[jackdrawsstuff]

Hi everyone,

(Fair disclosure, I've put this thread up on Reddit too to try and gain as much information as possible).

I am an illustrator and graphic designer and want to start selling merchandise from my website (posters mainly and if possible other things such as T-shirts).

I'm really attracted to the idea of using a print on demand service, I want to spend my time focusing on my design work (not ordering prints, taking stock, quality checking, distributing etc...).

I have a Squarespace site and found that Printful comes up as a suggestion for something that you can integrate into Squarespace - unfortunately, I'm worried about shipping into the UK.

Brexit has meant that people in the UK who are ordering things from abroad occasionally have to pay massive fees in order to get their goods shipped to them. This is a big concern as the rules surrounding customer returns on POD can be vague in the first place - and the chaos that Brexit has caused adds a further layer of difficulty to this.

Has anybody got any suggestions for a POD service that ships to the UK under your own brand name (or even just under plain cover), that integrates into a Squarespace site and is of decent quality?
Any help would be massively appreciated!

J

 

[webtrekker]

Hi. Just remember that using POD means taking a massive hit on profits.

I had hundreds of designs on Redbubble and Printful and sold virtually nothing in 2 years. Far too much competition and others will steal your designs.

If you still want to follow the POD route stick to a few UK suppliers, preferably local. Advantages are better prices, better communication, and already in the UK.

 

[jackdrawsstuff]

Hi. Just remember that using POD means taking a massive hit on profits.

I had hundreds of designs on Redbubble and Printful and sold virtually nothing in 2 years. Far too much competition and others will steal your designs.

If you still want to follow the POD route stick to a few UK suppliers, preferably local. Advantages are better prices, better communication, and already in the UK.

Hey,

Thanks for your reply.

I get that there's a hit on profits - but my core income from this is as a freelance graphic designer, the merch is offered as a promotional extra for me and marketing it/ talking about it allows me to drum up conversations online that identify me as a designer.

A profit on the side is great, but what people forget when they grumble about the cut that POD services take is this:

If you're not doing it as your primary income (heck - even if you are), then the hassle of ordering prints, collecting them, storing them, checking their quality, packaging them, shipping them etc... is a massive pain. POD allows you to side step this stuff with the added benefit of being able to cope with small quantity orders (good luck finding a non specialist printer who will print a single poster for you at a reasonable price). If orders skyrocket and you're moving masses of stock, then great! You always have the freedom to take over your own production distribution at a later date when if becomes viable.

That's good advice on the UK POD companies. I wonder if I could rig my site to route UK customers to the UK made products, US to US made products etc...

Thanks again,
J

 

[webtrekker]

Plese read this whole thread, particularly the post by NoXid ...

The pros and cons of print on demand

As a complete newbie in the t shirt game I allowed my excitement to spur me into immediate purchase of printers and heat presses and all the associated accoutrements...then I discovered POD...I’m a hands on guy and I think I would get more satisfaction in creating and making my own garments but...

www.t-shirtforums.com

Not seeing the actual stuff that is being sent to your customers is a huge fly in the ointment, in my opinion.

Long POD delivery times are often a source of irritation to customers too.