Is Printify worth it?
There are plenty of reviews out there (including ones I’ve written myself), that will tell you Printify is an easy-to-use, intuitive, and powerful platform for print on demand.
It offers access to hundreds of low-cost products you can customize with AI-powered design tools. Plus, it’s free to get started with an account, so in theory, there’s really no risk to giving the platform a try. But just because you don’t have to pay for a Printify account doesn’t mean there are no costs.
You still need to invest your time and effort into growing a brand, selling products, and attracting customers. Plus, there may be other fees to consider too, like paying for an ecommerce platform.
So, is it worthwhile? Can you make a profit? Here’s what I’ve learned after a few years using Printify (as well as some other popular print on demand platforms).
Is Printify Worth It? The Quick Answer
My overall answer to “Is Printify worth it?” is yes. Printify is one of the best print on demand platforms I’ve tried, offering an extensive product catalog, competitive pricing, and (usually) excellent print quality.
It integrates with various sales channels, offers amazing design tools, and gives you plenty of features for free too – you can even create a free pop-up store.
While you will need to invest time and effort into your store to make a profit with Printify (more on that later), that work can definitely pay off.
Personally, I haven’t made my fortune with Printify – but that’s because I wasn’t really trying to. I was just experimenting with the platform. If you commit to actually running a business selling custom products, you can make a serious profit. Just look at this case study showing how one Printify customer created a 6-figure business in a year.
Is Printify Trustworthy?
One of the most common questions I hear after “Is Printify worth it?” is “Is the platform legit?” Let’s face it, there are plenty of companies who promise low-priced products for creators to customize, but they also don’t deliver great quality.
The good news is that Printify is trustworthy. It’s a well-established business, that originally launched in 2015, and has grown increasingly profitable ever since. Although the company doesn’t publish its profits publicly, it does advertise that it supports 8 million sellers worldwide.
It also has hundreds of global manufacturing partners to connect businesses with, and an excellent reputation. For instance, Printify has a 4.7 out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot, and a 4.8 out of 5 star rating on the Shopify app store.
One thing I should mention is that just because Printify is trustworthy, doesn’t mean all of the manufacturers you work with through the platform will offer the same level of quality and service. Printify does vet suppliers carefully, but I’d recommend reading reviews from other sellers before you consider working with a new vendor.
Is Printify Profitable? Can You Make Money with Printify?
So, will Printify turn you into a millionaire overnight? Probably not – but the same could be said for any print on demand or dropshipping company. You need to put the work in if you want to make your fortune, as I mentioned above. Still, there are dozens of success stories on Printify’s website that show just how profitable Printify can be.
Nicole Holleman and Lexi Ayala used Printify to monetize their podcast this year, earning a serious income from merch. Brett and Daisy, a creative couple, used Printify to go from $0 to $200,000 a month in sales. Etsy seller, Rileigh even made a whopping $30,000 just with a single collection of niche products, designed for a specific fanbase.
All you really need to know is that Printify is profitable, but it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme.
How Much Profit Can You Make with Printify?
This is a difficult question to answer, because your profit from Printify will vary depending on a number of factors, including your approach to pricing, and how much effort you put into marketing and designing your products. But, let me break things down a bit for you.
To figure out how much profit you can make with Printify, you’ll need to first identify your business costs. The core costs to consider include:
- Subscription fees: You can sign up for Printify for free, but there is a Premium plan available that gives you 20% off products for $24.99 per month, and an Enterprise plan with extra discounts – these are worthwhile if you’re a high-volume seller, but unnecessary for newbies.
- Product costs: The base cost of the product you’re selling will determine your profit margins. Printify’s product prices are usually relatively, low, starting at around $9.33 for a t-shirt. However, there may be extra branding fees to consider if you want to add custom labels.
- Shipping costs: You can always charge your customers the price of delivery, but swallowing that cost and offering free shipping can be a good way to attract sales. With Printify, different vendors charge different shipping rates, so do your research.
Additional costs:
The extra costs you incur with Printify depend on your business model. You might need to pay for an ecommerce platform subscription if you don’t want to use a free pop-up shop or a channel like Etsy. You might also want to pay for help with designs (with freelancers from Fiverr or Upwork), or pay for marketing support to help grow your business.
In some cases, you may even have team members to pay as your business scales. It’s worth taking all of those fees into account when defining your profit margins.
Calculating your Printify Profit Margins
Once you know the operational costs involved in selling with Printify, the next step is figuring out your profit margins. Printify gives you complete control over how you price your products, so it’s up to you to choose the profit margin that works best.
The brand recommends a profit margin of about 40%. This means, if you’re not purchasing additional services, and you’re selling through a free platform, like Printify Pop-Up, all you need to is add up the cost of your base product, and the shipping fees (to offer free shipping) and add your profit margin.
For instance, if you decide to sell Printify’s top-selling Bella+Canvas unisex shirt, the shirt itself will cost you $9.82, and the delivery fee will be around $4.35.
If you add a profit margin of around 40%, you can sell the shirt at around $19.83. If you’re giving customer’s free shipping, this would give you a profit of around $5.66. If you charge shipping to your customers, that goes up to $10.01 per shirt.
That’s a pretty decent profit margin overall.
Of course, there may be other fees you need to account for. As an example, say each shirt you sell costs you $9.82 to make, $4.35 to ship, $2 to promote (via marketing), and $2 to optimize with the help of a designer. Then, your outgoing costs come up to $18.17 per shirt. You’d want to charge more than just $19.83 with free shipping to make a decent profit here.
How to Make More Money with Printify
So, how can you optimize your profit margins with Printify? Again, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for success, but here are some top tips that can boost your income:
- Use a Premium subscription: This will only really make sense when your business starts to scale. However, if you’re selling hundreds of products per month, you’ll save a fortune on production costs with Printify Premium (up to 20% per product).
- Choose the right supplier: When selecting a supplier to work with, pick a local supplier (where possible), to reduce shipping costs and increase delivery speeds. This will reduce your upfront expenses, and improve your reputation with customers.
- Keep extra costs low: When you’re just starting out, consider using a free channel for selling, like Etsy or Printify Pop-Up, rather than a full ecommerce platform. Manage marketing and customer service, as well as the design process yourself, to keep costs low, or work with freelancers from dedicated apps like Fiverr.
- Upgrade product quality: High-quality products are the key to turning one-time shoppers into dedicated advocates for your brand. Go above and beyond to give your customers a unique experience. Research their preferences, use high-quality materials, personalize products with custom labels and pack-in slips. This will improve your chances of retaining customers, and help you to generate hype for your business.
- Invest in marketing: Commit to constantly finding new ways to draw attention to your company, with social media campaigns, email marketing, content marketing, and any other strategies you can think of. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Is Printify Worth It? The Verdict
So, is Printify worth it? I think the answer is yes. It’s not going to make you a millionaire overnight, but no print on demand platform will. If you want a cost-effective way to sell custom products online and start making a decent income, Printify is worthwhile.
You can even keep your upfront costs extremely low to begin with, by using Printify pop-up. Just remember to scale your brand as your business grows, and invest in new sales channels where you can, to boost your revenue in the long-term.
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