Start a Print-on-Demand Business on Etsy With Printify | Full Review
Starting a profitable side hustle with little to no upfront investment is rare, but print-on-demand (POD) offers just that. In this post, I’ll walk you through the steps of launching a POD business using Printify, one of the leading platforms in the space, and review how easy or challenging it is to get started. Welcome to a comprehensive Printify review.
What is Print-on-Demand?
Print-on-demand is a business model where you sell custom-designed products without having to invest in inventory upfront. With Printify, you can create designs for various products (like t-shirts, mugs, or home decor), list them for sale, and only pay for production when someone makes a purchase. This minimizes risk and cost, making it ideal for beginners.
Step 1: Find a Profitable Niche
The first step is identifying a niche. Using free tools like Etsy Trends, I discovered that pickleball, a growing sport in the U.S., is trending. To validate this, I used Allura, a free Etsy-specific keyword research tool. After checking the competition and conversion rates, I settled on creating a pickleball-themed sweatshirt.
Step 2: Create Your Etsy Store
Opening an Etsy store is straightforward, though it now requires a $15 fee (unlike before). With my store set up, I was ready to start designing products using Printify.
Step 3: Designing Your Products with Printify
Printify offers a massive catalog of customizable products, from apparel to home decor. For my project, I selected a popular unisex sweatshirt. One of the standout features of Printify is its extensive product details — everything from material to shipping options — making it easy to optimize listings for customers.
Printify also offers helpful design tools. You can upload your own artwork or use their built-in AI image generator. I tested the AI by creating a minimalist pickleball paddle design, and it worked flawlessly. With the design complete, Printify automatically generated a product mockup, so I could see how the final product would look.
Step 4: Listing Optimization and Pricing
Once the design was ready, Printify made the listing process a breeze by auto-populating product details, such as material and fit. They even offer an AI listing generator, perfect for crafting SEO-friendly product descriptions. I edited the title and added relevant keywords, ensuring the listing was optimized for search.
One of Printify’s most useful features is the pricing tool. It calculates your profit margins based on production costs, Etsy fees, and shipping. I decided to offer free shipping, as this often influences purchasing decisions. After adjusting my price to $34.99, my profit margin was around 25%, or $8 per sale — decent for a passive income stream.
Step 5: Publishing Your Product
The final step was connecting my Etsy store with Printify’s integration and publishing the product. Within minutes, my pickleball sweatshirt was live on Etsy, complete with images and descriptions — all automated through Printify.
Final Thoughts: Is Printify Worth It?
Printify impressed me with its user-friendly interface, extensive product catalog, and automation features. The entire process — from niche research to listing — took under an hour. For anyone looking to start a low-risk side hustle with scalability, Printify is an excellent platform to consider.
If you’re interested in exploring print-on-demand and want to give Printify a try, check out my affiliate link below to get started. Let me know if you have any questions, and don’t forget to subscribe for more side hustle tips!
