Print on Demand: Your own merch without worries about production and storage

The sale of your own merch does not necessarily mean producing a large quantity of items in advance, having your own warehouse or complicated inventory planning. It is precisely on this principle that Print on Demand works, i.e. the production of products according to actual orders.

This model is used today by e-shops, influencers, brands and other projects that want to offer their own textiles with printing or embroidery without the need to build their own production and logistics facilities.

How does Print on Demand work?

The principle is relatively simple. The customer orders a specific product in the e-shop and only on the basis of this order is its production launched.

The whole process usually looks like this:

Order → production → inspection → packaging → dispatch

It is therefore not necessary to estimate in advance exactly how many pieces of individual designs, sizes or colours will be sold. Production responds to actual demand.

Less stock and greater flexibility

One of the main advantages of Print on Demand is the reduction of the amount of finished products that need to be kept in stock. This makes it possible to work with a larger number of designs, continuously test new products or collections and adjust production volumes according to actual customer interest.

At the same time, the need to plan large production runs in advance and bear the risk that part of the produced goods will remain unsold is eliminated.

How does the order get into production?

An important part of Print on Demand is the method of transferring individual orders.

For larger and automated projects, orders are usually transferred via an API, which connects the e-shop or ordering system directly with production.

A simpler option is transferring orders using CSV files. The solution can thus be set up according to the volume of orders and the technical possibilities of the specific project.

Production according to the needs of a specific project

Each Print on Demand project can work a little differently. They differ in the number of orders, the type of products (e.g. T-shirt, sweatshirt or tank top), the technology used (DTG, DTF, embroidery) as well as the requirements for packaging or distribution.

Therefore, it is important to set up the production process so that it corresponds to the specific method of sale. For some projects, it may involve piece-by-piece production of individual orders, while for others it is worthwhile to combine Print on Demand with smaller stock quantities or the production of more successful designs in larger runs, for example using direct screen printing.

When does Print on Demand make sense?

Print on Demand is suitable primarily for projects where work is done with a larger number of designs, variable demand or a requirement to produce smaller quantities.

It can be a solution both for a smaller e-shop that does not want to create large stocks and for larger projects with a high number of orders and automated data transfer.

At Danielson, we can set up the entire process according to the needs of a specific project, from order receipt through production to packaging and possible dispatch directly to the end customer.