If you’re starting or growing your print-on-demand business, here’s some good news—you don’t have to come up with every idea or design all by yourself. AI tools can help you save time, come up with clever sayings, make fun graphics, and even write your product descriptions.
And the best part? You don’t need to be a tech expert. Below are three (plus a bonus!) simple ways to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Canva AI to make your print-on-demand journey easier and more fun.
1. Use ChatGPT to Come Up With Sayings for Your Designs
Struggling to Come Up with Clever Quotes for Your Print-on-Demand Products? ChatGPT Can Help
If you’ve ever sat down to design a mug, t-shirt, or ornament and felt completely stuck when it came to writing the perfect quote or funny saying—you’re not alone. One of the biggest challenges print-on-demand (POD) sellers face is coming up with catchy, clever, and unique phrases that customers actually want to buy.
Words sell products. Whether it’s a sassy saying on a coffee mug, an inspirational quote on a t-shirt, or a funny one-liner on a wine tumbler—text-based designs are some of the easiest and most popular to create in the POD world. But coming up with those words from scratch every time? That’s where things get tricky.
Enter: ChatGPT—your new favorite brainstorming buddy.
Why Use ChatGPT for POD Sayings?
Instead of staring at a blank screen or spending hours trying to dream up something witty, you can use ChatGPT to generate ideas instantly. Whether you’re in a creative rut or just want a fresh batch of inspiration, this tool can save you time and get your ideas flowing fast.
You don’t need to be a writer. You don’t need to spend time scrolling Pinterest or Instagram for ideas. You just need to know how to ask the right questions.
Sample Prompts to Use with ChatGPT
Here are some super simple prompt ideas you can type into ChatGPT to start generating sayings right away:
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“Give me 10 funny coffee mug sayings.”
Want to create a mug that makes people laugh at first sip? This prompt will deliver quirky, caffeine-themed quotes that are perfect for morning motivation—or sarcasm.
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“Write sarcastic quotes about Mondays.”
Monday-themed products are always in demand. Whether you want to lean into that “I hate Mondays” vibe or give it a humorous twist, ChatGPT can dish out plenty of options. -
“Give me 5 short phrases about dogs and wine.”
Niches like pets and wine are goldmines in the POD space. Combine the two with short, punchy sayings that are perfect for mugs, tote bags, or stemless wine glasses.
You can even go more specific with prompts like:
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“Funny gym quotes for lazy people”
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“Quotes for dog moms who spoil their pups”
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“Inspirational sayings for teachers”
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“Witty one-liners for book lovers”
You don’t need to overthink it. Just think of the niche you want to target, the mood or tone you want (funny, sarcastic, inspirational, heartfelt, etc.), and ask ChatGPT to help generate a list.
From Prompt to Product: Turning Quotes into Winning Designs
Once ChatGPT gives you a list of quotes, you can choose your favorites, tweak the wording to match your style or brand voice, and plug them right into your designs. Here’s how you can make them your own:
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Personalize them
Add a name, location, or personal twist to make the quote feel more custom. For example, change “This wine is my spirit animal” to “This Napa wine is my spirit animal.” -
Match your niche
Selling to nurses? Teachers? Cat moms? You can tailor ChatGPT’s suggestions to those niches by including it in the prompt—e.g., “funny quotes about coffee for nurses.” -
Shorten or stylize
POD products often look best with short, punchy phrases. Don’t be afraid to take a longer suggestion and trim it down to just the punchline. Add all caps, funky fonts, or even emojis depending on your product and audience.
2. Use Canva AI to Create Easy, Simple Designs
Designing for Print-on-Demand Has Never Been Easier—Thanks to Canva’s AI Tools
One of the biggest reasons people hesitate to start a print-on-demand (POD) business is the design process. If you’re not a graphic designer or have never used design software before, tools like Photoshop or Illustrator can feel overwhelming.
But here’s the good news: You don’t need any design experience to create awesome products.
Canva is a completely free (and beginner-friendly) online design tool that has everything you need to start designing POD products today. And now, with the addition of powerful AI features, Canva makes it faster and easier than ever to bring your ideas to life—even if you’ve never designed anything before.
Why Canva is Perfect for POD Sellers
Canva gives you access to drag-and-drop design tools, beautiful templates, a huge library of fonts and graphics, and now, AI-powered features that do a lot of the creative heavy lifting for you. It works right in your browser, and there’s also a mobile app if you prefer designing on your phone or tablet.
Here are a few of Canva’s best features for POD creators:
Text to Image: Turn a Description into Original Art
Want a one-of-a-kind graphic for a t-shirt, mug, or ornament? You don’t have to draw or hire an artist. Just use Canva’s Text to Image tool.
Type a simple prompt like:
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“Cute cartoon dog with sunglasses”
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“Vintage coffee cup with retro flowers”
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“Funny cat holding a wine glass”
Canva will generate several images based on your description, giving you custom artwork that’s perfect for your products. You can choose the style too—realistic, sketch, cartoon, watercolor, etc.—to match the vibe of your brand.
This is a game-changer for POD sellers because you can:
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Create unique graphics that help you stand out from the crowd
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Test new product ideas quickly
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Stay on top of trending themes (like seasonal designs or viral characters)
Magic Write: Create Product Descriptions, Captions, and More
Once you have your design, you still need to write the product description, social media captions, or maybe even a thank-you note to include in your packaging. That’s where Magic Write comes in.
Just tell it what you need, like:
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“Write a fun, friendly product description for a mug with a cartoon sloth”
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“Create an Instagram caption for a new dog mom t-shirt”
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“Write a short thank-you note to include with Etsy orders”
Magic Write will generate polished, professional-sounding text in seconds. You can tweak it, add emojis, change the tone—whatever works for your brand.
This saves you hours of staring at a blank screen and lets you keep your focus on designing and selling.
Simple Text-Only Designs Sell Like Crazy
Here’s a little insider secret: you don’t need fancy graphics to sell POD products.
Text-only designs are some of the top sellers on platforms like Etsy, Amazon, and Redbubble. Think:
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Funny quotes on coffee mugs
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Inspirational sayings on tote bags
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Sarcastic one-liners on t-shirts
And these designs are super fast to create in Canva.
Here’s how:
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Copy a quote or saying you got from ChatGPT.
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Open a blank canvas in Canva (choose your product size).
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Add a text box, paste the quote, and select a clean, bold font.
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Center the text, adjust the size and spacing, and you’re done!
You can also experiment with:
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All caps vs. sentence case
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Different font combinations (Canva recommends great pairings)
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Using color or texture in the background for added flair
The key is to keep it readable and visually balanced. Simple often sells better—especially when the quote does the talking.
3. Use ChatGPT to Discover New Niche Ideas
Not sure what kind of products to make next? ChatGPT can help you brainstorm niche ideas. Try asking:
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“What are some trending print-on-demand niches this year?”
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“Give me ideas for combining pets and holidays”
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“What are fun gift ideas for teachers or nurses?”
This can help you come up with new product angles and reach people looking for very specific types of gifts.
Bonus: Let AI Write Your Product Descriptions
Stuck writing descriptions? Just tell ChatGPT what your product is and what it says. For example:
“Write a product description for a white mug that says ‘Coffee First, Talk Later’”
It will write something you can copy or adjust. Make sure your description tells who the item is for, when it’s a great gift, and what makes it special (like being dishwasher safe).
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
AI tools like ChatGPT and Canva AI can help you take action faster and make your print-on-demand process way easier.
They help you come up with sayings, make designs, find new ideas, and write your listings.
You don’t have to overthink it. You don’t have to spend hours staring at a blank screen.
You just need to get started—and these tools can help.
Your Next Step
Pick one of these ideas and try it today:
-Ask ChatGPT for 10 quotes.
-Open Canva and make a simple text design.
-Use AI to write a description you’ve been putting off.
Small steps can lead to big wins. And if you want more help, ideas, and support, join our Low Hanging System group to connect with others doing the same thing. You got this :)
