The Difference Between Print On Demand and Dropshipping

by Daniel | Sep 8, 2021 | Marketing Tips

The rapid development of the Internet has given birth to many business models. Print on demand and dropshipping are two examples. If you want to make some money at home, then you should have heard of Print on demand, and you may also know dropshipping business models. But do you know what exactly these two things involve? The two have a lot in common, but they are different.

What is Print on demand?

To put it simply, Print on demand means that after customers place an order to express their needs, the factory starts printing according to their requirements. You can also see from the name Print on demand, which means printing according to customer needs. You don’t need to worry about inventory, transportation, and manufacturing, because they can do everything. You only need to provide design, select products, and focus on promotion.

Print on demand is a supply chain system that helps companies launch new products with minimal overhead. The third-party will only print your design on the product when the order is received, minimizing inventory risk. Products for printed on demand are usually called “merch”, usually household goods, clothing, jewelry and other cultural values with market value.Currently, the leading and active POD companies in the market include Printful, Printify, JetPrint, SPOD, etc. The keyword “print on demand” has seen a 266% increase in search volume in the past five years, indicating that a clear trend is taking shape, and the related word “merch” has also seen substantial growth. Click here to see details about “Print on demand“.

What is dropshipping?

The dropshipping model can be understood simply, that is, when your customers place an order in your store, and place an order with your supplier. Then your suppliers directly send the goods to your customers, and you don’t need to deal with any logistics and warehousing. All you need to do is find customers and let them buy goods. AliExpress and Alibaba are currently the most popular dropshipping platforms used by merchants worldwide.There are numerous companies that offer AliExpress dopshipping service, including Ali Orders AliExpress Dropship, DSM, and DSers.

Print on demand vs Dropshipping

Sometimes you see that the Print on demand business platform provides all-inclusive services covering materials and printing as well as transportation, which may cause confusion. In fact, these Print on demand business platforms should be called Print on demand and Dropshipping, but their Print on demand is the focus, so they are called.

Pros of print on demand (or Cons of dropshipping)

Custom Branding . You will always get your way. print on demand companies will not interfere with the printing process, including design, and they will protect your design. At the same time, you can customize your product’s packaging to make it more branded.
Extremely competitive. Dropshipping gives you little control over the product, which makes it difficult to justify purchasing your product rather than someone else’s because there are so many people selling the same product as you. POD allows for greater creativity in the designs created. While they can compete on the same jewelry, mugs, shoes, and so on, they have more room to attract viewers than other PODs.
Higher profit margins. The product’s uniqueness frequently leads to higher profit margins. Dropshipping has no way of ensuring that the products you sell are one-of-a-kind. Furthermore, when compared to POD, the products produced by POD are unique. Because your thoughts are your own.

Cons of print on demand (or Pros of dropshipping)

Your products are not dependent on design quality. The most important factor that people look for in a POD business is design, which not everyone possesses. Dropshipping eliminates the need for design skills or the hiring of designers. You don’t need anything else because the supplier’s products are already designed.
Possibility of returning products for resale. You can resell the product to other customers as long as it is in good condition. You can’t usually do this with POD because the order is custom made and unsuitable for another merchant, making resale impossible.
Product variety. You can sell dropshipping suppliers’ products in your store, but POD suppliers’ products are limited, and the products offered by different suppliers differ. Your product will be limited if you use one of these suppliers.

Dropshipping or Print on demand?

You can make money whether you use Dropshipping or Print on Demand, but if you want to make more money, you must ensure that the products you choose are of high quality and the service is reliable. I recommend using Print on Demand because most POD services are reliable. Dropshipping services are available from all merchants.

Building a brand is also a popular trend. We will always pay for products that do not belong to us if we do not create a brand. Most merchants design their stores to last a lifetime rather than just a few months.

How to run brand dropshipping model?

Choose the most popular print on demand dropshippers or companies, such as Printful, Printify, and JetPrint. These companies offer print on demand brand dropshipping services.After you go online and start operating your store, you forward the order you received to the Print on demand platform, and then pay the fees it requires. Then the customer pays the remaining money is your own profit. The price of your product is up to you. You can set as many as you want. The Print on demand platform generally only charges a fixed fee. If you are good at marketing, there is no limit to how much money you can make. For example, at JetPrint POD Manufacturer, they charge $29.99 for fulfilling high-top custom shoes, a certain shipping fee for each product. You only need to pay the above costs for each order, and the extra money will be in your pocket.The most important thing is to inform the high quality fashion dropshippers you select. You require custom packaging services. Custom packaging is a critical step in achieving brand direct sales.

Where to get reliable print on demand dropshipping services & products?

If you are designing and selling print-on-demand products through Shopify, WooCommerce, or other platform websites, and are constantly looking for more dependable factories, supply chains, and service providers, we recommend that you use the best print on demand companies on the market, as their Customized products are available with high-quality and high-resolution printing.

JetPrint currently supplies over 400 different types of print on demand products while providing low cost, advanced processes (sublimation, embroidery, screen printing, and dtg printing) in the market. JetPrint also offers some custom printing and AOP clothing, bags, and home decoration series.

Dropshipping and Print on Demand are both profitable business models. I hope the information in this article can assist you in making a decision. Select the model that best suits your needs, and we will become your most dependable partner and service provider.