With the custom t-shirt printing market projected to grow by 11% each year, there’s never been a better time to start your own t-shirt business.

Using online tools, you can easily print and sell your designs. Focusing on a specific audience and crafting designs that resonate with them will help you create popular, cost-effective products.

This guide will show you how to get started and turn your t-shirt business into a source of recurring income.

How to start an online t-shirt business

Here are a few steps that you can follow to start an online t-shirt business now:

1. Find a niche

Picking a t-shirt niche can help your online business attract the right customers.

Broad niches like “funny t-shirts” are often too big for a new business to compete. Instead, find sub-niches and use keyword tools to discover what your audience is searching for. For example, sub-niches in the funny t-shirt category might be “t-shirts with jokes for nurses” or “funny t-shirts for dog parents.”

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Here’s how to check if a niche is worth pursuing:

• Look at popular hobbies on social media for inspiration.
• Use Facebook Audience Insights to gauge the size of your niche.
• Visit a niche’s subreddit and check the subscriber count and engagement.
• Consider your own interests and the communities you’re part of.

After choosing a niche, make a business plan that shows how to sell custom t-shirts to your chosen audience.

2. Source high-quality materials and printers

The next step in starting your online t-shirt business is finding a wholesale clothing supplier or custom t-shirt maker.

Not all t-shirts are alike. Different printing methods create different outcomes. Quality is key to your brand’s reputation, so it’s important to understand your choices.

It might be tempting to go with a cheaper supplier to increase profits. But remember, product quality impacts whether customers return or recommend your shirts.

Choosing a good t-shirt means considering factors like sizing, material, fit, softness, and weight. Once you’ve narrowed down your options, order samples to make a final decision.

3. Design your t-shirts

After choosing a shirt supplier, you might want to create original graphic tees. Here are some ways to get started:

Explore the top-selling designs and niches. If you’re struggling to find ideas, look at what’s popular and selling well on sites like:

• Redbubble
• Zazzle
• SnorgTees

Another tip is to use Google Trends to see what topics are popular right now. Trending subjects can serve as a rich source of t-shirt design ideas.

Hire a designer

Once you have a concept for your t-shirt designs, begin sketching some drafts. If you’re skilled with design software, you may create solid designs on your own. But getting help might be the better choice.

There are various online platforms to find graphic designers, including freelance networks, design communities, and t-shirt design marketplaces:

Freelance networks

Sites like Upwork list many artists and illustrators. You can find a t-shirt designer, review their portfolio and past projects, and if they’re a match, reach out and hire them through the platform.

Design communities

Dribbble is a design community filled with talented creators. You can browse styles you like, then contact the designer to see if they’re available for your project.

Behance is another option, hosting portfolios from global artists who specialize in illustrations and graphic design. If you find someone whose work you like, you can easily connect with them.

T-shirt design marketplaces

Rather than hiring a designer, you can purchase ready-made designs for your t-shirt business. Although this reduces upfront costs, it also means other stores might use the same designs, which could make it harder to distinguish your store. Consider these t-shirt graphic marketplaces:

• Creative Market offers a range of high-quality graphics and template.
• Graphic River provides royalty-free Photoshop vectors and icon collections.
• Tshirt Factory offers a range of vector images, from retro to punk styles.

Remember, you may need to obtain a commercial license for the images before using them on your t-shirts.

4. Mock up your t-shirts

After finalizing your t-shirt designs, the next step for your business is to create mockup images. Mockups let you and your customers visualize how the design will appear on blank shirts.

Instead of ordering a sample shirt, you can offer a digital preview. You can create these mockups using online tools or with an image editor like Adobe Photoshop.

PSD mockup templates come with layers that allow you to change the shirt’s color and apply your design to match the shirt’s folds, contours, and creases.

There are also online mockup tools that help you create similar images without needing Photoshop:

• Printify t-shirt mockup generator
• Printful mockup generator
• Placeit mockup generator

For those not interested in creating digital mockups, the best option is to order samples of blank shirts and shoot your own photos.

5. Validate your t-shirt designs

Before committing to your new business, make sure your designs are popular. There are several ways to check design appeal before selling your t-shirts online.

Some common ways to test your ideas include:

Post on Reddit

Even though the Reddit community isn’t fond of marketing, it’s still a great place to get genuine feedback on your designs. By doing this, you might attract some potential customers and even get some free exposure in the process.

Use crowdfunding

Crowdfunding sites help you test, validate, and raise money upfront for new business ideas. Setting up a crowdfunding campaign takes time and planning. But if you have a unique t-shirt business idea, it could be the right option for you.

Reach out to personal social networks

Share a preview of your designs on your social media accounts and in places where your potential customers hang out. Be cautious when asking friends and family for their thoughts—they might be too biased.

6. Choose your business model

If using a local printing business is too costly, then dropshipping could be your solution. It’s simple, inexpensive, and you can run it from anywhere in the world. Connect an app like Modalyst with your Shopify store to import products, communicate with suppliers to print your t-shirt designs, and start dropshipping with ease. Refer to our Shopify dropshipping guide for a detailed explanation on how to perform these steps.

7. Build your online shirt store

With t-shirt designs ready, mock-ups done, and feedback gathered, it’s time to set up your online store.

If you’re using a print-on-demand service, it’s simple to connect your products to a Shopify store. Customers can browse your shirts and make a purchase. Then, print-on-demand apps handle the printing and shipping.

Here are some t-shirt printing apps that work directly with Shopify stores:

• Teelaunch
• Printful
• Gooten
• Printify

8. Set a price

Setting the right price for your t-shirts is important. You need to consider the cost of buying the shirts and printing your designs.

For example:

• You buy 40 shirts for $200.
• Printing a two-color design costs $400.
• Each shirt costs $5 ($200 ÷ 40).
• Printing per shirt is $10 ($400 ÷ 40).
• Total cost per shirt is $15 ($5 + $10).

To earn a 50% profit, sell each shirt for $30 ($15 x 2). If your shirts have premium fabric, you can charge $5 to $10 more. People often pay extra for better quality and fit.

9. Print your designs

Having good-quality prints on your products is key for a successful t-shirt business. If customers see your designs cracking or fading after a few washes, it will give them a bad impression of your brand.

There are different ways to print your designs. You can work with local printing shops, which lets you check print quality before shipping to customers. But this can get pricey, especially as your online store grows and the need for more prints increases.

To keep costs down, order shirts in bulk using print on demand services. You’d be surprised how much you can save by increasing an order from 10 to 20 pieces. You might even end up with more shirts than planned for just a few dollars more.

Considerations when designing your own t-shirts

There are many ways to print designs on t-shirts and other clothing. It is important to understand these methods before you create your own online t-shirt store. Understanding them will ensure you make the right decision for your business. Below are three of the most common t-shirt printing options to consider for their quality and process.

Screen printing

Screen printing is a great option for designs that are darker or have high vibrancy. Using stencils or screens, printers apply layers of ink on a t-shirt, using different stencils for different colored inks. Screen printing is ideal for bulk printing with five or fewer colors due to its labor-intensive setup.

Heat transfer

With heat transfer, an image is placed on heat transfer paper, cut from the paper, and then placed on a t-shirt. Like a huge iron, heated to high temperatures, the heat transfer paper melts into the fibers of the clothing, making it part of the shirt without disturbing the top image. Heat transfers can produce color images onto t-shirts relatively easily and quickly.

Direct to garment (DTG)

With direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, ink is applied directly onto a t-shirt through an inkjet printer. Using specialist water-based ink, t-shirt designs are downloaded to a computer and, with a specialist printer, are transferred directly onto a physical t-shirt. This is the cheapest print option, as there is relatively no setup cost. It does take some time to print each tee, so this is a good option for small print orders.

Tips for starting a successful t-shirt business

Here are the main things to keep in mind before starting your own t-shirt business:

1. Choose a quality dropship supplier

When dropshipping, it’s important to ensure the t-shirts you offer are high quality. The best way to do this is by ordering samples from your suppliers. Ask them about the fabric, printing process, and any customization options. Then, review the samples to see if they meet your standards. This way, you can confidently offer a product that will satisfy your customers.

2. Gather reviews and social proof

Social proof is powerful in the t-shirt online niche. When customers see positive reviews from others, it reassures them they’re making a good purchase. Gather proof by encouraging customers to leave reviews after their purchase and showcasing these testimonials on your site. You can also engage with customers on social media, sharing their feedback and photos of them wearing your t-shirts.

3. Grow your brand awareness

Brand awareness can make or break your new business. You’ll want to build a strong, memorable identity that connects with your audience. Start by creating a logo and website that catch attention right away. For a t-shirt brand, your visuals should match the style and attitude of your designs. 

4. Partner with influencers

Influencers can help you break into new markets or win you more customers in your current demographic. Try reaching out to a couple of micro-influencers, offering them free t-shirts in exchange for them sharing images wearing your product. This small act of social proof can incur bonus brand points for your online t-shirt business.

5. Use remarketing to your advantage

If you have a lot of people adding t-shirts to their cart and then disappearing from your website, remarketing could be your best weapon to increase your conversion rate. When a customer adds a product to their cart, you can retarget them on various websites through tools like Google Ads or on social media platforms through tools like Facebook Ads. You can lead people back to their cart with discount codes, new offers, or simply just a reminder of their items.

Online t-shirt business success story

Many successful ecommerce entrepreneurs started their online t-shirt businesses using dropshipping. Melvin Chee, an entrepreneur, launched his t-shirt store at the age of 22 as an experiment and made more than $100,000 in just three months.

Melvin first learned about dropshipping from a Facebook group. He knew he needed to find a niche to make his t-shirt company successful.

He focused on basic t-shirts with funny slogans as his core products. These simple products, along with his marketing efforts, turned his experiment into an ecommerce success story. You can check out our full article on Melvin’s story. 

Ready to start your own t-shirt business?

It’s never been simpler to showcase your creativity and sell t-shirts online.

Whether you choose a specific niche or focus on quality and design, a t-shirt store can be a good starting point for new entrepreneurs.

Shopify can assist you in getting up and running while managing costs. You can link your store to a t-shirt printer in minutes and launch a collection that may attract your customers.

Online t-shirt business FAQ

How much does it cost to start a t-shirt business?

Starting a t-shirt business from home doesn’t require much money. Print-on-demand services take care of production and shipping, charging only when a product sells. This keeps overhead low and eliminates the risk of excess inventory.

How can I start a t-shirt business with low upfront costs?

To start a t-shirt business without much money, set up a Shopify store and use a print-on-demand app like Printful.

Do you need a license to sell t-shirts online?

You typically don’t require a business license to sell t-shirts online. However, you may need a resale license to purchase clothing without paying sales tax. Consult your local revenue department for further details.

Is a t-shirt business profitable?

T-shirts are worn everywhere, with global apparel sales reaching $1.79 trillion in 2024. An online t-shirt business can be profitable due to its low startup costs compared to other ventures.

How much can you make selling t-shirts?

What you earn from selling t-shirts depends on your niche, production methods, pricing, and marketing.

What should I do before selling t-shirts?

• Research your niche and find a dedicated community.
• Pick a name for your t-shirt company.
• Design a logo and create an ecommerce store.
• Create your t-shirt designs.
• Establish social media profiles.
• Run ads to promote your t-shirt online shop.
• Reach out to bloggers and offer free promotions with influencers.

What type of t-shirt sells best?

Black t-shirts sell the most with consumers. That’s because they go with everything and put center stage any graphic print, especially those with light text.