How to Sell Print on Demand Shirts

To sell print on demand shirts, you place your own design on a blank shirt in a provider's catalog, list it in a shop or marketplace, and the provider prints and ships each shirt only after someone buys it. Print on demand shirts need no inventory and no upfront stock, which is why t-shirts are the most common first product in POD.

That also makes shirts the most crowded product in POD. Getting a shirt listed takes an afternoon; getting it to sell takes a specific audience, a design that prints well, prices that survive fees, and patience. This guide covers the shirt-specific decisions: the blank, the print file, where to sell, pricing by size, returns and the rules on what you can print. For the business model in general, start with how print on demand works.

How are print on demand shirts printed?

Most print on demand shirts are printed with direct-to-garment (DTG): an inkjet-style printer applies water-based ink straight onto the fabric. There are no screens to set up, so a single shirt with a full-color design costs the same to make as the hundredth.

What that means for you, based on Printful's DTG overview:

• DTG suits small runs. No setup cost and no minimum order, which is what makes POD possible.
• Screen printing wins on bulk. It's cheaper per shirt at high volume, but needs setup and upfront orders.
• Fabric matters. DTG works best on cotton and cotton-rich blends; Printful says blends with 60% cotton or more give better results.

Many providers also offer embroidery and other methods for some products. Embroidery suits simple logos and text, not detailed artwork.

Which blank shirt should you choose?

Choose one or two blanks you've sampled, in a handful of colors, rather than the whole catalog. The blank is part of your product: buyers judge the fit and feel, not the provider.

Two blanks come up constantly in POD catalogs: the Bella+Canvas 3001, a soft 100% cotton tee, and the Gildan 5000. Printify's help center calls them two of its most popular products and offers Express Delivery on both, in best-selling colors with front prints, for mainland US addresses. As of 2026, Printful's product page lists the Bella+Canvas 3001 from $15.95, while Printify prices vary by print provider. Check the current catalog for the exact blank, color and size you want.

How do you make a shirt design that prints well?

Build a transparent PNG at the final print size and resolution; don't design small and scale up. Most "bad print" complaints trace back to the file, not the printer.

• Format: PNG with a transparent background. Printful notes that JPG doesn't support transparency and can print an unwanted box.
• Resolution: Printful asks for at least 150 DPI for most products. Printify recommends 300 DPI and advises building at the final output size.
• Size: Printful uses a standard 15 by 18 inch front print area on select DTG products. A 4500 by 5400 pixel file covers that at 300 DPI.
• Color profile: Printful asks for sRGB (sRGB IEC61966-2.1).
• Real placement: Printify's size guide suggests about 10 to 12 inches wide for a full-front design and smaller for center-chest or left-chest designs. A design that fills the whole area isn't always what buyers want to wear.

Check that the design reads on both light and dark shirts before you enable every color. If you use AI to create artwork, the extra checks are covered in print on demand designs with AI.

Where should you sell print on demand shirts?

Sell where your buyers already search: a marketplace with traffic, or your own shop if you can bring the traffic yourself.

• Etsy + a provider: buyers search for gifts and niche shirts. You set prices and handle customers; Printful or Printify prints.
• Shopify or another store: full control and your own brand, but no built-in traffic.
• TikTok Shop: short videos can sell shirts directly; see TikTok Shop print on demand for how it fits together.
• Amazon Merch on Demand: you upload designs and Amazon prints, lists, ships and handles customer service. Amazon describes your royalty as the price minus tax and Amazon's costs. Access requires applying.
• Redbubble and similar marketplaces: the least work, but you set only a markup and earn less per shirt.

Start with one. Each channel has its own listing style and rules, and splitting your first designs across four places rarely helps.

How much does each shirt actually make?

Less than beginners expect, and it changes by size and placement. A single price for every size means your largest sizes earn the least.

Example (hypothetical): a US Etsy seller sells a shirt at $26 with free shipping. The provider costs are invented for illustration: $12.00 for sizes S to XL, $14.00 for 2XL, $16.00 for 3XL, $4.75 shipping, and $5.00 extra for a back print. Etsy fees are the published 2026 rates for US sellers: $0.20 listing, 6.5% transaction and 3% plus $0.25 processing, which total $2.92 at $26.

Two takeaways:

• Price larger sizes separately. Most channels let you set a price per variant, so 2XL and up can carry the higher cost.
• Add placements only when they add value. A back print that doesn't raise the price your buyer will pay mostly lowers your profit.

For the full pricing formula, ad fees and paid plan break-even, read print on demand profit margins.

What about sizes, returns and complaints?

Providers cover their own mistakes, not your customer's size choice. That gap is where shirt sellers lose money.

As of 2026, per their help centers:

• Printful doesn't accept returns or exchanges for buyer's remorse, wrong size or wrong color, because products are made to order. Quality issues and lost packages must be reported within 30 days of delivery.
• Printify doesn't support returns or exchanges for wrong size, color or change of mind, and offers a free reprint or refund for damaged or misprinted items if you contact it within 30 days of delivery.

How to protect yourself:

• Show a size chart in inches and centimeters in every listing, with the blank's actual measurements.
• Mention the fit ("unisex, runs true to size" only if your sample confirms it).
• Decide your own policy for wrong sizes before the first order, and write it in your shop.
• Photograph problems. Ask buyers for a photo of any print defect so you can file a claim within the window.

What can't you put on a print on demand shirt?

Anything that uses someone else's brand, logo, characters, lyrics or artwork without permission. Rights holders can report listings on every major platform, and shirts are an obvious target because slogans and logos are so easy to copy.

The USPTO explains the two protections you'll run into: trademarks cover names, phrases and logos that identify a source of goods, and copyright covers original creative work like artwork and characters. Etsy removes or disables reported listings and can end selling privileges for repeat infringers, and Amazon, Redbubble and the providers themselves apply similar rules.

Practical checks before you publish:

• No teams, bands, shows or brands, even as a "parody," unless you understand the legal risk and have advice.
• Search short phrases in the USPTO trademark search tool if you sell in the US; common sayings are sometimes registered for apparel.
• Use licensed fonts and graphics. Printful's Etsy page reminds sellers that third-party graphics, fonts or images may need a commercial license.

Next steps

Choose one niche and one blank, create five to ten original designs, order a sample, and set prices per size before you list.

• Follow our print on demand guide for beginners from niche to first sale.
• See how to make money with print on demand without betting everything on shirts.
• Compare other ways to earn in our guide to making money online.