In the world of print-on-demand (POD) selling, effective mockup tools are essential for showcasing products and attracting potential customers. It is now 2024 and there are a lot more options than Photoshop. Based on my personal experience and insights, here’s an overview of the top 5 mockup tools that I recommend for POD sellers, including their pros and cons.

Top 5 Mockup Tools for POD Sellers 💡 

1: Canva

Canva is a widely-used design tool that offers a variety of templates for creating product mockups. It’s particularly useful for those who may not have extensive graphic design skills because there are many design elements and template for you to start your first design.

As a designer, that's also why I love creating templates using Canva, it is not the best tool for designer, but definitely the best option if you want to transfer your template to customer because not everyone have proper technical and design skills, and a Photoshop license.

Pros:

• User-Friendly
• Easy to navigate, making it accessible for beginners.
• Template Variety: Offers a vast library of templates and elements.
• Smartmockups Integration: Provides access to Smartmockups for more realistic product presentations. Some smartmockups options are FREE.

Cons:

• Generic Aesthetic: Many designs can look stock-like or generic if not customized enough.
• Limited Free Features: The free version has constraints on template access and quality.

2. Placeit

Placeit specializes in creating high-quality mockups and videos, making it a popular choice among POD sellers. There are many mockup options, some are in very high quality.

Pros:

• Diverse Mockup Options: Offers a wide range of templates for various POD products, such as T-shirt, Sweatshirt, Mugs and more.
• Good Quality: Generally produces high-quality mockups that are visually appealing and with different background.

Cons:

• Speed Issues: The platform can be slow when uploading designs, which may frustrate users.
• Costly for Frequent Use: While some options are free, regular use may require a subscription and it is not that cheap.

Link: Visit Placeit Mockup

3. Etsy

Etsy is not just a marketplace where you can find a lot of amazing handmade products and POD products; it also hosts numerous sellers offering PSD and Canva mockup files at competitive prices. I personally start creating and selling POD mockups on Etsy simply because I cannot find the best mockup to fit my first POD design. It is a good place for everyone to get to know more about the market trend and listing skills for POD products simply by searching on Etsy.

Pros:

• Affordable Options: Many sellers provide mockup files at lower costs compared to larger companies.
• Variety of Styles: A diverse range of designs available from different creators.

Cons:

• Quality Variability: The quality of mockups can vary significantly depending on the seller. (I saw some seller are selling low-quality AI-generated JPG file, they have no layer. Hence they are difficult to use and you can't easily overlay your design on them without Photoshop.)
• Time Investment: Requires time to scan through listings to find high-quality products.

Link: Visit our Etsy store (High Quality Canva Mockup)

4. Artboard Studio

Artboard Studio is an excellent tool for creating realistic product mockups with an intuitive interface, and it integrates well with Figma.

I personally love it and use a lot of its mockup for my own UXUI projects. However, there are less options when it come to POD and Art Frame.

Pros:

• Realistic Mockups: Provides high-quality visuals that enhance product presentation.
• Figma Integration: Great for UX/UI designers who want to use Figma all the time, even when it come to POD design!

Cons:

• Learning Curve: Some users may find it takes time to fully understand all features.
• Subscription Costs: Ongoing use requires a subscription. Less free options compare to other mockup platform.

5. Creative Fabrica

Creative Fabrica is a subscription-based service that offers various design resources, including mockup templates. Lots of POD sellers get their design from here, but there are actually lots of mockup options in this marketplace.

Pros:

• Affordable subscription: Offers a cost-effective way to access numerous design resources.
• Wide selection: A large library of mockup templates available for different products.

Cons:

• Quality search required: Users may need to spend time finding high-quality products among many options. In general, mockups are with lower quality than in Etsy and other platform. I guess it is because of the lower subscription price, not many creator is uploading their high quality work here.
• Subscription model may not suit everyone: Some sellers might prefer one-time purchases over subscriptions.

Link: Visit our Creative Fabrica Store