Print on Demand Singapore: Your Ultimate Guide for 2023

Print-on-demand (POD) is a popular type of dropshipping. It empowers entrepreneurs to print custom designs onto blank products like tee shirts, hoodies, polo shirts, homeware, mugs, tote bags, etc., for you to sell to your customers. 

The beauty of print-on-demand in Singapore and elsewhere is that you can research and opt for a suitable provider. They'll then manufacture, warehouse, and ship your custom-made designs directly to your shoppers!

The worldwide print-on-demand industry is flourishing; it’s expected to reach $6.17 billion in 2022 – and it’s clear to see why. It presents the perfect opportunity for entrepreneurs around the world, including in Singapore, who are looking for their next venture without the initial startup costs that come with order fulfillment, warehousing, shipping, manufacturing, etc., 

If you think this is something you might be interested in as a business opportunity or sideline, keep reading. As we’ve already hinted, the first step to print-on-demand success in Singapore is finding a high-quality print on demand provider. So, with that said, here’s our list of the most popular print-on-demand companies in Singapore.

Let’s dive in! 

What are the Best Print on Demand Companies in Asia?

Printful

Printful is a popular and well-known POD company that regularly appears in online searches. Printful has tons of customizable products you can sell in Singapore, including t-shirts, hoodies, canvas shoes, mugs, etc. 

To get started, sign up for Printful. Then, choose the product you want to sell, select which color you want, and upload the design or embroidery you want on the item in question. At this point, it’s worth noting you can either use one of Printful’s pre-made designs or upload your own. Helpfully, Printful’s mockup design tool lets you get a feel for what your creation looks like every step of the way. 

One advantage of using Printful is that it integrates with several popular eCommerce platforms, including WooCommerce, Shopify, and Wix. These integrations simplify importing Printful products into your existing online store in just a few clicks. Similarly, any order made through your website is automatically processed and forwarded to Printful.

Best of all, Printful allows you to add branded packaging inserts and labels. This works wonders for leaving a good impression on customers! 

Printful’s fulfillment centers are located across Europe and North America, so even if you’re in Singapore but want to expand to a European audience, you can do so. More specifically, there are centers in Barcelona (Spain), Birmingham (UK), Dallas (US), Los Angeles (US), Riga (Latvia), and Toronto (Canada). There’s also a fulfillment center in Japan, which will likely be used to fulfill orders for Singaporean customers. On average, shipping takes between five and nine business days. 

Pricing

It’s free to sign up for Printful. The base product and any extra branding options you plump for are your only costs. 

For instance, the base price of a men’s Adult Quality t-shirt is $11.25 – this includes one print. However, if you want to add additional customization, you can. For example, garment printing on the back of the tee will cost $4.50, an outside label under the collar is $1.95 and a sleeve print is $1.95.

Of course, you also need to factor in fulfillment and shipping costs. Thankfully, Printful has a handy video and blog to guide you on calculating how much to charge customers to ensure you generate a profit.  

Who is it Best For?

Suppose you’re a Singapore-based entrepreneur who wants to sell to a North American and European customer base. In that case, Printful is a good option, with shipping taking around five to eight days to North America and Europe. It’s also a good choice for POD in Singapore – its fulfillment center in Japan enables shipping between five and nine working days. 

Printify

Another prominent print-on-demand provider is Printify. Again, it’s free to sign up. It offers more than 750 products to customize and sell, including various accessories, homewares, and clothing for men and women. 

Printify allows you to sell to the Singaporean market and other Asian destinations. When you sign up, choose the product you want to customize. Then, use the Printify mockup design tool to customize the item. You can upload your design or add custom text, graphics, colors, etc. You can also pick a Printify-selected print company from a drop-down menu. Printers include well-known brands like Adidas and American Apparel. Still, there are also (cheaper) generic brands.

Shipping is handled by six international companies, but shipping costs are determined by your chosen print provider. For example, shipping a shirt to an international destination (including Singapore) via Print Logistics can cost $9.99, with delivery times ranging between 10-30 days. In contrast, shipping the same shirt to a European destination takes five to seven days and costs $5.99. 

Like Printful, Printify integrates with popular eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, Wix, eBay, WooCommerce, and Squarespace. There’s also an online support center where you’ll find helpful information on various topics, including practicalities such as invoicing. 

Pricing

Printify is free to get started. Then, there are three price plans to choose from, with the first (free plan) offering you five store connections and unlimited product designs. The Premium plan costs $24.99/month (if you pay annually) and unlocks 20% off all products and ten store connections. You can also order samples up to the value of $29, whereas with the free plan, you have to pay for samples. The third plan is the Enterprise package, a bespoke plan with all the above and unlimited store connections. 

Who is it Best For?

While the free plan is handy, Printify is better geared for businesses wanting discounts for large volume sales. This perk is offered on its paid plans. Also, thanks to its colossal range of POD products, Printify is a good choice for anyone looking to create an extensive product catalog. 

Gelato

If you want to work with a POD company that uses local companies, Gelato is a good option. 

The provider prints and ships products from local printing centers in Singapore, with delivery times averaging just two to three days! It’s worth noting that at the time of writing, Gelato delivers to 170 countries. Still, in keeping with other providers, some countries are exempt. In this case, North Korea and Syria.

The principle is the same with Gelato as other POD companies: you sign up and integrate your ecommerce store (Gelato integrates with all the known platforms, including Squarespace, Shopify, Etsy, Wix, and more). However, if you’re using a platform Gelato doesn’t integrate with, you can use Gelato’s API to develop your own integration. But, of course, you’ll need some coding smarts to do that! 

There are plenty of products to choose from, including accessories, mobile cases, wall art, t-shirts, hoodies, etc. You can also reduce your carbon emissions by opting for sustainably sourced materials. 

Once you’ve chosen your product, you’ll see all the shipping details to worldwide destinations. Then when you start making sales, you benefit from a dashboard from which you can monitor delivery in real-time.

Pricing

As with the other Singapore POD providers, it's free to sign up and use Gelato’s design mockup tool to produce products locally in 33 countries, including Singapore. Integrations are also free. 

However, the paid Gelato+ plan costs $14.99 per month. For this, you unlock a generous 30% off on shipping, stock images, premium products, fonts, and free graphics. The Gelato+ Gold plan costs $99 a month, for which you’ll receive 50% off shipping when you reach 50+ orders/month. Also, free shipping for your first 30 days, live shipping rates, and early viewing of new Gelato products. 

Who is it Best For?

Gelato is an excellent option if you’re looking to sell print-on-demand in Singapore with a focus on selling locally-sourced products.  

Teespring

If you’re new to POD in Singapore and interested in a company that ships to Europe and the US, Teespring may be a good option, with more than 180 products to choose from and customize. Teespring also ships to Singapore and other parts of Asia. Still, it’s worth noting that its fulfillment centers are in Europe and the US, so shipping times could be longer, typically 12-15 days.

Teespring is a US company and is now known and referred to as Spring. Unlike other POD platforms, you can sell products with your designs printed on them. Or you can choose pre-designed products in various color and size options. 

You can use a design mockup tool to upload your designs. From here, you’ll see its base, shipping, and printing costs, all on the same page. Teespring will also recommend how much to sell your product for. But, of course, you don’t have to accept its recommendation- you can set your own prices. 

The main difference with Teespring is that the platform offers a free store builder within Teespring, so you have everything in one place. Simply connect your social accounts, and you can start creating. Unfortunately, you can’t integrate Spring with traditional eCom platforms, which isn’t ideal if you already have your own online store up and running. 

With social media integrations, including TikTok and Instagram, it’s easy to sell on socials to hopefully widen your customer base. 

Pricing

Teespring is free to sign up for, with no subscription fees. However, you pay a flat fee for the product you’ve customized and want to print. After that, you’ll only incur an annual $11.99 to connect your online store to Teespring. If you don’t have a domain and want one, you can buy one via the Teespring website. 

Who is it Best For?

If you’re a POD seller in Singapore looking to sell customized products and ones from other creators, Teespring is a good option. 

Apliiq

If you’re a POD entrepreneur in Singapore looking for a company that offers something a little different, Apliiq may appeal. It focuses on the streetwear market, with products including custom t-shirts, hoodies, accessories, shorts, hats, and so on. So, you won’t find other items such as mugs, art, and phone cases – if that’s what you’re after…continue scrolling! 

If you don’t want to create your own designs, you can work with designers via Apliiq’s partnership with Fiverr. On the other hand, if you’re confident about doing the design work, the Apliiq design tool is simple to use. Once you’ve selected the streetwear product you want to customize, you can work up your design, and Apliiq will show you a pricing overview on the same page. 

Apliiq also offers products made from eco-friendly materials and additional customization options, including adding designs to sleeves, linings, and labels. 

Apliiq ships to over 150 countries, and shipping times vary. However, its website states that a typical turnaround for samples and bulk orders is around two weeks. But it’s also worth noting that this can be faster for US states (three to seven business days). In contrast, it takes up to three weeks for some international shipping- so the information is somewhat contradictory. 

Pricing

It’s free to sign up, but you pay for shipping costs and the products you choose to sell and/or customize. If you make bulk orders, there are discounts of up to 50% (the exact discount depends on the order size). For example, you receive 25% off for ten orders and 50% off for 500, respectively.

Who is it Best For? 

Apliiq is best for anyone interested in print-on-demand in Singapore that wants to specialize in streetwear. 

Redbubble

Founded in 2006, Redbubble is a POD marketplace offering more than 70 customizable products for entrepreneurs to sell in Singapore. These include t-shirts and other garments, phone cases, wall art, stickers, stationery, and more. The difference is that if you use Redbubble, your customers can adapt your designs! 

Like Teespring, you can also sell pre-designed Redbubble products. However, of course, you can also create your own designs. 

Redbubble ships from a range of countries. Though it doesn’t ship from Singapore, it ships into it. Some products, such as A-line dresses and chiffon tops, are only shipped from the US, whereas other items, including t-shirts, can be sent from Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, and Europe. 

This is important to consider because shipping times and costs from far-away locations may be higher, driving up the price for your customers in Singapore. However, suppose you’re a business based in Singapore with customers elsewhere in the world. In that case, Redbubble might be a good option for catering to international audiences.

Previously, RedBubble didn’t calculate tax for Singapore goods and services, but it will begin to do so in January 2023! You won’t need to collect or report indirect taxes on products sold to Singapore. So, keep an eye out for this upcoming feature!

If you want to keep costs down and not set up a website, Redbubble could be a good choice because you can sell products on the marketplace itself. Remember that many other creators are doing the same thing, so the pressure is on to stand out. Unfortunately, Redbubble doesn’t integrate with eCommerce platforms like Shopify.

Pricing

It’s free to sign up, and in each instance, when you create your designs, you’re shown all the relevant costs. 

Unsurprisingly, prices vary depending on where you’re sending items to or from. So, the question is, therefore, not how much you pay, as you won’t spend a cent, but how much you can earn. Redbubble explains margins in detail here. 

Who is it Best For? 

Redbubble is best for POD entrepreneurs who prefer to sell custom products on a marketplace rather than their own eCommerce store. 

Print on Demand Singapore: To Sum Up

Ultimately, it’s your choice which POD company you choose. Provided you’re upfront about shipping and delivery times with your customers; we don’t think you’ll go too far wrong with any of the above options. 

All offer design tools and, in some cases, access to pre-existing designs. However, if your ambitions are high and you hope to soon be fulfilling bulk orders, look for a company that offers discounts, even if it means signing up for a paid plan. 

That’s all, folks, for our print on demand Singapore guide. Let us know which POD provider you consider in the comments box below!