2. Designing products and building a brand
Once you’ve locked in your niche and products, the next challenge is design. In a crowded market, clever isn’t enough – your designs must connect emotionally.
“The biggest difference between designs that sell and designs that don’t is emotional connection. Most POD sellers get trapped in the “clever concept” mindset, making designs about what they think is witty or aesthetically pleasing.
Your design should make someone stop scrolling and think, “That’s so me” or “I need people to know I think this way.” Emotion drives the purchase decision.”
– Agnese Bite, Head of Product Design
That connection doesn’t happen accidentally. It’s about building a cohesive story across your catalog.
“Successful stores usually obsess over cohesion: mockups, designs, and marketing are treated as one story, not separate tasks. They pick mockups that fit the buyer and channel (clean, straight-on for marketplaces; lifestyle and UGC for a brand site and ads), keep backgrounds and models consistent so the catalog feels intentional.”
– Valts Feldbergs, Platforms & Integrations Lead
Valts leads ecosystem and platform partnerships, overseeing integrations with major platforms like Shopify, Wix, and TikTok Shop to expand merchant sales opportunities.
To complete your brand story, think beyond graphics. A cohesive custom clothing line helps your brand look polished and professional.
Read more: How to start a small clothing business from home
Visual consistency feeds directly into branding. Without a clear message that resonates, even the sharpest designs and best photography won’t get customers to pull out their wallets.
“Ads, SEO, PR, and every other paid marketing channel are great. But they’re nothing without a message that resonates with people. Brand is the message that moves people to give you their money.”
– David Hooker, Brand Director
As the Head of Brand, David leads brand strategy and communications, combining storytelling and creative leadership to help merchants connect with global audiences.
The catch is, none of these elements guarantees an instant hit. It takes persistence.
“The market has shown us that true success comes from the willingness to keep experimenting and refining your designs until you create a winner. In this business, a winning design is often born from a dozen tries. Keep on experimenting!”
– Alex Saltonstall, CEO of Printful
As CEO of Printful, Alex drives strategy and partnerships to strengthen the POD ecosystem and support merchant growth.
When that winning design comes together, the final step is ensuring it looks just as good in real life as it does on screen. The right fulfillment method makes your design shine on the product and meets customer quality expectations.
“Want to create a design for your new clothing line and start selling right away?
Print on Demand allows it, but it’s important to match the customization technique with your design because no one technique is best for everything! Each technique has its pros and cons, and it’s important to select the technique that will best showcase your designs on a specific garment.”
– Zane Levsa, COO
As COO at Printful, Zane leads Operations, Supply Chain, and R&D, focused on giving merchants the best balance of product quality, speed, and selection to help them build successful brands.
Read more: How to start a clothing brand step by step
“Pro tip: If you’re planning to make your own shirt, embroidery works best on sturdy fabrics. Intricate designs with many details belong on jackets, hoodies, or backpacks, not lightweight tees.”
– Ilze Andersone, R&D Project Manager
With over 8 years of embroidery expertise, Ilze ensures efficient production and high-quality results so merchants can offer premium embroidered products.
Strong design, brand cohesion, and production choices set the stage. But to grow, sellers need a storefront that showcases their work and converts interest into sales.