Your 2025 Plan to Make $100K in Print on Demand

October 11, 2025

Your 2025 Plan to Make $100K in Print on Demand

Building a six-figure print-on-demand (POD) business in 2025 is entirely possible — but it requires structure, strategy, and consistency. This guide breaks down a four-part plan designed to help you start from scratch, scale efficiently, and build long-term income from your online store.

Part 1: Laying the Foundation

Choose the Right Selling Platform

Print-on-demand allows you to create and sell products without holding inventory or managing production. The key is choosing a platform that matches your goals and skill level.

Etsy – Best for beginners due to its built-in customer base and organic traffic. You don’t need to run ads to start getting views and sales.
Amazon Merch, Redbubble, Teepublic, Zazzle – Great options for diversification later on, once your main shop is profitable.

When using Etsy, partner with a print provider like Printify. They handle printing, packing, and shipping your products directly to customers, letting you focus on design and marketing.

Select a Profitable Product Line

Start small with proven product types before expanding. Focus on best-sellers such as:

T-shirts
Hoodies and sweatshirts
Mugs and tumblers

Keep your focus narrow — one or two product categories are ideal for beginners. This helps you maintain momentum without spreading your efforts too thin.

Find Profitable Niches

Choosing the right niche is what separates successful POD stores from the rest. Use tools and resources to research what customers are actively buying.

Merch Informer – Tracks top-selling T-shirt designs and trending keywords on Amazon, giving insight into what’s performing well in the market.
Free resources – Browse Etsy, Pinterest, or Google Trends to identify trending topics, hobbies, and phrases.

Look for evergreen themes — those that sell year-round — and balance them with seasonal trends for consistent revenue.

Part 2: Creating High-Converting Designs

Streamline the Design Process

You don’t need to be an artist to create great designs. Use templates and tools to speed up production while maintaining quality. Platforms like Placeit provide ready-to-edit design templates for shirts, mugs, and more.

Customize existing templates to fit your niche.
Reuse successful design layouts with new phrases or colors.
Study competing shops to identify popular fonts, colors, and styles.

Avoid copying other sellers directly — instead, take inspiration from what’s working and add your own unique twist.

Create Eye-Catching Mockups

Your product photos are what make shoppers stop scrolling. Use mockups that showcase your designs on real people and high-quality backgrounds. Again, tools like Placeit can help you generate professional mockups without needing Photoshop skills.

Part 3: Uploading and Scaling Strategically

Focus on Momentum, Not Perfection

Consistency beats intensity. Many new sellers burn out by trying to upload dozens of products in one go. Instead, create a manageable routine such as:

2 new listings per day (about 10 per week)
60 new listings per month
100+ listings within your first three months

This gradual approach builds momentum and allows you to adapt to market trends as you go.

Analyze and Double Down

Once you begin making sales, study what’s working. Identify which niches, designs, or products are performing best, then create variations of those winners.

Track which listings generate the most sales or traffic.
Expand on successful designs within the same niche.
Experiment with new ideas while continuing to grow proven ones.

Part 4: Building Long-Term Success

Treat It Like a Real Business

Success in print-on-demand doesn’t happen overnight. Set clear working hours, track performance, and continuously refine your processes. Use spreadsheets or dashboards to monitor:

Profit margins and sales
Traffic and conversion rates
Best-performing product categories

Invest in Tools and Education

While POD is low-cost to start, investing in a few key resources can dramatically accelerate growth:

Research tools for finding profitable niches
Design suites like Placeit or Canva
Mockup generators for product images
Courses or workshops for continued learning

Pick one reliable tool in each category and stick with it — the best tool is the one you use consistently.

Avoid Common Pitfalls

Always check trademarks before uploading designs.
Balance trending products with evergreen ones.
Don’t copy competitors — innovate within your niche.
Stay consistent even when sales are slow.

Final Thoughts

Print-on-demand is a marathon, not a sprint. The designs you upload today can bring in sales months or even years later. Aim for your first 100 listings — this milestone proves your commitment and gives your shop enough exposure to start generating real results.

Stay focused, keep learning, and build steady momentum. With the right systems and persistence, reaching $100K in print-on-demand revenue in 2025 is entirely within reach.