Top Shopify print on demand products for 2025

According to a 2025 report from Shopify, a staggering 61% of consumers are more likely to purchase from brands offering personalized product experiences. This single statistic reveals the monumental shift in ecommerce: customers no longer want generic items; they want products that reflect their identity, passions, and communities. For creators on Shopify, this isn't a challenge—it's the single greatest opportunity. Production on demand (POD) is the engine that powers this new era of personalization, allowing you to sell unique, custom products without holding any inventory. But in a catalog of endless possibilities, which items truly resonate with buyers and drive sales?

This guide dives deep into the data to uncover the most popular and profitable Shopify print on demand products for 2025. We'll explore the enduring power of classic apparel, the explosive growth in home decor, and the essential accessories that complete a modern brand. More importantly, we’ll show you how to leverage these products to build not just a store, but a brand that your audience will love and champion.

Main takeaways

Here’s a snapshot of what you need to know to succeed with production on demand on Shopify in 2025:

• Apparel remains king: T-shirts continue to dominate, but high-value items like hoodies are essential for maximizing profit margins and offering a premium feel.

• Home decor is exploding: Fueled by a desire for personalized living spaces, demand for custom wall art, mugs, and other decor items is seeing significant year-over-year growth.

• Sustainability sells: Eco-conscious products like tote bags are no longer a niche; they are a key purchasing driver, especially for younger demographics like Gen Z.

• Niche down to scale up: The most successful stores focus on specific communities, hobbies, or professions, which reduces competition and fosters a loyal customer base.

• Visuals are everything: High-quality, realistic mockups are non-negotiable. They increase perceived value and directly impact your conversion rates.

• Brand over business: As Shopify President Harley Finkelstein notes, the future belongs to creators who build a brand their community can co-create with, not just buy from.

• Sample your products: Ordering physical samples is the best way to ensure color accuracy and quality, helping to reduce the 24.5% average return rate seen in ecommerce apparel.

The power of personalization: Why POD on Shopify is booming

Production on demand is a business model where you, the creator, partner with a third-party supplier (like Gelato) to customize white-label products with your own designs. You list them on your Shopify store, and when a customer makes a purchase, the order is automatically sent to your POD partner. They then print, pack, and ship the product directly to your customer. You never have to handle inventory, manage logistics, or invest capital upfront.

This risk-free model has democratized ecommerce, but its true power in 2025 lies in its ability to meet the market's demand for personalization. The custom t-shirt printing market alone was valued at USD 7.55 billion in 2024, a testament to the scale of this trend.

Creators are no longer just selling products; they are selling identity, community, and self-expression. By integrating with Gelato, your Shopify store becomes a global platform for creativity, connecting your designs with customers in every corner of the world. As you begin your journey, it's crucial to understand how to turn your ideas into a real business; a great starting point is to learn how to make profitable merch with a clear strategy from day one.

The hit list: Top-performing Shopify print on demand products

While creativity knows no bounds, sales data reveals clear winners in the POD space. Building your product catalog around these proven sellers provides a strong foundation for growth.

Classic apparel: The foundation of any POD store

Apparel is the quintessential production on demand product. It’s a walking billboard for your brand and a direct way for customers to show their affiliation with your community.

The undisputed champion: T-shirts

The classic t-shirt remains the top-selling POD item for a reason. It’s a universal canvas for every niche imaginable, from vintage car enthusiasts to vegan bakers. Its evergreen popularity is backed by a massive market size. The key to success is not to sell a t-shirt to everyone, but to design a t-shirt for someone specific. Focus on niche communities, inside jokes, and passionate hobbies to create designs that feel personal and exclusive. For creators looking to launch their first store, it’s a great idea to explore best-selling custom print on demand t-shirts to see the variety and quality available.

Cozy and profitable: Hoodies and sweatshirts

Hoodies offer a higher perceived value than t-shirts, which translates to higher retail prices and better profit margins. They are seen as a premium, cozy product perfect for cooler weather, lounging, or making a statement. A 2024 report from McKinsey & Company highlighted that 78% of Gen Z consumers prioritize sustainability in their apparel choices, so be sure to highlight the eco-conscious aspects of your products. Imagine a yoga-focused brand selling hoodies with minimalist, zen-inspired graphics—this is the kind of niche targeting that wins. You can easily add high-quality custom hoodies to your store and appeal to customers seeking comfort and style.

Beyond the wardrobe: The rise of personalized home decor

Your customers' desire for personalization doesn't stop with their clothing. Etsy’s 2024 marketplace insights revealed that consumer demand for personalized home decor grew by 22% year-over-year. This category allows you to tap into your audience's living spaces, creating products that become part of their daily lives.

Wall art and posters: Turning passion into decor

For artists, illustrators, and photographers, posters are the perfect medium. They allow you to sell high-quality reproductions of your work to a global audience without the complexities of managing prints and shipping. From motivational quotes for a home office to abstract art for a living room, custom posters turn blank walls into galleries. Gelato makes it simple to design and sell museum-quality art posters, produced locally to reduce shipping times and carbon footprint. If you're an artist, this is a fantastic entry point; check out this guide for turning artwork into products for a detailed roadmap.

Mugs: The perfect everyday canvas

Mugs are a perennial best-seller. They are affordable, practical, and make fantastic gifts. A mug can feature a witty quote, a beautiful design, or a logo that connects a customer to their favorite creator or community. They are a low-cost way for fans to support your brand and integrate it into their morning routine. The key is to create designs that are unique and emotionally resonant. With Gelato, you can create personalized coffee mugs for your audience that are both dishwasher and microwave safe, ensuring quality and longevity.

Essential accessories: Profitable, practical, and eco-conscious

Accessories are excellent for increasing your average order value and offering lower-priced items that can attract new customers.

Tote bags: The sustainable statement piece

In an era of increasing environmental awareness, tote bags have become a staple. They are practical, reusable, and serve as a mobile advertisement for your brand. They align perfectly with the values of conscious consumers, especially Gen Z. Use them to showcase bold graphic designs, artistic patterns, or your brand’s tagline. Designing them is easier than ever with free tools like Canva, which provides templates and elements to get you started. By choosing to offer stylish and eco-friendly tote bags, you cater to market demand while promoting a positive message.

From product to brand: Advanced strategies for success

Picking the right Shopify print on demand products is only the first step. The most successful creators in 2025 are those who build a powerful brand. As Shopify President Harley Finkelstein stated in Shopify's 2025 Commerce Trends report, “Creators must shift from just selling products to building a brand that their community can rally behind and co-create with.”

This means investing in a professional aesthetic. Use high-quality mockups that show your products in real-life settings to help customers visualize them. Don’t be afraid to leverage new technology; the Adobe Digital Trends Report noted a 45% increase in small business owners using generative AI for unique designs. Most importantly, always order samples. The top challenge for sellers is color variance between the screen and the final print, and a physical sample is the only way to guarantee quality control. This is a critical step for anyone looking to discover creative ways to monetize your art without compromising on quality.