Michael Essek's Blog - T-Shirt Design & Print on Demand Tips

How To Place Your First Printify Order

by Michael Essek · Updated: March 23, 2020

Are you thinking of trying out Printify as a potential Print on Demand Fulfilment Partner – but not sure where to start?

If so – I got you. In this article I’ll show you how you can place a sample order with Printify, without having to integrate with any marketplace or storefront.

In other words, you can test the quality of various Printify providers, without the effort of setting up a full integration.

I’ll show you:

So let’s dive in!

Selling T-Shirts Online Updated: March 23, 2020

How To Place Your First Order With Printful The Right Way (with FREE Shipping & 20% Off)

by Michael Essek · Updated: May 12, 2022

If you’re thinking of using Printful as your Print-on-demand fulfilment partner – then placing a sample order is an absolute must.

By placing a sample order you’ll get familiar with Printful’s website and ordering process, plus you’ll be able to judge for yourself the quality of Printful’s products and printing.

In this article I’ll show you..

So let’s get to it!

Selling T-Shirts Online Updated: May 12, 2022

Print-On-Demand For Beginners: Your FAQs Answered

by Michael Essek · Updated: February 6, 2025

If you’re new to selling your designs via Print-On-Demand sites, then you probably have questions. Lots of them.

I get a lot of Print-On-Demand questions, and I see the same ones popping up time and time again.

So I thought I would start a ‘FAQs’ page for common print-on-demand questions that can serve as a useful resource for beginners and veterans alike.

I will keep adding FAQs and updating the information regularly – so if you have a question you’d like to ask, please do so by commenting below.

I hope this helps!

Selling T-Shirts Online Updated: February 6, 2025

Billions From Bunnies: An Interview With Jim Benton

by Michael Essek · Updated: March 7, 2020

Is it a cartoonist? Is it a children’s author? Is it the mind behind the licensing behemoth ‘It’s Happy Bunny®’?

The answer is yes – because it’s Jim Benton.

I bumped into Mr. Benton at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas last year, and he was kind enough to let me pick his brain for this ‘ere blog post.

My personal thoughts and takeaways follow, but first let’s dive into the incredibly productive mind of the man himself.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Jim Benton…

T-Shirt Artist Interviews Updated: March 7, 2020

From Print-On-Demand To Brick & Mortar: An Interview With Illustrator David Olenick

by Michael Essek · Updated: March 7, 2020

There aren’t many T-Shirt designers whose work is as recognisable as that of David Olenick.

David is a T-Shirt OG – and his quirky, pun-heavy designs have been a hit across multiple platforms and products since he started submitting to Threadless in 2012.

In this interview David spills the beans on his journey and his methods – whilst sharing a wealth of advice for aspiring artists – plus some of his predictions for the future of our industry.

Enjoy!

T-Shirt Artist Interviews Updated: March 7, 2020

How To Sell On Redbubble (& Actually Make Good Money)

by Michael Essek · Updated: March 9, 2025

This is my new and updated guide on how to sell art on Redbubble.

If you want to learn how to sell on Redbubble – and how to make money on Redbubble – then this guide is for you.

I’ll explain exactly how Redbubble works, how to sell on Redbubble, and give you some practical Redbubble selling tips.

These are the same tactics I’ve used to grow my Redbubble sales income from zero to $1000+ dollars a month, every month.

I’ve been selling art on Redbubble since 2013, and in that time I’ve learnt a lot about what works and what doesn’t.

So in this Redbubble tutorial I’ll spell out the mistakes to avoid, and give you everything you need to help your Redbubble store make regular, repeated sales, month after month.

Selling T-Shirts Online Updated: March 9, 2025

My 11 BEST Print On Demand Companies & Sites (March 2025)

by Michael Essek · Updated: March 10, 2025

Choosing the right Print on Demand Company is essential for your long-term success. In this guide I review the best Print on Demand Companies and the best Print on Demand Sites – based on several years of experience – so you can choose the right one for you.

These are my personal Print on Demand recommendations for March 2025, and includes plenty of tips, tricks and hacks to help you get the most out of these Print on Demand Companies.

Print-On-Demand T-Shirt Fulfilment Updated: March 10, 2025

“Let’s Summon Steven” – An Interview With Retro T-Shirt Illustrator Steven Rhodes

by Michael Essek · Updated: May 27, 2020

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will already be familiar with the work of Steven Rhodes. (heck, you probably own a shirt or two).

Steven has had an incredible couple of years, due to his hilariously dark and perfectly illustrated takes on 70s and 80s style children’s books.

He’s dominated all the major print-on-demand sites, and has broken out beyond the internet to see his work sold in Hot Topic and Spencers stores across America.

I’ve admired Steven’s work and watched his growth from afar, and he was recently kind enough to answer some questions from nosy old me.

So without further ado – and with lights off and candles flickering ominously – I hereby summon Steven:

T-Shirt Artist Interviews Updated: May 27, 2020

Tobe Fonseca Print-On-Demand T-Shirt Artist

“It’s Not Art – It’s A Business” – An Interview With Print-On-Demand T-Shirt Artist Tobe Fonseca

by Michael Essek · Updated: July 1, 2020

Tobe Fonseca is a real T-Shirt Artist OG – with over 10 years experience in the Print-On-Demand T-Shirt world.

With top-selling designs on Threadless, Teefury, Redbubble and Teepublic – and new designs dropping all the time – he’s someone that all T-Shirt designers can learn something from.

Tobe was kind enough to share his experiences and advice – especially around what it takes to grow a sustainable business from your T-Shirt designs in the world of Print-on-demand – and about the transition from being a one-man-band to overseeing a team of other illustrators.

Read on and enjoy!

T-Shirt Artist Interviews Updated: July 1, 2020

10 Reasons To Organise Your T-Shirt Designs In a Spreadsheet / Database (And How To Actually Do It)

by Michael Essek · Updated: February 6, 2025

If you’ve created more than a handful of T-Shirt designs, then you’ve probably discovered that maintaining a well-organised portfolio of artwork can get very tricky, very fast.

And having hundreds (or more likely thousands) of designs is increasingly becoming a necessity for any T-Shirt designer who wants to maintain a steady royalty income – through organic, search-driven channels like Redbubble, Teepublic, Etsy, Merch By Amazon and others.

So what’s the best way to stay on top of a catalog of T-Shirt artwork containing thousands of individual design pieces?

Well in this blog post I’m going to share the basics of my own organisation system – and explain why this is not just a ‘nice thing to have that makes you feel more organised‘ – but is actually an incredibly powerful tool for…

taking advantage of new opportunities in the print-on-demand space
automating painful, repetitive tasks
maximising the value of your work so you can squeeze as much benefit as possible from your T-Shirt design portfolio

sounds good right?