With more than 95 million active buyers hunting for one-of-a-kind pieces they can’t find anywhere else, Etsy has become a goldmine for creative entrepreneurs. These shoppers aren’t just browsing—they’re actively seeking unique handmade treasures and original designs that reflect their personal style. This creates a massive opportunity for creative entrepreneurs, especially in apparel, which ranks among Etsy’s top-selling categories at 15% of gross merchandise sales.
Sure, there’s competition—eight million sellers are vying for attention on the platform. But here’s the thing: The demand for original artistry means there’s still plenty of room for designers who understand what makes a t-shirt truly stand out. Read on to learn how to start selling shirts on Etsy—from setting up your Etsy shop to marketing your memorable tees.
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How to Quickly Start a T-Shirt Store
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Why choose Etsy for your t-shirt business?
Etsy is a curated ecommerce marketplace where independent sellers connect with buyers seeking unique, handcrafted items. It offers a massive built-in audience that includes millions of repeat buyers, according to Capital One Shopping research, including nearly seven million habitual shoppers who purchase from Etsy at least six times a year and spend more than $200.
You can start selling t-shirts on Etsy with nothing more than your designs and a print-on-demand service. Print-on-demand services manage screen printing production, shipping, and inventory (which you’ll need to disclose as a production partner on Etsy for transparency). There’s no need to invest in heat or screen printing equipment or guess the number of t-shirts to stock in each size. You can upload your t-shirt designs to your Etsy store, set your prices, and let the printing company fulfill orders as they come in.
Etsy’s fees are competitive, too. Transaction fees (6.5%) and payment processing fees (3% + 25¢) compare favorably to other online marketplaces, such as Amazon Handmade. Plus, its seller community features forums, discussion boards, a support center, collaboration opportunities, and more to help Etsy sellers grow their businesses.
How to sell shirts on Etsy
- Find your niche
- Get an Etsy account
- Set up your Etsy seller account and Etsy shop
- Customize your Etsy storefront
- Design your shirts
- Decide on inventory vs. print-on-demand
- Choose your printing technique
- Create your listings
- Pair your Etsy store with your online store
- Market your Etsy store
Whether you plan to sell solely through Etsy or it’s just one channel in your ecommerce strategy, setting up shop on the Etsy marketplace is simple. Here’s how to launch your own t-shirt business on the platform:
1. Find your niche
Before you create your shop, you need to identify your niche—this will influence your business name and guide your entire marketing strategy.
The t-shirt category on Etsy is competitive. Successful sellers usually define a target audience or theme to set their shop apart. Brainstorm passions or subcultures to cater to. For example, witty t-shirts for teachers, cute pet-themed t-shirts for dog owners, or charming graphic tees for plant lovers could all be winning ideas.
How do you know if a niche has potential? Do a bit of market research on Etsy. Run an Etsy search for keywords relevant to your potential product to get a feel for the competition and what people are buying: How many results are there (the number of results implies high or low competition for your idea)? Are the listings on the first page selling well (check review counts or “bestseller” tags)? See what pops up in the Etsy search bar suggestions—these phrases hint at what people are searching for frequently on the platform.
Pay attention to Etsy’s own trends as well: The Etsy “Trending” page and annual trend reports can surface popular themes in the Etsy marketplace.
It also helps to use analytics tools such as eRank, Alura, EtsyHunt, and Marmalead to figure out what Etsy customers are searching for and buying, and identify trends and high-demand niches.
2. Get an Etsy account
If you don’t already have an Etsy account, head to Etsy.com and click “Sign in” and then “Register” to create a new account. You can sign up with a dedicated business email, your personal email address, or another authentication option. Registration is free, and you’ll just need to confirm your email before proceeding.
3. Set up your Etsy seller account and Etsy shop
Click the “Sell on Etsy” link (under the “Your account” dropdown on the top-right menu) and follow the prompts to start a new shop. Etsy will guide you through setting your shop preferences (language, country, and currency) and entering your Etsy shop name. Take some time choosing your store name—it should tell your story and be memorable (and it must not be taken by another Etsy store).
After naming your shop, the system will ask you to set up how you will get paid (connecting a bank account) and to enter a billing card for Etsy fees. Etsy charges a 20¢ listing fee for each product you post and may also charge a one-time setup fee for new sellers when you open your shop.
Before you officially open, Etsy requires you to create at least one listing. Don’t worry—you can start with a simple placeholder t-shirt listing just to get your shop live (you can edit or add listings later).
4. Customize your Etsy storefront
Once your shop is live, customize your Etsy storefront by uploading a shop banner and logo. Fill out your About section with a narrative about who you are and what you sell—buyers love knowing the person behind the products. Add your store policies detailing shipping costs and returns and exchanges, and create an FAQ section to address common customer questions.
5. Design your shirts
Now comes the creative part: designing shirts. Many artists create designs by sketching them with an Apple Pencil on an iPad using Procreate and exporting the finished artwork as high-resolution files ready for printing. Alternatively, you can use graphic design software tools (like Figma or Adobe Illustrator) to create high-quality artwork files.
Design with your target audience in mind. For example, use calm colors and simple, zen-inspired graphics for yoga-themed apparel or punchy colors and whimsical fonts for funny t-shirts. Simple fonts and bold designs often work best on t-shirts because they’re legible and eye-catching even at thumbnail size. Originality is crucial on Etsy, so don’t copy other Etsy sellers’ ideas—instead, put your own flair on trends to make your t-shirts unique.
If you’re not a designer yourself, you can hire a freelance graphic designer to bring your ideas to life or purchase design elements (with proper commercial licenses) that you can incorporate into your work. Just be sure any art or fonts you use are licensed for commercial use. Most importantly, ensure your final design files meet printing requirements—typically a high-resolution image with a transparent background for printing on fabric.
6. Decide on inventory vs. print-on-demand
Before launching, decide how you will produce and ship your shirts. There are two main approaches: keeping inventory on hand or using print-on-demand services.
If you decide to keep inventory on hand, you’ll handle packaging and shipping for each order. This gives you control over quality and potentially faster shipment times, but it requires upfront investment, and you risk having unsold stock. If you choose print-on-demand service (like Printful, Gooten, or Printify), you only pay for products after making a sale.
Print-on-demand also opens up opportunities to sell custom t-shirts, allowing Etsy customers to personalize designs with text, graphics, or special requests. It’s a low-risk selling model, though the profit per shirt is typically lower since the fulfillment service charges a base cost, and production and shipping may take a little longer.
Etsy allows print on demand as a production method, as long as you create original designs and disclose your production partner in the listings. However, Etsy’s policies don’t allow traditional dropshipping.
7. Choose your printing technique
Most print-on-demand services offer multiple printing techniques. Depending on your design, you can choose between popular options, like:
Direct-to-garment (DTG). DTG is great for detailed designs and photographic prints, and works best on natural fibers like cotton.
Sublimation. Sublimation printing is extremely durable but only works on polyester or poly-blends. It also uses semi-transparent dye that doesn’t show well on dark fabrics.
All-over printing. This refers to a print that covers the entire garment, including sleeves. All-over prints can use sublimation, screen printing, or other techniques.
Embroidery. You can create detailed embroidered patterns, including logos and small designs for your t-shirts.
8. Create your listings
With your Etsy shop set up and your designs ready, it’s time to create compelling product listings that attract buyers and start selling t-shirts. Each listing should showcase your shirt and provide all the information a customer needs to make a purchase decision.
For example, this listing from Marin Studios (a California-based Etsy t-shirt shop) works well because it connects the art to a specific place—“the vibrant floral stalls of Provence in Southern France”—giving buyers a clear story and emotional hook. The listing also provides multiple styling suggestions and identifies specific target audiences (gardeners, Francophiles, vintage floral fans).
Your listings should include these essential elements:
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Photos and mockups. Use high-quality images to show off your t-shirt. If you have a sample on hand, take well-lit photos of the shirt (front, back, close-ups) on a plain background or on a model. Otherwise, create realistic mockup images using your design on a shirt template—many print-on-demand services offer mockup generators.
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Pricing. Choose a price that covers your costs and provides a profit while remaining competitive. Calculate the shirt’s base cost (or POD fulfillment cost), add Etsy fees, and include your desired profit margin. Research similar shirts on Etsy to see the typical price range for comparable products. According to Sellfy, t-shirts generally range from $10 to $30, depending on design, brand, and printing method.
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Size and fit details. Help customers pick the right size by providing a size chart or clear measurements. Specify the fit of the shirt (unisex/relaxed fit, women’s fitted), and let buyers know if the sizing runs true to standard. Include the material (100% cotton, polyester blend) and any care instructions (machine wash cold, air dry).
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SEO titles, tags, and descriptions. Optimize your listing for search so people can find your shirts on Etsy. Write a title and product description that includes relevant keywords a buyer might search. Use all the tag slots Etsy provides to add keywords (for example: “gardening shirt,” “plant lover gift,” “funny mom tee”).
9. Pair your Etsy Store with your online store
You don’t have to choose between Etsy and having your own online store—using both Etsy and Shopify simultaneously can amplify your reach. With Shopify, you can customize your store’s look and feel much more than on Etsy, creating a branded experience that’s uniquely yours. Having an online store also gives you access to more customer data, so you can create customer segments and build a targeted marketing strategy. Plus, selling on your own store means you avoid Etsy’s transaction fees.
You can integrate your Etsy and Shopify store using Marketplace Connect, allowing you to manage listings on both platforms from one central location.
10. Market your Etsy store
Once your listings are live, it’s time to drive digital traffic to your storefront. Try these marketing strategies:
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Post on Facebook and Instagram. Share photos of people wearing your designs or behind-the-scenes peeks at your design process. Use hashtags to attract browsers interested in your niche. Consider joining niche Facebook groups to interact with members and build an audience that leads to your online store.
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Create Pinterest boards. Create eye-catching pins of your t-shirt designs and organize them into themed boards on Pinterest. Pinterest works particularly well for inspirational quotes, vintage designs, or hobby-related graphics since users search for visual inspiration and save items for later purchase.
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Post on TikTok. To spark brand awareness among younger demographics like Gen Z and Gen Alpha, showcase your design process, styling tips, or behind-the-scenes content on TikTok. TikTok’s algorithm can help niche content reach the right audience even without a large following.
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Create a blog. Publish a blog with high-quality content relevant to your target audience, then link back to your Etsy shop. Make your blog informative and engaging, and update it regularly. This content marketing technique can help you establish authority in your niche and provides a long-form format to connect with your audience.
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Use Etsy’s promoted listings. Use Etsy’s promoted listings to connect your brand and Etsy customers and boost your products to the top of search results for targeted keywords. Start with a small daily budget and focus on your best-performing designs for the maximum return on investment.
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Buy Etsy ads. Consider opting into Etsy’s Offsite Ads program, which automatically promotes your products across Google, Facebook, and other platforms—you only pay for the Etsy ads service when someone makes a purchase through these external ads.
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Experiment with paid ads. You can also experiment with Facebook and Instagram advertising, targeting people whose interests align with your t-shirt niche. These platforms offer detailed targeting options that can help you reach potential customers who are most likely to purchase.
Track your progress using Etsy’s shop stats to monitor your t-shirt shop’s performance and identify what’s working best.
How to sell shirts on Etsy FAQ
Is it worth it to sell shirts on Etsy?
Etsy’s large audience and focus on unique items make it a worthwhile platform to sell shirts. Many Etsy sellers make money selling shirts by offering clever, visually striking, or custom t-shirt designs.
How much does it cost to sell shirts on Etsy?
Etsy charges a 20¢ listing fee per item and a 6.5% transaction fee on each sale, with no monthly subscription fee. Your upfront costs will depend on whether you keep inventory or use a print-on-demand model.
Can I sell print-on-demand on Etsy?
Yes. Etsy allows print-on-demand products as long as you create original designs and disclose your production partner in your listings. Keep in mind that selling t-shirts or other clothing without your own design (generic, mass-produced) isn’t permitted.
