Starting a Print on Demand business is a pretty appealing idea as sellers do not need to own capital or build inventory. 

However, before you decide to create a print on demand store, there are certain things you need to notice to ensure your business is properly set up and ready to sell.

1. One product should only come with a maximum of 5 color options 

Offering your customer many variations of colors and sizes can encourage them to spend more. However, too many choices can be counterproductive as customers can easily fall into analysis paralysis. 

Analysis paralysis is the struggling feeling you get when deciding because there are too many options or too much information. This overwhelmed feeling could lead to your customers, leaving your site and not buying anything at all.

So, never go overboard with your color variants. We recommend that you pick five color options for each POD product you sell.

2. Check with Your Print Provider Before Selling Internationally

POD fulfillment services do not manufacture and fulfill your orders themselves. Instead, these POD fulfillment services usually work with several third-party suppliers. These third-party suppliers are the ones that fulfill your orders.

Each supplier will have different product options and offers (pricing, shipping time, available packaging, etc.) and in most cases, they will be located in separate countries.

You do not want to have a US-based supplier fulfill an order from France or choose a supplier with the longest production time. Your products need to reach your customers as soon as possible.

Besides location and production time, product quality, and printing quality should also be considered.

3. Avoid Copyrights and Check if Your Written Phrase is Trademarked

You may have spotted a design that you want to sell or test in your store, but you aren’t sure whether to take the risk because you do not know if it is copyrighted. Copyright violation may lead to ads accounts and stores being banned.

The moment an artist finishes their artwork, it becomes their legal property, which means that you can’t duplicate the same design and sell it on your print on demand websites. However, you can use a design for inspiration and create your version of it. 

But what about trademarks? 

Each country has its trademark search engine, so all you need to do is type in the phrase you have in mind. However, something to keep in mind is that, unlike copyrights that most countries have agreed to protect by default, a trademark must be filed in every country. So, just because a trademark is filed in the US, does not mean that it applies in the EU.

4. Have Lifestyle Images for Your Products, Not Just General Mock-ups

An illustration should always be related to the product you are promoting. For example, if you are advertising a t-shirt for dog lovers, including a dog in your main image. These types of images perform exceptionally well on ads and are highly effective and engaging.