Repurposing artwork into wearable products is one of the smartest decisions any creator can make.
Why?
The market is booming, to say the least. Reportedly, the global print-on-demand market size is expected to grow from USD 10.21 billion in 2024 to USD 102.99 billion by 2034 at a compound annual growth rate of 26%, according to Precedence Research.
That’s a lot of letters.
And here’s the kicker…
Artistpreneurs that enter now are positioning themselves at the tip of a freight train of consumer demand for unique and personalized products.
What You Will Learn:
- Why Wearable Products Work For Artists
- Sourcing Wholesale Blank Apparel The Right Way
- Building A Product Line That Sells
- Scaling Without The Headaches
Why Wearable Products Work For Artists
Let’s face it, there’s something cool and validating about seeing artwork on clothing.
It’s no longer a digital file or something on a canvas that you can hang on the wall. It’s out there in the real world where it can be seen, shared, and showboated by everyone who buys it. In that sense, each sale is organic marketing that a traditional art sale can never compete with.
The stats further validate this point too. Custom apparel now represents the largest segment of the POD industry with almost 40% of all POD sales attributed to artist-designed clothing and other wearable items.
Customers are actively shopping for these unique products.
But there’s another positive most creators fail to consider…
Creating and selling wearable products generate repeatable revenue. Contrary to the one-off sale of artwork, apparel buyers tend to return for more designs, different colors, and seasonal collections.
Sourcing Wholesale Blank Apparel The Right Way
There’s a foundation for any apparel business, and that’s quality blank garments.
Believe it or not, this is where most artists slip up. In their race to get artwork onto as many apparel items as possible, they neglect the part of the equation where the blank itself determines if the customer will wear it one time or a hundred times. Reliable wholesale blank apparel suppliers set up for a growing and profitable brand whereas mistakes in this area leave creators fighting fires of returns and complaints.
Fortunately, brands like Shirt Max exist, supplying just the type of quality wholesale blank apparel that artists need to build a trusted and desirable brand. Premium blank apparel will differentiate your brand from the competition. After all, it’s the garment itself that first interacts with the potential customer. If it has low-quality fabric or bad prints and washes out after one cleaning, chances are, a negative review will follow.
Consider these elements when choosing blank apparel:
- Fabric weight: Prints hold better and last longer on heavier garments (>5.3oz)
- Ring-spun cotton: Produces a smoother surface for more detailed prints
- Pre-shrunk materials: Avoids sizing issues after first washing
- Color matching: Important for brand consistency between items
It’s tempting to skimp on cost here, I know, but don’t. Your customers will notice the difference between low and high-quality blanks instantly. One poor review bemoaning fabric or color quality and an entire product line can tank.
Building A Product Line That Sells
A big mistake here is to try printing everything onto every type of apparel product available.
The most successful creator-owned brands understand this and design with specific products in mind. It’s a different type of design process considering how artwork must look across different garment sizes and colors and in different placements. The result of this type of design process is a focused and intentional product collection. Three to five killer designs will always outsell twenty generic ones. Starting with a more targeted product line also helps keep costs low.
Product decisions are just as important as design decisions. T-shirts and hoodies are, for good reason, the most common items sold in all art apparel categories. They should be the backbone of any apparel brand. From there, think about the essential items that match your particular brand and customer.
Consider this mix of products for an initial launch:
- T-shirts
- Hoodies
- Accessories: Hats, totes, and smaller items for upsells
Pricing out designs will take a bit of time but is critical for profitability. Take into account blank costs, printing, packaging, shipping, and platform fees when deciding on retail prices. The profit margins of most successful POD sellers average 20-30% after all these costs.
Scaling Without The Headaches
The secret to scaling a brand is in building systems so that when growth happens, you’re not drowning.
Too many creators make the mistake of attempting to do everything as orders start coming in. Production, shipping, customer service, and marketing all become a handful without any processes to handle things. Print-on-demand service providers solve the manufacturing and fulfillment side of the business. Artists submit designs, and these companies take care of printing, packing, and shipping while creators focus on design and promotion. POD, for obvious reasons, works especially well for artists testing new product markets and designs with no upfront costs.
The trade-off, of course, is that margins are thin for print-on-demand arrangements. As sales begin to climb, creators often make the move to wholesale blank purchasing and in-house or third-party printing to drive down these overheads.
The best brands I know of use a hybrid approach. They use POD for new design testing and small runs but bulk order their top-sellers for best margins.
Marketing and promotions, in particular, become more challenging at scale. Social media is a given, but the most successful apparel brands also build email lists, partner with influencers, and utilize content marketing that features their artwork in a lifestyle context.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
New businesses make mistakes. It’s human. The best way to minimize unnecessary problems is to learn from the mistakes of others.
Ordering too much inventory
Fear of understocking is the biggest driver of this mistake. The problem is, overstocking new products can lead to severe headaches. Start with a conservative number and reorder based on actual sales rather than guesswork.
Overlooking fit and sizing details
Fit and sizing is just as important as design. Provide detailed size charts and, if possible, different fit options as the brand grows.
Neglecting to encourage customer photos
UGC of real people wearing the designs instills more trust and better drives future conversions than any product photo.
Ignoring the seasonality of product demand
Seasonality is especially important for apparel. Plan collections and marketing spend around peak buying periods.
Wrapping Things Up
Artists have one of the best opportunities right now to build sustainable income from their work by turning it into wearable products.
Market growth is massive and shows no signs of slowing. Customer demand for unique, wearable, artist-designed products is growing. The POD infrastructure for launching an art apparel brand has never been easier.
Attention to the creative and business sides of the equation will drive success. Quality blanks, thoughtful product selection, and repeatable fulfillment and fulfillment systems form the operational backbone. Great art and design will bring customers through the door.
Let’s review the main takeaways once more:
- Get quality wholesale blank apparel from trusted suppliers
- Launch with a curated product line of proven-sellers
- Use POD services to test, then move to bulk orders for best margins
- Build systems and processes to scale the brand without burning out
- Market, market, market. Utilize customer content as much as possible
Artists who approach their apparel ventures as actual businesses and not side hustles are the ones building real, sustainable brands. The time and opportunity are here. The market is ready. Are artists prepared to do the work?