{"id":15858,"title":"How to sell custom jigsaw puzzles with print on demand, sustainably","description":"The market for jigsaws is worth \u00a3100 million per year - we're not sure if it's one hundred people each buying a million or a million people buying 100 but this is a big market either way. Now, we've disrupted things by producing custom printed jigsaws in real time, sustainably, in 1000-piece full colour glory. It's screen-free downtime, everyday escapism, and anyone from serious puzzlers to artists to comedians can now design and sell them using Teemill. In this blog we're going to piece together the story of our sustainable puzzles and you should end up with a clearer picture on how we make them and how to market them, along with lots of design inspiration to help you sell puzzles online.","content":"<p>The market for jigsaw puzzles is worth \u00a3100 million per year - we're not sure if it's one hundred people each buying a million or a million people buying 100 but this is a <em>big<\/em> market either way.<\/p><p>Now, we've disrupted things by producing <a href=\"https:\/\/teemill.com\/print-on-demand-custom-jigsaw-puzzles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">custom jigsaws puzzles<\/a> in real time, sustainably, in 1000-piece full colour glory. It's screen-free downtime, everyday escapism, and anyone from serious puzzlers to artists to comedians can now design and sell them using Teemill. In this blog we're going to piece together the story of our sustainable puzzles and you should end up with a clearer picture on how we make them and how to market them, along with lots of design inspiration to help you sell puzzles online.<\/p><h3>\ud83d\ude80 <strong>Make and sell jigsaw puzzles today<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/teemill.com\/sign-up\/brand\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Try Teemill for free today.<\/a><\/strong><\/p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hz69zDoga40\/?modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;controls=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;vq=highres\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><p>While most puzzles are mass produced with single use plastic in the mix, someone somewhere needed to become the first sustainable UK puzzle supplier and we decided that should be us. We used our real time manufacturing technology on a new medium to create print on demand puzzles and because we make these one at a time in the seconds after they are ordered, there's no wasteful overproduction - just what people need when they need it. This saves a lot of money that means we can use sustainable, plant-based materials and renewable energy - and do it affordably.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ch7bgmrm6tcpahptj5puvekdexhcgrboljmcdrfqqskhrmet.png.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><strong>Other suppliers sell puzzles in bulk laminated with plastic and sealed with single use plastic film. Not here. Natural materials powered by renewable energy, with 1000-piece full colour quality.<\/strong><\/p><p>In surveys by major market research agencies, most consumers say they want to buy more sustainable products. So with this clear gap in the market, and a product that solves it in your hands (digitally, at least) how can you make the most of the opportunity? Let's see how the pros are putting it all together.<\/p><p><\/p><h3>The benefits of print-on-demand jigsaw puzzles<\/h3><p>Choosing a reliable <a href=\"https:\/\/teemill.com\/print-on-demand\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">print-on-demand provider<\/a> means:<\/p><ul><li><p>No need to invest up front into buying stock<\/p><\/li><li><p>No need to manage stock, ship orders and handle customer queries<\/p><\/li><li><p>No waste due to over-ordering before you know what will sell<\/p><\/li><li><p>Ability to experiment and try new trends and designs quickly, with no risk<\/p><\/li><li><p>Customer service done for you<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><\/p><h3>TL;DR: Custom Jigsaw Puzzles with Teemill<\/h3><p><\/p><ul><li><p>The UK puzzle market is worth \u00a3100m annually, and custom jigsaw puzzles open up new creative opportunities for brands, artists, and creators.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Teemill makes sustainable customised jigsaw puzzles on demand \u2013 no plastic, no waste, just 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles made with plant-based materials and renewable energy.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Detailed, colourful designs work best \u2013 whether that\u2019s art, photography, humour, or brand storytelling.<\/p><\/li><li><p>A custom photo jigsaw puzzle or illustrated design is a great way to connect with fans, add personalisation, and drive traffic to your store.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Ethical production + <a href=\"\/blog\/?search=SEO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEO<\/a>-friendly content = a puzzle that sells itself online.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Looking for bulk custom jigsaw puzzles? <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/uktshirtprinting.com\/accessories\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">We can offer wholesale discounts. Learn more here.<\/a><br><\/p><p><\/p><h3>Detailed, interesting designs make puzzling fun<\/h3><p>Custom made jigsaw puzzles are a great format for art. Designing t-shirts is sometimes hard because your canvas is sort of T-shaped, but puzzles are square like a screen or a piece of paper, so translating that into a puzzle product is a piece of cake.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/zyvlwazikdtgxvt9ru2m8gdu2j0rzp7ao49agb1kfuxfj9ks.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">When you think about puzzle designs, the most popular are images that have lots of interesting details or interesting colours. Puzzlers go back and forth between the photo on the box and the pieces, and that detail makes completing less frustrating and more fun.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/jnsppz37jxwmtzlcvsq9g5lugmcskr3r6oglqwbwn29ibmjh.png.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">Paul, founder of art brand Birds Can Fly, creates beautiful art featuring birds. He bundled all his best drawings onto a single canvas for ornithology fans.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/gvthbqaawawwuwajgdmtnkohegcnkih6ywhdfyikofegrvf8.png.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><br>To add an interactive element to his puzzles, Paul even created a downloadable map for customers to be able to identify the 80 species of birds featured on his design. The online\/offline product brings people back to his site or his socials when they use the product. And that traffic &amp; engagement leads to more sales.<br><\/p><blockquote><p><br>\"The fact these are eco-friendly jigsaw puzzles is essential, especially as my work is nature themed, I just can\u2019t justify plastic-coated products. So the eco-friendly credentials are everything.\" - Paul<\/p><\/blockquote><blockquote><p><\/p><\/blockquote><p>Our investment in developing modern digital puzzle printing machines here in the UK leads to the <a href=\"\/blog\/?search=sustainability\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sustainability<\/a> that matters to customers. It also means printed puzzles with the really progressive full colour, high-resolution quality you can see in the examples above.<\/p><p><\/p><h3>\ud83d\ude80 <strong>Looking for a print-on-demand platform to sell jigsaws?<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/teemill.com\/sign-up\/brand\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Set up a free shop with Teemill today.<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p>So sustainable jigsaws with detailed prints produce a perfect product-market fit. What's the best way to market them?<\/p><p><\/p><h3>Puzzles based on SEO data<\/h3><p>People are searching for sustainable jigsaw puzzles in the UK so investing time in a bit of SEO is a smart approach. Find out what types of puzzles people are looking for a design based on the data.<\/p><p>For example, 'personalised jigsaw puzzle' get s 1300 searches every month. With Teemill's personalisation templates, you can create personalisable puzzles for customers to add their own images and text to.<\/p><h3><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/m8zdkel9fmrcmbe0setdbixakde8tsgiv2kow2z9st7oiurg.png.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/h3><h3>Puzzles that make you chuckle<\/h3><p>A part of SEO is the inbound links to your site: If lots of people link to you, Google sees that as a good thing. And producing designs that get people talking, sharing (or laughing?) leads to links.<\/p><p>Here's @verybritishproblems version of the impossible puzzle.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/3llzjsaymso6ewbtlergo8i6f5dtyyouv7p3yvl2zevgz8oq.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">-<em>- One thousand pieces of trolling, the impossible puzzle was a popular prank at Christmas.<\/em><\/p><p>This puzzle worked because the Very British Problems brand absolutely nails sarcastic British humour. This makes an important point: Designs should be consistent with your brand and your message.<\/p><p><\/p><h3>Puzzles featuring great photography<\/h3><p>Outermost Apparel is a clothing brand all about travelling and getting out into nature, with donations from every sale going to environmental projects around the world. It's important for them to use a sustainable puzzle on demand supplier, but the designs themselves had to be on-brand. And perhaps the simplest way to take advantage of our digital puzzle printers? Just use a great photo.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/llucntzbmzl8m9hbitaavgi9zpl5jymhvgwwdao5ctiilznd.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/p><p>These breathtaking scenes make for seriously satisfying puzzles. Maybe you're not a travel brand, but great photos are a great place to start.<\/p><blockquote><p><strong>Top tip: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/teemill.com\/teemill-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Teemill Pro<\/a> stores can offer a completely custom photo jigsaw puzzle through the Teemill Custom Studio, so you can market and sell selfie puzzles and other custom orders.<\/p><p><\/p><\/blockquote><h3>Puzzles with illustrations<\/h3><p>And if you have the skills, the pinnacle of puzzling is the illustrated puzzle.<a href=\"https:\/\/teemill.com\/blog\/how-to-get-designs-from-paper-to-t-shirt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> You can hand draw a doodle and scan or photograph it<\/a>, or do it digitally.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/vsrzknsbhbnlhtusdkjfduzzakvx5arm2vyohj1gr3zbvmvh.png.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">Detailed designs, meaningful marketing and sustainable materials - but how are they made?<\/p><p><\/p><h3>How jigsaw puzzles are made<\/h3><p>At Teemill we build technology for people that want to build brands, sustainably - we also build manufacturing technology to change the way things are made. We digitised and automated a new type of jigsaw puzzle manufacturing process.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/rk7qd9ykzbjqnk7kotvk3yagkmanod0dpf1sjch0hhhjrqbh.png.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">Unlike most UK based jigsaw puzzle manufacturers, we produce our products in the seconds after they are ordered so we only make what people need when they need it. This saves waste and enables us to UV print on sustainable plant-based cardstock and eliminate single use plastic.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/lliyrczvv5233y0zzhzs5a4awg414mavtlhhairosjj2ponh.png.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/i6mlipj3qvlq1pex0t77uql8stos4xtjusozk0ayi4swwlzt.png.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">-<em>- Our sustainable technology it means our puzzles are just as fun, but don't cost the Earth.<\/em><\/p><p><\/p><h3>\ud83d\ude80 <strong>Feeling inspired to create your custom jigsaws?<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/teemill.com\/sign-up\/brand\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Set up a free shop with Teemill today and find puzzles in the More tab of the design Studio<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><br>And remember you can grab samples at discounted wholesale prices to see how they come, and to take some original marketing <a href=\"\/blog\/?search=photography\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">photography<\/a> and closeups for your socials via the <a href=\"https:\/\/teemill.com\/wholesale-shop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sample<\/a> store.<br><br>We're off to go do a puzzle. Share your designs, questions or comments in the comments below :)<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h3>FAQs<\/h3><p><strong>How are jigsaw puzzles made?<\/strong><br>A: Most traditional puzzles are mass-produced using plastic-coated materials and shrink-wrapped in single-use plastic. At Teemill, we\u2019ve developed a digital, on-demand process where puzzles are printed in seconds after an order is placed. This means every puzzle is made to order with zero overproduction, using high-resolution UV printing on sustainable card.<\/p><p><strong>How do I make a jigsaw puzzle?<\/strong><br>With Teemill, it\u2019s easy to create your own custom jigsaw puzzle. Simply upload your artwork, illustration, or photo into our design platform, choose the puzzle product, and publish it to your store. You can also offer fully custom photo jigsaw puzzles to your customers or create personalisable templates for them to adjust.<\/p><p><strong>What makes Teemill's jigsaw puzzles sustainable?<\/strong><br>Unlike traditional manufacturers, Teemill puzzles are made from plant-based, recyclable materials and printed with renewable energy. Because each puzzle is made to order, there\u2019s no wasted stock or harmful overproduction. And unlike many suppliers, we don\u2019t use plastic coatings or shrink-wrap \u2013 keeping puzzles eco-friendly inside and out.<\/p><p><strong>How are Teemill jigsaw puzzles shipped?<\/strong><br>Every puzzle is printed, cut, and packed at our UK-based factory, then shipped directly to customers worldwide in plastic-free packaging. Orders are sent on demand, so customers get fresh, sustainably made puzzles without excess waste or storage. UK shipping is free over \u00a350.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><p><strong>\ud83d\udcc5 Updated: October 1st, 2025<\/strong><br><strong>\u270d\ufe0f Written by:<\/strong> S\u00e1ra Debreceni, Platform Content Lead<br><em>S\u00e1ra has multiple years of experience at Teemill, producing tutorials, video walkthroughs and providing key insights to help sustainable <a href=\"\/blog\/?search=ecommerce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">e-commerce<\/a> brands grow their online stores.<\/em><\/p>","urlTitle":"sustainable-jigsaw-puzzle-printing-supplier","url":"\/blog\/sustainable-jigsaw-puzzle-printing-supplier\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/sustainable-jigsaw-puzzle-printing-supplier\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/teemill.com\/blog\/sustainable-jigsaw-puzzle-printing-supplier\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":{"id":1,"name":"Everywhere","code":"everywhere","created_at":null,"updated_at":null},"createdAt":1643111635,"updatedAt":1759384837,"publishedAt":1759333917,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":12,"name":"Teemill"},"tags":[{"id":40,"code":"inspiration","name":"inspiration","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/inspiration\/"},{"id":46,"code":"design","name":"design","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/design\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/caijujwgyz52tq4zgjwmadik7xxnopdhoyebzme7mzyrh8k4.png","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/caijujwgyz52tq4zgjwmadik7xxnopdhoyebzme7mzyrh8k4.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/caijujwgyz52tq4zgjwmadik7xxnopdhoyebzme7mzyrh8k4.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"How To Sell Custom Jigsaw Puzzles Print On Demand","metaDescription":"See how brands are selling recycled, sustainable jigsaw puzzles using Teemill and create your own custom jigsaw puzzle to sell online. 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