Today, I’ll be doing a Gelato review.
Using the best print on demand companies is crucial to having a successful print on demand business in 2023…
Enter Gelato POD.
Gelato is a print on demand company that allows eCommerce business owners to easily create and sell custom products.
But… is it the best printing partner for your online store?
How reliable are Gelato’s POD services?
Should you use Gelato for your print on demand store?
Let’s find out in this Gelato review!
What is Gelato Print on Demand?
Gelato may not be as well-known as other print on demand companies like Printful or Printify. Nonetheless, it offers print on demand services with the help of over a hundred different partners worldwide.
Gelato carefully selects print partners based on expertise and reliability. Because of its extensive network of print partners, it can provide custom, regional variants of any product for online store owners worldwide.
They can also offer a wide variety of personalized, locally-made products delivered in as little as 72 hours.
As for design features, Gelato’s print on demand software has impressive color options and an intuitive interface. On top of this, they have an analytics section that delves deeply into income and sales patterns for your print on demand business.
They aim to offer production, inventory, and shipping of goods in excellent condition while producing as little carbon emissions as possible.
Let’s continue this Gelato review by seeing how this POD company works…
How Does Gelato POD Work?
Gelato is a global on-demand printing platform that does not own any printers. This makes them more like Printify than Printful because they operate as a network of print fulfillment facilities.
In contrast to Printify, where you can choose the print partner you want to work with, Gelato will select one for you. They use an advanced routing algorithm to decide where to print your order.
Using Gelato involves the following steps:
Registering and creating an account
Designing and creating products
Order processing
Billing and payments
Registering and Creating an Account
Creating an account with this POD company is entirely free of charge. You do not need anything besides an email address and password to set up an account. You don’t need to make a minimum order or upfront payment. You may use your email address, Google, Facebook, or Apple ID.
Next, link your Gelato account to your online store (I’ll review their integrations later on). After installing the Gelato app and following the on-screen prompts, you’ll be ready to start using the service for your print on demand business.
Designing and Creating Products
Gelato places a premium on producing high-quality goods, focusing on eco-friendly manufacturing and rapid delivery times.
Gelato’s vision also pushes manufacturers to only produce what they can sell, cutting down on waste and excess. Towards this object, they employ worldwide standards in their operations.
After choosing which items to personalize, you can apply your design to the product with Gelato’s built-in Design Editor or by uploading an already-created design.
Consider the case of personalizing a canvas print. After selecting your canvas, you’ll be asked about the size, thickness, and if you want a vertical or horizontal print. Next, you can use Gelato’s Design Editor to insert your graphics or stock photos.
You’ll be able to preview the design before exploring shipment options. Gelato will ask for your shipping address and display the total.
Order Processing
Gelato account’s sign-up page features a drop-down menu on the left-upper corner where you can manage your orders. All orders are processed automatically, meaning there is no manual work required.
You can check in on orders and invoices and link up with other online sellers. Order statistics include total orders, sold orders, printing expenses, orders by nation (daily, weekly, monthly), etc. In addition, you can track your shipment in near-real time.
Gelato collaborates with several shipping companies, including DHL, FedEx, Parcelforce, RoyalMail, UPS, etc. However, they do not offer custom branding for packages. This limitation means you can’t include bits like business cards or thank you letters in your shipments.
Billing and payments
Gelato accepts payments via Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, and many other major credit cards. They also receive invoiced payments. Furthermore, their website accepts currencies such as the Euro, the Pound, and the US Dollar.
You can fund your prepaid account on the website and pay for orders. It allows you to set up automatic top-ups and pay quickly.
Gelato Review: Product Catalog
Gelato offers hundreds of print on demand products in 12 categories. Their product catalog includes:
T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, baby-care products, tank tops, and clothing for adults and children.
Various types of wall art, such as framed posters and unframed posters, canvases, acrylic, aluminum, and wood prints.
Mugs
Carrier Bags
Photo albums
Calendars, greeting cards, notebooks, and other office supplies
Gelato plans to expand into such new categories as wall coverings, mobile accessory covers, and more.
Gelato Review: Print Quality
Initially, Gelato only offered POD items on paper (posters, cards, calendars, etc.), but they have now expanded their product categories to include a wide variety of clothes and other items.
They use reasonably thick (but not too thick) poster paper and canvas to create sharp, vivid wall art. This makes it one of the best print on demand sites for artists. Their clothing uses high-grade fabric and prints.
Printing quality might vary between orders depending on which printing partner they sent your orders to. However, Gelato carefully vets and verifies each supplier they work with to make sure they follow the highest standards.
Gelato has a 100% Quality Guarantee where they will reprint your order for free if you aren’t satisfied with the print quality.
Gelato Review: Integrations
Direct eCommerce integrations are available for platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, BigCommerce, and Wix.
You can seamlessly connect to marketplaces like Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Magento, Ecwid, 3dcart, and Weebly by using their OrderDesk integration.
Ecommerce business owners with their own domains can use the Gelato API to connect to any online store they want. However, you’ll probably need a tech team or programmer to access the API’s features.
Gelato Review: Shipping Times & Cost
Shipping times will depend on the order complexity and the location to which it is being shipped.
On average, it will take 1-6 business days to produce and fulfill personalized orders. After that, it will take an additional 1-4 business days to get delivered to your customer, depending on the carrier and location.
As for shipping costs, most of their products have flat shipment charges that they offer. That is, they have a flat rate for shipping to all nations in the same geographical area.
When you connect your Etsy or Shopify store to Gelato, the flat shipping costs available in your shipping profile will immediately apply to your items.
Gelato Review: Pricing
Gelato’s pricing is very straightforward. Like other print on demand companies, Gelato has a free plan where you only pay for what your customers buy. If you don’t make any sales, you won’t have to pay anything.
For those selling a considerable amount of print on demand products, Gelato also has two subscription plans, Gelato+ and Gelato+ Gold. Here are the details for each plan:
Gelato+ – $14.99/month + 30-day free trial
Includes everything in the Free plan and:
30% off all standard shipping
Premium apparel and wall art mockups
Millions of stock images
Premium fonts
Advanced personalization tool
Live shipping rates
Gelato+ Gold – $99/month (no free trial)
Includes everything in Gelato+ and:
30 days free shipping
Early access and exclusive discounts on newly launched products
Automatically fulfill custom orders uploaded by designers
Quick wall art expansion
Set your own profit margins on live shipping rates
Gelato Review: Customer Support
Gelato’s website features a comprehensive customer care section that’s both convenient and informative. You will discover a wealth of information on your own here, including guides for “Getting Started,” “Products & design,” “Integrations,” etc. Guides like “6 Steps to Start a Print on Demand Business” and “3 Ways to Grow Your Print on Demand Business” are worth looking into.
While Gelato does not have a phone number for their customer support team, they have email and live chat around the clock. The company stands out from other POD providers because of its multilingual service and reasonable response time to customer complaints.
They offer a support center with answers to frequently asked questions. There are specialized account managers for larger clients and several blog pieces covering various relevant topics.
When signing up for Gelato, customers can take advantage of free consulting services and growth plans.
Gelato Review: Alternatives
Many Gelato alternatives offer similar services. Some include Printful, Printify, Sellfy, Spring, SPOD, CustomCat, HugePOD, TeePublic, Redbubble, and more Redbubble alternatives. I’ll review the two closest Gelato alternatives, Printful and Printify.
Gelato vs. Printful
Printful is a print on demand company that provides fulfillment and shipping for print on demand products. Like Gelato, they have hundreds of products with no upfront fees or order minimums.
The main difference between Printful and Gelato is that Printful owns printers, giving them complete control over print quality.
Whereas Gelato is a software company allowing easy access to a network of print providers.
Printful also offers a warehousing service where you can get same-day fulfillment for your custom products. For more info on Printful, you can read my article on Printful vs. Printify.
Gelato vs. Printify
Printify is another dropshipping and POD platform that helps e-commerce businesses sell custom products profitably.
Over 750+ products include T-shirts, sweatshirts, totes, home goods, stickers, mugs, and more.
Printify is similar to Gelato in that both companies act as a network of print providers and don’t own any printers themselves.
The main difference between Printify and Gelato is that Printify allows you to choose which print provider you want to use. In contrast, Gelato will automatically route your order to the best available option.
Gelato Review: FAQ
Is Gelato legit?
Yes. Gelato is a legit POD company and is safe to use.
Does Gelato offer warehousing services?
Gelato does not provide warehousing support and has no plans to offer one anytime soon.
Is Gelato print on demand good?
Gelato print on demand is a great company and partner for starting a print on demand business. Its international network of print providers ensures that they process orders as close to the customer as possible. Customers can get their products faster while you minimize upfront costs and your carbon footprint.
Is Gelato print on demand free?
There are no required subscription fees or hidden charges. However, if you’d like access to other features, you can subscribe to Gelato+ or Gelato+ Gold.
How much does Gelato cost?
Using Gelato won’t cost you anything with their free plan. You’ll only pay for the goods your customers purchase.
Where is Gelato located?
Gelato has locations in many countries, including Brazil, the US, Chile, China, Norway, Japan, etc.
Where does Gelato ship from?
Gelato ships from 129 production facilities in 33 countries. Here are the number of facilities in some countries:
The United States and Canada have 39 facilities.
Germany has 8 facilities
The United Kingdom has 17 facilities
New Zealand and Australia have 10 facilities
This makes Gelato one of the best print on demand companies in Canada, the best print on demand Australia companies, and the best print on demand UK companies.
Is Gelato a dropshipping supplier?
In a way, yes. They can be thought of as a dropshipping supplier for print on demand products. Because of its global network, Gelato is one of the best dropshipping suppliers in Canada, the best dropshipping suppliers in the UK, and the best dropshipping suppliers in Europe.
Gelato Review: Pros & Cons
Gelato POD Pros
Reasonable production time of 1-6 business days
Fast shipping of 1-4 business days
Advanced analytics for your print on demand business
Large product catalog (hundreds of items)
Intuitive website and design editor
Orders are automatically routed to the best available print providers
Gelato+ comes with a 30-day free trial
Gelato POD Cons
Solving issues can be stressful and time-consuming because third parties are involved
No warehousing and same-day fulfillment services
Minimal branding options
Quality might vary depending on which print partner is used
Gelato Review: Conclusion – Should You Use It?
After being in the e-commerce trenches for 6+ years, it’s clear that using the best of the best is crucial…
There are many options for print on demand services, but Gelato stands out as a top contender.
Using this POD platform, you can sell hundreds of high-quality products with great prices and fast shipping times.
FINAL VERDICT: I HIGHLY recommend Gelato.
I also recommend trying Printful and Printify to see which is the best fit for your business (all three POD companies have free plans).
