Today, I’ll be doing a Printify review.
To run a profitable print on demand business in 2023, you MUST use the right print on demand companies…
Enter Printify.
Printify is a print on demand company that allows you to create and sell custom products without ever dealing with inventory.
But… is it the best POD company for your online store?
How reliable are Printify’s print providers and print quality?
Should you use Printify or an alternative?
Let’s find out in this Printify review!
What is Printify?
Printify is a dropshipping print on demand company that allows anyone to create and sell custom products.
This POD company is slightly different from other print on demand services like Printful.
Printify does NOT own any printers themselves… Rather, they are a software platform that makes it easy to access a network of print providers.
This network includes 90+ partners in the US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, and more.
Using Printify, you can select from 750+ products to put your designs on.
Once you finalize your design and choose a print provider, they will print and ship it to your customers!
Let’s continue this Printify review by seeing how their print on demand services work…
How Does Printify Work?
Here is how Printify’s print on demand service works after you sign up for an account:
Connect your online store
Choose a “blank” product from their catalog
Choose a print provider (some products like t-shirts will have multiple)
Create and upload a design
Move that design to a specific area of a product (like the front or back of a t-shirt)
From here, Printify will show you a mock-up version of the final product. You can then upload this product image and details to your online store.
Once a customer orders from your store, Printify will automatically start to process the order.
As I stated before, Printify is a global network of print providers, so the provider you choose is extremely important.
The print provider you choose will physically print your design on the clothing and then ship the item to your customer.
You can also order samples, which I highly recommend. This way, you can verify the print quality before you sell it to your customers…
Let’s continue this Printify review by looking at what print on demand products they offer.
Printify Review: Product Catalog
You can find 750+ products on Printify. Some print on demand companies only offers the usual stuff like clothing, t-shirts, and coffee mugs, but Printify offers much more…
Here are some examples:
Towels and blankets
Mousepads
Bottles and tumblers
Notebooks
Refrigerator magnets
Pillows covers
Rugs and mats
As you can see, you can create custom products from a multitude of categories. What makes Printify a great print on demand service provider is that you only need one platform to focus on a niche.
For example, you can build an online store with Printify and sell multiple products from a niche like home care, gaming, or more. You can also sell wall art with Printify, making it one of the best print on demand sites for artists.
As a POD company with 750+ products, Printify opens doors for you to niche down and set your e-commerce store apart. You don’t need to join the bandwagon of sellers selling nothing but coffee mugs…
Let’s continue this Printify review by looking at their print provider network.
Printify Review: Print Providers
Printify works with 90+ providers in Australia, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Below are some examples:
SwiftPOD
Stoked on Printing
The Print Bar
Air Waves
Colorway
Eco Print Partner
Fancy Fanny
Print Geek
What exactly is print on demand provider? These are the people that own the physical equipment and printing technologies. Instead of trying to build their own POD company, they partner with Printify.
As such, Printify is like a middleman between your online business and these providers that offer print on demand services.
It’s important to note that Printify suppliers are all unique. For example, Air Waves offers shirts and sweatshirts, while Fancy Fanny offers Dad Hats with Leather Patch.
Once you see an item you want, Printify will show you a list of these providers.
For each print provider, you can see the following metrics:
Location
Price
Shipping rate
Average production time
Print areas
Sizes
Colors
Performance Score
The most important metric here is probably Performance Score. This is a rating out of 10 to show how good or bad a particular print on demand provider is.
Printify’s ranking considers the last 4 weeks of performance for Print Quality, Product Speed, and Stock Reliability.
Like always, you should aim to work with the highest rank possible. For more info on Printify’s scoring system, you can read this.
Printify Review: Print Quality
Although they outsource products and printing to third-party providers, they have strict quality control processes with the Printify Quality Promise.
The Printify Quality Promise includes three levels of quality control:
When blank products arrive at their printing locations
Before printing
After printing
Although Printify does not have any physical intervention for printed products, they constantly monitor the performance of third-party suppliers.
If customers have complaints, Printify will remove them from their print on demand platform. You also check the print quality of each provider via Performance Score.
Printify Review: Integrations
As a print on demand platform, you can integrate Printify with several eCommerce platforms and marketplaces including:
Etsy
WooCommerce
Squarespace
Walmart
BigCommerce
PrestaShop
Wix
eBay
Users can integrate their Printify store with one or several platforms. However, there is a limit to how many stores you can use, depending on your Printify account type.
If you do not use any of these platforms, you can ask Printify for their API. They will give this code to you, and it is up to you or your programmer to set up the API correctly.
Printify Review: Shipping Times & Cost
There is no single standard for shipping costs… The amount you have to pay depends on the product, provider, and destination.
Since the locations of print providers vary, the speed and cost of shipping will also change. The good news is that Printify offers detailed information about each POD company.
On average, production times are 2-3 business days. After that, shipping times will be 2-5 business days (domestic) or 5-10 business days (international).
You can go to their shipping rates page and click on each provider’s name to determine the shipping costs and times.
Printify Review: Features
In this section, I will provide some of the highlighted features of Printify. Besides their global network of print providers, these are the company’s main value proposition.
Design Tool and Mock-up Generator
Just click on a product from the catalog to use the design tool or mock-up generator. You will see a list of the suppliers, each with a “Start designing” button.
The design tool only allows you to add a print on the shirt’s back and front. The good thing about this design tool is that it also has a provision for adding a neck label… It’s here that you can add your brand name and washing instructions.
The mock-up generator is a drag-and-drop tool, so you can easily upload your graphic image from your PC and drop it on the canvas.
You can also add text if you want, but the fonts are limited. Because of this, you may have to save a text design using graphic art software, then upload it to Printify.
Lastly, there is a preview option where you can see the outcome of the product. Once you click on “Save,” this preview becomes your mock-up version—the one you show on your store.
Order Routing
The order routing feature is a valuable process that prevents you from losing sales. There’s a decent chance that a supplier will eventually run out of stock; if they do, they can’t print your design and deliver your customers’ product.
You’ll either have to issue a refund or end up with a delayed delivery and a really unhappy customer. Either way, it will probably hurt your brand.
Printify prevents this from happening by using Order Routing. The system will route that order to another supplier if your preferred supplier is out of stock.
Of course, they’ll look for the most suitable alternative. Printify will consider the region, shipping costs, and fulfillment times.
Order routing is not enabled by default, so you must go to your Store Management settings and toggle this option.
The maximum difference between the scale of the design is about 7%. In addition, the product price difference between the two suppliers cannot be more than $2. The system will put the order on hold if the alternative supplier can’t meet both of these requirements.
Custom Order Import Tool
The custom order import tool is helpful for sellers who sell in bundles. It is also what you need if you sell almost the same items but with slight variations.
The custom import tool is what you use to import orders from other sales channels. If you have non-Printify orders, but these products are similar to what you can find in Printify, you can use the custom order import tool.
This tool copies the product; your next move is to make sure you upload the same design. Once this process is complete, you must click on the Import button, and this order will now belong in your Printify order list.
From here, you can fulfill the order. Once you import this order, your Printify account will recognize and add it to your product list. From the product list, you can launch it as part of your usual products up for sale.
You can also use this tool to customize products. For example, you have Shirt A, but the customer wants a different print. In this case, you only have to import Shirt A and redesign it before the supplier prints the item.
Product Migration Tool
The product migration tool allows you to move your products from another company or platform to Printify.
For example, let us say that you also use Printful. However, you want to shift all your Printful products to Printify… The tool you use to make this migration possible is the product migration tool.
There is no automatic way to ensure that the print placement is the same. Once you import an item, you might have manually redesign the product.
Printify Shipping Calculator
The last feature I’ll review is the shipping calculator. This calculator only works if you have a Shopify store (which I highly recommend using anyways).
It automatically calculates the shipping rate based on your customer’s location or address. This feature is excellent for dropshippers, as you no longer have to list the shipping rate per country.
However, you can only enable the Printify Shipping Calculator if you are on the Advanced Shopify Plan, meaning you have to be a higher-tiered subscriber of Shopify.
Moving forward, Shopify will use the shipping rate of Printify for all your Printify products. It no longer matters if your customer is in Asia or Europe—the system will appropriately calculate the shipping the customer has to pay.
There are other steps you must do, such as importing your Shopify shipping zones. However, this is only necessary if you have non-Printify products and shipping prices.
Printify Review: Pricing
Printify’s pricing is pretty straightforward. They have free and paid plans: Printify Premium and Printify Enterprise. Here are the details for each pricing plan:
Printify Free – $0/month; you can integrate the system into five stores, and you will enjoy unlimited access to the design tool
Printify Premium – $24.99/month; you can use the same account in ten stores and then get a discount of up to 20% on the products that you buy
Printify Enterprise – Custom pricing; you will get unlimited store integration plus a dedicated account manager.
The only real difference between the free and premium plans is that you get a 20% discount on the print on demand products you buy.
In my opinion, it only makes sense to upgrade if you sell hundreds of items monthly. With an upgraded plan, you can reduce your COGS and improve your profit margins.
Also, if you’re serious about starting a print on demand business, I suggest you pay for the premium plan billed annually. If you pay monthly, the cost is $29/month rather than $24.99/month.
Printify Review: Alternatives
This Printify review will only be complete if I mention some Printify alternatives… Printify is one of many print on demand companies you can use for your dropshipping business. There are many Printify alternatives, but I’ll compare some of the best ones…
Printful vs. Printify
Printful is the main competitor of Printify. Like Printify, Printful is one of the biggest print on demand companies and very popular amongst POD dropshippers.
One significant difference between the two is Printful is an all-in-one POD company. This means that they provide the software to help you create custom products AND take care of fulfillment services and shipping. You can read my Printify vs. Printful article for more similarities and differences.
Printful Features
Warehousing – Printful offers a bulk order option where they will warehouse your products and fulfill orders on the same day.
In-House Printing – Rather than operating a network of providers, Printful owns printers and creates products themselves. This can lead to better and more consistent print quality.
Graphic Design – If you are having challenges designing your goods, Printful has a group of graphic designers who can help you (not free).
Mock-up Generator – Like Printify, Printful has a mock-up tool where you can upload your graphic designs and position them accordingly on the product.
Like Printify, you can integrate Printful with several online store platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, Etsy, and many more.
Printful has more integrations than Printify, and you can also integrate Printful with social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Spotify.
Printful offers a free and paid plan to get more services like custom packaging, branding options, and creative services. Overall, I’d say Printful is a bit better than Printify.
Printify vs. Gelato
Gelato is another global POD company that helps entrepreneurs create custom products. It’s a lot more like Printify in that it acts as a network providers, and doesn’t actually own any printers themselves.
Gelato Features
Operates in 33 Countries – With Gelato, you can get fast shipping and delivery times because of local production.
Automatic Routing – Unlike Printify, you don’t need to choose your print provider. Gelato’s software will automatically choose the best one for your store based on location and other requirements.
Free Plan Available – Like Printify and Printful, Gelato has a free plan with full functionality.
Because Gelato is so similar to Printify, it’s worth trying out both to see which is the best fit for your store. For more info, you can read my full Gelato review here.
Printify vs. Spring (Teespring)
Whenever you read a Printify review, you will also come across Spring (formerly Teespring). It’s another popular print on demand company that provides print-on-demand services to content creators.
Like Printify, this POD company offers dropshipping t-shirts and other products such as mobile phone cases, stickers, caps, etc.
Spring Features
Good Product Range – You can choose blank canvases for t-shirts, pillows, posters, canvas prints, and many more items.
Mock-up Generator – Like Printify, there is a design tool you can use for your products. There is no significant difference between these two print on demand companies when it comes to this tool.
Integrations With Social Media – Spring integrates with popular social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, Discord, and more.
While Spring is generally good regarding product variation and print quality, it’s made specifically for content creators who want minimal control over their store.
Spring’s store editor has minimal options and primarily acts as a storefront rather than your own fully customizable e-commerce store. Overall, Printify is a much better POD company than Spring.
Printify Review: FAQ
Is Printify legit?
Yes, Printify is a legit print on demand service company. It is one of the world’s most renowned and extensive print on demand providers. In the world of print providers, the two most prominent are Printify and Printful. If you wish to use a print on demand marketplace instead, you can try TeePublic, Redbubble, or Redbubble alternatives.
Is Printify good?
Overall, yes. Printify is good as long as you pick a solid print provider. Printify only allows the best print providers on their platform, but still, you need to choose your print provider carefully. The shipping cost, production cost, production times, shipping times, and print quality will all vary from provider to provider.
Is Printify free?
Yes, Printify is free, but the free plan has limitations. For example, you can only use the system in five online stores. The free plan also does not give you access to new features. In addition, you will pay for the item based on its list price. A paid plan entitles you to a discount of up to 20%.
How much does Printify cost?
Printify has a free plan, but the paid plan costs $24.99 per month if billed annually. If you want to subscribe to the service month by month, the cost is $29 per month. I recommend starting with a free plan and upgrading once you get many sales on your Shopify store.
Where is Printify located?
Printify’s headquarters is in San Francisco, California, but they have offices in different regions worldwide.
Where does Printify ship from?
Printify has print partners in Germany, the US, Canada, the UK, and many other countries. Remember, this POD company does not do the printing itself… Instead, they are a global network of third-party printers. This makes them one of the best print on demand companies in Canada, the best Australian print on demand companies, and the best print on demand UK companies.
Is Printify a dropshipping supplier?
Kind of. You can use them as a supplier for your dropshipping store, but only for POD products. Still, Printify is one of the best dropshipping suppliers in Canada, the best dropshipping suppliers in the UK, and the best dropshipping suppliers in Europe.
Printify Review: Pros & Cons
Printify provides excellent print on demand services, but like all companies, it has advantages AND drawbacks. Let’s take a look…
Printify Pros
Free plan available (no monthly subscription required)
Intuitive mock-up tool with free designs
Ability to order samples
750+ customizable products
90+ print providers
Many integrations available
Printify Cons
International shipping can take weeks
Varying print quality (dependent on which print provider you use)
No warehousing & same-day fulfillment
Minimal branding options
Printify 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 after this Printify review, it’s clear they are a leading print on demand company.
You can access 90+ high-quality print providers and 750+ custom products without a monthly subscription fee…
FINAL VERDICT: I HIGHLY recommend Printify.
I also recommend trying out Printful to see which is the best fit for your print on demand business (both companies have free plans).
