How To Create Merch By Amazon T-Shirts With No Graphic Design Skills ( Step By Step Tutorial)

About this video

RJ Martinez explains how to create a Merch by Amazon t-shirt with no graphic design skills, stressing that simple text-based designs sell and that beginners overthink Photoshop and design complexity. He says he has sold over $150k in royalties and over 50k products on Merch by Amazon. The core sequence is keyword research first, then design: use Amazon’s search-bar autocomplete to check demand, target long-tail keywords (three or more words) in niches with little competition, and only then make the shirt. He recommends beginner-friendly tools — Canva, the Over app on phone, and Merch Informer’s Merch Designer — notes fonts and illustrations must be cleared for commercial use, and demonstrates making a large, high-contrast text design, flipping white text to black for a white shirt, downloading the PNG and uploading it to Merch by Amazon at a $19.99 price point in the example. He also advises checking trademarks, targeting evergreen rather than holiday-only niches, and eventually outsourcing to a designer plus a custom illustrator to create unique designs and reduce competition, saying he reinvested early earnings — he says he made about $400 in one month, then about $1,200, then about $2,000 — to build that team.

Key takeaways

• Do keyword research before designing: use Amazon autocomplete and long-tail keywords to confirm demand and find low-competition niches.
• Simple text-based designs with funny sayings can sell daily; the design does not need to be complex or artistically elaborate.
• Use web/phone tools such as Canva, Over, and Merch Designer instead of struggling with Photoshop, and ensure every font and illustration is cleared for commercial use.
• Make text as large as possible within the design area and offer color flips (e.g. white text for black shirts, black text for white shirts) to improve click-through and sales.
• Check trademarks for every phrase, favor evergreen niches that sell year-round, and reinvest earnings into a designer and custom illustrator to create unique, lower-competition designs.

Episode details: published August 24, 2020 · 18:34 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are RJ Martinez’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

← Previous: Merch By Amazon - New Marketplaces (Spain, Italy, France) - Where Is The Opportunity? · Next: How To Be Successful On Merch By Amazon ( Run A Successful T-Shirt Business Tutorial) →

All RJ Martinez videos · RJ Martinez profile · RJ Martinez on YouTube