Two Must-Haves! Print-on-Demand Setup
LYNNIE VERSION
Would you like to read this article in more grown-up words, still easy to understand? Jump here.
Hi! I’m Lynnie! Today I’m telling you about print on demand setup. That’s everything you get ready besides your shop.
Remember the five kinds of setup jobs from our setup checklist? For print-on-demand, you ALWAYS need two of them: your offer, and an agreement with a printing helper.
Why the helper? Because the whole thing works only if a helper prints your design and sends it every time somebody orders. No helper, no product!
Must-have 1: your offer
Your offer is the finished product, the way a buyer sees it. Your design, on one product, at one price, with nice pictures. So before you list anything, your design is ready and you picked your products.
Our article on print on demand designs has the design rules.
Picking a price
This needs a bit of thinking! The money you keep is what the customer pays, minus what the helper charges to make and send it. Grown-ups call that your margin.
So check those costs first, peek at similar products, and leave a little extra for surprises.
Must-have 2: a printing helper
Whether you sell in a big mall or on your own website, you make an agreement with a helper who prints and sends for you.
Popular helpers are Printful and Printify. They connect to website tools like Shopify and WooCommerce. If you only want a mall, Redbubble, Merch by Amazon, Zazzle and Gelato can be the helper AND the shop at the same time!
Rules pages
In a big mall, the mall’s rules cover you. No pages needed!
On your own website, you need a privacy page and sale rules. Same rule as always: a page that’s yours needs its own rules pages. Our article on legal requirements for an online business explains more.
Getting paid
In a mall, you just connect your bank account. The mall takes the payment, keeps the making cost, and sends you your piece.
On your own website, you need a payment helper, like Stripe or PayPal, or the checkout of your website tool. Then you get all the money first, and the printing helper sends you its own bill.
Shipping
In a mall, the mall and its helper take care of shipping from start to finish. Not your job!
On your own website, it’s different. You’re officially the seller. So for your customer, shipping is YOUR job. Even though the helper prints, packs and sends it!
A story
A teacher designs happy posters for classrooms. She signs up with a mall that prints and sells posters. She uploads her designs and picks her margin. The mall shows her how much she earns per sale.
She connects her bank account. No rules pages, no payment helper, no shipping. It costs her nothing but her time!
Test before ads!
Before you pay for ads, order a sample of each product. Check the printing, the colors, the size and the box. And see how long it took to arrive.
Then use it for real photos. Way more convincing!
What’s next?
That’s the end of the print-on-demand module! The next article starts way number six: dropshipping, with five example characters. The whole module is in the book on our products page. Want a grown-up to help you set up? Go to our services page.
What grown-ups usually ask (and I answer)
What do I always need?
Your offer, and a printing helper.
Why do I need a helper?
No helper, no product!
How do I pick a price?
Customer price, minus making and shipping costs. Check both!
Which helpers are popular?
Printful and Printify for websites. Redbubble, Merch by Amazon, Zazzle and Gelato as shop AND helper.
Do I need rules pages?
Not in a mall. On your own website, yes.
Is shipping my job?
Not in a mall. On your own website, yes, for your customer.
Will there be step-by-step lessons for each of the ten ways?
Maybe! If lots of people want them. Join the waitlist and you’ll know first.
Can I start print-on-demand for free or almost free?
Yes! Lynnaider shows you ways that cost nothing, or very little. You’d be surprised! And a free robot helper called Lynnaider Compass helps you step by step.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and should not be regarded as legal, tax, or business advice. Pursuing an online business does not guarantee income; results depend on many factors including the business environment, individual effort, skills, and consistency. Some links on this site may allow Lynnaider to earn a commission at no additional cost to the reader.
