Did you know that Amazon offers a fun way to sell products without actually operating a store front? Amazon Merch is a print on demand service that empowers entrepreneurs to design shirts and sell online without having to deal with any of the complexities of fulfillment.
While there are many options that allow individuals to print designs for sale on etsy or a personal website, Amazon Merch is the only platform that integrates directly into the Amazon market, allowing your designs to be found and sold through one of the most popular online retailers.
We’ve broken down how Amazon Merch works and what steps you need to take to sign up.
How Amazon Merch Works
You create your own designs, upload the to Amazon and every time one sells, you get a check. It really is just that easy. The trick is designing shirts that sell!
Signing Up for Amazon Merch
Due to high demand, the on boarding process for Amazon Merch can take several months. Sign up online in just a few easy steps and you’ll be placed into the hold line until your account is approved.
Designing T-Shirts
While you are waiting for approval, start working on some shirt ideas. The best shirts fit a niche that you think people might search for on Amazon. One popular niche is #MomLife. Searching on Amazon for that phrase will bring up a ton of ideas that you can use as inspiration.
Merch shirts are not allowed to use any trademarked images or phrases, so no, you can’t use your favorite Disney quote without risking having your account suspended. You also cannot use profanity or things that imply profanity [This is my resting BEACH face].
Using software like Photoshop or Gimp, you can get started laying out images and text on a background that is 5400 px X 5400 px. Your design should be transparent and only include solid colors.
Uploading your first design
You’ve received your invitation to join Merch and are ready to start uploading designs. If you started designing several weeks before being accepted, add as many designs as you can, as fast as you can.
The upload process is very easy. Once you have a design, click on the ‘Upload Finished Artwork’ section of the dashboard. Select the design on your computer you want to use and it will display on a t-shirt placeholder.
Amazon offers two shirt options, one on a soft ladies fit tee and one on a more generic t-shirt material. The premium shirt is more expensive, ultimately meaning you make less per shirt sold, but depending on your design, you may want the ladies fit.
After selecting the style and sizing, you can pick the colors you want to print on. You will be limited to several color selections, so pick wisely. If you want to have one design in every color available, you will need to upload multiple times, eating up your valuable spots.
Once you’ve saved your sizing, colors and design placement, you can set the price and write a description. The description is what helps Amazon customers find your design, so think about what the person wearing your shirt might look for.
Submit and you are in business! Your shirt will go through an Amazon approval process and if all goes well should appear for sale on Amazon and ready to ship via Amazon Prime in a few days. You can see the Football Mom shirt we designed for this tutorial right here!
Tiering Up
Each new Merch seller is allowed up to 25 active designs at a time and you can upload five designs per day. Merch is a numbers game, so the more shirts you have, the better chances something is going to sell.
As your shirts sell, you are allowed to tier up, enabling more uploads and more designs for sale. Many merch sellers will order a sample of each shirt they design, just to help them tier up faster.
If a shirt does not sell within 90 days of being uploaded, it will be removed from the marketplace.
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Improving your skills
While Merch itself is easy to get started on, being successful is an artform. There are several websites that help merch sellers improve and a ton of groups you can join to learn and watch.
Merch can be a fun and easy way to generate income outside your typical day-to-day. Let us know in the comments if you’ve used Merch or another print on demand service to sell t-shirt designs and what your experience has been.
