Whilst there are many Print on Demand websites in America, Canada and Australia, Europe and the UK has lagged behind on choice for artists looking for PODs for multiple products such as wall art, skins, bags, cases etc…. but this is changing fast!
The biggest print on demands websites in the world are
- Cafe Press (USA)
- Zazzle (USA)
- Redbubble (Australia)
- Society6 (Canada)
- Fine Art America (USA)
In Europe we have
- Zippi (UK)
- Curioos (France)
- Juniqe (Germany)
- ArtRookie (UK)
The biggest selling Print On Demand website in the UK is Zippi with the largest product range in Britain for a POD.
Why is it important that there are PODS operating out of Europe?
Speed
One of the biggest gripes for customers in the UK and Europe using PODS is speed as items ordered from the large US, Canadian and Australian sites can take weeks to arrive. One recent test of an Australian site took 2 months to arrive after chasing up the order. For sites such as Zippi most items are delivered next day in the UK and in 2-3 days in Europe.
Customs Duty
Another huge issue is custom duties applied to goods imported into the UK and Europe. These taxes can reach as high as 40% of the product purchased and this can leave a very sour taste in the mouth of the buyer. If you buy from a European based POD then there is no import duty applicable for purchases from any European Country
Price
In Europe the pricing is often more competitive than the sites outside of Europe so when postage and product price are taken into account then it is often more efficient to buy from a European Print on Demand website.
How do you choose a POD in the UK and Europe?
Just like an retail site that you would buy from as a consumer then as an artist you should be choosing a POD that has a great reputation, awesome customer service and top quality products. There are only two ways to really do this. Firstly you can order some items with your art on them to check for yourself but the other way is to check independent customer reviews that from the continent/country in which you reside.
Independent review sites such as Feefo, Trusted Shops, Trust Pilot are great for getting independent reviews on good websites. It is also important that the reviews are from European countries and not the North American /Australian reviews where the delivery/customs experience can be very different. We’ll leave you to research which POD has the best reviews in the UK and Europe…
As an artist then in reality then there is no harm in trying out a number of Print on Demand websites in Europe as they are all free to join and start selling on. By and large the commissions are very similar.
Click on the following link to find out more on selling on a British POD
We would love to hear your thoughts and experiences below!