In the print on Demand industry, you have many options to go for, and mug printing is one of them. Especially if you’re planning to take your print on demand business on e-commerce platforms, there are a few best platforms to choose from, including RedBubble, Merch by Amazon, Printify, Printful, and Etsy.
If you decide to start a print on demand business, the average number of mugs you have to sell to make $1,000 of profit is 190.
You know how important it is to consider the average profit margin and sales you need to generate a reasonable revenue. And that’s what we’re going to cover in this article.
Are you ready?
Let’s dive in!
How to Calculate the Profit
First, let’s see how to calculate the profit associated with each mug. We’re talking about selling print on demand mugs, so you need white-label cups on which you can print the image.
On Amazon, the average cost of a white mug ranges between $4-$8. However, if you buy cups in bulk from a wholesaler, you might get better rates.
To find the profit margin, you can’t simply apply the formula: sale price – purchasing price = profit margin. Remember that each platform has a commission, which ranges or can be fixed (or both).
So, you might consider: retail price - platform commission - purchasing price = profit of the seller.
At this point, we’re ready to estimate the number of printed mugs you may have to sell to get to $1,000 per month.
How Many Mugs Do You Have to Sell on Etsy to Make $1,000 per Month?
The average cost of selling your mugs on Etsy depends on what type of print you choose. To give you an idea, we’ll go with average pricing, and here’s the table:
| Retail Price | Your Margin | The average number of selling (for a $1,000 profit) |
| $11.5– $18.9 | $3.5 – $9 | 200 |
To earn a profit of $1,000 on Etsy, you have to sell around 200 mugs at the average price of $11.5– $18.9.
How Many Mugs Do You Have to Sell on Merch By Amazon to Make $1,000 per Month?
Merch by Amazon is a different platform from Amazon.com. It’s specifically for creators who want to sell their print on demand products, e.g., mugs. Moreover, tier policies and rates are also different from Amazon.
Here’s the table:
| Retail Price | Your Margin | The average number of selling (for a $1,000 profit) |
| $9.5– $15.7 | $2.5 – $6 | 235 |
To earn a profit of $1,000 on Merch By Amazon, you have to sell around 235 mugs at the average price of $9.5– $15.7.
How Many Mugs Do You Have to Sell on Redbubble to Make $1,000 per Month?
Redbubble might be a better choice if you’re selling high-quality print on demand mugs and want to reach international customers, as it’s available in more than 70 countries. Due to the high-quality market on this platform, you might get a better profit margin.
Here’s the table:
| Retail Price | Your Margin | The average number of selling (for a $1,000 profit) |
| $14.3– $17.3 | $8 – $12 | 100 |
To earn a profit of $1,000 on Redbubble, you have to sell around 100 mugs at the average price of $14.3-$17.3.
How Many Mugs Do You Have to Sell on Printful to Make $1,000 per Month?
Printful might not be the best platform for large-scale businesses, but you might get lower competition due to the low number of sellers. Here’s the table:
| Retail Price | Your Margin | The average number of selling (for a $1,000 profit) |
| $7– $11 | $2 – $5 | 285 |
To earn a profit of $1,000 on Printful, you have to sell around 285 mugs at the average price of $7-$11.
How Many Mugs Do You Have to Sell on Printify to Make $1,000 per Month?
On Printify, you can find a relatively high number of models, including 11oz cups, travel mugs, latte mugs, tumblers, can holders, ceramic mugs, and more. Prices are reasonable and range between $5-$10.
Here’s the table:
| Retail Price | Your Margin | The average number of selling (for a $1,000 profit) |
| $10– $20 | $5 – $10 | 135 |
To earn a profit of $1,000 on Printify, you have to sell around 135 mugs at the average price of $10-$20.
How Many Mugs Do You Have to Sell to Make $1,000 per Month?
| Service | Retail Price | Your Margin | Average number to sell (for a $1,000 profit) |
| Etsy | $11.5– $18.9 | $3.5 – $9 | 200 |
| Merch By Amazon | $9.5– $15.7 | $2.5 – $6 | 235 |
| Printful | $7 – $11 | $2 – $5 | 285 |
| Printify | $10 – $20 | $5 – $10 | 135 |
| Redbubble | $14.3 – $17.3 | $8 – $12 | 100 |
To earn a profit of $1,000, you have to sell around 190 mugs at the average price of $7-$20.
What is Print on Demand?
The print on demand business is a new trend in the printing industry. It is a printing technology that allows you to fulfill only what you need. You can order as few as one copy of a book, poster, or magazine without paying for thousands of documents.
There are no longer any minimum orders required for books and other printed materials using this technology. Instead of buying thousands of copies of your book before selling it, print on demand allows you to sell one at a time through online retailers like Amazon, RedBubble, and Printify.
What Is Mug Printing?
Mug printing is a process where images are printed on the surface of a white label mug using state-of-the-art technology. It involves putting ink in tiny holes of the ceramic mugs and then heating them so that the ink penetrates the microscopic pores of the ceramic cups. They have small cracks at the microscopic level that are used for printing.
After this step, images are printed on both sides of the ceramic mugs using high-quality digital printers within seconds. In this way, you can print almost any type of image you want.
Is Mug Printing A Good Business Idea?
The mug printing business is a profitable business idea because it has no fixed costs of production and low overheads associated with it. You do not need any sophisticated machinery to carry out this process. All you need is some essential equipment, such as digital printers and ceramic mugs, readily accessible in local markets or online at low prices.
Is Mug Printing Really Profitable?
There are many reasons why mug printing is profitable:
- Create Different Promotional Mugs. Mug printing is one of the most popular printing techniques that can be used to create different types of promotional products like gifts, FMCG promotional campaigns, a buy one get one free scheme, and many more. This gives an entrepreneur a chance to reach out to more customers.
- Uniqueness. The fact that there are so many designs that you can use means that it’s easy for you to come up with your unique strategy to promote your brand or company while also giving customers something unique and special.
- Straight B2C Approach. Another reason is that it allows entrepreneurs to sell their products online without worrying about distribution or shipping them worldwide. Since mugs are small and lightweight, they can quickly be shipped everywhere with ease without incurring extra costs on shipping fees. This makes it very profitable indeed!
- Low Initial Investment. Setting up a mug printing press does not require much investment upfront. You’ll need a printer (you may convert a conventional inkjet printer into a mug printer), a computer, paper, ink, and packaging. However, it will not be so expensive because they are relatively affordable compared to other industrial machines!
- Large-scale production capability. Mug printing presses can print hundreds of mugs per minute, which helps save time and effort and increase productivity levels considerably! The more mugs you print at once, the more money you’ll make!
What Do You Need For Printing Mugs?
There are different types of mugs that you can print on. Here is the basic equipment required:
- Computer. You need a computer to create designs, photos, and any other images you wish to print on your mug. Depending on your requirement, it can be a laptop or a desktop computer, but make sure that it has an internet connection for downloading and uploading files from various websites.
- Printer. The first thing for printing mugs is a printer. You can use any printer as long as it has a good quality print.
- Heat Press Plate. A heat press machine is required to transfer printing on the mugs. It is a widespread tool used for this purpose. The heat press machine has a heating plate heated up by electricity, and the cup is put on it and pressed with a pressure of 200-300 pounds. This helps in transferring the design on it.
- Inkjet Toner Cartridge. The fourth thing required for printing mugs is an inkjet toner cartridge. It contains the ink that will be transferred onto the mug surface to get a clear and colorful image on your mug surface. Make sure that the cartridge is of good quality.
Conclusion
You’re on the right page if you’re thinking of starting a print on demand mugs business. We’ve explained how it works, including the profit margin, the amount you need to sell to make $1,000, and a brief explanation of the basic theory behind it.
Now it's upon you. Don't let this highly profitable opportunity to let it go!
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