Designing T-Shirts: A Fun Way To Earn Money

There are many ways to make money by designing t-shirts. You can create your own designs and upload them to websites such as SpreadShop, Sellfy, Vexels, SellMyTees, Threadless, Bonfire, TeePublic, Zazzle, CafePress, The Souled Store, My Dream Store, and Teespring. These sites offer different features, such as the ability to set your own prices, earn royalties, or sell your designs as print-on-demand merchandise. Additionally, you can use social media, websites, or YouTube channels to promote your designs and generate sales. It is important to note that success in selling t-shirt designs may require consistent uploading, campaigning, and marketing efforts.

Passive income from T-shirt designs

Choose the Right Platform:

Select one or two permanent store websites, such as Red Bubble, Tee Public, Design by Hümans, Merch by Amazon, or Spreadshirt, that match your style and target audience. These sites already have a large customer base, so you can focus on designing without worrying about marketing.

Upload Multiple Designs:

Upload as many designs as possible to increase your chances of making sales. These sites have thousands of designers, so you need to stand out by consistently uploading new and appealing designs. Remember, it might take some time to see your first earnings, but don't get discouraged.

Focus on T-shirts:

While these sites offer various products like mugs, phone cases, and pillows, focus on designing for T-shirts as they sell better than any other printed product.

Know Your Target Audience:

Study the demographic and geographic data of your potential customers. For example, if your target audience is primarily based in the USA and is aged 35 or younger, you can create designs that cater to their interests and sense of humour.

Set Competitive Prices:

When setting your retail price, consider the base cost of the T-shirt, the design, and your desired profit margin. For example, if you sell a T-shirt for $20 and it costs $10 to produce, you'll make a $10 profit.

Use Social Media:

Utilize social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to spread the word about your T-shirt designs and engage with your target audience. Use keywords and hashtags related to your niche to help potential customers find your products easily.

Be Consistent:

Consistency is key to success in the T-shirt designing business. Regularly upload new designs, promote your products, and set sales goals to grow your passive income stream over time.

Remember, passive income from T-shirt designs is a numbers game. The more designs you upload and the more platforms you use, the higher your chances of making sales and earning a stable passive income. So, get creative, choose the right platforms, and keep uploading those designs!

Active income from T-shirt designs

• Qwertee: Based in the UK, Qwertee is the biggest European daily sale website. They sell 3 selected designs for 11€ each, and you can also purchase legacy designs.
• ShirtPunch: This American website sells 4 selected designs every day at a price of $10 each.
• RiptApparel: Another American website, offering 3 selected designs at $13, as well as other older designs.
• Pampling: A Spanish company with online and physical stores in Europe. They sell two selected designs at 10.90€, and you can also find other designs in their shop.
• TeeFury: This website sells two selected designs at $12 each and has a large permanent store of older selected designs. They also sell all-over prints.

To succeed with these daily sale websites, it is important to follow trends, polish your design technique, and strive to be original. Most selected designs are related to current news, popular films, games, and TV series. It is recommended to select 2 or 3 stores and consistently upload your designs to their websites. While getting your design selected can be challenging, it can result in selling hundreds or even thousands of T-shirts in a single day, making it a lucrative opportunity.

Using social media to promote your designs

Using social media to promote your t-shirt designs is an effective way to grow your business, attract customers, and build brand loyalty. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of social media platforms:

Choose the Right Platform

Select the social media platform that aligns with your business goals and the nature of your content. For instance, Instagram is ideal for lifestyle, fashion, and food-related content, whereas LinkedIn is better suited for sharing ideas and building professional connections. If you want to focus on visual content and target a younger demographic, Instagram and TikTok may be the best options. In contrast, Facebook caters to a wider age range and offers various content formats, including blog posts, images, and videos.

Build a Community

Start by inviting your friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances to follow your account and engage with their posts. Post a variety of content, including images of your designs, behind-the-scenes content, and user-generated content. Engage with your followers by liking and commenting on their posts, and respond to their comments and messages. Additionally, follow and interact with other brands and businesses that you admire and relate to.

Utilize Influencer Marketing

Consider partnering with influencers or micro-influencers in your niche. Their endorsements can help you reach a new audience and build trust with potential customers. Look for influencers whose values and aesthetics align with your brand, and provide them with incentives such as free products, discounts, or payment. Ask them to wear your t-shirts and promote them to their followers using specific discount codes or landing page links.

Create Engaging Visual Content

Visual content is crucial when promoting products on social media. Invest time in creating high-quality images of your t-shirts. You can organize a photoshoot with models or, if you're on a budget, use a mannequin or a flat lay with a simple backdrop. Ensure your t-shirts are well-lit, free from wrinkles or stains, and displayed from various angles. Add text overlays or logos using photo editing software to enhance the visuals and convey your brand message.

Leverage Hashtags

Hashtags are a powerful tool to increase the reach and engagement of your posts. Use relevant and specific hashtags that relate to your products and target community. Create a unique hashtag for your brand and encourage your followers to use it when posting photos of your t-shirts. This will help you track user-generated content and build a community around your brand.

Run Social Media Ads

Consider using promoted ads on platforms like Instagram and Facebook to reach a wider audience. These ads blend seamlessly into users' feeds and can be targeted to specific demographics. They are usually more affordable than traditional advertising methods and can include click-through links, making it easy for potential customers to take action.

Analyze and Adjust

Regularly track and analyze the performance of your social media campaigns using analytics tools. This will help you understand which strategies are working and which need improvement. Pay attention to engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and comments, and use this data to refine your content and marketing approach.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively use social media to promote your t-shirt designs, attract your target audience, and increase sales.

Creating your own online store

Choose an E-commerce Platform

First, you need to select an appropriate e-commerce platform to host your online store. Popular options include Shopify, Wix, and Weebly. These platforms offer various features, such as sales reporting, customisation options, and e-commerce functionality in their basic plans. They can also be integrated with print-on-demand services, making it easy to manage sales and promotions.

Set Up Your Store

Once you've chosen a platform, it's time to build your online store. Select a catchy and memorable domain name that reflects your brand and products. Use a drag-and-drop store builder to create a professional-looking website with product pages, collections, and information about your brand. Choose a theme that aligns with the style of your t-shirts. Ensure your website is easy to navigate, with clear categories and a simple checkout process.

Source Materials and Printing Partners

Decide on the type of t-shirts you want to sell and partner with suppliers or manufacturers who can provide high-quality products that meet your customers' expectations. Consider the printing technique you want to use, such as screen printing, heat transfer, or direct-to-garment printing, as each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Create T-shirt Designs

Develop designs that resonate with your target audience and brand identity. Keep them clean, professional, and easy to read, using high-quality visuals and fonts. You can create the designs yourself using graphic design software or collaborate with freelance artists on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork.

Mock-up Your T-shirts

Create digital mock-ups of your t-shirt designs using web software or image editors like Adobe Photoshop. This will allow you to visualise the final product and give your customers a digital preview. Alternatively, you can order samples of your t-shirts and take product photos yourself.

Promote Your Store

Utilise social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to reach your target audience. Leverage influencer marketing by partnering with influencers relevant to your niche. Learn about search engine optimisation (SEO) to improve your online visibility and drive organic traffic to your store. Consider investing in paid advertising to increase your reach and attract more customers.

Analyse Your Performance

Regularly track your sales data and customer feedback to refine your designs and marketing strategies. Most e-commerce platforms provide analytics tools to help you monitor your store's performance. Connect to Google Analytics to gain insights into your traffic, conversions, and demographics. Use Instagram and Facebook's integrated analytics to plan effective marketing campaigns.

Using print-on-demand services

Print-on-demand services are a great way to get into the T-shirt designing business without having to worry about logistics like printing, delivering, or marketing. These companies already do that, and all they need are original T-shirt designs from independent designers. You can upload your designs to their websites and earn royalties for every sale they make. The money you receive from each sale varies from one website to another, but you can expect royalties to be around 10% of the sale price.

• Red Bubble: The biggest permanent store website, with thousands of different designs printed not only on T-shirts but also on phone cases, mugs, pillows, and around 60 other products.
• Tee Public: Recently acquired by Red Bubble but working as a separate brand and website. Offers a wide range of products, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, phone cases, mugs, banners, and more.
• Design by Hümans: Supports independent artists and designers and features designs for officially licensed brands like Star Wars, AC/DC, Marvel, and NASA.
• Merch by Amazon: Amazon's own print-on-demand service, which gives you access to the biggest online store in the world.
• Spreadshirt: A German company and probably the biggest European permanent store website. They give you the option to create your own T-shirt store and sell a variety of products.

When choosing a print-on-demand service, consider the following:

• Strategy: Browse the websites to check their different designs and choose one or two that match your style.
• Publicity: You can promote your designs, but if you don't have access to a large community, your efforts may not be profitable. Let the print-on-demand service handle the marketing if you don't want to spend much time and money on it.
• Focus on T-shirts: T-shirts sell better than any other printed product, so focus your efforts on designing for T-shirts rather than worrying about how your designs will look on mugs or notebooks.
• Upload multiple designs: There are thousands of designers uploading content, so you need to attract customers with a good number of great artworks. It will take time to see your first earnings, but keep uploading designs, as they will stay online for a long time, increasing your chances of making sales.
• Know your public: Study the demographic and geographic data of your target audience to better understand their preferences and needs.

Frequently asked questions