sell print on demand tees and merchandise under their own brand.

The Best Place To Sell T-Shirts Online? (Redbubble vs TeeSpring vs Society6 vs Zazzle etc…) for Print On Demand Tees

I’ve conducted extensive research and compiled data for each site, analyzing their total monthly visitor numbers, organic traffic, social media followers, and more, to help you determine the best platform for your print on demand tees.

What Is A Print on Demand Website for Tees?

My definition of a ‘Print on Demand Site’ relevant to print on demand tees is any e-commerce website that:

• Allows artists to upload artwork suitable for t-shirts
• Takes that art and makes it available for sale on products, primarily print on demand tees, but also potentially posters, mugs, etc.
• Prints that artwork onto a product, specifically print on demand tees when ordered, and ships that product to customers (without artist involvement in fulfillment).
• Pays the artist a royalty for each sale of print on demand tees and other products.

The best print on demand sites for artists focusing on print on demand tees will attract high visitor volumes, achieve strong organic reach (traffic from Google searches), and simplify the process for artists and designers to upload designs and generate sales of print on demand tees. These platforms empower you to monetize your drawings, illustrations, artwork, and designs with minimal effort beyond uploading your creations and optimizing your listings for print on demand tees.

Print on Demand Sites vs. Print on Demand Companies (Redbubble vs Printful) for Tees

It’s crucial to distinguish between a Print on Demand Site and a Print on Demand Fulfillment Company when considering your options for selling print on demand tees.

POD sites vs POD companies

Print on Demand (Fulfillment) Companies (like Printful) serve as a white-label ‘back-end’ for online stores. They enable artists to establish their own stores on custom domains or sell through marketplaces like Etsy, utilizing the company’s fulfillment services for print on demand tees.

Print on demand companies are not customer-facing platforms where buyers browse for t-shirts. Instead, they are service providers that artists and sellers utilize to fulfill orders for their customers who purchase print on demand tees through their own stores or marketplaces.

Conversely, Print on Demand Sites (like Redbubble) are self-contained websites where customers will go to purchase products, including print on demand tees. A Print on Demand Site offers a significantly simpler and faster route for artists to generate income from their designs than establishing their own store using a Print on Demand company for fulfillment of print on demand tees.

1. Merch By Amazon for Print On Demand Tees

Merch By Amazon Review

I considered omitting Merch By Amazon from this list because, technically, it’s not a standalone print on demand site like Redbubble or Teepublic. However, for selling print on demand tees, its reach is unparalleled.

Merch By Amazon is a Print on Demand program integrated within Amazon (currently operating on Amazon’s US, UK, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese sites). It’s not an independent website like others on this list, nor is it solely a Print on Demand fulfillment company. It’s a unique program within the Amazon ecosystem for selling print on demand tees and apparel.

Obtaining precise traffic and search data for Merch By Amazon is challenging due to its integration within Amazon. However, it’s reasonable to assume that if Merch By Amazon were a standalone site, it would dwarf all other platforms in terms of visitor traffic, organic reach, and overall sales of print on demand tees.

What’s Good About Merch By Amazon for Print On Demand Tees:

It’s Amazon – Unmatched Reach for Print On Demand Tees

Merch By Amazon provides designers with the unprecedented opportunity to list popular apparel products, including print on demand tees, on the world’s largest online store and one of the most visited websites globally – Amazon.

Merch By Amazon Traffic

Amazon functions as both a colossal marketplace and a leading search engine (as many users search directly on Amazon for products). This dual nature offers unparalleled potential to reach more customers for your print on demand tees than any other platform, at least theoretically.

Prime Shipping & Amazon as Seller – Trust and Speed for Print On Demand Tees

Merch By Amazon products, including print on demand tees, are shipped with ‘Prime’ delivery, making it one of the fastest options to get a t-shirt to a customer. Prime shipping is a significant advantage for customer satisfaction and repeat purchases of print on demand tees.

When you offer designs through Merch By Amazon, you benefit from the credibility and trust associated with having a product sold by one of the world’s most recognized and reputable brands – Amazon. Customers are often more comfortable purchasing print on demand tees knowing they are backed by Amazon’s customer service and Prime shipping.

Flexible Royalties – Control Your Profit on Print On Demand Tees

Merch By Amazon allows you to set your desired royalty per sale for your print on demand tees.

Merch By Amazon Royalties

While you are limited by the base cost of products and face competition from other designers, this royalty flexibility allows you to adjust your pricing strategy for print on demand tees to optimize profitability and competitiveness. Unlike platforms with fixed royalties like Teepublic, you have more control over your earnings per sale of print on demand tees.

What’s Bad About Merch By Amazon for Print On Demand Tees:

Invite Only – Barrier to Entry for Selling Print On Demand Tees

You cannot simply sign up for Merch By Amazon and immediately start selling print on demand tees. You must apply for an invitation and undergo an approval process first. This selective process can be a barrier for new designers eager to start selling print on demand tees.

Many other Print on Demand sites listed in this guide have an ‘open door’ policy, allowing immediate signup. The invite-only nature of Merch by Amazon creates an additional hurdle for those wanting to quickly launch their print on demand tees business.

Merch by Amazon’s processing time for new invite requests varies, and there’s no set timeline for approval, nor is there a guarantee of acceptance. If you’re considering Merch by Amazon for your print on demand tees, it’s advisable to request an invite promptly to begin the application process.

Copycats, Improve-cats, Under-cutting – Design Protection Challenges for Print On Demand Tees

Due to the flexible royalty structure, the open nature of Amazon, and the sheer scale of its marketplace, Merch By Amazon faces a persistent challenge with design theft (copycats) and ‘improve-cats’ (those who slightly modify popular designs). This is a significant concern for artists selling print on demand tees.

Merch By Amazon products have publicly accessible ‘BSR’ ratings (Amazon’s internal ‘best-seller’ rank).

This BSR data makes it easy to identify top-selling print on demand tees on Merch, enabling copycats and ‘improve-cats’ to quickly replicate successful designs and potentially undercut original creators.

Once you have a popular design for print on demand tees on Amazon, it’s highly likely to be copied rapidly and offered at a lower price by competitors. This can significantly impact your sales and profitability for your original print on demand tees.

Merch By Amazon Copycats

While you can report Copyright infringement to Amazon, the effectiveness of takedown requests can be inconsistent. Amazon doesn’t prevent copycats from simply re-uploading stolen designs after the initial takedown. This creates a continuous cycle of infringement for artists selling print on demand tees.

In practice, artists can spend considerable time playing ‘whack-a-copycat,’ constantly searching for and reporting copyright infringements, only to see them reappear shortly after. This ongoing battle against design theft can be frustrating and time-consuming for sellers of print on demand tees.

Note: The issue of copycats and art theft is not unique to Merch By Amazon, but it’s more pronounced on this platform due to the public BSR data, the flexible royalty structure, and the vastness of the Amazon marketplace. These factors combine to make it a more challenging environment for protecting designs for print on demand tees.

In comparison, other Print on Demand sites often demonstrate more consistency in removing infringing designs following Copyright takedown notices, offering slightly better protection for artists’ work on print on demand tees.

Limited Branding Options For Artists Selling Print On Demand Tees

Merch By Amazon offers very limited branding and audience-building opportunities for artists promoting their print on demand tees.

When you upload designs to Merch by Amazon, you are essentially supplying designs to Amazon, with minimal opportunity to build your own brand presence.

Unlike almost all other Print On Demand sites, Merch by Amazon lacks a public ‘profile’ system for artists. Beyond a single line of text on each product listing (your brand link), you cannot effectively use Merch By Amazon to build your artist profile, attract fans, or cultivate a following for your print on demand tees. There are no options for profile or header images, social media links, or artist bios to personalize your brand presence.

Merch By Amazon branding

While these branding limitations might change in the future, currently, Merch By Amazon primarily serves as a cash-flow-focused strategy for artists selling print on demand tees, albeit a potentially lucrative one due to its immense reach. If brand building is a priority alongside sales, Merch by Amazon may not be the ideal primary platform for your print on demand tees business.

So Why Is Merch By Amazon #1 On My List for Print On Demand Tees?

Despite its drawbacks, Merch By Amazon remains the top Print on Demand opportunity for artists, particularly for print on demand tees, due to its sheer size and reach. No other Print on Demand site comes close to Amazon’s scale and potential customer base.

In practical terms, all else being equal, your designs for print on demand tees are significantly more likely to be seen on Amazon and, consequently, more likely to be purchased compared to other platforms. The sheer volume of potential customers on Amazon outweighs the challenges for many artists focused on maximizing sales of print on demand tees.

Is Merch By Amazon Profitable for Print On Demand Tees?

Merch By Amazon is demonstrably profitable for many artists selling print on demand tees, primarily because there are no direct costs associated with participating. It’s free to create an account, upload designs, and list print on demand tees for sale on the platform.

With the potential for high royalties and consistent organic traffic from Amazon’s massive user base, the average artist or designer can potentially earn more from Merch By Amazon than from any other single platform for their print on demand tees.

However, the crucial caveat is that not everything is equal!

Your actual earnings from Merch By Amazon, particularly from print on demand tees, depend on numerous factors:

• The target audience for your print on demand tees designs
• The number of designs you upload for print on demand tees
• The quality of your ideas and designs for print on demand tees
• The effectiveness of your descriptive data (Title, Keywords, Bullet Points) in optimizing listings for print on demand tees
• The existing competition on Amazon for similar print on demand tees designs
• The future competition that emerges on Amazon for similar print on demand tees (copycats and legitimate competitors)

…Despite these variables, it’s highly probable that 100 well-optimized designs for print on demand tees uploaded to Merch By Amazon will generate more revenue than 100 designs on any other print on demand site. This is largely due to the unparalleled traffic volume and potential customer reach of the Amazon marketplace for print on demand tees.

Important Point: It’s crucial to acknowledge that while traffic volume is a significant factor in estimating potential sales, it is not a guarantee of higher revenue for print on demand tees or any product.

For instance, you might find that your designs for print on demand tees sell exceptionally well on Society6 but fail to gain traction on Merch By Amazon. This can occur because each platform attracts distinct customer demographics and exhibits varying levels of competition. Your specific design style and niche might resonate more effectively with the Society6 audience for print on demand tees. In essence, traffic volume is not the only determinant of success.

Ultimately, if you can capture even a small fraction of the market on ANY of these Print on Demand sites, you can potentially achieve a substantial and sustainable income from your print on demand tees. Therefore, avoid being overly fixated on traffic numbers alone and focus on factors like niche relevance and design quality.

My Experience With Merch By Amazon for Print On Demand Tees

Unsurprisingly, Merch By Amazon consistently dominates my royalty earnings from print on demand tees and other apparel, and has done so since its inception.

I foresee no imminent shift in this dominance because Amazon remains the world’s largest online marketplace, particularly for apparel like print on demand tees.

Therefore, if you can secure an account invitation to Merch By Amazon and effectively manage the copycat challenges, there is arguably no more lucrative avenue to license your T-Shirt designs online right now than through Merch By Amazon, especially for print on demand tees.

2. Redbubble for Print On Demand Tees

Redbubble Review

Note: Redbubble has implemented artist tiers, which include fees for sellers in the ‘standard’ tier. This change adds complexity to recommending Redbubble, as many sellers may now encounter fees that reduce their earnings from print on demand tees and other products. For detailed information on these changes, please refer to Redbubble’s official announcement here. It’s important to understand these tier structures and potential fees before committing to selling print on demand tees on Redbubble.

Now that Merch By Amazon has been discussed, we can delve into the ‘true’ Print on Demand sites, starting with Redbubble, a leading platform for print on demand tees.

Redbubble, an Australian company, stands out as the largest standalone print on demand marketplace in terms of total traffic and organic traffic, specifically for platforms like print on demand tees. It has experienced consistent growth over the past several years, solidifying its position as a major player in the print on demand tees and broader POD market.

What’s Good About Redbubble for Print On Demand Tees

Redbubble’s Organic Search Traffic – Reach Customers Searching for Print On Demand Tees

Redbubble Traffic

Redbubble boasts substantial organic reach, meaning it attracts a significant volume of traffic from search engines like Google. This organic traffic is highly valuable for sellers of print on demand tees as it represents customers actively searching for products like yours.

This robust organic reach is particularly beneficial for independent designers and artists who may not have a large existing audience. Redbubble excels at getting your designs, including print on demand tees, to rank well in Google search results, especially for ‘long-tail’ keywords and specific search terms related to print on demand tees.

Currently, Redbubble is arguably the most effective and accessible platform for getting your designs for print on demand tees in front of potential customers who are actively searching on Google, and doing so organically without paid advertising.

Redbubble’s Brand Growth – Increasing Platform Recognition for Print On Demand Tees

Redbubble is increasingly establishing itself as a recognized brand in its own right, particularly among consumers interested in unique designs and print on demand tees.

This growing brand awareness benefits artists in several ways. Notably, it suggests that Redbubble is likely experiencing increasing visitor numbers, and not solely through Google searches for niche or topic-related terms. As Redbubble expands its customer base, the likelihood of generating sales of your print on demand tees also increases.

Redbubble’s Product Quality – Decent and Improving for Print On Demand Tees

Redbubble utilizes print-on-demand printing companies located around the world to produce and ship its products, including print on demand tees. While product quality can vary somewhat based on the specific printing partner and product type, overall quality for print on demand tees is generally decent and consistently improving.

Flexible Artist Margins – Control Your Pricing on Print On Demand Tees

Redbubble offers flexible margins on its products, including print on demand tees, giving artists control over their pricing and profit potential. Customers on Redbubble are often willing to pay slightly higher prices on average compared to other platforms, which can be advantageous for artists aiming to maximize their earnings from print on demand tees.

Redbubble Margins

Artist Branding Options – Build Your Presence on Redbubble for Print On Demand Tees

Because Redbubble was designed with artists in mind, it provides a range of branding tools to help you establish your presence on the platform and promote your print on demand tees. These options include profile images, header images, links to your social media profiles, and more.

Redbubble also incorporates internal ‘follow,’ ‘like,’ and ‘bubble mail’ features to facilitate community building and artist-fan interaction. They actively promote and feature artists on their homepage and through various marketing channels. Redbubble also offers a mobile app, enhancing accessibility for both artists and customers interested in print on demand tees.

Redbubble Artist Profile

Google Shopping Ads and Re-Targeting – Increased Visibility for Print On Demand Tees

Redbubble employs Google Shopping ads and re-targeting strategies to promote designs, including print on demand tees, at no direct cost to artists. This marketing investment by Redbubble enhances the visibility of your designs to potential customers who are most likely to make a purchase. Redbubble’s marketing efforts can significantly increase the chances of your print on demand tees being seen and purchased by the right audience.

What’s Not Good About Redbubble for Print On Demand Tees

Time Consuming Upload Process – Optimization for Multiple Products for Print On Demand Tees

Redbubble offers a vast array of products, expanding beyond print on demand tees to include a wide variety of merchandise. However, this extensive product catalog can translate to a time-consuming process when setting up your artwork for sale on each product type.

In other words, while the product diversity is a strength, the upload and configuration process for each product on Redbubble is not the most efficient. It’s not the worst in the Print on Demand landscape, but it’s not as streamlined as some competitors, such as Teepublic, which is renowned for its user-friendly upload process for print on demand tees and other products.

Redbubble Products

Copycats and Infringement – Design Protection Challenges on Redbubble for Print On Demand Tees

Redbubble, like other open marketplaces for print on demand tees, is not immune to the issue of copycats and copyright/IP infringement. While Redbubble takes measures to address infringement, it remains a challenge for artists to protect their original designs for print on demand tees.

Redbubble doesn’t appear to utilize automated artwork scanning to proactively compare uploads against existing designs. This lack of proactive scanning means that direct copycats can and do emerge on the platform. Furthermore, because artists have control over their margins on Redbubble, competitors can theoretically undercut your pricing, although this is less common for print on demand tees than on platforms like Merch by Amazon with its public BSR data.

However, the copycat and infringement issue is generally less pronounced on Redbubble compared to Merch By Amazon. This is primarily because it’s significantly harder to identify currently top-selling designs on Redbubble, reducing the visibility and incentive for direct copycatting of print on demand tees.

My Review Of Redbubble for Print On Demand Tees

Redbubble remains a consistently strong platform for selling print on demand tees and other designs. Their robust organic reach through search engines means that once you list a design on Redbubble, you have a strong likelihood of that design ranking well on Google, driving organic traffic to your listings for print on demand tees. Additionally, Redbubble’s established brand audience is well-suited to a wide range of artistic styles, including designs suitable for print on demand tees.

Given Redbubble’s scale and reach, it’s a highly recommended platform for nearly any artist seeking to tap into free organic traffic to sell their designs, particularly for print on demand tees. Redbubble is well-suited for pop culture-inspired designs and ‘artsy’ styles, but it’s not limited to these categories. A diverse range of designs can perform well on Redbubble, including print on demand tees.

For instance, if your design style aligns more with Society6-style aesthetics (florals, patterns, watercolors), it’s still highly advisable to list your work on Redbubble as well. Redbubble’s broad audience and organic reach can provide valuable exposure and sales opportunities for a wide spectrum of design styles, including print on demand tees.

Sell On Redbubble

To maximize your success on Redbubble selling print on demand tees, consult my comprehensive guide: How To Sell On Redbubble. This guide provides in-depth strategies and tips to optimize your Redbubble store and listings for print on demand tees and other products.

3. Teepublic for Print On Demand Tees

Teepublic Review

Teepublic is actually owned by Redbubble, but it currently maintains a separate website and distinct artist accounts, offering a unique platform for selling print on demand tees.

Teepublic has followed and, in some aspects, improved upon the Redbubble model for Print on Demand sites, particularly for print on demand tees. However, recent changes have made it less of a completely open marketplace, shifting its approach slightly for artists selling print on demand tees.

What’s Good About Teepublic for Print On Demand Tees

Great Organic Reach – Drive Traffic to Your Print On Demand Tees

Teepublic Traffic

Teepublic boasts a high level of organic traffic, ranking second only to Redbubble among Print on Demand sites. This strong organic reach is a significant advantage for artists aiming to drive traffic to their print on demand tees listings.

This high organic traffic indicates that Teepublic has become very effective at ranking designs and product categories, including print on demand tees, in Google search results. They successfully drive this search engine traffic back to Teepublic, increasing visibility and potential sales for artists’ print on demand tees.

Best Ever Upload Process – Streamlined Listing Creation for Print On Demand Tees

Teepublic offers, in my opinion, the quickest and most user-friendly upload process in the Print on Demand industry, particularly for setting up listings for print on demand tees.

While Teepublic may not offer as extensive a product range as Redbubble or Society6, they still cover all major product categories, including a strong selection of print on demand tees. Importantly, they have streamlined the process of configuring each product, making it exceptionally simple and efficient. I wish other platforms would emulate Teepublic’s approach to the upload process, as it would significantly reduce the often tedious chore of listing products, especially for artists with large catalogs of print on demand tees.

Increasing Brand Awareness – Growing Platform Recognition for Print On Demand Tees

Teepublic demonstrates positive upward growth in brand-related searches, as shown in trend data. Similar to Redbubble, this indicates that Teepublic is becoming increasingly recognized as a brand and is attracting a growing number of visitors. This growing brand awareness is beneficial for artists selling print on demand tees on Teepublic, as it suggests a larger and more engaged audience for their designs.

Less Incentives For Copycats – Fixed Royalties Protect Your Earnings on Print On Demand Tees

Teepublic’s fixed royalty rates significantly reduce the incentive for copycats and ‘improve-cats’ to undercut original designs, especially for print on demand tees.

Teepublic’s fixed royalty structure means that it becomes impossible for copycats and ‘improve-cats’ to gain a pricing advantage over original creators. This is a notable difference compared to platforms like Merch by Amazon or Redbubble, where artists have margin control and undercutting can be a tactic used by those copying designs for print on demand tees.

While copycats still exist on Teepublic, the fixed royalty model removes the financial incentive for undercutting. Copycats must sell their designs for print on demand tees at the same price as the original creator, diminishing their competitive advantage.

What’s Not So Good About Teepublic for Print On Demand Tees

Those Fixed Royalties Aren’t High (and they can go lower) – Lower Per-Sale Earnings on Print On Demand Tees

Teepublic’s fixed royalties are relatively low, particularly for T-Shirts. The standard royalty is just $4 per T-shirt sale, and this figure can drop to $2 during sale periods, impacting the per-sale earnings for artists selling print on demand tees.

Teepublic Royalties

Despite the lower per-sale royalties, Teepublic often matches or closely rivals my monthly royalty earnings on Redbubble. This indicates that Teepublic’s sale scheduling and promotional activities are highly effective at driving volume. Teepublic compensates for lower individual sale royalties with increased sales volume, particularly during promotional periods for print on demand tees.

In other words, while the royalty on individual sales of print on demand tees may be lower, Teepublic’s successful traffic generation during sales events ensures that my total monthly royalties remain strong. Teepublic’s promotional strategy effectively drives sales volume to offset lower per-item royalties for print on demand tees sellers.

IP & Copyright Infringement – Platform Monitoring Challenges for Print On Demand Tees

Similar to Redbubble, Teepublic faces challenges related to IP and copyright infringement, despite efforts to address these issues for print on demand tees and other products.

While it’s not easy for copycats to identify top-selling designs on Teepublic as readily as on platforms with public BSR data, it’s still relatively straightforward for infringers to upload designs that may violate copyright or intellectual property, including designs for print on demand tees.

Additionally, a significant portion of designs on Teepublic, including print on demand tees, may be considered IP infringing or borderline infringing. This prevalence of potentially infringing content raises concerns about the long-term viability and sustainability of the platform for artists who prioritize ethical and legally sound practices in their print on demand tees businesses.

My Experience With Teepublic for Print On Demand Tees

I genuinely enjoy selling on Teepublic, particularly for print on demand tees. While other platforms have experienced fluctuations in performance over the years, Teepublic has consistently grown or maintained steady performance, making it a reliable platform for artists.

In fact, Teepublic is nearing the point of surpassing my monthly earnings on Redbubble, and I’ve heard similar reports from other artists and designers selling print on demand tees. This positive trend suggests that Teepublic is a platform worth considering for artists looking to expand their reach and sales.

While Teepublic may not be the ideal platform for every artist or design style, if your primary focus is on pop culture-themed or humorous designs specifically made for T-Shirts and print on demand tees, then exploring Teepublic is highly recommended. It’s a strong platform for artists whose designs align with current trends and popular themes in the print on demand tees market.

Sell On Teepublic

For a comprehensive guide to maximizing your success in selling your work on Teepublic, especially print on demand tees, check out my in-depth guide: How To Sell On Teepublic. This guide provides detailed strategies and actionable tips to optimize your Teepublic store and listings for print on demand tees and other products.

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4. Society6 for Print On Demand Tees

Society6 recently announced significant changes, transitioning from an open marketplace to a curated platform that will exclusively feature a select group of chosen designers. Detailed information about these changes can be found here. Consequently, much of the information below may no longer be relevant unless you are already a selected seller on Society6 or are interested in their curated marketplace model for selling print on demand tees and art.

Society6 Review

Society6 is a smaller player compared to Teepublic or Redbubble (with roughly half the traffic of Teepublic), but it boasts a substantial social media following and demonstrates stable traffic and brand search interest, indicating a loyal and engaged audience for its unique style of print on demand tees and art.

While Society6 may not possess the vast organic reach of larger platforms, if your artistic style aligns with their aesthetic and target audience, it can be a highly effective platform for your art, including print on demand tees.

What’s Good About Society6 for Print On Demand Tees

Society6 Knows What It Is – Defined Aesthetic and Target Audience for Print On Demand Tees

Society6 has cultivated a well-defined aesthetic, primarily focusing on modern home decor and wall art. This clear brand identity extends to their apparel offerings, including print on demand tees, which often feature designs that complement their home decor style.

Society6 Wall Art

They are significantly less T-Shirt-centric than Redbubble or Teepublic. Instead, Society6 showcases a greater emphasis on patterns, florals, watercolors, and abstract art. You’ll find fewer pop culture-driven, bold, or traditional novelty T-Shirt graphics on Society6. This curated style can be advantageous for artists whose work aligns with Society6’s distinct aesthetic, including designs suitable for print on demand tees.

This focused aesthetic is beneficial if your artwork resonates with their style. If it doesn’t, it simply means Society6 might not be the optimal primary platform for your specific design style, especially for print on demand tees. However, at least you have clarity regarding their target style and audience. (Contrast this with platforms like Zazzle, Spreadshirt, or Cafepress, where identifying a specific target style or demographic can be significantly more challenging.)

Large, Existing, Brand-Aware Audience – Direct Traffic and Social Reach for Print On Demand Tees

Society6’s established brand presence, combined with regular promotional emails and a substantial social media following, enables them to drive traffic through channels beyond organic search. This is particularly beneficial for artists who get their designs featured or promoted by Society6, including designs for print on demand tees.

While this may primarily benefit artists whose work gets featured, if your designs align with Society6’s aesthetic and style, there’s a higher likelihood of your print on demand tees or artwork being selected for promotion and gaining increased visibility to their brand-conscious audience.

Decent Percentage Of Organic Traffic – Some Search Engine Visibility for Print On Demand Tees

Despite not having the massive organic reach of Redbubble or Teepublic, Society6 still derives a healthy 39% of its total traffic from organic search. This indicates that they maintain a decent level of SEO performance, offering some visibility for your print on demand tees and artwork in search engine results.

Therefore, your work on Society6, including print on demand tees, has a reasonable chance of appearing in Google search results and attracting traffic from users searching for art and design-related products.

Artist Branding Options – Limited but Present for Building Your Society6 Presence

Society6 provides a limited set of branding options for artists, including an artist bio and a follow function, along with the standard profile images and headers. While not as extensive as some platforms, these options allow for some degree of personalization and brand building within the Society6 ecosystem for artists selling print on demand tees and art.

What’s Not Good About Society6 for Print On Demand Tees

Lower Overall Traffic, Low Organic Reach – Smaller Audience Compared to Major Platforms

Society6 simply doesn’t possess the sheer traffic volume or organic reach of Merch By Amazon, Redbubble, or Teepublic. This reduced traffic volume means it can be more challenging to gain significant visibility for your work, including print on demand tees, unless you actively drive your own external traffic to your Society6 store.

Unless you are proactively driving your own traffic to your Society6 listings, it can be harder to get significant eyeballs on your work compared to platforms with larger built-in audiences, particularly for print on demand tees.

Their Style May Not Fit Your Style – Niche Aesthetic Limits Appeal for Certain Design Styles

The very strength of Society6 – its well-defined aesthetic – can also be a limitation for artists whose design styles don’t align with their curated look. Society6’s focus on florals, pastels, watercolors, abstract wall art, and home decor means it might not be the ideal platform for artists primarily creating humorous pop culture shirts or bold, traditional novelty T-Shirt designs, including print on demand tees.

Society6 Art

While it’s certainly possible to make sales of diverse design styles on Society6, it may be more challenging if your artistic focus is primarily on pop culture-themed or novelty-driven designs for print on demand tees. The platform’s audience and aesthetic lean towards a different style.

Complicated Upload Process – Less User-Friendly Listing Creation Compared to Some Platforms

Society6’s upload process is more complex compared to platforms like Teepublic. While they offer a wider range of products, the process of setting up listings and optimizing designs for each product type can be somewhat daunting and time-consuming, especially for artists with large catalogs of print on demand tees and art.

My Experience With Society6 for Print On Demand Tees

I’ve had designs listed on Society6 since 2015, but it has never been a major contributor to my royalty earnings compared to platforms like Redbubble or Teepublic.

I attribute this lower performance primarily to my design style, which doesn’t fully align with Society6’s target audience and overall aesthetic. My designs tend to be more ‘straight-forward’ T-Shirt graphics, which don’t always translate effectively to wall art or home decor products, particularly if you are aiming for family-friendly or inspirational themes that are less prominent on Society6.

You’ll likely know if Society6 is a strong fit for your artistic style. If your work aligns with their aesthetic and target audience, it’s worth investing time and giving the platform a chance. If not, it may be more efficient to focus your efforts on platforms that better suit your design style and target market for print on demand tees and art.

Sell On Society6

If your work resonates with the Society6 aesthetic, you might also consider exploring Spoonflower. Spoonflower is a fabric and wallpaper site that caters to a similar demographic and aesthetic style as Society6, offering another potential avenue to showcase and sell your designs, although primarily focused on fabric and wallpaper rather than print on demand tees.

6. Displate for Print On Demand Tees (and Metal Posters)

Displate Review

Displate is a smaller player in the Print on Demand space, but they exhibit strong growth trends and boast a very large social media following, suggesting significant potential for future expansion, particularly within their niche of metal posters and increasingly for apparel like print on demand tees. Could Displate be the next major platform to emerge in the POD landscape?

Their overall traffic is relatively modest compared to industry giants, but they are the dominant platform in a growing product category: metal wall prints. This niche focus, combined with their growth trajectory, makes them a platform to watch, especially for artists whose work translates well to metal prints and potentially print on demand tees.

What’s Good About Displate for Print On Demand Tees (and Metal Posters)

Well Organized Site, Nicely Categorized – User-Friendly Platform for Discovering Art

Displate features a well-organized and thoughtfully categorized website. For platforms that don’t possess exceptionally high organic reach, effective site organization and categorization become crucial. Displate’s structure helps customers easily discover the art they are seeking and enables artists to understand where their work best fits within the platform’s categories, including categories relevant to print on demand tees and apparel as they expand their product offerings.

When organic reach is less dominant, a well-structured site like Displate enhances user discoverability and helps artists position their print on demand tees and artwork effectively within the platform’s ecosystem.

Growth In Organic Traffic – Expanding Search Engine Visibility for Displate

Displate Traffic

Displate demonstrates strong growth in organic traffic, indicating increasing visibility in search engine results. While their current organic traffic numbers may be smaller compared to larger, more established platforms, their positive growth trend is a significant indicator of future potential, both for metal prints and potentially for print on demand tees as they expand their apparel offerings.

While their current organic traffic volume may be relatively modest compared to industry giants, they are moving in a positive direction. Displate is one of only 4 sites in my research that shows growth in both brand searches and organic traffic, suggesting a solid foundation for continued expansion, potentially including in the print on demand tees market.

Huge Social Media Reach and Increasing Brand Searches – Strong Brand Building and Social Engagement

Displate possesses impressive social media presence, particularly on platforms like Facebook, and is experiencing positive growth in brand-related searches. This combination of social media strength and increasing brand recognition suggests successful brand building and audience engagement, which can translate to increased visibility and sales for artists on the platform, including those selling print on demand tees as Displate expands into apparel.

If your artwork resonates with Displate’s target audience, you could potentially benefit from their strong social media reach and growing brand awareness, gaining exposure for your metal prints and potentially for print on demand tees in the future.

Easy Upload Process – Streamlined Listing Creation for Metal Prints (and Potentially Tees)

Displate’s upload process is user-friendly and straightforward, as expected from a platform initially focused on a single product type (metal prints). This streamlined upload process can be advantageous for artists, particularly as Displate expands its product offerings to include apparel like print on demand tees.

The ease of uploading and listing designs on Displate makes it efficient for artists to showcase their work, particularly within their core product category of metal prints and potentially for print on demand tees as their apparel selection grows.

What’s Not Good About Displate for Print On Demand Tees (and Metal Posters)

Still A Small Player – Limited Traffic Volume Compared to Major Platforms

Despite their growth trajectory, Displate remains a smaller player in the overall Print on Demand market. Their current traffic numbers are still relatively low, which may mean that Displate isn’t likely to generate substantial royalty earnings for most artists immediately. However, getting established on a growing platform early on can be a strategic move. As Displate’s traffic continues to climb, artists who establish a presence now could potentially dominate certain niches and categories, including print on demand tees, as the platform expands.

Those lower traffic numbers indicate that Displate may not be a primary source of substantial royalty income yet. However, getting in early on a growing brand can be a smart strategy. As Displate’s traffic increases, artists who establish themselves now could potentially dominate specific corners and niches, including print on demand tees and apparel, as the platform’s audience expands.

Some Infringing Material – Platform Moderation Challenges in a Growing Marketplace

Displate, being a younger company, appears to be in a phase where platform moderation and content curation are still evolving. Currently, there’s a noticeable presence of borderline infringing designs on the platform. While these designs may contribute to sales volume in the short term, they could also pose risks to the platform’s long-term sustainability and reputation. It’s hoped that Displate will strengthen its content moderation policies and enforcement over time to ensure a more legally sound and ethically responsible marketplace for artists and customers alike, including for print on demand tees and apparel as they expand these categories.

Displate is a younger company, and their platform appears to be still evolving in terms of content moderation. There is a noticeable amount of borderline infringing designs currently available, which may contribute to sales. However, this could become a challenge for long-term platform viability and reputation. Hopefully, Displate will strengthen its content moderation policies as they mature, ensuring a more sustainable and ethical marketplace for artists and customers, particularly as they expand into categories like print on demand tees.

My Experience With Displate for Print On Demand Tees (and Metal Posters)

I have limited personal experience with Displate, having only listed a few designs on the platform for a few months. However, my initial impressions are positive.

I can attest to the platform’s user-friendly and efficient system. Displate’s team also appears to be effectively managing their promotional efforts and brand building.

Time will reveal whether Displate becomes a significant platform for my designs in the long run, but early indicators are promising. The good news is that uploading designs to Displate is a relatively quick process. Once listed, artists can essentially adopt a passive approach, allowing the platform to work and generate potential sales, particularly as Displate grows and expands its product categories, potentially including print on demand tees more prominently in the future.

Sell On Displate

7. Threadless for Print On Demand Tees (and Artist Shops)

Threadless Review

Threadless presents a more complex model compared to other Print on Demand sites, as it offers artists multiple avenues to sell their work, including print on demand tees:

1. Submissions / Challenges. Artists can submit artwork to Threadless’ Design Challenges, including their open-ended, no-theme challenge. If your art receives high scores or is selected by Threadless, it becomes available for sale on the ‘regular’ Threadless.com platform, including potentially as print on demand tees.
2. Threadless Artist Shops. Artists can create a Threadless Artist Shop, providing a customizable storefront hosted by Threadless (e.g., yourname.threadless.com). Threadless handles all printing, shipping, and customer service for orders placed through Artist Shops, including orders for print on demand tees. (However, artists are responsible for driving traffic to their Artist Shops).
3. Threadless Search / ‘Discover’. Once you have an Artist Shop with designs uploaded, you can opt to include those designs within Threadless’ ‘Discover’ section. This makes your designs searchable and discoverable by users browsing the main threadless.com website, not just through your individual storefront. This feature can increase visibility for your print on demand tees and other products beyond your direct shop promotion.

While options 1 and 2 are less directly comparable to other Print on Demand sites on this list, option 3 qualifies Threadless as a Print on Demand site, albeit with a more nuanced approach to artist participation and visibility, especially for print on demand tees.

What’s Good About Threadless for Print On Demand Tees (and Artist Shops)

Big Social Following – Established Brand with Strong Social Media Presence

Threadless is a long-standing brand in the online T-Shirt and Print on Demand industry, considered one of the pioneers of online T-Shirt sales and a recognizable brand name, particularly in the artist and designer community.

Threadless Twitter

This long history has resulted in a substantial social media following for Threadless, exceeding that of any other platform on this list. They also likely possess a significant email newsletter subscriber base. This established social media presence and email list enable Threadless to effectively promote designs and drive traffic to the platform, potentially benefiting artists selling print on demand tees.

Threadless actively utilizes its promotional channels, sending daily emails and running regular sales events. If your designs are featured on the ‘regular’ Threadless platform, you stand to benefit from this promotional activity and gain increased visibility for your print on demand tees and other products.

Consistent Style And Approach – Curated and Independent Design Focus

Threadless tends to maintain a relatively consistent style and aesthetic, exercising a degree of curation over the types of designs they publish on their main platform. This curated approach distinguishes Threadless from more open marketplaces and can be appealing to artists whose style aligns with Threadless’s brand identity.

Threadless Designs

You typically won’t find a large volume of IP-infringing or ‘edgy’ content on Threadless. Instead, the platform tends to showcase truly independent, unique, and original pop culture designs created by individual designers and artists. If your work aligns with this mold, exploring Threadless can be worthwhile, particularly for artists creating print on demand tees with a focus on originality and independent style.

Easy Upload Process – Streamlined Listing Creation for Artist Shops

The upload and listing process for Artist Shops (and consequently for inclusion in the ‘discover’ section) is reasonably straightforward. While not as exceptionally streamlined as Teepublic’s upload process, it’s still relatively efficient and user-friendly, making it accessible for artists to set up their shops and list print on demand tees and other products. It’s not as quick as Teepublic, but it’s not significantly more cumbersome, offering a balance of ease of use and functionality.

What’s Not So Good About Threadless for Print On Demand Tees (and Artist Shops)

Low Traffic, Decreasing Organic Reach – Limited Platform Visibility Compared to Major Players

Traffic to Threadless is relatively low compared to leading Print on Demand platforms. Based on SimilarWeb statistics, Threadless’s traffic volume is behind Displate and closer to the traffic levels of Bonfire, indicating a smaller potential audience compared to platforms like Redbubble or Teepublic, especially for artists relying on organic platform traffic to sell print on demand tees.

Approximately 22% of Threadless’s traffic originates from organic search, which is significantly lower than Society6, FineArtAmerica, and considerably lower than Teepublic and Redbubble. This lower organic reach means Threadless relies more heavily on its own marketing and promotional efforts to drive sales, including sales of print on demand tees. For artists seeking platforms with strong built-in organic traffic, Threadless may not be the optimal primary choice.

Decreasing Brand Searches, Poor Reputation – Brand Perception Challenges

Threadless’s brand perception and reputation appear to have diminished somewhat in recent times. Their organic traffic is not growing, and Google Trends data indicates that searches for the term ‘Threadless’ have been declining over time. This trend suggests potential challenges in maintaining brand relevance and attracting new customers, which could impact sales for artists selling print on demand tees on the platform.

Low Royalties – Reduced Artist Earnings Per Sale

Threadless offers disappointingly low royalties, particularly if you allow Threadless to manage your Shop’s pricing and promotions. When Threadless runs sales, they are often deeply discounted, with shirts priced as low as $12. This makes Threadless potentially the cheapest Print on Demand site listed here in terms of customer pricing, but it comes at the cost of artist royalties.

With such low list prices during sales, artist royalties can be extremely slim. For example, artists may receive as little as $1 or even $0.50 for a shirt sale. I’ve even encountered instances where shirts selling for $22 earned me only $1 in royalty, representing a significantly lower percentage compared to platforms like Teepublic. On Teepublic, a sale shirt priced at $14 typically yields a $2 royalty for the artist, demonstrating a more favorable royalty percentage for artists compared to Threadless’s deeply discounted sales model.

My Experience With Threadless for Print On Demand Tees (and Artist Shops)

Overall, I would characterize Threadless as functioning primarily as a simple storefront platform. It provides artists with the ability to create a basic online store and offers some potential for exposure through their ‘discover’ system. However, if your primary goal is to achieve robust organic traffic and sales volume, particularly for print on demand tees, Threadless is unlikely to deliver those results, unless your designs are specifically selected to be featured as part of their main ‘Threadless’ collection, which is a curated and competitive process.

Sell On Threadless

What About Zazzle, Spreadshirt, CafePress, DesignbyHumans… etc? – Other Print On Demand Sites

Small Print on Demand Players With Some Hope – Niche Platforms with Potential

As previously mentioned, independent artists don’t necessarily need to sell on platforms with millions of monthly visitors to generate consistent and respectable income from their art, including print on demand tees.

By carving out a niche within a platform with even relatively modest traffic, artists can still achieve a substantial and sustainable monthly income from their print on demand tees and other designs.

The following sites may not have high overall traffic ratings, but they could still warrant your attention, depending on the alignment between your design style, target audience, and the platform’s user base. These niche platforms can offer targeted opportunities for artists focused on specific themes or styles of print on demand tees.

Other Print on Demand Options For Artists – Diversifying Your Sales Channels

If you are seeking even more avenues to get your art onto products and shipped to customers, beyond the major Print on Demand sites and companies reviewed above, consider these additional options for selling print on demand tees and merchandise:

• A Print on Demand Storefront (discussed below).
• Selling on online marketplaces (e.g., Etsy, Amazon Seller Central) by utilizing a Print on Demand company like Printful or Printify for fulfillment of print on demand tees.
• Selling directly through your own website (using platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, etc.) and again partnering with a Print on Demand company such as Printful or Printify to handle production and shipping of print on demand tees.

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Other Notable Print-On-Demand Companies for Tees:

Besides Printful, Printify, Gelato, and Scalable Press, numerous other on-demand T-Shirt printing companies exist. Here’s a list of additional Printful and Printify alternatives and competitors you may want to explore for your print on demand tees business:

• Gooten
• Print