Abby B. Wondering what are the best print on demand art sites for beginner artists? Excited to start your new side hustle but unsure which print on demand company to join? Here are 13 popular ones to explore!
I was never an artist or a graphic designer. All I knew is I wanted to make money online, passively, and print on demand was one of the things I stumbled upon that seemed possible (especially if you’re working from home). To my surprise, I made my first print on demand sale within a month of starting – and if I could do it, you can do it TOO.
In this article, I’ll be sharing 13 print on demand art sites you can use as a beginner artist online. They are both free and simple to use for new artists trying to create a small online business from scratch.
*This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you) if you sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link!
4 Things To Consider As A New Print On Demand Artist
I’m sure you’ve done some research on how to start and what print on demand sites to join – and you might be confused. There’s just so many sites to explore and you’re unsure which is best for you.
Print on demand companies operate differently and while they’re great in their own ways, it’s best to know the key differences. So before we start, here are some important things you’ll have to consider when joining a POD site as a new print on demand artist.
Type of fulfillment site
One of the major things to know is the differences between a print on demand marketplace (e.g. Redbubble) and a white label print on demand company (e.g. Printify). Both will print out your orders and deliver to your customer’s doorsteps for you but while a white label does everything under your brand name, a marketplace ships products with their brand printed on it.
For you to be able to sell white label (your own brand), you’ll have to integrate your artist account with external marketplaces like Etsy or your stand alone e-commerce website on Shopify, WooCommerce or Wix. All sales will sync to your POD artist account for the fulfillment company to process the order. Your customers will not know that a third-party printing company is creating your products.
On the contrary, customers will place orders for your designed merchandise directly on POD marketplaces like Redbubble or Zazzle. They are fully aware that all orders are made and shipped by these companies – product packaging will also show the same. You don’t need any other e-commerce website/shop, all orders will be processed directly on the site and you’ll just receive your artist commissions after.
Products
Product catalog differs for each fulfillment company but you should expect the basic items like t-shirts, stickers, tote bags and tumblers to be quite similar. Generally, white label PODs like Printify and Printful offer a wider selection of products compared to marketplaces.
Some items that Redbubble does not have compared to Printify are candles, shoes and yoga mats. Even within the clothing category, Printify offers a lot more products than Redbubble and supplies them in multiple base colors. Marketplaces tend to be simpler and more straightforward in their product offerings.
Commissions
Another important thing to note is that potential commissions vary with each print on demand site. Commissions are not the same across different marketplaces and different types of products.
Profit margin is much higher if you’re selling white label POD (40%-50%) compared to marketplaces (up to 20%), given the higher risk you’re taking, the extra work you’re putting in and less competition (you’re not competing with other artists on one site). The higher profit should cover your other costs such as online advertising (bringing in traffic to your site), domain fees, hosting fees and payment fees.
At the start of your journey, you should not limit yourself from selling an item just because of the lower profit margin – you should sell everything and test out what works best.
Integrations
Most marketplaces cannot be integrated with other e-commerce sites, all sales happen on the platform itself. Integration to sites like Etsy, eBay or Shopify is only available for white label POD.
Each of them integrates with different sites and while there are popular ones (e.g. Etsy and Shopify), companies like Printify and Printful offers way a lot more integrations – most we might never use.
Unless you’re selling on a marketplace, decide where you want to sell your products and choose a site that integrates with it!
13 Best Art Print On Demand Sites
For the ease of explanation, I will only list out some of the best print on demand marketplaces in this article. In my opinion, marketplaces are easier to navigate for beginners, does not involve any startup cost and you can start selling within minutes.
If you’re interested to know my recommendations on white label print on demand, check out this article here or browse based on my product guides.
1. Redbubble
One of the most popular POD marketplaces is Redbubble. It was the first one I tried selling my then amateur designs on – and it helps that you can upload a design to multiple products at once.
Starting anything new can be daunting and Redbubble makes it feel easy breezy for beginners.
As an artist, you can customize your storefront to your liking with a logo and banner (I created mine with Canva). You can also edit descriptions for your design, which I highly recommend so people can search for them easily – check out my tips to get your first sale on Redbubble here.
| Products you can design | Apparel Stickers Masks Phone case Wall art Home & living Kids & babies Pets Accessories Stationery & office Gifts |
| Available integrations | – |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Melbourne, Australia |
| Ships to | Worldwide except 6 countries |
2. Society6
If there’s another POD marketplace I would recommend, it would be Society6. All their designs are dreamy and perfect for young adults and teenagers who are looking for a more simple cheerful items.
It is not the site for you if you’re looking to make more conventional heavy art designs but you can take a look and decide for yourself. Commissions are slightly lower on Society6 compared to other sites – with a fixed 10% rate for most items (excludes canvas art).
Regardless, you should not limit yourself from selling on different platforms as most sites have a non-exclusive right to your artwork. This means you can sell the same artwork on variety of platforms without worry.
| Products you can design | Apparel Bags Accessories Wall art Tapestries Pillows Blankets Curtains Wall clocks Rugs Wallpaper Kitchen products Phone cases Furniture Stickers Stationery Puzzles Acrylic products Greeting cards Laptop stickers Yoga products Water bottles Mugs Beach Towels |
| Available integrations | – |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Santa Monica, California |
| Ships to | Worldwide (not all products can be shipped outside of the US) |
3. Zazzle
Another popular site among print on demand artists is Zazzle. You can find a ton of resources on YouTube from other creators to help you navigate as I have done so myself.
It can be a little confusing at first but there are a lot of features to explore and a lot of products to sell your designs on. Zazzle has way more items to offer compared to others in this list!
Zazzle regularly promotes rising artists/designers to their featured creators list. Users are also able to connect with other creators on the platform to share knowledge and get professional feedback from others.
On top of that, Zazzle’s creators get a 15% off discount if they purchase Adobe Creative Cloud.
| Products you can design | Apparels Accessories Invitations & cards Wedding supplies Business supplies Art & wall Décor Home products Crafts & party supplies Electronics Office & school Baby & kids Gifts & moments |
| Available integrations | API |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Redwood City, California |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
4. CafePress
At a single glance, CafePress might look a little dated to new users. As a millennial myself, I think that their product mockups are also not optimized for a modern look or up-to-date user experience.
Nevertheless, CafePress has some unique POD products to offer including pajamas, doormats and even blankets – these items are not the usuals for marketplaces.
One important thing to know is that CafePress only accepts artists from these 26 countries and they only ship to the same ones. If your country is not in that list, it’s ok, you can cross out CafePress and join other marketplaces in this list.
| Products you can design | Apparel Kids & baby Drinkware Phone cases Home decor Stationery Bags Hats Car accessories Patches Flip flops Jewelry Buttons Keychains Dog t-shirts Puzzles Stickers Yard signs |
| Available integrations | – |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Ships to | 26 countries (Check here) |
5. Threadless
If the hippiness of Society6 didn’t catch your eye, it’s time to check out Threadless. Designs on their site are quite universal and wide-ranging. You can design for an assortment of themes and support real causes through your artwork.
The vibe is pretty much like Redbubble’s so if your designs work well there, there’s a big chance it works nicely on Threadless too. Products are relatively cheap with the price of shirts starting at $16.95 per piece – this may not be the best news to you but to some consumers/buyers, the cheaper the better.
| Products you can design | Apparel Headwear Puzzles Drinkware Bags Notebooks Pouches Beach towels Wall art Art prints Premium rugs Comforters Blankets Pillows |
| Available integrations | – |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Chicago, Illinois |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
6. Fine Art America
Love CafePress but unable to sell on their site? Fine Art America is your next best alternative. They have also been in the POD industry since the early 2000s, just like CafePress.
You can expect their product mockups to look slightly dated as well but that should not deter you from making sales (if your artwork is worthwhile of course!).
Fine Art America has a huge database of customers and to further expand your business, your designs can be sold in physical retail stores by FAA (over 150 locations). By selling on FAA, you are also selling on their other websites (just branded differently) e.g. Pixels and Pixels On Demand.
You may also like that sellers are able to price their products freely and keep 100% profits for digital downloads.
| Products you can design | Wall art Art prints Posters Tapestries Home decor Lifestyle Apparel Tech collections |
| Available integrations | Shopify App Instagram Merchandise YouTube Merchandise |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Santa Monica, California |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
7. Design By Humans
Interested in Teespring because you’re a creator? You should check out Design By Humans too. It’s another site aiming to attract gamers, YouTubers and musicians to create their own merchandise.
If there’s one thing I like about DBH, it’s their wide range of sizes especially for t-shirts (up to 5XL!).
DBH runs artists contests from time to time so you can participate and get creative with your designs. Each contest have their own themes e.g. games and sometimes revolve around a specific product. Similar to Redbubble, you can create a custom storefront on DBH and give your store some fun.
| Products you can design | Apparel Art prints Mouse pads Phone cases Coffee mugs Cups Stainless steel bottles Stickers Hats Kids clothing |
| Available integrations | Twitch |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Chico, California, USA |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
8. Spreadshirt
Unlike others in this list, Spreadshirt is a POD marketplace that also has a white label segment (SPOD). You can sell directly on the marketplace alongside other artists or create your own branded products through SPOD’s integrations e.g. Shopify.
Just select which sales channel you prefer when signing up for a Spreadshirt account.
Love ordering samples of your own designs? Sellers on Spreadshirt are able to order up to 20 different items in one delivery with a 30-day refund window. This way, you can really know if you’re selling quality products – then maybe later proceed to flaunt them in public or take photos for social media promotion.
| Products you can design | Apparel Pajamas Sportswear Maternity wear Sustainable clothing Kids clothing Mugs Phone cases Caps & hats Bags Bandanas Neck gaiter Face masks Buttons Stickers Aprons Water bottles Pillow cases Stuffed animals Magnets Mouse pads |
| Available integrations | – (Consider using Spreadshop or SPOD for integrations) |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Greenburg, Pennsylvania |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
9. Teespring (Spring)
Are you a creator on social media like YouTube, TikTok or even Discord? Another way to monetize your audience is by selling your own merchandise.
While there are creators and influencers that tried doing so by printing items in huge volume and holding inventory themselves, it is not a wise move for everyone. You may find yourself keeping stocks for months on end waiting to sell off last year’s merchandise.
Teespring or Spring is a POD marketplace that integrates with social media platforms (listed below) and aims to help creators sell merchandise on demand to online fans. You don’t need any large startup cost – just your own designs and enough follower count (varies with platforms) to start selling.
| Products you can design | Apparel Sportswear Stickers Bags Caps Wall art Drinkware Pillows Bath Puzzles Stationery Keychains Tech accessories |
| Available integrations | Instagram YouTube Shelf Twitch Linktree Stream Alerts Discord |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | San Francisco, California |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
10. INPRNT
If you’re an existing artist online or a professional one with a portfolio of artwork, Inprnt is way to push your art to the next level. Unlike others, you’ll have to submit some samples of your work when applying to join Inprnt and they will evaluate it before approving your application.
As an artist, you may find great joy in having your artwork printed on merchandise and sharing them with others all around the world.
Inprnt lets you do that while nurturing your love for quality art and retaining the value your artwork brings to others. You won’t be seen as just another person making amateur designs to make a quick buck online.
| Products you can design | Art prints Framed art prints Canvas prints Acrylic prints Metal prints Phone cases Art cards |
| Available integrations | – |
| Requires approval? | Yes |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Orlando, Florida |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
11. Teepublic
Teepublic is quite like Redbubble and Threadless, but on a smaller scale. Their catalog of products isn’t the best but it lets you diversify your sales by just reusing your current designs.
If you’re someone who has done freelance design work for others and love the extra income, you’ll love that Teepublic lets you offer the same services on their platform. Anyone who’s interested in your artwork can simply hire you directly on your storefront to design for them.
| Products you can design | Apparel Stickers Tapestries Phone cases Hoodies Mugs Laptop cases Notebooks |
| Available integrations | – |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | New York |
| Ships to | Worldwide (Check here) |
12. Displate
Feeling stuck and unsure of what products to sell? On Displate, the main item to design is a metal poster. You don’t have to think much for your business and designing a poster is pretty straightforward – quite like canvas art and tote bags.
You can earn a higher income, as much as 41% commission of net sale value for purchases, by promoting your own link on other social media platforms.
If you’re a fan of your own designs, it’s great to know that you can purchase your Displates for 50% discount off the retail price. There’s also a chance that your designs may be chosen for Displate’s recurrent limited edition sale.
| Products you can design | Metal prints |
| Available integrations | – |
| Requires approval? | No |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland |
| Ships to | 54 countries (Check here) |
13. Amazon Merch On Demand
The product selection for Amazon’s Merch On Demand is pretty limited but it’s still a great marketplace to sell your designs on. Almost everyone uses Amazon especially in the USA and the UK, so it’s not a platform you should miss out on.
The tricky part is that it’s not easy to join MOD as an artist/seller – and just like Inprnt, your application will need some sample artwork plus approval.
If you’re a seasoned artist, this should come easy! Just like the usual Amazon sellers, artists will also have access to Amazon Advertising to bump up their designed merchandise in search.
| Products you can design | T-shirts Long sleeve tee Hoodies Sweatshirt Tank tops Phone cases Pillow cases Tote bags Popsocket grips |
| Available integrations | – |
| Requires approval? | Yes |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Seattle, Washington |
| Ships to | Worldwide (Same as Amazon) |
Summary of 13 Best Print On Demand Art Sites
You can find a summary I’ve written on the PROS and CONS of each of the marketplaces above in this other article here.
| Company | Free to join? | Requires approval? | Based in |
| Redbubble | Free | No | Australia |
| Society6 | Free | No | USA |
| Zazzle | Free | No | USA |
| CafePress | Free | No | USA |
| Threadless | Free | No | USA |
| Fine Art America | Free | No | USA |
| Design By Humans | Free | No | USA |
| Spreadshirt | Free | No | USA |
| Teespring | Free | No | USA |
| Inprnt | Free | Yes | USA |
| Teepublic | Free | No | USA |
| Displate | Free | No | Poland |
| Amazon Merch On Demand | Free | Yes | USA |
Looking for a POD site like Redbubble that’s from the UK? I’ve listed one here
How To Sell Art Online With Print On Demand
- Sign up for an account with any of the POD marketplaces I’ve listed above
- You’ll have to create an account with one of the sites I’ve mentioned above to start selling
- Choose one supplier that resonates to you the most with the right products you’ve envisioned for your business
- Choose a niche for your designs
- Niching down is great to attract the right audience
- Some examples would be food, animals or even patterns with short quotes
- Focus on your chosen niche for the next 100 designs!
- Do research on best selling and trendy designs
- Before making any designs, find out what’s working in the market for your niche
- A quick trick is to Google or search for them on Etsy
- Make your own designs or outsource
- Upload designs to products
- Uploading designs to supplier’s products is super easy and you should be able to do this once an account is created
- Position the design correctly when uploading as the actual product will look the same as what you see online
- Set a suitable profit margin
- On POD marketplaces like Redbubble, you should be able to set a preferred profit margin at settings section
- Margins on marketplaces ranges from 5%-30% depending on the platform you’re selling
- Start selling and repeat!
- Repeat the process and you’ll get some sales with time!
- Increase your chances of success by uploading more quality designs and implementing these tips & tricks
12 Simple POD Products You Can Design As A New Artist
Not all products are straightforward and simple to design. Some requires a little more technical skill compared to others. It’s not cheap to order samples just to test out how your designs look, so it may be safer to stick to easy products in the beginning.
Here are 12 easy print on demand products you can start designing as a beginner artist online:
- Tote bags
- Phone cases
- Blankets
- Keychains
- Candles
- Jewelry
- Yoga mats
- Wrapping paper
- Stickers
- Posters
- Tumblers
- Puzzles
Need more inspiration? Check out other print on demand products you can design here.
Other Options For Print On Demand Art Sites
Looking for more adventure beyond marketplaces? Not interested in selling your designs alongside other artists and wish to make more revenue per sale?
You might like the idea of setting up your own branded e-commerce store or website e.g. Etsy, Shopify or WooCommerce. It might take more time to start selling compared to just signing up to a marketplace, but the whole experience can be priceless!
Here are 9 sites I would recommend if you’re planning to sell white label print on demand, instead of joining the marketplaces I’ve listed above:
- Printify
- Printful
- Gelato
- Gooten
- Contrado
- Teelaunch
- HugePOD
- Prodigi
- ShineOn
Find my longer list of white label sites here
Bottom Line
If you’re still unsure if print on demand is for you, check out my top reasons why anyone can do it. The marketplaces I’ve listed above are great options for beginners to start earning side income with their artwork.
All you have to do is sign up for an account and get your designs out there for sales. Everything takes time!
Here are 13 best print on demand websites for new artists:
- Redbubble
- Society6
- Zazzle
- CafePress
- Threadless
- Fine Art America
- Design By Humans
- Spreadshirt
- Teespring
- INPRNT
- Teepublic
- Displate
- Amazon Merch On Demand
Looking for a specific product to focus on? Check out my POD product guides – I’ve included both marketplaces and white label companies to make it even more wholesome.
- Tote bags for print on demand
- Tumblers for print on demand
- Phone cases for print on demand
- Posters for print on demand
- Leggings for print on demand
- Jewelry for print on demand
- Candles for print on demand
- Doormats for print on demand
- Hoodies for print on demand
- Pet products for print on demand
- Socks for print on demand
- Pajamas for print on demand
- Blankets for print on demand
- Baby clothes for print on demand
- Wrapping paper for print on demand
- Puzzles for print on demand
- Stickers for print on demand
- Athletic wear for print on demand
- Hats for print on demand
- Journals for print on demand
- Greeting cards for print on demand
- Mugs for print on demand
Photo by Vlad Chețan
