January 2021 - Design Shifu

Top 5 Print on Demand Companies in 2023 and How to Pick One

Creating your own store on a Print on demand site is mostly a cakewalk. The real task is choosing a Print on demand service provider. There is a plethora of POD companies and sites to choose from. Which one suits your needs the best? Let’s take a look. Here are the top 5 print on demand companies in 2021, and how you can pick the right one to create your own merchandise. 

But if you’re yet unfamiliar with what Print on Demand is or what the service entails, don’t worry, we have you covered. Read about it, and learn how to get started with your own POD business here.

Now that we have established the basics, let’s compare some Print on demand companies, the product catalog, the features they offer, and more. We have put together these basic parameters so that it can help give you a starting point while deciding which POD service to choose from.

1. Redbubble

Redbubble is a very well known Print on demand company that offers you the option to have your designs printed on products and delivered to the end consumer or the buyer. Redbubble uses third party printers throughout the globe and fulfills orders at locations closest to the purchaser’s location.

Product Catalog:

  • Clothing 
  • Masks 
  • Stickers 
  • Stationery 
  • Wall Art 
  • Diaries 
  • Notebooks 
  • Postcards and more 

Here are some advantages to choosing Redbubble as your POD service provider

Pros

  • Your designs can end up on Google searches because of Redbubbles huge organic reach and with the right keyword tags that you add to your product. 
  • You can maintain your brand on Redbubble. Redbubble allows you to showcase your social media profiles, contact information such as emails, etc so that you can stay connected with your customers. It is more brand-centric as compared to, say for eg – Merch by Amazon. More on this ahead. 
  • You can set your profit margin with each of your products while Redbubble only takes a base price and the  shipping cost is based on the method of shipping and the location 

Cons

  • You cannot integrate your Redbubble store with other website platforms.
  • The process of uploading your designs is not as smooth as it should be. Redbubble delivers high-quality products and designs but it means that you need to take some time to get used to the wee bit cumbersome upload process. 
  • This is not exclusive to Redbubble and is a problem on almost every POD site, but Redbubble does not have an automatic system to alert you of similar designs or plagiarism. 

2. Merch by Amazon

Merch by Amazon has been a Print on demand service provider since 2015, with their focus specifically on clothes. When you use Merch by Amazon, you’re taking your designs and selling them through the Amazon website where they’ll put them on t-shirts and sweatshirts for Amazon shoppers to buy.

Product catalog:

  • Offer short-sleeve shirts, 
  • long-sleeve shirts, 
  • hoodies, sweatshirts, and 
  • PopSockets

With Merch by Amazon, you get the following set of advantages and disadvantages 

Pros:

  • You get access to millions of customers via Amazon. Without a doubt, Amazon is the world’s biggest online store, and the consistent organic traffic it brings would be a great start to sell your products. 
  • Amazon prioritizes its sellers and ships their products via “prime.” Your customers get faster shipping with Merch by Amazon. 
  • You can set the royalty to every sale, and you also get bonuses from Amazon for every product you sell.

Cons:

  • You can’t sign up and start selling right away. Merch by Amazon works on an invitation-only basis, that is, Invitations will be sent once space is available for new content creators, although one can request an invitation from Merch by Amazon. However, there is no time frame as for how long they will take to get back to you
  • The products on Merch by Amazon are limited as compared to other POD sites.
  • Your designs are prone to copycats. Given how huge Amazon’s seller base is, it is hard to identify the copycats. However, you can always report the copyright infringement report with Amazon. 
  • Amazon does not have a public profile system like Redbubble. It does not allow your social media links or even a header image. 
  • Merch by Amazon does not allow you integration options

3. Printify

With over 500 thousand merchants, Printify is your All-In-One Print-On-Demand Drop Shipping service in the Shopify app store. You can sync with your online Shopify or Etsy store, process orders, and ship your products directly to your customers.  eCommerce businesses can sell products on their own sites, without the hassle of going through other online marketplaces, through Printify.

Product catalog:

  • Accessories
  • Mugs
  • T-shirts
  • Phone cases
  • Hoodies
  • And other personalized products

Pros:

  • A large variety of products
  • Their printing partners are in over 90 locations, such as the USA, UK Australia, China, and Germany
  • Printify allows you to integrate your Etsy and WooCommerce store automatically 
  • Profit margins and product prices are up to you, and Printify charges a small fee. 
  • The Printify fee schedule is easy to understand and straight-forward. You have transparency about how much you will be paying upfront.
  • Printify also gives you a help center with articles on important topics like integrations, troubleshooting, products, payments, and mockup designs.

Cons: 

  • Shipping solutions on Printify take longer to deliver international orders since they have fewer fulfillment centers. Printify is not as optimized for international orders.
  • Printify is not transparent about how long it takes to manufacture the product, however, Printify offers a faster solution for merchants using the Advanced Shopify plan.
  • Does not offer free samples 

4. Printiful

Printiful is an on-demand service that allows you to access everything you need to start selling custom items and accessories online. Printful offers printing, order fulfillment, and shipping for your online store. 

You can also gain access to helpful videos and tutorials on how it works, and other resources that can help you get started. It also has a mockup generator to put your designs on everything from phone cases to hats and t-shirts, to see how they look. 

Product catalog:

  • Swimwear 
  • Leggings 
  • Clothing
  • Mugs
  • Posters
  • Backpacks
  • Blankets
  • Jewelry
  • Stickers, and more

Printiful allows you to integrate eCommerce platforms such as: 

  • Squarespace
  • BigCommerce
  • Weebly
  • Ecwid
  • PrestaShop
  • Big Cartel
  • Gumroad
  • Magneto
  • 3rdcart
  • Launch Cart.
  • Wix

And marketplaces such as:

  • Etsy
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • Wish
  • Storenvy
  • Inktale
  • Your personal shopping website

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of Printiful 

Pros:

  • Printiful has fulfillment centers in LA, California, Mexico, North Carolina, Barcelona, Tijuana, etc
  • There are no subscription costs and you can get a 20% discount on your samples
  • Printiful has a dedicated page that gives full disclosure on the whole shipping and fulfillment process. 

Cons: 

  • It can take between 2-7 business days to make apparel products and 2-5 business days for non-apparel products.
  • On average, Printful suggests that it might take about 4 business days, as the speed depends on the location where the product is to be shipped. 

5. TeeSpring

TeeSpring is another such eCommerce platform that allows people to create and sell custom apparel. All of Teespring’s products are produced on demand, which means you don’t have to source inventory upfront. One of the cool things about TeeSpring is its easy-to-use design feature that even beginner designers or artists can use to make products to sell.

Product catalog:

  • Mugs
  • Accessories
  • Tote bags
  • Home decor
  • Socks and much more

Some of the advantages and disadvantages you get with TeeSpring are:

Pros:

  • Teespring’s Boosted Network can get your products into major retailers like Walmart, eBay, Wish, Amazon, Etsy, and more. You might be required to meet a few requirements, and maintain a good score, which is assigned to each account after the first sale. Your designs must also comply with TeeSpring’s design policies. 
  • TeeSpring also allows you to integrate with YouTube Merch Shelf and Google Shopping. Twitch.

Cons:

  • You are going to be required to drive sales and create unique content.  Teespring prioritizes products based on sales history. If you can generate sales on your product(s), then they will prioritize them and get them into the Boosted Network much faster.

So, there it is, the top 5 print on demand companies that you can choose from in 2021. It is important to understand that while all of these seem like good deals, there are always pros and cons of print on demand that need to be weighed. 

There are many other factors that will help you determine which POD company to choose for your custom merchandise, but we hope the pointers mentioned above are a good starting point for comparison, and we hope this helps. 

Stay tuned for more detailed articles on print on demand.

While we’re talking about customized designs and merch, Design Shifu is a design service that works with various individual sellers trying to sell customized products on Merch by Amazon, Redbubble, etc, helping transform their creative ideas into designs. If you have a cool idea that you would want to turn into a design, you can get in touch with Design Shifu. To know more, write to us support@designshifu.com  or take a look at our by clicking here.

Social Media Image Size Cheat Sheet 2023 Complete Guide

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others are constantly bringing about scalable changes in the size and dimension requirement, layout, and other specifications for the uploaded images.

These changes are so frequent that it becomes a challenge to keep track of them. However, we understand that you cannot shift your focus from your work to keep a tab on the latest social media image size changes every now and then.

This is exactly why we have consolidated the below social media image size cheat sheet 2021 for you, hoping it’ll come in handy when you work on your social media channels.

What Is The Best Facebook Image Size 2021?

No matter how big or small your business may be, posting relevant images of high quality and the right dimensions on a platform like Facebook makes your audience feel that your business is reputable and legitimate.

Facebook tries to prevent all the advertisers from posting spammy and over-promotional content by providing some specific Facebook image sizes that you must adhere to. This social media image size cheat sheet 2021 will tell you about these Facebook image dimensions in detail below.

– Facebook cover photo and profile picture

While uploading cover photo images on Facebook, you need to keep in mind the following safe zones so that the displayed image is compatible on a mobile phone as well as desktop screens.

  • On mobile screens, 24 px needs to be visible on both the bottom and top of the image.
  • On desktop screens, 90 px needs to be visible on both the left and right sides of the image.

Facebook cover photo

Facebook cover photo dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Cover Photo Template PSD

– Facebook profile picture (company logo)

DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Profile Picture (Company Logo) Template PSD

– Facebook shared image

Such an image appears on your timeline and also in the news feed of your fans. Here is the social media image size cheat sheet 2021 for Facebook shared image.

Facebook shared image dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Shared Image Template PSD

– Facebook shared link image

Facebook shared link image dimensions
Facebook shared link image template
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Shared Link Image Template PSD

– Facebook highlighted image

Facebook highlighted image dimensions
Facebook highlighted image template
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Highlighted Image Template PSD

– Facebook event cover image

Facebook cover event image dimensions
Facebook cover event image  template
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Event Cover Image Template PSD

– Facebook group cover photo

Facebook group cover photo dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Group Cover Photo Template PSD

– Facebook business cover photo

Facebook business cover photo dimensions
Facebook business cover photo template
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Business Cover Photo Template PSD

– Facebook post image 

Facebook post image dimensions
Facebook post image template
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Post Image Template PSD

– Facebook stories image

Facebook stories would be covering the entire screen of the viewer’s device and this is why it is recommended that you stick to the social media image size cheat sheet 2021 for Facebook stories image given below. Make sure that you do not add any text, symbols, or characters at the top and bottom part of the image as it becomes hard for the viewers to read it.

Facebook stories image dimensions
Facebook stories image template
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Stories Image Template PSD

– Facebook “Our Story” cover image

This is an extended version of the “About Us” section for businesses.

 Facebook “Our Story” cover image dimensions
 Facebook “Our Story” cover image template
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook “Our Story” Cover Image Template PSD

– Facebook catalog image

Facebook catalog image dimensions
Facebook catalog image template
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Facebook Catalog Image Template PSD

Struggling to figure out the right Facebook ad sizes?
This guide will help you optimise your Facebook ads across all devices and run successful campaigns.

Related

“Facebook Ad Dimensions in 2021 – The Ultimate Guide”

What Is The Best Instagram Image Size 2021?

Instagram is a social media platform where visuals are given prime importance. This means that high quality images are a must. The photos on Instagram are no longer limited to square photos. In fact, you can now post portrait or landscape-oriented pictures or videos and even prepare a carousel of around 10 images.

When it comes to Instagram business pages, you need to be mindful of the Instagram image sizes of the profile photo and the Instagram image dimensions of the images that you post on the business page. Check out the social media image size cheat sheet 2021 for Instagram below.

Instagram image dimensions template - cheat sheet

– Instagram business page profile photo (business logo)

Instagram business page profile photo (business logo) dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Instagram Business Page Profile Photo Template PSD

– All other images posted on this page

Instagram post size dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Template PSD For All Instagram Images

– Instagram image dimensions with respect to the layout

Instagram image dimensions with respect to the layout

DOWNLOAD NOW Free Instagram Image, With Respect To The Layout Template PSD

Wondering how to leverage the power of Instagram ads to attract new customers? Check out this complete guide to Instagram ad sizes.

Related

“Instagram Ad Specs and Sizes in 2021 – The Ultimate Guide”

What Is The Best LinkedIn Image Size 2021?

LinkedIn is a platform that has been specifically designed to facilitate interaction amongst professionals. It is a great resource for different businesses to connect with industry leaders, other businesses and prospective employees. 

You can either choose to have a business page or an individual profile on LinkedIn based on your preferences. The profile can either be paid or free. Here is the social media image size cheat sheet 2021 for both types of LinkedIn profiles.

– LinkedIn personal profile

Apart from adhering to the Linkedin image dimensions given below, it is important that you upload a professional-looking and respectable photo of yourself as a profile picture.

LinkedIn profile photo dimensions
LinkedIn personal profile dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free LinkedIn Personal Profile Template PSD

– LinkedIn business page

LinkedIn business page dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free LinkedIn Business Page Template PSD

LinkedIn business cover photo

LinkedIn business cover photo dimensions
LinkedIn cover photo dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free LinkedIn Business Cover Photo Template PSD

This is the image that stretches across your business profile right above your company’s profile picture. The social media image size cheat sheet 2021 below outlines the dimensions for LinkedIn business cover photo.

– LinkedIn custom modules

 LinkedIn custom modules dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free LinkedIn Custom Modules Template PSD

– LinkedIn company photo

LinkedIn company photo dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free LinkedIn company Photo

LinkedIn shared image

LinkedIn shared image dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free LinkedIn Shared Image Template PSD

What Is The Best Twitter Image Size 2021?

Popularly known for creating a real-time buzz online, Twitter is an incredible platform that drives customer experience and service for several businesses. For the profile photo on Twitter, stick to using your company logo. 

For the cover photo, you can display a new product that you have recently launched, describe what your brand represents, or use it for advertising. Also, when you are tweeting something, try including an image that adheres to the given Twitter image dimensions. This increases the chances of a higher response rate. All the necessary Twitter image sizes are given in the social media image size cheat sheet 2021 below.

Twitter image dimensions

Twitter profile image

Twitter profile image dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Twitter Profile Image Template PSD

– Twitter cover photo

Twittercover photo dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Twitter Cover Photo Template PSD

– Twitter timeline photo

Twitter timeline photo dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Tweeted Image Template PSD

– Tweeted image

Tweeted image dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Tweeted Image Template PSD

Twitter card image

Twitter card image dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Twitter Card Image Template PSD

Twitter moment

Twitter has not outlined or set any particular dimension for the images you post as Twitter moments. You can include any video, image, or even GIFs in Twitter moments. However, when talking about the social media image size cheat sheet 2021 for Twitter moments, an aspect ratio of 9:16 is highly recommended.

What Is The Best Pinterest Image Size 2021?

Pinterest is one of the most valuable search platforms where several users look for products and services. This platform does not feature a cover photo, which means that the focus should be on picking the best profile picture. It must adhere to the Pinterest image dimensions given in the below social media image size cheat sheet 2021.

Pinterest image dimensions

On Pinterest, vertically placed pins perform better since this platform’s layout is portrait-oriented. When deciding the Pinterest image sizes, create a pin that represents your brand vision aptly. 

– Pinterest Profile Picture

Pinterest profile picture dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Pinterest Profile Picture Template PSD

– Pinterest standard pin

Pinterest standard pin dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Pinterest Standard Pin Template PSD

– Pinterest square pin

Sharing this type of pin is not recommended unless you are reposting from another social media platform like Instagram since such images cannot be resized the way you want. Check out the social media image size cheat sheet 2021 for Pinterest square pin.

Pinterest square pin dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Pinterest Square Pin Template PSD

– Pinterest long pin

While creating long pins, make sure that the text is placed in the center of the image.

Pinterest long pin dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Pinterest Long Pin Template PSD

– Pinterest infographic pin

For infographics, make sure that the pin is simple and easy to grasp.

Pinterest infographic pin dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Pinterest Infographic Pin Template PSD

– Pinterest carousel pin

This is a great way to advertise when you have more than one product to introduce to your audience.

Pinterest carousel pin dimensions

DOWNLOAD NOW Free Pinterest Carousel Pin Template PSD

– Pinterest collection pin

Here, the first image you use will be the Hero image and it should have an aspect ratio of 2:3. You can add up to 24 additional images in your collection and they can have an aspect ratio of 1:1.

Pinterest collection pin dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Pinterest Collection Pin Template PSD

– Pinterest story pin

Pinterest pin story size
Pinterest story pin dimensions
DOWNLOAD NOW Free Pinterest Story Pin Template PSD

– Pinterest Video pin

Pinterest video pin dimensions

What Is The Best Snapchat Image Size 2021?

Snapchat is a popular platform that offers businesses a way to visually engage with their audience with the help of filters, lenses, ads, and other tools. While posting an ad image on Snapchat, there are certain Snapchat image sizes that you need to be wary of. 

The social media image size cheat sheet 2021 given below lists out all the Snapchat image dimensions.

Snapchat image

Snapchat image size dimensions

video

Snapchat video dimensions

– Snapchat geofilter

Snapchat geofilter dimensions-Social Media Image Size Cheat Sheet 2021

Conclusion

With several businesses emerging in 2021, it is crucial to building a strong social media presence. This is exactly why you need to keep up with the current social media image size cheat sheet 2021 and optimize your image ads on different platforms accordingly.

The above social media image size cheat sheet 2021 can prove to be very useful for all those professionals who cannot spare too much time looking for the currently approved image ad sizes on different social media platforms. Moreover, should you need any further assistance with creating customized images for your social channels, you may explore Design Shifu’s subscription-based design services starting at only $299 per month. You also get a 100% money-back guarantee just in case the services don’t meet your expectations. Click here to view the pricing plans.



Top 5 Pros and Cons of Print on Demand

What is Print on Demand?

Print on demand is a service that allows you to customize white-label products, with your own designs, to sell them on a per-order basis.

It is an alternative way to save time and investment as well as avoid the tedious process of inventory management. So you can channel your creativity and simply sell your custom products at a fraction of the cost.

If you want to know about how print on demand works, how to set it up, etc click here.

There are essential pointers that one needs to evaluate before signing up for a print on demand service. In this article, we are going to talk about the pros and cons of Print on demand, for designers looking to set up their own store on POD services.

Pros of POD:

1. It’s easy to set up

The majority of POD platforms are incredibly easy to use. It is mostly a simple process of signing up, creating a profile, and uploading your designs or products. This can be done in minutes. 

While some of the sites offer a free setup, some charge a registration fee. On the other hand, sites like Merch by Amazon need you to get accepted into the POD program to begin selling your products. 

2. Minimal inventory, no packaging or shipping trouble

One of the biggest pros of print on demand service is that the model gets rid of the biggest downside of inventory-based troubles such as stock costs, expenses, etc. It also eliminates the possibility of getting stuck with extra merchandise that you’re unable to sell or stock-outs because the merchandise goes into production after an order is placed.

3. Allows you to focus on what you’re good at 

Since most of the technical, logistics and production bits are handled for you by the print-on-demand service, you can have the freedom to focus on what you’re good at and spend your time producing more designs, and products that you want to sell. 

4. It’s easy to establish your brand

Print-on-demand services are white-labeled, which means you can customize your products and packaging with your branding so that when your customers receive their orders, there’s no sign of the third party service. 

5. No machinery needed. No excess or less stock

The fact that a third party handles the production for your designs, eliminates the need to have your own machinery needed to print your own stock. The technical part of the printing process is handled directly by your POD partner.

Cons of POD

1. Lower profit margins. 

The cost of goods for an on-demand printing service will be higher as compared to buying wholesale. This means that your profit margins will be lower.

Because the print on demand companies handle the whole of the shipping, packaging, and selling, they are going to take a larger percentage of the profit, and pay you a commission for the product being sold. 

Artists can either be paid through a percentage on each sale, that is through royalties, or markup from the bottom line cost of the product, where the artist can choose to finalize the retail price. Hence, depending on the product, the profit margin can be quite low. 

2. Limited Data

While these print on demand companies handle the selling for you, they are following the market carefully and capturing buyer information, so they can market to them again and hopefully make more sales.

Because you’re selling on their site, you won’t ever get to know who loved your work and bought it. You won’t get their information so you can make more sales unless they somehow reach out to you.

You might also miss the chance to stage your brand. Odds are, big POD companies package and ship products with their logo attached to them, not yours. 

So while it may be helpful to you that they are facilitating the sale and delivery of the products, it is important to know the limitations of the service as well.

3. Quality and product types

While you create your art, your designs, and your products, make sure the print on demand service you are investing in holds quality as a priority. Some print on demand companies care about the bottom line and in the process, the quality is lost. This can reflect badly on your art business and affect your sales.

Do your research to see which companies have the highest quality printing. Check into the quality of their website and customer service department, too. 

On the other hand, if you’re a seller looking for extremely customized and specific products to sell, some print on demand companies might not have the option for you. Mainstream apparel or merchandise like T-shirts etc won’t be an issue since they are common products. 

However, if you wish to sell, for example, products only of a specific fabric, then you might find it difficult to sell through a print on demand service.

4. You depend on your printing partner for products and their availability.

POD companies work with different suppliers to source products or product materials, for example, fabric. This means there are a lot of moving parts, and sometimes products may go out of stock or become unavailable. 

5. Order fulfillment takes longer.

Since every product is printed on-demand, it takes longer to fulfill orders than it would if you already had your products available in stock. While this may not be a con for the designer, it may be a con for the customer ordering your product. 

Having said this…

… it is important to understand that there are challenges with the convenience that print on demand services offer. However, a deeper understanding and evaluation of the crucial elements of the POD company such as the quality of the product, the delivery time, your profit percentage of the sale, etc, can help you make the right decision for your artwork business. 

So whether you decide to go ahead with a Print on Demand service or just sell your custom designed merchandise on your own e-commerce website or store, Design Shifu can create your designs for you. Design Shifu is an on-demand graphic design agency that designs merchandise and much more with a 24 to 48 hour turnaround time, for a flat monthly fee! Check out our portfolio and our pricing page.