Introduction
Many creatives are transitioning away from inventory-heavy models toward pure print-on-demand (POD) workflows. But when your product includes sublimation shirts, how do you buy them? Actually, in a POD model, you don’t hold them — you order them on demand. In this post, we’ll show you how.
1. What “buying” sublimation shirts means in POD
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You set up your store, upload your design, choose sublimation shirt blanks in the POD catalog
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When a customer orders, the POD supplier prints and ships the shirt
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You never physically stock the shirt
2. Setting up with POD providers that support sublimation shirts
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Create accounts with providers like Printful, Printify, Subliminator, LA Sublimation etc.
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Browse their apparel catalog and filter for all-over print / sublimation ready garments
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Upload your sublimation design, place it on that shirt mockup
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Set product variants, pricing, etc.
3. Best practices for design + shirt placement
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Use high resolution (at least 300 DPI or more)
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Leave bleed and trim margins
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Consider seams, sleeve overlap, pocket areas
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Preview designs on all sizes
4. Managing pricing, margins & shipping
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The base cost is the POD sublimation shirt cost + printing + shipping
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Add markup (profit margin)
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Some POD platforms allow you to choose the print provider with lowest shipping to target market
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Try to absorb or minimize shipping costs for customers in your primary markets
5. Quality assurance & order sampling
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Order your own test orders to check color, print alignment, and material feel
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Use these samples for your shop’s product photography
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Monitor customer feedback and returns
6. Scaling & multi-supplier strategy
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Use multiple POD providers to reduce risk
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Assign suppliers based on geographic proximity to buyers
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Maintain backup suppliers in case one goes offline
7. Incorporating DTF / alternate lines
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For garments that POD doesn’t support (e.g. cotton, specialty cuts), use dtf transfers applied in-house or via partner
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Use your sublimation prints as premium product line, and DTF for basic cotton tees
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Keep design consistency across both
8. Case examples
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An activewear brand uses POD sublimation shirts globally, but in local region they print heavy cotton tees with DTF transfers.
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A creative seller uses sublimation for a premium “photo shirts” line, DTF for seasonal or promotional cotton tees — both sold in same store.
9. Common issues & how to address them
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Color variation per provider — maintain color test logs
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Supplier out-of-stock blanks — keep alternate suppliers
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Returns / defects — ensure clear policies and request samples
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