Contents
Print on demand is one of the best ways to create a stream of passive income. Print on demand requires no upfront investment and no inventory management. While your print on demand partner has taken care of most parts of the process, there is still a lot of work to manage as a print-on-demand seller.
Especially for beginners, understanding and managing print on demand business can be overwhelming sometimes. One of the best ways for a new learner to dabble through the world of print on demand is by taking courses.
That’s why Merchize has compiled a list of the best print on demand courses and resources for you to learn more about print on demand and how to successfully create a print on demand business.
Why should you enroll in a print on demand course?
When it comes to doing business, taking courses is optional. Many people would argue that you learn more from real experience and hand-in learning rather than sitting down and taking other people’s lessons. That being said, well-structured and comprehensive courses from experienced instructors can be the fast route for you to master a subject, print on demand included.
Here’s are some reasons why you, as a learner, can benefit from enrolling in a print on demand courses:
Learn print on demand from scratch
Taking courses is the best way for starters to learn about print on demand from scratch. Agreeably, there are many resources online where you can read and absorb information about print on demand, pieces of information are scattered all over the place. It is not easy for beginners to know how to bring all these pieces together and identify which information is important or not.
A course is designed to make you understand from the most basic concept to the more complicated process. Every part of the course is created in an order that is comprehensible and easy to understand.
Avoid cost – traps and any mistakes that you can meet
When you decide to emerge yourself into the POD industry, you will have to know all processes from starting an online business, finding products to sell, choosing a platform to sell your products is also important and more other things. You can find information on the Internet or ask other people but you can not be sure all information is correct and their advice can bring sales and profit margins to your stores.
The best way to help you know in-depth about POD & avoid traps or mistakes is to register for a course. A great course can help you start easier and quicker as well as come with suggestions to help you not wait much time and money.
Get experiences and tips from top experts
Most of the print on demand courses are designed and constructed by top experts with years of experience in the industry. Learning from these experts is like taking a shortcut to success. Instead of failing constantly and learning from these mistakes, you can save yourself a huge amount of money and time by standing on the giant’s shoulders.
You can still learn from your peers and other people doing the same business, but not all of them are willing to share with strangers their hard-learned lessons. Plus, it is unlikely that you have the opportunity to meet, let alone talk to them.
With online courses, you are empowered to learn from the best people in the industry and sometimes, get direct mentorship from these people.
Know the ins and outs of print on demand faster
Many people have succeeded without taking courses with print on demand. But it surely took them months or even years to learn the secret to success from hand-in experience. The best part about taking courses is that you can speed up your progress and learn things faster.
Otherwise, when you register for a POD, some courses provide the POD communities that help you connect with other sellers. Feel free to talk with experienced people to prepare for your best POD store.
How to find the best print on demand course for yourself?
Print on demand is a hot business. Everyone wants a bite of it. The demand for print on demand courses, accordingly, is also high. But do you know where you can find the best course for yourself? Here are some ways that help you find them quicker:
Finding POD course on the Internet
Of course, today you can find almost everything on the Internet from the recipes of dishes or the course to be a science master. So the Internet is the best place for you to find suitable POD courses. Here is some website that you can go to and get more information about POD courses:
- Udemy
- Shopify Learn
- Skillshare.com
- Mofluid.com
Asking experienced POD seller
If you decide to join the POD industry, it is probably that someone you know has joined this field so do not hesitate to ask them for some suggestions. People who have experience always have some good knowledge that you can learn from.
Follow POD experts
During your research time about POD, you might know about some experts in the POD industry. They could be POD sellers who had to earn a lot of money. Following and connecting with them can help you get more knowledge about POD as well as find some suitable courses.
After following the three above options, you might see there are a lot of options available. How do you know which option is the right fit for you? Before deciding which course you want to take, here are some criteria that help you find the most suitable course.
Price
Print on demand training courses can cost you from nothing to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. It depends on how much you are willing to pay. If you are low on budget, it shouldn’t be an issue since there are many free courses available.
Free courses can be very valuable and helpful for beginners to learn the basics about print on demand. However, more advanced courses from top experts with a more comprehensive curriculum and insights can cost a lot more. You should consider your budget and your expectation to choose a suitable course.
Course length
The options are endless. But your time is not. While there are a variety of courses out there, you probably don’t have enough time to take all of them. These courses can take you from hours to months to finish. Consider how much time you can spend on learning to find a course that will make sense to your schedule.
Scope of learning
It is important to know what you expect to learn from courses. Each course has a different focus and objectives. Sometimes, the course’s scope might be irrelevant to your business or they teach things you have already known. In order not to waste your time and money, always pay attention to the content of the course and find a suitable course.
Reviews
Some courses can bring you value, but some of them are sketchy, mediocre, and not worthy of your time. One way to access the quality of a print-on-demand course is by reading reviews. On educational websites like Udemy, Coursera, or Skillshare, you can find feedback and reviews from people who took the classes. Spend some time reading these reviews before enrolling in yourself. If possible, ask people around you or online for real reviews of the course you are planning to participate in.
Top 17 best print on demand courses
In the following, Merchize will list out the best courses for people in different learning stages, beginners and advanced learners.
For beginners, we suggest you take comprehensive courses that teach you the most basic things about print on demand, how it works, how to set up a business, how to find products, niches, and ideas for your business.
On the other hand, learners with prior knowledge and experience with print on demand might expect to hop on some more advanced stuff.
The best print on demand courses for beginner
Build your print on demand empire – Print on demand Shopify course
Which does it cover?
There are 19 lessons in this Shopify print on demand- Build your print on demand empire course (https://www.shopify.com/learn/course/build-a-print-on-demand-empire). The total length of the course is 2 hours and 41 minutes. The course materials are mostly videos that you can watch at your own time and place.
- How to find your niche and validate your product idea
- How to pick the right Print-on-Demand fulfillment app and company for your business
- How to set up your own Shopify store from scratch
- How to generate traffic and sales with Facebook marketing and email marketing
Price
Build your print on demand empire is one of the best print on demand free training courses for beginners.
Reviews
Since this course comes right from Shopify, you don’t have to worry about the quality. Plus, if you are considering starting your own online business on Shopify, this course will be highly useful. You will be guided to establish and operate your print on demand Shopify shop.
Printful courses – How to start a print-on-demand business for beginners
Printful is the leading company in print on demand. With their years of experience working with print on demand sellers from across the globe, Printful, more than anyone, knows how to create a profitable and long-lasting print on demand business.
Printful is currently offering various lessons and courses that help aspiring print on demand sellers to build their business.
Which does it cover?
There are five modules in this Printful how to start POD business for beginnners course (https://www.printful.com/academy/ecommerce/print-on-demand-starter). In this course, the instructor will explain everything about print on demand, from how it works, how to find niches, and how to optimize and promote your store. Of course, they also include guides and instructions to work with Printful’s system.
Price
This is a free online course from one of the best POD suppliers around the world.
Reviews
This is a good place to start learning about print on demand. This course will explore more about the business
side of your print on demand store.
In other words, you will learn concepts around brand building, financing, advertising, and customer services. This basic knowledge is not only important in print on demand but also in any other type of business.
Build a Shopify Print on Demand Business from Scratch
Which does it cover?
Here comes another Udemy print on demand Shopify course: Build a Shopify POD from scratch (https://www.udemy.com/course/build-a-shopify-print-on-demand-business-from-scratch) that is perfectly suitable for beginners. This is also one of the most popular courses on print on demand on Udemy.
This course includes both media and reading materials. There are 115 lessons, divided into 22 sections with over 8-hour long videos. The course is delivered in English. Closed captions are also available in other languages including Indonesian, Thai, Polish, Italian, and Romanian.
When taking this course, you will be walked through the most fundamental concepts about print on demand and eCommerce as well as how to set up a fully functioning Shopify store. With his experience in digital marketing, Adam also instructs you to create advertising campaigns on Facebook or emails.
The course is designed by Adam Reeds, an experienced expert in eCommerce, Digital marketing. Adam has gained huge success on various eCommerce platforms, first with eBay and then his store on Shopify. Besides his successful career as an entrepreneur, Adam Reeds is a successful Udemy teacher with over 30,000 students enrolling in his courses.
Price
This course costs $84.99
Reviews
While the content of this course is very beginner-friendly and in-depth, some parts might be a bit outdated for the current market.
At the time of this writing, there are over 4,400 students enrolled in this course. The Shopify print on demand course has received over 740 reviews with an average rating of 4.3 stars.
Passive Income: Beginners T-Shirt Design & Print on Demand
T-shirt is the most profitable product in print on demand. Selling print on demand t-shirts has been the number one option for POD sellers over the years. This Beginners Tshirt Design & POD course (https://coursemarks.com/course/passive-income-beginners-t-shirt-design-print-on-demand/) will help you get passive income when running another job.
To know where to start with your T-shirt POD business, you can get more information from our article how to build a T-shirt business.
Which does it cover?
This is a short course that includes 2.5 hours of video. Dana Gore is the instructor of this course. With her experiences as an artist, you will learn practical tips to find ideas and turn them into T-shirt designs without prior knowledge in design.
This course will show you the step-by-step process to design a winning product. You don’t need to be particularly skilled or artsy to knock out a best-selling design. Dana will help you to leverage the existing, free tools online to make your designs. In this course, the instructor will focus more on Teespring, a marketplace for print on demand.
Price
This is a free course that is available for everyone who wants to learn about POD.
Review
Over 600 people have enrolled in this course and the course gains over 100 reviews with an average rating of 4.2 stars.
Start A T-Shirt Business | Redbubble, Merch by Amazon & More
Which does it cover?
This is a T-shirt print on demand business course (https://www.udemy.com/course/start-a-t-shirt-business-teespring-merch-by-amazon/) built by Jason Gandy. He is the founder of his own company Quantum Leap Commerce. In the past decade, Jason has started serial online businesses and gained significant success.
This course delivers hands-on tips and instructions on how to make money online by selling designs on popular print on demand marketplaces like TeeSpring, Redbuddle, Spreadshirt.
The course includes 15 sections, 80 lectures that add up to over 7 hours 27 minutes. In these lessons, Jason will teach you how to create designs by yourself using Canva or hiring professional designers to do the job. There are also sections teaching you how to do niche and market research as well as how to promote your T-shirt business.
Price
This course costs $84.99
Review
Over 5248 people have enrolled in this course and the course gains over 991 reviews with an average rating of 4.3 stars.
Shopify Course by POD Frenzy
Which does it cover?
This Shopify Course by POD Frenzy (https://pixelcozy.com/courses/pod-frenzy-shopify-basic-course/) is published in Shopify courses library.
Even though the course appears to be focused on Shopify, it provides a wealth of information for anyone interested in getting started with print on demand on other platforms or learning more about niche research, design, marketing, or selecting a printing provider.
It will cover all the below topic:
- Niche Research
- Shopify Store Creation
- Designing
- Choosing Our Printing Provider
- Marketing
Price
This course is free for POD sellers to learn from.
Review & Rating
This course gets positive feedback from more than half of its learners and is one of the best courses for beginners.
Print On Demand Mini-Course by Ryan Hogue
Which it covers?
Ryan Hogue offers a POD Mini-course (https://ryanhogue.com/dropshipped-pod/mini-course-lp/) eight-day e-mail-based short course. Each day, you will receive one lesson. The course contains step-by-step instructions on how to build your own print-on-demand company.
This course covers the following topics:
How to get started with Etsy and Printful
How to set up and establish an Etsy business that is optimized.
How to increase the scalability and profitability of your Promoted Listings campaigns.
Pricing
This is a free course.
Review & Rating
Ryan is one of the most famous POD experts that you can learn from his knowledge and experience. This course gets a lot of positive feedback.
How to Quickly Start a Print on Demand Merchandise Business with Zero Experience
Which does it cover?
This course is available on Skillshare, an online learning platform that will teach people to start a POD merchandise business from zero experience (https://www.skillshare.com/classes/How-to-Quickly-Start-a-Print-on-Demand-Merchandise-Business-with-Zero-Experience/1020147220). Unlike Udemy where you pay for separate courses, Skillshare allows you to subscribe to their services and earn access to all their courses.
This Skillshare course includes 29 lessons with a total length of 4 hours. After taking this course, you will gain an overview of how to open and run a print on demand store. There are specific lessons for popular products like T-shirts and Mugs. Besides, it also shows you how to promote your listings with social media, Google Shopping Ads. This is a great option for beginners.
Price
This is a free course.
Reviews
Nearly 2000 people have enrolled in this course and about 70% review the course meets their expectations.
How to Manage your Print on Demand Business
Which does it cover?
Printful, a POD company, is offering a free course called “How to Manage Your Print on Demand Business." (https://www.printful.com/academy/ecommerce/print-on-demand-starter) It’s an excellent training that covers subjects such as how to accurately establish and explain your brand. Pricing tactics, growing with multi-channel selling, advertising, and how to value your consumers are just a few of the subjects covered.
- Module 1: Communication, branding, and messaging
- Module 2: Organize your finances
- Module 3: How to Use Advertising
- Module 4: The King is the Customer
- Module 5: Continue to study and improve
Price
This is a free course.
Reviews
More than a hundred people have enrolled in this course and about 70% review the course meets their expectations.
The Best deep-dive courses
Print on Demand: Ety T-Shirt Business 150% Profit Margins
Which does it cover?
Etsy is one of the major platforms for print on demand business. There are a ton of successful print on demand stores that are still growing and making a fortune on Etsy. If you are planning to tap into selling print on demand on Etsy, this Etsy T-shirt business with 150% profit margins (https://www.udemy.com/course/print-on-demand-etsy-printful/) is the right course for you.
Luke Kelly is the creator of this course. He is an art teacher and an entrepreneur who was able to create a successful and automated print on demand store on Etsy.
Throughout 45 lessons on this course, you will be introduced to the Etsy print on demand business model. You are instructed to create and configure an Etsy store, connect your Etsy store to your print on demand supplier, optimize your store for search engine (Etsy SEO), and create a flow to automate your income on this platform.
Price
This course cost $34.99
Reviews
Luke Kelly’s course has attracted over 2,000 students and gained a high rating of 4.5 stars. After taking this Etsy print on demand course, hopefully, you can take your business to the next level.
T-Shirt Design for Beginners Using Canva Pro
Which does it cover?
Knowing how to design is one of the key skills that you will need to succeed with print on demand on your own. The great thing about print on demand is that it doesn’t require you to be exceptionally talented and skilled to create a profitable design.
This T-Shirt Design for Beginners- Using Canva Pro course (https://www.udemy.com/course/designing-teeshirts-using-canva-pro/), for example, will show you how to deliver a finished design using Canva, a simple design tool that everyone can learn to use. You can earn money from these easy-to-make designs.
This course will show you a step-by-step guide to create different types of T-shirt designs, typo-based shirts, image-based shirts, event-based shirts, and so on. It is a short course that only takes two hours to complete.
Price
This course cost $19.99
Review
Over 3000 people have enrolled in this course and the course gains 62 reviews with an average rating of 4.4 stars.
T-shirt Design Masterclass – Beginner to Pro Fast
Which does it cover?
This is a masterclass on T-shirt designs (https://www.udemy.com/course/tshirtdesignmasterclass/) that you should not miss. It will teach you the basic graphic designs and how to make use of the Adobe Illustrator tool to create T-shirt designs.
Charley Pangus is your teacher on this course. He is an experienced graphic designer. He also has his channel where he shares his tips and tutorials on T-shirt designs. His channel has over 218K subscribers at the time of this writing.
T-shirt design masterclass course focuses on the design part of the print on demand business. This course will not elaborate on the business side of the print on demand. It is more suitable for beginners who want to learn how to master the design craft.
In this two-hour-long course, you will see the tutorial to use Adobe Illustrator tools to create a T-shirt design using typography and shapes. There are also sections where you can practice your design skills and receive feedback from the teacher.
Price
This course costs $84.99
Reviews
This course by Charley Pangus has gained very positive feedback from learners with an average rating of 4.7 stars. The course has helped over 4,000 people on their way to learn how to use graphic designs for creating best-selling T-shirts.
Redbubble Print on Demand Masterclass
Which does it cover?
Redbubble is the largest marketplace for print on demand. It is also the favorite print on demand website for artists. In this course, Ryan Hogue, an active content creator on print on demand world, will be your instructor.
In this Redbubble POD Masterclass course (https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-make-money-on-redbubble), Ryan Houge will not only show you the full guideline on how to set up and operate your shop on Redbubble but also how to do market research and create designs. At the end of the course, there is a section where Ryan Houge reviews several shops on Redbubble so that you can learn practical lessons and tips to replicate success.
Ryan Hogue has created and run successful print on demand stores that gained him a six-figure income as a side hustle. Ryan Hogue is running a Youtube channel that specializes in print on demand and eCommerce. His Youtube channel has gained over 87K subscribers. On his channel, Ryan Hogue updates frequently about the latest trends and his business journey with print on demand.
This is an extensive course on Redbubble. If you are an artist looking for ways to create a stream of passive income, this course will show you how you can do so on Redbubble.
Price
This course costs $84.99
Reviews
This course has gained very positive feedback from learners with an average rating of 4.5 stars from 147 feedback.
Print on Demand with Etsy for Passive Income 2022 Guide
Which does it cover?
Patrick Gamaliel is a skilled illustrator and graphic designer with two decades of experience. He has been working at Apple for over 8 years now. With his extensive experience in the realm of designs, Patrick has helped a lot of students from different backgrounds navigate through the visual art field.
Print on Demand with Etsy for Passive income (https://www.udemy.com/course/print-on-demand-with-etsy-printful) includes 13 sections with 50 lectures. This four-hour-long course will fully focus on the design aspect of print on demand – how to research ideas and bring those ideas into hot-selling designs. There you can learn the easy way to create designs, automate your process as well as how to scale up your business on Etsy.
Besides, Patrick Gamaliel also provides new free bundle files for his students to access. Since the course has lifetime access, you can get the latest updates after you finish the course.
Price
This course costs $79.99
Reviews
Here is another in-depth Etsy print on demand course for you. Over 16,000 students have attended this course. It has received over 580 reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars.
How I Made 6 Six Figures In 12 Weeks With P.O.D Jewelry
If you are interested in developing a jewelry business without having to pay upfront costs and manage inventory, here is good news for you: you can do print on demand with jewelry goods. More than showing the full process of creating a profitable print on demand jewelry business, the course illustrates a case study with tried-and-succeeded practice.
Which does it cover?
This POD jewelry course (https://www.udemy.com/course/pod-authority/) covers not only the basics of print on demand jewelry but also extensive knowledge about Facebook advertising which is an essential part of eCommerce. These valuable lessons can be applied in different businesses, not limited to print on demand jewelry alone.
Dan Daniels is the instructor of this course. He has been working in digital marketing for decades. With this course, he showcased his own success story with print on demand and how you can do the same with strategic marketing.
Within this course, you will learn how to create a print on demand jewelry business with Shine On, a print on demand provider specializing in jewelry products. There are also two sections dedicated to Facebook Ads where you learn how to create and run effective ad campaigns on this social media network.
In the last part of the course, the instructor shows the real ad breakdowns of his campaigns and how he generates $100K of income in 12 weeks.
Price
This course costs $79.99
Reviews
More than 600 people have enrolled in this course and it gets a very high rating of 4.9 from 133 students.
E-Commerce for Artists: Selling with Print On Demand | Learn with Threadless
Which does it cover?
This Threadless E-commerce for Artists course (https://www.skillshare.com/classes/E-Commerce-for-Artists-Selling-with-Print-On-Demand-Learn-with-Threadless/) is a collaboration between Skillshares and Threadless. Threadless is a print-on-demand website where artists can upload and sell their designs. If you want to understand how Threadless works and learn the recommended practices from the people from Threadless, this course is for you. It is a super short course that takes you less than an hour to finish.
Price
You can sign up on Skillshares for a one-month trial to take this course.
Reviews
Nearly 90% of people who register for this course believe this course is great for POD sellers and recommend it to others.
Building a Career in Illustration: Explore Print-On-Demand | Learn with Society6
Which does it cover?
Here is another short POD course from Society6 (https://www.skillshare.com/classes/Building-a-Career-in-Illustration-Explore-Print-On-Demand-Learn-with-Society6/) for artists to learn about print on demand and how to unleash their creative power in the business world. In this course, Cat Coquillette, one of the top teachers on Skillshare, will give some valuable lessons as an artist/entrepreneur and how to make money on Society6 – a platform for artists to showcase their arts and make money from selling merchandise.
Cat has created various courses on creating arts as well as social media marketing for artists. “Digitize Your Art to Sell Online: Prep Your Paintings for Print-On-Demand” is a more comprehensive course on print on demand created by Cat.
Price
You can sign up on Skillshares for a one-month trial to take this course.
Reviews
More than 58000 people had registered for this course and more than half of them were satisfied with the course quality.
What can you do after taking a print on demand course?
Learning is important. However, it is only the first step in finding success. It is how you apply what you learn into practice and earn your success that matters. Here are a few things that you should follow after taking a print on demand course to make sure that your training is translating into real-life achievement.
Apply tips and knowledge from these courses into practice
This is the most important part of the learning process: Practice. From what you have learned from experienced trainers, you should bring these lessons into action. During your practice, you will fully understand the methods and learn your lessons. It is also the only way to find out what is working for your situation.
Keep in contact with your teachers, trainers
One of the most valuable lessons from taking a print on demand course is the opportunity to connect with your trainers who have extensive experience and demonstrated success with print-on-demand. If possible, you should always remain in contact with your trainers.
Join communities of learners and POD sellers to get updates and have conversations
To further your learning outside the context of a training course, you should connect and get in touch with like-minded people. Some of these courses offer access to their group of learners. You can also find many active groups for print-on-demand sellers on Facebook. In these groups, you can discuss and share information with people who are also doing print on demand business. It will give you the environment and community where you can further your learning and get frequent updates about the print on demand market.
Learn from mistakes
Print on demand is continuously growing and changing. What people teach you might work in certain situations, it doesn’t always guarantee 100% success. There are chances that you might fail. However, these small step-backs are important parts of the learning process. By committing mistakes, you will gain a valuable lesson that applies to your situation, your own business.
Narrow your focus
One of the common mistakes that many beginners tend to make is to get their effort scattered over multiple platforms instead of focusing on one or two potential platforms. While it is tempting to present everywhere and take any opportunity to make money, this approach doesn’t work in real life, especially for beginners.
It is highly recommended that you focus on one or two platforms and put in your best works. Until you can establish a working process for these platforms, then you can scale your business to other places.
Q&A
Is print-on-demand profitable?
The POD sector has exploded in popularity in recent years. This, of course, means that there will be a lot of competition, but a print-on-demand business can still generate a decent profit in 2022. Choosing a suitable niche, platform, and finding great POD suppliers can help you earn a lot of money with POD.
Is print-on-demand difficult to start for beginners?
While using a print-on-demand service may be more convenient than managing your own inventory, there are some special factors to be aware of. Fortunately, there are innovative answers to the majority of the problems you’ll encounter. Joining a POD course can help you overcome some challenges.
Can you recommend some Skillshare print on demand courses?
Some of the best Skillshare print on demand courses available are:
- How to Quickly Start a Print on Demand
- Merchandise Business with Zero Experience
- E-Commerce for Artists: Selling with Print On Demand | Learn with Threadless
- Building a Career in Illustration: Explore Print-On-Demand | Learn with Society6
In conclusion, the world of print on demand is full of opportunities for both beginners and advanced learners. With the top 17 best print on demand courses available, Merchize has provided a comprehensive list that caters to people in different learning stages. For beginners, comprehensive courses such as “Build your print on demand empire – Print on demand Shopify course" and “Printful courses – How to start a print-on-demand business for beginners" are highly recommended, as they cover essential topics like niche research, store creation, and marketing strategies. Happy finding.
