Print on Demand Companies
- Printify- Global network
- Prinful- Free to use
- Gooten- Diverse offering
- Amplifier- High-end quality
- Print Aura - U.S. based
- Redbubble- Online marketplace
- Teespring- Exclusive partnerships
Contractors everywhere face competition from new companies entering the market each year. Having a solidified brand and promotional products can make your company more memorable to customers and boost your employee’s morale. According to a survey done by Promotional Product Association International, 76% of the people who received promotional products from a company could recall that company and their business offerings. With referrals being so crucial in an industry led by word-of-mouth, finding and keeping good employees being the name of the game, and keeping customers engaged being so important, marketing you business with promotional products should arguably be a priority in your contracting business.
We’ve listed great print-on-demand companies that are worth looking into for your next company branding project. We encourage contractors to use promotional merchandise as incentives or rewards for employees, as giveaways at trade show events, or to have the ability to sell your merchandise from an online page. These companies make that easy.
Printify
Printify helps you create and sell custom products. Their mission is to help merchants make more money with less effort. Printify is a print-on-demand network with over 300,000 merchants and 90+ print providers worldwide.
Pricing
Printify is free but offers a premium and enterprise plan. The premium plan costs $29 per month, and the enterprise plan costs depend on your business needs and it is for high volume businesses that need custom integration and features.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Huge product catalogue
- Competitive prices, often the lowest
- Great for beginners
Cons
- Product dispatch speeds can be longer than claimed
- Mockup tools have minimal functionality (no way to add text without uploading an image)
- No reviews from merchants of product on the platform
How to Get Started
Here are some useful resources for you to get started:
- Printify How It Works Page: https://printify.com/how-it-works/
- Tutorials and product reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/printify
- Shipping Rates: https://printify.com/shipping-rates/
- Design Guide: https://printify.com/design-guide/
- Product Catalog: https://app.printify.com/products
Printful
Printful is an on-demand order fulfillment and warehousing service that fulfills and shops products such as clothing, accessories, home living and for online businesses. It’s free, no fees or minimum orders, and they only produce what is ordered (arguing a more conscious and responsible choice vs. bulk). Printful allows you to connect your online store with its software, and when someone buys an item, the order is sent to them to be fulfilled and shipped. Printful has a great selection of products.
Pricing
Printful doesn't charge monthly or startup fees. It is 100% free and the company only profits when an order is placed. The merchandise can be on the higher end compared to competitors, but it’s worth browsing.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Owns its production plants in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe (full control of production cycle)
- 100% free
- Has the widest custom product branding options in the industry
Cons
- It can be pricey
- Sometimes long shipping times
- Does not have bigger sizes for t-shirts
- Reviews show some negative reviews on customer support
How to Get Started
You can learn more about how to get started with your Printful online store here.
Gooten
Gooten is a globally distributed production and logistics company transforming the way online stores manufacture and fulfill merchandise for their customers. They have a diverse portfolio of products at great prices and are focused on high growth e-commerce stores, shying away from brands just getting off the ground.
Pricing
Gooten doesn’t charge you a monthly fee or any sign-up fee at all. You only pay for the products, so you can make a decent profit because you can charge whatever you want for the custom printed products on your store.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Cheapest average production prices in the industry
- Dashboard provided to track orders and deliveries
- Lots of non-apparel options such as bandannas, and a home and living section
Cons
- Focused on high growth e-commerce
- Challenging to set up and install
- Not the most user friendly
- Product is a bit lower quality than competition
How to Get Started
You can see if your business is a good fit and get started here.
Amplifier
Amplifier is a U.S. based print-on-demand service that owns and controls their entire production process. The company focuses on higher quality products, allowing them to charge a premium for their services.
Pricing
Amplifier is free for their light version and they have a $50/monthly fee for their Starter plan, $100/month for Standard, and $200/month for their Pro plan. Inventory and fulfillment rates vary depending on your request and every plan has a 30 day free trial. Amplifier's platform is pay-as-you-go. Anyone can signup and begin using their logistics and printing services immediately and cancel at any time.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Owns product facilities and equipment
- Consistently high print quality
- Overall product quality is higher compared to competition
Cons
- Expensive subscription compared to competitors
- Free plan is limited to Shopify
- No back of shirt options
- Based in the U.S. so long delivery time for customers overseas
How to Get Started
Here is a step-by-step guide and checklist for getting started with Amplifier.
PrintAura
PrintAura is a U.S. based print-on-demand service with a decent and diverse portfolio of products. This company has a great mix of good product quality, speed, and price. PrintAura tops off a solid product with a focus on great customer service.
Pricing
PrintAura makes it quite simple to learn about what exactly each product will cost you and how much margin you can set on it to make a hefty profit. Their pricing wizard lets you see the exact cost of any item within a few minutes.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Overnight shipping option for emergencies
- Great product customization
- Free to use
- Good quality and fast delivery
- Many product and packaging options to choose from
Cons
- Customization and designing platform is aged (you must use different software to design mockups)
- Website is challenging to navigate
- Pricing structure is not the most transparent
- Production facilities only in the U.S.
How to Get Started
You can learn about PrintAura's integrations and get started here.
Redbubble
Redbubble is a print on demand online marketplace where artists can sell their artwork on products. From t-shirts, hoodies, dresses, and even canvas prints, buyers can find their ideal artwork and merchandise from a respected seller and customize it on the product they like. Once the order is placed, Redbubble takes it from there, turning the buyer’s vision into a reality that shows up on their doorstep in about three weeks.
Pricing
It’s completely free to open a shop and sell your art. Once you reach a $20 threshold, they’ll pay your earnings via PayPal or into your Bank Account. Redbubble processes artist payments once a month and you can keep track of what you’ve earned on your Dashboard.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Marketing help through Redbubble website traffic and they re-target ads
- Free platform
- Simple to use, create a design, and upload
- Wide variety of products
- Lower competition on platform vs. Google search
- Great analytics on product status and Google analytics integration
Cons
- Small royalty per sale
- Base price may vary when an address is changed at checkout
How to Get Started
You can learn more about how Redbubble works and get started here.
Teespring
Teespring is a free platform that lets you create and sell over 50 kinds of products with no upfront cost. They handle everything, from printing to shipping to customer service. Teespring is for entrepreneurs and creators wanting to offer awesome merchandise. They have great tools to help you close more sales, and their Boosted Network helps you increase awareness of your brand and get more customers.
Pricing
Teespring is 100% free to use. You set your selling price and keep 100% of the profit.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Easy-to-use user interface
- No fees required to get started
- Great customization features
- Users can leverage social media and Teespring’s built-in tools to boost sales
- Manufacturing and shipping management
- Known for great customer support
- Good product selection
Cons
- Have to make a sale within 6 days after designing or your campaign gets taken down- could be hard for beginners
- You have a limited amount of space to design on the front/back of shirts and other products, which can limit creative designs
How to Get Started
Here is a quick start guide to Teespring with videos and a step-by-step walk through.
The Bottom Line
Operating a contracting business is getting more competitive with newcomers entering the market each year. To build a presence and earn profits, businesses need to come up with creative ways to promote their business and provide value. Using print-on-demand services for your branded merchandise is a great way to establish brand identity, increase sales, and keep your business top of mind when customers are looking to hire your trade. Get started creating your merchandise collection today by contacting one of these companies or reaching out to us if you need assistance.