How print-on-demand works
Indian POD platforms such as Qikink and Printrove connect to a Shopify, WooCommerce or custom store. A fan orders; the platform prints, packs and ships under your brand; you keep the difference between your price and their cost. Both support cash on delivery, which matters for Indian buyers.
A real cost breakdown
Printrove publishes its formula: base price + printing + 5% GST + shipping. Its worked example — a 10×10 inch design on a black L tee, prepaid — comes to ₹327.75: ₹165 base, ₹90 print (₹0.90/sq in), ₹12.75 GST, ₹60 shipping. COD adds ₹50. Larger designs cost more: an A3 print on a coloured tee is about ₹410. Prices change; check the live calculator.
If you sell that tee at ₹799, your gross margin is roughly ₹470 before store and payment fees. Qikink's own guide suggests typical apparel margins of 30–50%.
Design tips that sell
- Use album or single artwork you own outright (check your designer's agreement).
- Smaller prints cost less — a chest logo hits the minimum print charge.
- Print files: PNG, transparent background, RGB (Printrove guidance).
- Order a sample before launch.
POD vs bulk for gigs
POD is ideal online. For a merch table at a show, a small bulk screen-print run is usually cheaper per piece. Many bands do both: bulk for tours, POD for the long tail.
Selling it
- Link the store in your bio and your EPK.
- Launch merch with a release — see releasing without a label.
- Add GST in your accounting if turnover grows — GST for musicians.
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