Amazon launches AI-generated custom merch feature, challenging Redbubble and Printful

Amazon now lets you design custom merch using AI

On Monday, Amazon introduced a new feature that allows anyone to design merchandise using AI, posing an expanded challenge to online merch platforms like Redbubble, Bonfire, Spring, Fourthwall, and others. The company announced that people are now able to create new products via Alexa for Shopping using AI prompts. In doing so, anyone can turn their idea into a design that can be featured on items from apparel to tumblers and more available through Amazon's print-on-demand service, Merch on Demand. The service could be useful for printing one-off designs -- like T-shirts for a family reunion, a personalized gift of some type, or to create products featuring a portrait of your dog, Amazon suggests. (Artists whose work has been used to train AI models may be less enthusiastic about this type of idea, of course.) After prompting to create the design, Amazon handles the production and delivery of the items through Prime shipping, the company says. The move puts AI-generated merchandise directly inside Amazon's Shopping app, lowering the barrier for consumers who want to turn ideas into physical products but lack traditional design skills. While typically, print-on-demand businesses have catered to creators and various organizations, Amazon's new feature could make AI-designed merchandise become just another shopping option. Currently, the option is only available in the U.S., Amazon notes. It is free to use the feature, as customers only pay for the products themselves. To use the feature, customers will tap the Alexa icon in the bottom right of the Amazon Shopping app or search "customize" in the search bar and click the drop-down option. This will take them into an experience where users can describe their idea to Alexa and see the design generated. Users can then edit the design by clicking on suggested actions or by typing in changes. Results can be shared with friends or family, allowing everyone to add the product to their own Amazon shopping carts. The full list of supported merchandise includes T-shirts, V-necks, long-sleeve shirts, polo shirts, quarter zips, jerseys, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops, raglans, tumblers, and water bottles.

Amazon is launching AI-generated custom merch

Amazon is expanding its print-on-demand features to AI-generated designs created using Alexa for Shopping for products like T-shirts, water bottles, and hoodies. Shoppers can use text prompts to generate images that are then printed on to blanks for sale on Amazon. They can then share the link to the design so other people can buy the same custom item. Amazon offers family reunions and pet-themed designs as use case examples, but the feature also threatens an entire ecosystem of drop-shipped products -- as well as other custom printing companies. Amazon already had a Merch on Demand feature where shoppers could drop in images, text, and clip art-style icons into blank t-shirts and other products. Now with Alexa, shoppers can use AI to auto-generate designs and then tweak or edit them. Custom designs still need to adhere to Amazon's content policies around things like trademarks and copyright. (A New York Knicks design I generated for testing was flagged for "third-party content concerns," for example, and Amazon said I wouldn't be able to purchase it.) But theoretically, customers will be able to create endless assortments of unbranded products right on Amazon. The new feature rolls up the process of designing, purchasing, and printing custom products all under one roof, and competes with sites like Redbubble, Printful, and Shutterfly, which for years have been the go-to for anyone needing a custom, fast print job. In the last few years, those platforms -- along with other marketplace-style platforms like Etsy, TikTok Shop, and eBay -- have become overrun with seemingly AI-generated designs, giving shoppers endless (middling) options. The designs I tried generating using Alexa all have an unmistakable AI quality to them: overly smooth, frictionless illustrations, lots of cliches, and garbled text. (Relatedly: Has AI ruined bootleg merch?) AI designs are increasingly becoming more ubiquitous -- and now, your kid's little league merch might also reek of AI image generation. Amazon itself is pushing deep into AI-powered commerce on its platform. The company recently launched a tool that lets shoppers describe what kind of item they're looking for, after which Amazon will display mock ups of products that aren't for sale but that will be used to find lookalikes -- a fake dupe to find a dupe of something else.

Amazon wants to end dodgy knockoffs with its own AI-generated custom merch printing

* Merch on Demand taps into Alexa for Shopping for new AI-generated designs * Consumer-targeted upgrade works on the app or website, available with Prime shipping * Only US customers will get it for now - Etsy and others could suffer Amazon has launched a new feature within Alexa for Shopping that enables customers to generate their own merch designs from AI prompts, which they can then have printed on physical products like hoodies and T-shirts. Senior Editor Jacquelyn Smith said in an announcement that users may wish to print "a group chat's funniest inside joke... shirts for an upcoming family reunion... [or] a beloved pet reimagined as a cartoon," implying the new feature is designed primarily for consumer markets. The new AI upgrade will be powered by the company's existing Merch on Demand platform, which means Amazon is behind the manufacturing, fulfillment, shipping and customer service. Alexa for Shopping and Merch on Demand deliver custom merch via Prime Available on the app, customers can tap the Alexa icon or search for 'customize' to describe an idea, refine with follow-up prompts and order the merch immediately. It's also available on the website for PC users. With the new tool, Amazon directly targets other on-demand print platforms like Printful, Shutterfly, Etsy and more, and democratizes access to custom merch with all the benefits of Amazon, like fast Prime shipping. This comes shortly after the company rolled out Alexa for Shopping, which upgrades the previous Rufus assistant with newer Alexa+ capabilities for an overall slicker experience. Smith noted that the current product range, which is mostly apparel-dominated, includes T-shirts, V-necks, long-sleeve shirts, polo shirts, quarter zips, jerseys, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops and raglans. Tumblers and water bottles are also available. And as with any new feature, US customers will be the first to benefit. Amazon did not mention any plans to expand to other geographies at this point. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Amazon Deploys Alexa AI to Disrupt Print-on-Demand Market | PYMNTS.com

This new feature is now available to all U.S. customers, the company said in a Monday (June 8) press release. With this offering, customers can use prompts to describe a custom design to Alexa for Shopping, see a design generated in seconds, edit it, and then order the resulting custom-designed merchandise like any other Amazon purchase, according to the release. Alexa for Shopping guides the user through the process, and Amazon's print-on-demand service Merch on Demand handles production, and Amazon delivers the products. The design service is free. Customers pay only for the products they order. Customers can also share their designs with family and friends so that they can order merchandise too, per the release. This capability can be used to create personalized gifts; matching shirts for family reunions, team outings or friend trips; and custom gear for holidays, game day and other occasions. "Any idea can be transformed into a design you can share -- no design skills required," the release said. Amazon announced the launch of Alexa for Shopping in the U.S. in May, saying this personalized AI assistant combines the product expertise and shopping experience of the company's earlier AI shopping assistant Rufus with the personalized knowledge and context of its voice assistant Alexa+. PYMNTS reported at the time that with the launch of Alexa for Shopping, Amazon skipped past the chatbot moment many in retail anticipated and bet that voice can become the operating system for shopping itself. In January 2025, PYMNTS reported that in today's retail environment, hyper-personalized customer experiences are essential for driving digital engagement and customer loyalty. For example, companies offer tailored post-purchase interactions such as personalized follow-up communications, enhanced customer support tools and loyalty programs; exclusive offers and community-building initiatives; tailored experiences; and other strategies such as seamless returns, engaging content, and continuous feedback loops. The PYMNTS Intelligence report "Global Digital Shopping Index: The AI-Powered Shopper Has Arrived" found nearly half of online shoppers used AI during their latest purchase journey.