Sweatshirts are an easy way to extend a print on demand apparel range without creating new artwork. They often sit between a t-shirt and a hoodie in both price and garment weight, while giving you a clean, uninterrupted front for the design.
That is most of the case for selling them. If a design already works on another garment, a sweatshirt version is a listing rather than a project, and it costs nothing to add beyond the time it takes to set up.
Why sweatshirts suit print on demand
- The artwork may already exist. A design selling on a t-shirt or a hoodie can often be adapted for a sweatshirt rather than created from scratch.
- Another garment style and price point offered to the same customers, without a new design.
- A clean front. No hood and no pocket, which makes placement simpler than on a hoodie.
- No size curve or colour split to guess. Each customer chooses their own at the point of ordering.
- No minimum quantity, so adding the garment costs you listing time rather than money.
Where sweatshirts fit in an apparel range
- As an alternative for buyers who do not want a hood or front pocket
- As another way to use successful artwork without creating a new design
- As a cleaner garment for larger front facing artwork
Choosing the right sweatshirt
- Pick one garment and learn it properly rather than listing several similar ones.
- Check the weight, since it affects both how the garment feels and where it sits against your other apparel.
- Start with a small colour range that suits the design, rather than offering every available shade.
- Publish the fit and measurements. Buyers need to know how the garment fits, particularly when choosing between a regular or oversized look.
Designing specifically for sweatshirts
The general apparel rules are covered in the guide to selling print on demand t-shirts. What follows is what changes on a sweatshirt.
- No pocket and no hood. The front is uninterrupted, so there is nothing constraining where a design can sit.
- Check the available print area. Sweatshirt print dimensions can differ from t-shirts and hoodies.
- Do not assume t-shirt placement transfers. Size and position should be checked against the garment rather than reused.
Pricing and margins
- Price the finished garment, not the blank. Buyers are comparing your sweatshirt with other sweatshirts.
- Use it to give customers a choice. A sweatshirt can sit between a t-shirt and a hoodie in both price and garment weight, which gives buyers an option rather than a single decision.
- Work the price up from the actual base cost rather than placing it midway between your other garments for neatness.
- Allow for the occasional replacement, since apparel can generate more fit and sizing queries than flat products.
Build the price from base cost, then platform fees and payment processing, then your margin. The full breakdown is in the guide to what it costs to start a print on demand business, and current costs are on the pricing page.
Selling internationally
Sweatshirts are heavier than paper products, so delivery can make up a meaningful part of the cost, particularly on overseas orders.
Tundra Print includes delivery on every product, to over 40 countries, with no minimum order, so a customer abroad is quoted the same way a customer at home is and you do not need a separate pricing model per market.
You can see the full apparel range in the clothing collection.
Common mistakes
- Reusing t-shirt artwork without checking placement and scale. The print area is not necessarily the same.
- Offering every available colour rather than a focused range. A smaller starting range makes it easier to see which combinations customers actually choose.
- Failing to explain garment weight and fit. Both are things buyers want to know before ordering.
- Pricing from the blank garment rather than the finished product. Customers are comparing garments, not costing them.
- Using unlicensed logos, lyrics, characters or branded imagery. It can lead to takedowns or account issues.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a sweatshirt and a hoodie for sellers?
A hoodie has a hood and usually a front pocket, both of which constrain where a design can sit. A sweatshirt has a plain front and often sits below a hoodie in both weight and selling price.
Should I sell both?
Usually yes. They use the same artwork, and together they give buyers a choice of garment style and price point rather than a single option.
Are print on demand sweatshirts worth adding?
They can be a useful addition to an apparel range because they offer a different garment style and price point without requiring new artwork or stock.
What size should the design be?
Use the print area supplied for the specific garment. Do not assume the same size and placement used on a t-shirt will transfer exactly.
Do I need to hold stock?
No. Nothing is printed until an order comes in, and there is no minimum quantity.
Where to start
- Add sweatshirt versions of the designs already selling on t-shirts or hoodies
- Check placement and scale against the sweatshirt print area rather than reusing the t-shirt file
- Pick one style, in a few colours, with a practical size range
- Publish the garment weight, fit and measurements in every listing
- Work the price up from the base cost rather than placing it midway by default
The advantage of a sweatshirt is simplicity. If a design already works on a t-shirt or hoodie, you can offer another garment style and price point without creating new artwork or holding additional stock.
You can see the full range and current costs on the sweatshirt product page, and for the heavier end of the range, see the guide to selling print on demand hoodies.