Oct 19, 2020
Unlimited income for designers
One of the best print-on-demand services
Bonfire did not start like other print-on-demand services. In the beginning, Bonfire was aimed at helping people raise funds for various types of campaigns. It is currently a design and technology company where you can create custom clothing and sell your designs.
Their platform is 100% free and makes it very easy to achieve your goals, whether it’s fundraising or just selling custom clothes. In their accounts, sellers can design and sell garments for profit, just like with most print-on-demand services. However, Bonfire also allows sellers to raise money for reasons, whether it’s a personal, political campaign, or an NGO. Each of these options allows you to create a proven campaign that gives shoppers the confidence to contribute to your business. At the end, you will also receive a CSV with information left by your donors so that you can contact them and report on the progress of your efforts. The ability to raise money for a business is one of the most unique features of this service.
Bonfire is based in Richmond, Virginia, but offers worldwide shipping so almost anyone can get their hands on your item.
Artists / Sellers, here’s what to expect from the Bonfire Marketplace:
Selling your projects on Bonfire is easy. You can upload your own designs or create t-shirt designs using their free powerful design tool. Once you’ve created your outfit, you can launch a campaign that can last anywhere from 7 to 21 days.
Once the campaign is launched, you set a sales target that you need to meet on time. To do this, you will need to promote and sell your products to your community. To make it easier, you can create your own store customized for your campaign or brand. By enabling fundraising or tipping options, buyers can leave an additional donation or tip in addition to their purchase. In the event of a problem, Bonfire will fix it, so you know your supporters are in good hands.
When your campaign ends, Bonfire prints and ships products to customers, and sends you a profit payment. And since Bonfire gives you a discount on bulk printing, the more you sell, the higher your profit margins will be. Once your campaign is over, you can restart it automatically or with the click of a button to never miss a sale.
Bonfire profit structure
When your campaign is successful, all profits go directly to you. You decide how to evaluate your products in order to generate profits that will help you achieve your goals. While it’s generally a good idea to keep the default prices, you know your community better and should consider this when evaluating your products.
If you want to keep the base price low, keep in mind that three factors affect the base price of an item:
Product Style — Each type of product has its own cost of production and delivery. For example, a T-shirt costs less than a long sleeve shirt, which costs less than a hoodie.
Number of ink colors — Each ink color added to your design will add to the base cost. It is recommended to stick to 1–3 colors to keep costs down, although you can add up to 8.
Print on Both Sides — For garments, you have the option to print the design on one or both sides of the shirt. Placing your artwork on only one side of the shirt will lower your base cost.
As we mentioned earlier, as the number of items you sell increases, the base cost of your product goes down. Bonfire transfers these production savings to you. If you are aiming for the highest possible profit, try to keep the base cost low. You can do this by printing on one side of the item and using a maximum of 1–3 ink colors in your design.
How do you get paid for Bonfire?
Bonfire will send you a payout of 100% of your product’s profits via PayPal. If you’ve enabled fundraising or tip options, they’ll also be included in your payout, but they’ll take an 8% processing fee. You can check your available balance and request a payout by visiting your account dashboard. After requesting your payment, you will receive it within 1–2 business days. You don’t have to worry about the extra fees that come with your products because Bonfire will take care of that. As a result, the payout amount that you see in your panel will be the amount that will be credited to your PayPal account.
Does Bonfire require an upfront investment?
There is no initial investment in selling your projects on Bonfire. It’s 100% free and all the profits go to you or your campaign.
Design ownership on Bonfire
Bonfire owns or controls all content on the site, excluding “uploaded original designs or other uploaded works of authorship that are the property of their respective owners.” Of course, when uploading a design to Bonfire, it must be original or you must have commercial rights. You must also agree to authorize Bonfire “to present designs or work of authorship in blog posts, remarketing advertisements, or any other marketing material”. You can find out more about this in their terms.
What is Bonfire’s rating?
To give you a better idea of what users think of Bonfire and their experiences with the company, check out their ratings on Trustpilot:
