If you’re thinking about starting a print-on-demand e-commerce business, there are a few key tools you’ll need to get started. Fortunately, there are plenty of free options available that can help you with everything from design and graphics to listing management and order fulfillment. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best free print-on-demand software and tools to help you get your business up and running. With the right tools in place, you’ll be well on your way to success.
Graphic Design
Photopea.com
Photopea is a free, ad-supported browser-based graphics program that may be used to create printed-on-demand designs and images. It resembles Photoshop and removing advertising costs money.
If your budget is tight, this is a great tool to use to create the graphics that you need for free.
Gravit
Want a free vector graphic design tool? Then Gravit could be perfect for you. It allows users to create vector illustrations, logos, icons, and more. It is available via the browser and in desktop app form, making it easy for users to access it from anywhere without having to pay fees.
Canva
Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool that you can use to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos, and designs for print-on-demand products. It has a free version which is perfect for online graphics and a pro version with the latter giving access to over 75+ million premium images, videos, graphics, and audio, all in one place.
Coolors.co
If you are struggling to choose a coordinated colour pallet for your website or Etsy shop or overall branding of your business then Coolors.co is the tool for you.
Coolors will generate a colour palette for you based on best design practices with no input at all. You can then lock in the colours you like and get the tool to swap out the others. You can continue to swap out colours until you have all colours locked in. You can save the pallet and copy the individual colour codes for each colour.
Graphics & Images
Creative Fabrica
Did you know that Creative Fabrica has free digital elements for you to use? Just create an account and go to the Freebies section and you’ll find lots of great graphics and fonts to download for free.
Productivity
Google Sheets
Free and easy to use, Google Sheets is ideal for tracking all your designs. You can keep data on where you have uploaded your designs as well as tracking all your finances and order details, for example.
SEO Tools
SEO is more important than ever, regardless of the platform that you use. Here are a few free SEO tools that are perfect whether you are on a tight budget or not.
Etsy Search Bar
The Etsy search bar is a great place to get keyword ideas as it shows what has recently been searched for on Etsy.
Enter in a word or even a letter and Etsy auto populates and shows a list of keywords. For example, I entered the word “art” and Etsy gave me a list of 10 other things that start with the word I entered such as:
- art print
- art deco
- artwork
- artisan keycap
- artificial flowers
- art deco ring
- artificial plants
- art deco earing
Google Trends
What to check if a niche is in demand? Google Trends provides that tool. It shows the search trend for any term entered. It also shows some related words too which can give ideas for alternative keywords and niches.
You can also choose a specific country’s search data or Google Shopping search data which is ideal for anyone trying to sell items online.
Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is a keyword tool that has a free and paid plan. By using just the free plan you can get lots of useful data on what keywords to use when trying to optimise your product listings on your e-commerce POD site.
FAQ
What is print on demand?
Print on demand (POD) is a technology and business process used by online e-commerce store owners who use POD suppliers to produce books, magazines, t-shirts, hoodies, and other articles on-demand. POD involves printing individual items as they are ordered rather than in bulk.
One of the main advantages of POD is that it allows businesses to order only the number of items they need when they need them i.e. after they have made a sale.
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