How To Make Money With Gelato Print on Demand

Want to make money selling custom products online without buying inventory, packing boxes, or shipping anything yourself?

With Gelato, you can create products like T-shirts, mugs, wall art, cards, calendars, photo books, and more. Then, when someone buys from your online store, Gelato prints and ships the item for you.

This means you don’t need a garage full of inventory, and you don’t need to buy expensive equipment. You also don’t have to go to the post office every day.

I like business ideas like this because they can be a good way to start small. You can create a few products, test what people like, and grow from there.

Print-on-demand is not automatic money, though. You still need to create products people want, write good listings, price your products correctly, and promote your shop.

But if you’re looking for an online job, Gelato print-on-demand may be worth looking into. You can learn more about Gelato by clicking here. Gelato is currently offering 30% off your first order if you place it within two days of signing up, which can be a nice way to test the platform and order a sample product for less.

What is Gelato print on demand?

Gelato is a print-on-demand platform where you can create custom products and sell them online.

You can upload a design, place it on a product, connect it to your store, and sell it to customers. When someone buys, Gelato then prints and ships the item.

Some products you can sell with Gelato include:

• T-shirts
• Hoodies
• Posters
• Canvas
• Mugs
• Greeting cards
• Calendars
• Photo books
• Stationery
• Gifts

This can be helpful if you want to sell physical products but don’t want to handle inventory yourself.

For example, let’s say you want to sell a funny dog mom mug. You can create the design, add it to a mug on Gelato, and list it in your online store. When someone buys it, Gelato helps make and ship the mug.

You don’t need to keep 100 mugs in your home, you don’t need to buy boxes, and you don’t need to print the design yourself.

Gelato also has a global production network, which can be helpful if you want to sell to customers in different countries. An order may be routed to a production partner closer to the buyer instead of automatically shipping everything across borders and taking longer.

What is print on demand?

Print-on-demand, also known as POD, is a way to sell products that are only made after someone buys them.

Here’s how it works:

1. You create a design.
2. You add it to a product.
3. You list the product in your online store.
4. A customer buys it.
5. The print-on-demand company prints and ships it.
6. You keep the profit after costs.

This is why print-on-demand can be a good side hustle for beginners. You don’t have to spend a lot of money upfront buying inventory.

If something doesn’t sell, you don’t have boxes of unsold products sitting in your house. You can just try a new design or product.

I personally love print-on-demand products because they can be so specific. I’ve bought custom cards (like for my daughter’s teachers and for holidays), shirts, gifts, and other items that I never would have found in a regular store.

Recommended reading: How I Make $7,500 Monthly Selling Print-On-Demand Gifts

How To Make Money With Gelato Print on Demand

Here’s how you can make money with Gelato print-on-demand.

1. Choose your niche

Before you create anything, I recommend choosing a niche.

Your niche is the specific topic or group of people your products are for.

This helps you stand out because instead of creating random products for everyone, you are creating products for a specific type of customer.

Here are some niche ideas:

• Dog moms
• Teachers
• Nurses
• Campers
• Hikers
• Gardeners
• Book lovers
• Travelers
• Moms
• Brides
• Small business owners
• Homeschool families

For example, instead of making a mug that just says “Good Morning,” you could make a funny mug for dog moms.

Instead of making a plain poster, you could make a Colorado mountain wall art print.

Instead of making a random shirt, you could make a funny kindergarten teacher shirt.

The more specific your product is, the easier it is for the right buyer to find it.

Tip: You may want to pick a niche you understand or enjoy. For example, if you love camping, start with camping shirts or mugs. If you’re a teacher, you may have a lot of ideas for teacher gifts. If you love dogs, you could make products for dog owners.

You can always expand later, but starting with one niche makes it much easier.

2. Pick products to sell

After you choose a niche, the next step is to pick products.

Gelato has many products you can sell, but you do not need to start with all of them.

In fact, I think it’s better to start small because if you try to create 100 products right away, you may get overwhelmed and never finish.

Instead, start with a few products that make sense for your niche.

Here are some ideas:

• If your niche is travel, you could sell wall art, calendars, and photo books.
• If your niche is teachers, you could sell mugs, cards, shirts, and classroom posters.
• If your niche is weddings, you could sell cards, personalized prints, and gifts.
• If your niche is pet owners, you could sell mugs, shirts, and custom wall art.
• If your niche is families, you could sell calendars, photo books, and personalized gifts.

3. Create your first designs

You do not need to be a professional designer to make money with print-on-demand.

Some of the best-selling products are very simple.

Your design could be any of these:

• Funny quote
• Short saying
• Name
• Date
• Photo
• Minimalist graphic
• Pet phrase
• Holiday design
• Hobby design
• Personalized design

For example, you could create a shirt that says “Lake Weekend,” a mug for a teacher, or a wall print with a family name.

You can use tools like Canva to create designs, or you can hire a designer if you want help.

Here are a few tips for creating designs:

• Make sure the words are easy to read.
• Don’t use copyrighted logos, characters, or phrases.
• Think about who would buy the product.
• Keep the design clean and simple.
• Check how the design looks on the product.
• Order samples before selling a product heavily.

4. Add your design to Gelato

Once you have a design, you can add it to a product in Gelato.

Here’s what this may look like:

• Create or log in to your Gelato account.
• Choose a product, like a T-shirt, mug, calendar, etc.
• Place the design on the product.
• Preview the product.
• Create product mockups.
• Add your product details.
• Publish it to your store.

5. Connect Gelato to your online store

To make money with Gelato, you need somewhere to sell your products.

Gelato can connect with online store platforms like Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, and more.

This is helpful because when someone places an order, the order can go to Gelato for fulfillment.

Two common places to sell print-on-demand products are Etsy and Shopify.

• Etsy – Etsy can be a great place for beginners because people are already shopping there for custom products, gifts, wall art, cards, mugs, shirts, and more. You don’t need your own website, and you don’t need to bring every visitor yourself. But Etsy is still competitive, so your listings need good titles, photos, descriptions, and keywords.
• Shopify – Shopify can be a good option if you want your own online store and more control over your brand. The main thing to know is that Shopify is not a marketplace like Etsy. This means you’ll need to get traffic yourself through Pinterest, SEO, TikTok, Instagram, blogging, email marketing, ads, or another method. If you are brand new, Etsy may be an easier place to test your first products. If you already have an audience or want your own store, Shopify may be a good fit too.

6. Price your products for profit

Pricing is one of the most important parts of making money with Gelato.

You make money by selling a product for more than it costs to make and ship.

Here are the costs you’ll want to think about:

• Product cost
• Shipping cost
• Etsy or Shopify fees
• Payment processing fees
• Ads
• Taxes
• Sample orders
• Design tools
• Your time

Here’s an example to get a better idea:

1. You sell a poster for $30.
2. Gelato charges $14 for production and shipping.
3. Etsy fees are $3.
4. You make $13 before other expenses.

This is just an example, and your real profit may be different.

Before listing a product, I recommend writing down all of your costs because this helps you see if the product is actually worth selling.

You don’t want to make a sale and then realize you only earned $1 (or that you lost money!).

7. Write a good product listing

Your product listing is what helps people decide if they want to buy, so I always think that a good listing should be clear and helpful.

It should tell the buyer exactly what they are getting.

Things to include in your listing:

• Product title
• Product size
• Product material
• Color options
• Who the product is for
• How it can be used
• Shipping details
• Personalization instructions

8. Order samples

I always recommend ordering samples before selling a product seriously.

A sample helps you see what your customer may receive, and you can check things like the quality of the product, the colors (sometimes colors don’t look the same on a computer as they do in real life), sizing, packaging, shipping time, and how the item looks overall in person.

Samples can also help you write better product descriptions. For example, if you order a sweatshirt and it feels soft, you can mention that.

Samples do cost money, but I think they are worth it if you want to build a real store.

9. Promote your products

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is uploading products and waiting for sales.

The reality is that you need to promote your shop!

Gelato helps with printing and shipping, but people still need to find your products.

Some ways to grow your shop include:

• Pinterest – Pinterest can be great for products like wall art, gifts, cards, calendars, home decor, clothing, and mugs. You can create pins with your product mockups and link them to your Etsy listing, Shopify product page, or blog post.
• Etsy SEO – If you sell on Etsy, Etsy SEO matters. You’ll want to use keywords in your titles, tags, and descriptions, and also make sure your first photo is clear.
• TikTok and Instagram – Short videos can be a fun way to show your products. You can also share product mockups, unboxings, behind-the-scenes videos, gift ideas, and more.
• Blogging – If you have a blog, you can promote products through helpful articles. For example, you could write an article such as Best Gifts for Campers, Cute Teacher Gift Ideas, or Best Wall Art for a Nursery.

10. Keep improving

Not every product will sell, and that’s normal. Print-on-demand is a business where you learn by testing.

I recommend that you pay attention to:

• Which products get views
• Which products get favorited
• Which products get sales
• Which keywords bring traffic
• Which mockups look best
• Which products have the best profit
• Which seasons bring more sales

For example, if a product gets views but no sales, you may need better photos, a better price, or a clearer description.

Or, if a product gets no views, you may need better keywords or a more specific product idea.

This is how you grow over time!

Product Ideas To Sell With Gelato

Here are some product ideas you can create with Gelato:

• Personalized family calendars
• Travel wall art
• Pet owner mugs
• Teacher appreciation cards
• Wedding date prints
• Baby nursery wall art
• Funny mom shirts
• Gardening mugs
• Camping sweatshirts
• Small business thank-you cards
• Photo books 
• Holiday cards
• Motivational posters
• Local city or state wall art
• Custom birthday cards
• Family reunion shirts
• Fishing shirts
• Homeschool posters
• Book lover sweatshirts

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to questions you may have about how to make money with Gelato print-on-demand.

Can you make money with Gelato?

Yes, you can make money with Gelato if your products sell for more than your costs. Your profit depends on your product price, production cost, shipping, marketplace fees, ads, and other expenses. Gelato does the printing and shipping, but you still need to create products that people want and promote your shop.

Is Gelato good for beginners?

Yes, Gelato can be good for beginners because you don’t need to buy inventory upfront or ship products yourself.

What products should I sell with Gelato?

Good beginner products may include T-shirts, mugs, wall art, cards, calendars, and personalized gifts.

Does Gelato work with Etsy?

Yes, Gelato can connect with Etsy. This can be helpful if you want to sell in a marketplace where people are already shopping for custom products and gifts.

Does Gelato work with Shopify?

Yes, Gelato can connect with Shopify. Shopify may be a good choice if you want your own online store and more control over your brand.

How much does Gelato cost?

Gelato is free to sign up for, and you pay for product and shipping costs when orders are placed. You may also have other costs, such as store fees, sample costs, design tool costs, ads, and taxes.

How do I get my first sale with Gelato?

To get your first sale, start with a specific niche, create a few products, write clear listings, use keywords, order samples, and promote your products. You can promote your products on Etsy, Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, your blog, email list, or other platforms where your customers spend time.

How To Make Money With Gelato Print on Demand – Summary

I hope you enjoyed this article on how to make money with Gelato print-on-demand.

Gelato can be a helpful way to start selling custom products online without buying inventory upfront.

You can create products like T-shirts, wall art, mugs, cards, calendars, photo books, and gifts. When a customer buys, Gelato handles the printing and shipping.

You don’t need a warehouse, you don’t need boxes of inventory, and you don’t need to ship products yourself.

You just need a product idea and a place to sell it.

But, like any business, you still need to do the work. You need to choose a niche, create products people want, write good listings, price for profit, order samples, and market your shop.

You can learn more about Gelato by clicking here. Gelato is currently offering 30% off your first order if you place it within two days of signing up, which can be a nice way to test the platform and order a sample product for less.

What would you sell first with Gelato?

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