How to make shirts at home: A guide to creating your own custom t-shirt
From dye sublimation to heat-transfer vinyl printing and more – learn how to make t-shirts at home and dominate the t-shirt printing industry.
Your business, your way – sell with Printify
Choosing between Print on Demand vs do-it-yourself printing comes down to how you prefer to run your business.
Print on Demand keeps things simple with low startup costs and a hands-off workflow, while do-it-yourself printing requires more money, time, and technical work upfront.
Not sure which model fits your goals? We’ll break it all down so you can make the right call.
What is Print on Demand (POD)?
Print on Demand (POD) is a business model where you can sell custom products online without storing inventory or managing logistics. You partner with a POD company that prints and ships each product on demand after a customer orders.
How POD works
- Create a product – Sign up with a POD service like Printify, choose a profitable product to sell, and apply your design.
- Add it to your online store – Set your pricing and publish the item to your website.
- A customer makes a purchase – Once they pay for the product and shipping costs, the order goes to your POD partner.
- Production begins – The third-party provider prints, packs, and ships the item on your behalf.
- Order delivered – The customer receives their item, and you’ve made a sale without managing inventory or handling logistics.
POD pros and cons
POD pros:
- Low barrier to launch – No need to buy printing equipment or stock inventory, making it simple to start selling custom products.
- Eliminates inventory risks – Products are made-to-order, so you avoid storage and leftover stock.
- More time for growth – With a partner that handles inventory and logistics, you can focus on building your brand.
POD cons:
- Less control – You rely on a third-party provider for production quality, shipping speed, and stock availability.
- Higher per-unit costs – Since items are made on demand, your profit per product is typically smaller than sourcing wholesale.
What is do-it-yourself (DIY) printing?
Do-it-yourself (DIY) printing means you produce every item using your own equipment. In other words, you handle the entire production process yourself in-house.
DIY printing pros and cons
DIY printing pros:
- Complete creative control – Every detail is in your hands, from print quality to packaging.
- Room for experimentation – Try unique decoration techniques with complete freedom.
- Potential for better profit margins – Despite the higher initial costs, producing items yourself can become more cost-efficient after refining your workflow and sourcing cheaper raw materials.
DIY printing cons:
- Significant upfront investment – To print t-shirts at home, you need blank shirts, a heat press or sublimation printer, transfer paper or inks, design software, and a workspace to house everything.
- Time-heavy production – You’re responsible for printing, packing, shipping, and every task in between.
POD vs DIY: In-depth comparison
Before choosing Print on Demand vs do-it-yourself printing, it’s important to understand each method’s costs, workflow, and growth potential.
Startup costs
Print on Demand: Low upfront costs, faster to launch
With POD, there’s no need to purchase equipment, blank shirts, or storage space. Every order happens on demand, keeping your overhead costs low.
Here’s how the money flows when you sell custom products online with Printify:
- You create a custom product from our Catalog, set your own margin and selling price, and launch the product.
- A customer places an order and completes their payment through your sales channel, like Shopify or Etsy.
- The customer’s order covers the shipping and printing costs, signaling the Print Provider to start production.
- You keep the rest as profit. Save money upfront and spend less time worrying about logistics and inventory costs.
Want even cheaper base costs? Upgrade to Printify Premium to get up to 20% discounts on products.
Do-it-yourself: Higher upfront costs, long-term payoff
DIY printing requires a sizable initial investment because you’re building a production setup from scratch.
To illustrate, let’s look at the general cost of printing t-shirts at home with direct-to-garment (DTG). You will need:
- Hybrid DTG/DTF printer – For example, Epson’s SureColor F1070 Printer costs $7,495 for a starter bundle that includes inks and basic tools.
- Pre-treated blank products – About $5 per piece.
- DTG/DTF ink set – Around $800 for a complete 250 ml set.
- Heat press to cure the prints – Between $200 and $400.
Altogether, sellers can spend between $8,000–$10,000 upfront – not counting ongoing costs like design software or storage. For context, Printify seller George McConnell previously spent $10,000 per month just on warehousing when running a DIY operation.
A DTG/DTF printer can typically produce 100-200 shirts per month, bringing the per-shirt cost to about $8–$12, depending on ink coverage and blank quality. This number is comparable to Printify’s prices.
Besides the upfront costs, you also have to consider the time investment. Learning how to run the entire operation yourself takes practice.
Profit margins
Print on Demand: Simpler pricing, slimmer margins to start
POD margins depend on the product’s base cost plus the retail price you set.
For example, selling a Gildan 64000 Unisex Softstyle T-Shirt for $20 through Printify would look like:
- Retail price – $20
- Product cost – $8.47
- Gross profit – $11.53
Since you’re working with the provider’s pricing structure, your margins are typically slimmer, especially after accounting for third-party fees – like your online store subscription, payment processing, taxes, and so on.
On average, POD sellers reach their first $1,000 in revenue in about 165 days.
The trade-off? Minimal risk, as you only pay for production costs when someone buys.
This model has helped sellers like Emily Odio-Sutton grow their Printify shops into six-figure businesses, proving the margins can work when paired with strong designs and marketing.
Do-it-yourself: Better profit margins, but slower to recoup costs
Once a DIY setup is running, your per-item material costs drop. Using the same $20 retail price example and an estimated $7 cost per shirt, your numbers would be:
- Retail price – $20
- Material costs – ~$7
- Gross profit – $13
Costs can drop even further if you buy blanks in bulk, negotiate with suppliers, or optimize ink usage.
On paper, this gives you better profit margins than POD. However, this scenario only becomes realistic after your business grows and has sold enough products to offset the initial costs, which takes time.
Production workload
Print on Demand: Hands-off workflow on the provider’s timeline
With POD, the entire production process happens in the background, freeing you to focus on design, marketing, and customer communication.
Timelines depend on the Print Provider, but platforms like Printify keep things transparent by showing average production times on every product page. This way, sellers know what to expect before adding an item to their print-on-demand stores.
If a provider experiences delays or runs out of stock, Printify’s Order Routing automatically sends the order to another Print Provider to keep fulfillment on track.
Do-it-yourself: Faster production, but more hands-on work
DIY printing gives you higher control of the production timeline. The moment an order comes in, you can start printing immediately without waiting for a third party.
However, you’re responsible for pre-treating, printing, curing, and handling packaging. A few shirts are manageable, but higher volumes require more time and eventually extra help to maintain efficient operations.
Quick tip
Printify supports bulk order printing, so you can outsource high-volume runs when needed – even if you normally print in-house.
Quality and consistency
Print on Demand: Quality depends on your Print Provider
When using POD, you don’t personally inspect each item before it ships, so consistency comes down to the Print Provider. That said, Printify lets you order samples to check print quality, fabric feel, and color accuracy before adding items to your product offerings.
Sellers can also use Printify Choice, which automatically selects the top-rated Print Provider for each order. Prefer choosing manually? Easily check their performance data – including quality, production speed, and shipping reliability.
Behind the scenes, Printify’s Print Providers follow multiple quality checks before an order goes out to maintain consistent standards.
Do-it-yourself: Full control, but harder to maintain at scale
DIY printing provides greater control over the product quality. From color profiles to print density, you can adjust everything until every item looks exactly right.
But consistency becomes tougher to maintain when you get orders in large quantities. The job of printing and inspecting all falls on you, and unlike POD, any mistake is yours to fix.
Fulfillment and logistics
Print on Demand: Hands-free fulfillment
POD handles the entire backend, so you have little control over what happens in the background.
However, Printify makes shipping easy to track by showing delivery estimates and costs for every product. And with a worldwide network of Print Providers, you can reach a global audience without running an expensive international operation.
Many products also support Express or Priority Shipping, giving customers faster delivery options.
While packaging is mostly standardized, Printify offers branded neck labels and packaging inserts to strengthen your brand.
Do-it-yourself: Full freedom and responsibility
In DIY printing, you decide how to store blank products, organize finished items, manage packaging supplies, and prepare shipments. Temperature, space, humidity, and inventory systems all matter once you start producing regularly.
You’ll also handle label printing, packing orders, scheduling pickups, and making post office runs.
The upside is complete control over the unboxing experience – custom wraps, themed packaging, handwritten notes, or anything that fits your brand.
Scalability
Print on Demand: Easy to scale without slowing down
POD lets you scale quickly without increasing your workload. Sellers can add new designs, test multiple products, or launch seasonal items without buying extra space or recruiting help.
When orders spike, your POD partner handles the increased volume – no late-night printing or scrambling for materials.
Do-it-yourself: Scalable with more resources
DIY can grow, but each jump in sales adds workload. More orders mean more printing, curing, organizing, and shipping. Eventually, you’ll need a bigger workspace, upgraded equipment, or extra hands just to keep up.
It’s rewarding if you love the craft, but expansion takes time, structure, and additional investment.
POD vs DIY: An overview
Here’s how Print on Demand vs do-it-yourself compare at a glance.
| Feature | POD | DIY |
|---|---|---|
| Startup costs | Low – only pay after a customer orders. | High – equipment, materials, and workspace needed upfront. |
| Profit margins | Slimmer margins due to higher per-unit costs. | Higher margins once equipment is paid off. |
| Production workload | None – printing is handled for you. | High – you manage the entire production process. |
| Quality and consistency | Depends on the Print Provider, but samples help verify quality. | Full creative control, but consistency is harder at high volumes. |
| Fulfillment and logistics | Fully handled – packaging, inventory, and shipping are automated. | Manual – packaging, inventory, and shipping are your responsibility. |
| Scalability | Easy to scale without extra labor or space. | Slower to scale and requires more space and equipment. |
How to choose between Print on Demand vs do-it-yourself
Now that you know the differences between Print on Demand vs do-it-yourself printing, here’s a quick way to decide which model actually fits your goals.
When to choose POD
Choose Print on Demand if you:
- Want to launch quickly without buying printing supplies or inventory.
- Prefer focusing on marketing or designing trending products.
- Don’t want the time investment that comes with in-house production.
- Are looking for a low-risk way to start a business and test new ideas.
- Need a setup that can scale easily without adding more work to your plate.
When to choose DIY
DIY is the right business model for those who:
- Want to build a one-of-a-kind brand from start to finish.
- Enjoy the hands-on work of creating and printing your own items.
- Want more control over the final product, from print quality to packaging.
- Are looking to create something that POD doesn’t offer.
- Don’t mind managing the logistics yourself.
How to start your print-on-demand business with Printify
Starting a POD business is easy with Printify. Go from a design idea to a live product in just a few steps – no equipment, no inventory, no stress.
1. Sign up for free and choose a product
Create a free Printify account and browse our Catalog of over 1,300 products – from t-shirts and hoodies to mugs and accessories.
2. Add your design
Use our Product Creator to upload your artwork, build designs with AI, or explore our graphics library. Use Printify Trends to discover what’s selling right now and generate AI visuals inspired by the latest styles.
3. Connect to your online store
Printify integrates with major eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, eBay, and more. Publish your products in a few clicks and start selling immediately.
4. Sit back and relax
Whenever an order comes in, we handle the printing, packing, and shipping, while you focus on growing your brand.
FAQ
The biggest downsides are higher per-unit costs and less control over production. Since items are made one at a time, margins can be smaller, and you depend on the Print Provider’s speed and consistency.
For beginners, the trade-off is worth it because you avoid equipment, storage, and upfront inventory. Plus, you get to set your own profit margins.
The success of print-on-demand stores varies depending on your niche, marketing strategy, and product quality. Printify supports over 10 million merchants who have built profitable shops. Curious how they did it? Read up on their success stories.
No, many beginners start as sole proprietors. Forming an LLC depends on how you prefer to separate your personal and business finances. Always check local regulations or speak with a tax professional for guidance.
Read our article on whether you need a business license to sell on sites like Etsy for more information.
If you already own printing equipment, DIY printing can be cheaper per unit. Otherwise, Print on Demand is more affordable because you skip equipment costs entirely.
With Printify, you only pay for production when a customer places an order, making it the lowest-risk option for beginners.
Conclusion
Choosing between Print on Demand vs do-it-yourself printing depends on how you prefer to run your business and where you want to invest your time.
- Choose POD if you want a minimal-risk setup without inventory management and have more time to focus on design and marketing.
- Choose DIY if you value hands-on creation, want full control over quality, and don’t mind the significant time and money it takes to manage the entire operation.
Ready to sell custom products without hassle? Start designing with Printify.
