If you're looking for print on demand niches to jump into this year, here are some of the best ideas!
We've compiled a list of 27 different niche markets that we think will be popular in 2023. From dogs to all kinds of pizza, there's something on our list for everyone!
Ready to find your niche? Let's begin!
What is a print on demand niche?
Before we get into the power of print on demand niches, let's clarify what a print on demand store is:
Print on Demand (POD) is the fulfillment model that allows suppliers to places designs on products. These items are regularly clothing like shirts and hoodies and can go from mugs, towels, art prints, phone cases, and that's just the beginning.
For more info on that, check out our complete guide on how to get started with print on demand (POD).
Now that you know the basics, let's go over what precisely a print on demand niche is!
A niche is a specific subject of a market to appeal to and supply a product or service to a person.
Examples of niches are pet designs on apparel and other products to appeal to the people who want to show their love of pets.
When you think of pets, though, it's a lot of animals from dogs, cats, mice, birds, insects, fishes, etc., to appeal to everyone who likes pets – that's a lot! This is why niches can be further focused on the part of the market.
Instead of all pets, you can focus on dogs only. Or you can even focus on a type of dog likes pugs.
A helpful tip is you can always niche down and can continually expand later.
Which print on demand niche should I pick?
The big question immediately pops up once you know what niches are and see so many other stores having theirs.
A more excellent way to see the in-demand of a specific niche is using Google Trends!
Let's say your chosen niche is animals. Since animals are a big niche, you probably include animals like cats and dogs. With Google Trends, you can see which animal is more popular.
As we can see, dogs are noticeably more searched than cats. This means it might be wise to spend more effort on dog designs than cat designs.
Niches on trends like the face mask can be super popular due to relevant situations like the pandemic.
However, the problem with trends is they're short-lived, as shown in the Google Trends graph.
What may be very popular right now may not be in the next year. This means you'll always be in search of the latest trends for your POD store to be relevant.
Want to learn more about niches for your POD dropshipping store? Well, we have some articles for you! Check these two out:
- Here's a guide on how to find out if a dropshipping niche could be profitable.
- And here's another guide on how to find the best niche for dropshipping.
Why niches matter to your success
Now we know what a POD niche is, here's why it matters for your store! You can also check out our infographic below:
Let's go over these points more in-depth now:
Setting apart the competition
As you look through all the store's chosen niches, you're bound to see some have similar or the same niche. But how do they all competitive if they're doing the same niche? The answer is their niches are presented in a different way to attract different people.
For example, a shirt with cats is for women with colors and playful art, while appealing to men can be more intensive with lions.
Remember, the easiest way to separate from the competition is to niche further or combine existing niches, i.e., airplanes and helicopters.
Able to justify the price
A problem every dropshipper has is the sourced products are generally about the kind of quality. This means it can be hard to justify a higher price over another store.
While the designs of POD can help justify more cost, your chosen niche to specific people who can afford the higher price is more effective.
It's a similar strategy to high-end car manufacturers. They don't sell to the average person through tv commercials because they know their customer who can afford their luxurious cars isn't sitting on the couch watching tv.
Try to find who you're ideal customer is for your niche and be there for them!
More focused connect to the audience
When you're trying to appeal to a certain group of people, the chosen niche will make that connection much easier because you don't have to do anything other than existing for them to know who you are for.
This focused connection is less work on your end, and being more cohesive with your products and branding makes it super powerful for people to know your store is for them.
With your chosen niche, you can appeal to them more easily than an unfocused POD store with random designs that only look cool.
The list of the 27 best print on demand niche ideas
If you struggle to pick a niche for your store, feel free to use this list to get some ideas. In my opinion, it will contain this year's 27 best print on demand niche ideas. Let's not wait any longer and get your brainstorming skills going!
Be aware that this list is random; I didn't rank it from the best or worst. So, if you pick any niche that interests you, you've made a great choice.
1. Mental health
The niche of mental health has been getting more popular over the years, and it makes sense considering it's such an important part of our lives we need to care for!
This means tons of advocates will proudly support those who are supporting the mental health of others. You can also help in this niche by thinking of ways to support the research and nonprofits that help as well.
2. Dogs
Who doesn't love a man's best friend? The dog niche is one of the most popular niches, and for a good reason – dogs are wonderful on every level.
It can be daunting to see many dog POD-inspired designs out there, but you can always niche further.
Remember how to find a niche article previously mentioned? You can add a similar niche to it to help your audience see you differently from the rest of the dog niches. You can also be particular dog breeds, color, sizes, etc. The sky's limit!
Tip: Looking for clothing suppliers? Check out our complete list here with the best options!
3. Nurses
The nurse niche is a strong choice because nurses have a variety of directions you can go. Attractive? Crazy? Nerdy?
The nurse niche doesn't even have to be literal nurses too! The tools like stethoscopes or band-aids can work for the niche as well.
Feel free to get creative in anything that nurses would love to wear. Are they working with children? Older people? Think of ways that connect with them that look appealing while connecting to the core values of their job.
4. Fishing
The fishing niche is a classic and loved by so many fathers, outdoors, fish enthusiasts. Great niche choice, and it shows by a lot of there!
No worries though, some options range from super masculine designs for fishing, oldie styles and more focused on boats or fishing poles that can work.
Also, just because many men enjoy it doesn't mean there aren't women's demands. Look into the possibilities! You may find the path less taken to be more profitable.
5. Firefighters
What do firefighters have in common? A lot with courage, safety, and helping others. Don't be afraid to take up your own! This can be shown in graphics of fire, water, wildlife, and emblems associated with firefighters.
A family of firefighters loves to support their own, so they're a big career choice for a niche. Look into doing fun collaborations with local firefighters as well!
6. Patriotic
A lot of people love their country – it's a good reason why they live there! When you choose a patriotic niche, chances are you love the location you've based it on.
Using symbols known for the country, as the beautiful beaches of Bazil or the majestic mountains of Switzerland. There's a location for everyone, and it's a good choice to do the place you live in.
Remember, if your country is big and has a lot of competition, you can always scale down to a major city or maybe a town if it's large enough. It's way easier to expand bigger than smaller.
7. Reading
Reading niche is one of the smaller but loyal niches. Not everyone may be excited to read the next novel or a fiction book to help improve their lives, but those who do really do.
There's so much in the reading culture, like being called a book worm or saying ‘one more chapter,' that resonates with anyone who loves books.
Be that books are copyrighted, so using characters, specific locations, and verbatim text can be illegal without consent!
Related article: Is Dropshipping Legal in 2023? (Take a Look Here First)
8. Truck drivers
Truck drivers are a pretty lonely profession, so this chosen niche for POD designs can make their job a little easier to know others like them.
From humor to trucks themselves, truck drivers are generally laid-back people because the job enhances that behavior. You can make sure they feel right at home with your products that they would love to have and proudly show off.
9. Sisters
Through the growing pains of sharing with someone, we learn to love and appreciate family members. What better way to celebrate it through a niche of sisterhood!
While any family member, such as dads, cousins, aunts, sons, etc., can work, let's look into sisters.
Designs can be feminine with light colors like yellow or pink. They can feature graphics of sisters appreciating each other – or the exact opposite in an ‘it's so true it's a fun way.
10. Pizza
Pizza is one of the most universally loved foods in the world! It's why there are so many communities devoted to it, from young children to old adults.
There's a pizza topping. Forever have fun! have fun! Our. That said, there's a lot of creative ideas you can go with this food choice:
- Hamburger-style pizza toppings
- Hot wings
- Maybe even vegetables like broccoli and artichokes?
11. Memes
Is this the largest niche of all POD dropshipping? Quite possibly, but don't let the sheer size of the competition scare you off. There's plenty of memes to go around.
As you may know, some memes are better than others. Some are only good, depending on the timely fashion of pop culture. A lot of memes can also die out as fast as they've appeared.
Why it's a call; engine niche, there's a lot of fun reward to know you've made people smile and laugh. For a lot of people, it's worth the effort.
12. Vegan
The power of no animal product in their diet is the phenom of animal care and health buffs trying to reclaim a natural lifestyle.
Vegans love to be a part of a big community, and POD designs can also help do that. They take great pride in their diet and their impact on animal consumption, so think of designs that help support this mission!
13. Video games
It feels like you cannot escape any video game culture online. That's why so many POD designers try to bring the online experience out in the real world.
Since video games are largely based on life's tasks leading to accomplished goals, many great ideas help reflect that. Everyone want's to be the hero of their own story, and the video game niche helps that easily.
14. Dinosaurs
Designing dinosaurs on your POD product sounds like a dream come true for many people who choose this niche. It's like monsters that actually existed, and now you can bring them back to life!
Who says you should only do real-life dinosaurs? Get creative and design some that are truly out of this world. It'll be awesome to see a flying stegadon on, for starters. The creativity is endless.
15. Outer space
That's one small step for man, one giant leap for a niche choice! Outer space is huge, just like the number of different types of niches there are for it!
Satellites, planets, galaxies, black holes, and astronauts are a whole variety to choose from. Give your customers an out-of-this-world experience when they look at your designs.
16. Traveling
Wonderlust is a real condition many people have, and their itch can help be solved with your POD designs!
This niche also works well with nature, countries, and other cultures you can think of. You can also be literal travel with cars, planes, and ships as well.
Make your designs an unforgettable experience, just like where they're traveling to!
17. Working out
One of the biggest inspirations for POD apparel is muscle tank tops! Everyone wants to be in the best shape of their life, and anything that drives them to do that will be welcomed.
You may need to really niche down on this one, though, because it is one of the most popular and competitive of all the options.
Think of the ones that aren't more prolific but need to be like pilates or vegan-themed arts.
18. Music
Music makes cultures and communities thrive. It's the songs of the people and what they're passionate about.
Music is also one of the greatest ways to share emotions and ideas. This also can be used for POD designs. Visual art is similar to music in its expressive with emotions.
Due note lyrics, artists, and bands can be trademarked, so please avoid logos, faces, and iconic visuals that strongly represent the trademark owner.
Examples of art directions you can use are instruments like guitars, pianos, cellos, music notes, and culture surrounding the music like reggae or country-themed people and locations.
19. Zombies
With the success of the zombie show, The Walking Dead, zombies have never been bigger in pop culture. With such a ravaging fan base, there will always be some demand for the zombie niche.
Zombify-ing anything based on your passions is always an option. This can allow you to combine other niches as well:
- Zombie dogs
- Zombie aliens
- Zombie cartoons
The creativity is endless!
20. True crime
Teepublic
True crime stories are all the rage on youtube and podcasts. There's just something fascinating about learning about how people can commit these horrific crimes, you know?
POD designs have been murder weapons, scene crimes, prison, or court-based. Mixed with some humorous flair, you'll be sure to have people interested in sharing it.
21. Skateboarding
Skateboarding culture loves art. Whether it's off-the-wall outrageous designs or abstract imagery that bends what we consider normal.
Your POD designs do not have to reflect that to appeal to skateboarders directly, but it definitely helps to know the streetwear-like designs their culture typically enjoys.
22. Beauty and makeup
Do you know how much makeup and other beauty products the average woman spends in their lifetime? Upwards of $300,000.
That's a lot, and that means there's a lot of resonation in beauty and make-up-inspired POD products. Many makeup users love showing off their art skills, and that art can reflect your designs for them.
23. Movies
Who doesn't like a good movie to pass the time with?
We are naturally drawn to good stories. That success is why movies come from the love of heroes overcoming their problems to save the world. It's a recurring classic because it works.
Your POD products can be their own hero inspired by films your audience will love. It's important to be mindful of copyright infringement when it comes to stories and quotes.
Yes, that's right, quotes can be copyrighted because they're published from a script that held the rights to the movie's production company.
24. Beards
A niche that holds to stylish men is the caring of facial hair, particularly the beard. Men who love their beards really love them.
Beards make a great niche choice because they are passionate about them and want to show it off.
That also means they'll be more willing to show off your beard-designed POD products as well!
25. Synthwave
Synthwave is famous for the music in science-fiction films of the 1980s, such as Blade Runner. It's evolved a lot since then and is now a recognizable art aesthetic in modern homes.
With different shades of purple, pink, and orange, synthwave is super creative and loves to break the rules of what you would see in everyday life. It can be abstract with shapes, and it can be literal with highways, cityscapes, and palm trees.
26. Computer programming
Computer programming, also known as ‘coding,' is steadily on the rise as the software of computers continues to improve every year. It's a culture with even their own coding language!
Computers, gadgets and really all things technology is a great niche for POD designs. You can celebrate, have fun, and be educational since it's a lifelong practice with never-ending bugs to fix.
27. Summer
Although you can pick any season and could even be more successful, we're looking at the summer season for the amount of variety and room for summer fun niche opportunities.
People generally love summer the most because the weather is easy to romanticize. Not only that but there's a lot of other great things about summer too!
Like summer blockbuster films, big pools, ice cream, and many outdoor activities have fun and be creative that people love festive and bright designs.
Conclusion
As you learn more about what other POD stores are doing with their chosen niche, the more you can apply to your store. The possibilities can be overwhelming because there's no clear way to succeed.
It's a journey, and your customers are going to be on a wild ride with you. Once you find your niche, it's about living it through it as much as possible through your designs.
If you're ready for that journey, you should check out this article here with the best print on demand companies for your business!
Or, if you're looking for a POD supplier in the US, check out this article here.
Enjoy the process, and best of luck!
Want to learn more about POD?
Ready to move your print on demand store to the next level? Check out the articles below:
- How Do You Handle Print on Demand Returns in 2023?
- Is Print on Demand Still Profitable Today in 2023? Or Not?
- Dropshipping vs. Print On Demand: What Is the Difference?
- 15 Most Successful Print on Demand Store Examples in 2023
Plus, don’t forget to check out our in-depth how to start a print on demand business guide here!
