Have you ever wanted to design your own T-shirt but didn’t know where to start? I’ve been there too – always coming up with cool designs in my head but never finding an easy way to make them a reality.
That’s why I was so excited to discover the different online platforms that let anyone design and create customized T-shirts from the comfort of their computer or phone.
Now instead of just thinking about starting my own T-shirt line, I’m actually able to design shirts for fun or to promote my podcast and share my designs with friends.
The best part is that these services make the entire process so simple. You don’t need any design or printing experience – just an idea and the will to bring it to life on fabric.
After trying a few different options, here are my top picks for the easiest online platforms to make your T-shirt dreams a reality:
Custom Ink
Custom Ink (customink.com) is one of the largest players in the custom apparel space. Their intuitive design studio provides ample templates, artwork, and fonts to get started. Users can drag and drop elements to create their design on virtual t-shirt mockups. Order quantities start at just one unit. Beyond t-shirts, Custom Ink offers products like hoodies, hats, and bags. They also have fundraising programs, group ordering features, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. With customer support available 7 days a week, Custom Ink provides a full-service solution for all your custom apparel needs.
RedBubble
While not a traditional print-on-demand service, RedBubble (redbubble.com) is a cool marketplace to display your designs. Artists and creators upload all kinds of clothing, accessories, home and tech designs that buyers can then customize and purchase as finished products. As the designer, you set your own profit margins, and RedBubble handles production and distribution worldwide. It’s a really unique option if you want your designs accessible to a huge audience without much effort on your end. Just upload and let RedBubble do the rest.
CafePress
I’d put CafePress in the same category as RedBubble – it’s more of a seller marketplace than traditional printer. But their selection of product types goes way beyond just apparel. You can list designs on mugs, phone cases, blankets, bags and so many other items with just an online upload. It’s a big centralized store where people can purchase one-off customized products on demand. While their profit margins aren’t the best, CafePress is great for experimenting with varied design categories beyond shirts alone.
Printful
This one quickly became my go-to for design, fabrication, and delivery all in one place. On their website, you can easily upload your design files or start from scratch using their built-in design tools. They have tons of pre-loaded templates and clip art to make coming up with concepts a breeze. Once you’ve customized your shirts, you can integrate Printful with platforms like Etsy or Shopify to start selling.
They handle printing, packaging, and shipping so you don’t have to deal with any of the manufacturing side of things. Printful also has good pricing and fast turnaround times, which is perfect if you want to create shirts for an event.
Teespring
If you want to create shirts just for fun or a one-off campaign, Teespring is ideal. You can design shirts and sell them without setting up a full-blown online store. I like using it to make small batches of shirts for charity fundraisers or podcast-related merch.
With Teespring, your design stays active for up to 90 days and they’ll only produce shirts as orders come in. No risk of being stuck with excess inventory. And their mobile app makes it easy to work on designs from anywhere.
Printify
Similar to Printful, Printify (printify.com) provides a turnkey solution for print-on-demand sellers. Designs can be uploaded and linked to over 40 sales channels. When an order occurs, multiple production facilities ensure timely fulfillment. Printify handles the complexities so merchants can focus on sales. Both American and international dropship vendors are utilized to offer global coverage.
UberPrints
UberPrints (uberprints.com) gives users design tools for t-shirts plus additional customized products. Integration is available for Shopify, WooCommerce, and other platforms. Once listed, UberPrints produces and ships the orders directly to consumers. The platform aims to provide a seamless print and fulfillment experience for online merchants in need of customized inventory.
CustomCat
This is a great all-in-one option if you’re looking for customization capabilities beyond just T-shirts. In addition to shirts, CustomCat also lets you design and order hoodies, leggings, tanks, and more. Their built-in design tools are very user-friendly, making it simple to add text, images, and layout elements to varied products. It’s perfect for creating coordinated sets for sports teams, clubs, or businesses. With CustomCat, you also get access to planning and campaign tools if you ever want to take your merch line further
Don’t Forget About the Marketing
Now that you’ve designed some awesome shirts, it’s important to share your creations so potential customers can find them. Here are a few effective marketing strategies I’ve used:
- Social Media – Sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are perfect for showing off your shirt designs. Post pictures wearing the tees yourself or using mockups if they aren’t printed yet. Be sure to include your shop/store link in the profile and post text.
- Blogs and Forums – Reach out to bloggers and forum communities related to your niche and offer to send free shirts in exchange for a review post. This gets your brand visibility while helping the reviewers too.
- Contests and Giveaways – Offer to give away a custom t-shirt design on your social channels. Require entries to tag friends for increased reach. Have friends and family share the contest for an organic boost as well.
- Local Events – Find craft fairs and expos in your city where you can set up a booth cheaply. Bring samples, mockups, and order forms to capture offline sales. Take business cards for follow-up.
- Email List – Collect email signups on your site with a lead magnet like a free shirt design template. Nurture these subscribers with exclusive offers and launch over time.
- Paid Ads – Test promos on platforms like Facebook and Instagram using a small daily budget. Target relevant interests and locations. Be sure to optimize landing pages.
The key is consistency across channels with high-quality images and messaging about your unique designs. With persistence, you’ll gain traction for your custom t-shirt business in no time! Let me know if any part of the marketing process needs further explanation.
