Turning your custom shirt designs into products you can sell is a great way to earn extra income, or even launch a full business. But to do that, you need to have a way for people to buy your shirts. A Shopify store is great for this! But can you design shirts on Shopify?
You Can’t Design Shirts Directly on Shopify on Its Own
It’s true—you can’t create custom T-shirt graphics directly on Shopify. But that doesn’t make it any less powerful as a platform for selling your designs. Shopify isn’t a design tool; it’s a complete e-commerce solution that takes care of the business side of your store. From listing products and processing orders to managing inventory and payments, Shopify provides all the tools you need to run a professional online shop efficiently.
You Can Design Shirts on a Shopify Store With the Right Integration
The good news? Shopify works seamlessly with print-on-demand (POD) integrations that let you create and sell custom shirts. By connecting your store to a POD service, you can upload your designs, choose shirt styles, colors, and sizes, and sell them directly through Shopify. This setup allows you to focus on your creativity, while Shopify handles product management, orders, and payments, giving you the best of both worlds: custom designs with a fully supported online store.
How to Set Up a Shopify Store to Sell Shirts in 10 Steps
Follow these steps to create your Shopify store and set it up to allow you to design your custom shirts.
1. Sign Up for Shopify
Go to Shopify.com and create an account. Start with a free trial if you want to explore the platform before committing.
2. Choose a Theme for Your Store
Select a theme that matches your brand style. Shopify offers free and paid themes that are mobile-friendly and customizable.
3. Install a Print-on-Demand (POD) App
Some popular Shopify POD integrations that let you design shirts for your Shopify store include:
- Printful – Wide variety of apparel, fast fulfillment, and branding options.
- Printify – Large network of print providers and competitive pricing.
- Teelaunch – Focuses on apparel and unique custom products.
- SPOD (Spreadshirt Print-On-Demand) – Fast production and customizable products.
Once you connect one of these services to your Shopify store, you can upload your designs, select the shirt styles you want to offer, and let the POD provider handle the printing of the shirts.
4. Upload Your T-Shirt Designs
Use your POD app to upload shirt designs to your Shopify store and select shirt types, colors, and sizes. Make sure your files meet resolution and format requirements.
5. Create Product Listings
Add product titles, descriptions, pricing, and mockup images of shirt designs from your POD provider. Include detailed sizing charts if possible.
6. Set Up Payment and Shipping
Connect a payment gateway (Shopify Payments, PayPal, Stripe, etc.) and configure shipping rules. Your POD provider usually handles fulfillment, but you may need to set shipping rates in Shopify.
7. Customize Your Storefront
Add pages like “About,” “Contact,” and “FAQ.” Include your branding elements, like logo, colors, and font styles.
8. Install Helpful Apps
Consider tools like Kiwi Sizing for accurate size charts, email marketing apps, and social media integrations to boost sales.
9. Test Your Store
Place a test order to ensure the POD integration, payments, and shipping all work correctly.
10. Launch and Promote Your Store
Share your store on social media, run email campaigns, and consider discount codes or limited-time offers to attract customers.
Is Shopify Good for Custom-Designed T-Shirts?
Yes! Even though you can’t design shirts directly on it, Shopify is an excellent platform for selling custom T-shirts. With its easy-to-use interface, robust e-commerce features, and integrations with print-on-demand services, it’s a top choice for entrepreneurs looking to start a T-shirt business.
Using Shopify, you can create a fully customized online store that reflects your brand, manage your products, and track orders in real-time. The platform also offers powerful marketing tools, including email campaigns, discount codes, and social media integration, to help you grow your business. Plus, the ability to integrate with multiple POD services means you can easily scale your T-shirt business without worrying about production logistics.
One thing to keep in mind when using POD services is that they often have strict return policies, and returns due to sizing issues may not be allowed. That’s why it’s essential to make sure your customers are ordering the right size.
How the Kiwi Sizing App Helps Shopify Shirt Shops
A common challenge with selling shirts online, especially through print-on-demand services, is making sure customers choose the correct size. Since many POD services don’t accept returns for custom products, it’s crucial to get sizing right the first time.
That’s where the Kiwi Sizing app comes in handy. Kiwi Sizing integrates seamlessly with your Shopify store and allows you to create accurate, easy-to-read size charts for your T-shirts. This ensures that your customers have all the information they need to pick the right size.
So, can you design shirts on Shopify? No, but you can easily integrate with third-party print-on-demand services to sell custom t-shirts. With tools like the Kiwi Sizing app, you’ll help customers get the perfect fit every time, making your store a go-to destination for unique, well-fitting shirts. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help your custom T-shirt business thrive!
