How to Set Up Your Online Custom T-Shirt Business in 2021

 T-shirts are a staple of casualwear across the globe, and selling custom t-shirts has become a popular choice for artists and entrepreneurs who are looking for an inexpensive business start-up idea.

The global market for custom t-shirt printing is predicted to cross 10 billion USD by 2025. So, if you’re planning to get involved in the t-shirt selling business, you’re bound to come across some stiff competition.

Here’s a brief step-by-step guide on how you can set up your own business:

1. Find Your Niche and Target Audience

Determining your niche beforehand will help your online t-shirt business attract the right audience without you having to go over budget.

Since the online t-shirt business is already quite saturated, take your time to come up with t-shirt ideas that are truly unique. Browse through online stores that you like, brainstorm ideas, and determine if there’s an untapped market that you can take advantage of.  

For instance, a general category could include t-shirts with funny slogans. If you wish to further specify this niche, you can dabble with the idea of t-shirts with funny slogans and puns that relate to dog owners or doctors.

2. Design Your T-Shirt

Your design ideas are critical if you want to launch a successful online t-shirt business. For ideas, you can start by looking at what’s popular and currently selling well. However, don’t be afraid to be creative.

Contact local designers or take advantage of freelance platforms like Fiverr or Upwork to get high-quality design work at a good price point.

3. Create T-Shirt Mock-Ups to Validate Your Designs

Before you invest a handful of money in your start-up, make sure there’s a market for your designs. There are many ways to seek unbiased feedback:

· Post your designs on social networks, niche Facebook groups, and Twitter, where potential customers are frequent

· Post your designs on the relevant subreddits to find a targeted niche of customers and ask them for their opinion

4. Decide On the Print Method

Since some printing methods are more flexible than others, decide on the print method before you launch your designs.

Here are some popular options for printing methods for t-shirts:

· Direct-to-garment applies the ink directly onto the fabric. Although it allows you to work with a wide range of color options and designs, design placement requires a lot of precision, which may only be possible upon hiring a professional.

· Screen printing is a process whereby ink is pushed through a mesh stencil onto the required fabric. Since only one color can be applied at a time with screen printing, the more colors your design has, the longer it’ll take to print.

· Sublimation printing uses heat to infuse ink directly onto the fabric. This printing method works best with photographs, patterns, and abstract designs since it produces glossy and vivid colors. However, keep in mind that it only works with polymer materials.

5.  Set up an Online Store

If a local printing business costs too much, opt for a dropshipping business model that uses print-on-demand service. You can directly integrate these services with your Shopify store and start taking customer orders right away instead of purchasing or holding inventory upfront.

Invest in high-quality dye sublimation paper, dye sublimation ink, and digital sublimation printers, supplied by one of the top sublimation paper manufacturers, Jind Group Limited.

The company supplies some of the best inkjet heat transfer paper and sublimation paper rolls that can help you reduce your digital printing business costs.

Contact Jind Group at (0086) 18613194646 for more information.