How I Chose My Print-on-Demand Platform (and Why)
When I first decided to start a print-on-demand T-shirt business at 45, I thought the hard part would be coming up with designs.
Turns out, before I could even create my first shirt, I had to answer a bigger question:
👉 Which platform should I use to print and ship my shirts?
I’ll be honest — this decision took me down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos, blog reviews, and Facebook debates. But after a lot of digging (and overthinking), I landed on a platform that made sense for me.
Here’s how I figured it out.
Step 1: Narrowing Down My Options
There are a lot of print-on-demand companies out there, but the big names that kept popping up were:
Printful – Popular, reliable, and integrates with lots of stores.
Printify – Known for lower prices and lots of supplier options.
TeeSpring (now just “Spring”) – Lets you sell directly on their marketplace without needing your website.
I also came across smaller names like Gooten and SPOD, but I focused mainly on the big three because I wanted something simple and beginner friendly.
Step 2: My Decision Criteria
Since I’m brand new to this, I made myself a short checklist.
I asked:
Ease of use – Can I set it up without wanting to throw my laptop?
Product quality – Will the shirts look and feel good?
Pricing & profit margins – Can I make money after costs?
Shipping speed – Will customers get their orders in a reasonable time?
Integrations – Does it work with the store platform I want to use (Shopify, Etsy, etc.)?
Step 3: Comparing the Platforms
Here’s what I found out:
Printful
✅ Great quality shirts and printing.
✅ Easy to use with clean mockups.
✅ Integrates with Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, etc.
❌ More expensive base prices (profit margins can be tighter).
Printify
✅ Lower prices, better margins.
✅ Huge catalog with multiple suppliers.
✅ Easy Etsy & Shopify integration.
❌ Quality can vary depending on which supplier fulfills your order.
TeeSpring / Spring
✅ No upfront costs or store needed — they host your products.
✅ Super beginner-friendly.
❌ Limited control over branding.
❌ Harder to stand out unless you bring your audience.
Step 4: My Choice
After considering all the options, I decided to go with Printify. My main priorities were lower prices, better profit margins, a large catalog with various suppliers, and seamless integration with Etsy and Shopify. To be honest, I still have a lot to learn about making it profitable, but this platform offers a beginner-friendly setup while providing enough flexibility to grow as I figure things out.
Step 5: What’s Next
Now that I’ve picked my platform, I can finally move on to the fun part — making my first designs and uploading them to my store.
Next week I’ll share exactly how I came up with my first 5 T-shirt ideas and the tools I used (even though I’m not a designer).
👉 If you’ve already started your POD journey, which platform did you choose and why? Drop it in the comments — I’d love to compare notes.
