Printful is one of the most popular print-on-demand services in the ecommerce world, offering a wide range of customizable products, hands-off fulfillment, and strong branding options.
I’ve spent several months testing Printful across two different stores, syncing it with Shopify and Etsy.
In this review, I’ll take a close look at Printful’s product quality, pricing, fulfillment speed, and overall user experience to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your business.
When to Use Printful
We recommend using Printful for POD when you:
- Need access to a massive range of unique products
- Prioritize exceptional product quality
- Value intuitive design tools and AI features
- Want to scale your POD business
- Have an existing website or marketplace account
- Want global fulfillment support
When not to Use Printful
We may advise against using Printful if you:
- Have a very low budget (and want cheaper POD items)
- Don’t want to build and manage your own ecommerce store
- Have limited design requirements
Why Should you Trust Us
At Ecommerce Platforms, we’re committed to providing the most comprehensive reviews possible for ecommerce platforms, tools, and resources.
We’ve experimented with Printful’s platform and integrations with tools like Shopify, for hands-on insights into what the solution can offer.
We also have years of experience reviewing print on demand companies, so we can provide a behind-the-scenes look at how Printful compares with other reputable solutions.
To ensure this review remains relevant and up to date, we’ll update this article whenever significant changes to the platform or its features occur.
This review is based on extensive hands-on testing, customer reviews, and the latest industry comparisons.
I’ve researched and analyzed multiple print-on-demand platforms—such as Printify, Gelato, SPOD, and Gooten—looking closely at pricing, product quality, features, and fulfillment speed.
Everything in this article is based on real usage data, first-hand user feedback, and up-to-date insights, giving you a fair and balanced overview of how Printful performs in today’s ecommerce landscape.
Printful Pros & Cons
Best for: Custom branded products with reliable fulfillment
Overall Rating: 4.6 / 5
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Wide range of products and customization options | Higher base prices compared to competitors |
| High product and print quality | Limited bulk pricing discounts |
| Excellent branding tools (custom labels, pack-ins) | Occasional shipping delays on international orders |
| Seamless integrations with top ecommerce platforms | Profit margins can be thin if pricing isn’t managed well |
- High quality products
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Sales channels
What Is Printful and How Does It Work?
Printful is a print-on-demand (POD) and fulfillment platform. It lets you design and sell custom products—like t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and posters—without needing to hold any inventory.
When a customer places an order on your store, Printful automatically prints and ships the item on your behalf. You only pay after a sale is made, making it a low-risk business model for online sellers.
How Printful Works:
- Upload your design to Printful’s product generator and choose the items you want to sell.
- Sync Printful with your ecommerce store, such as Shopify, Etsy, or WooCommerce.
- A customer places an order through your online store.
- Printful automatically fulfills the order, printing, packing, and shipping it directly to the customer.
- You keep the profit after Printful deducts the product and shipping costs.
This setup makes Printful especially appealing to entrepreneurs looking to launch or scale without upfront investment in inventory or warehousing.
While it removes the burden of logistics, it’s important to remember that you still carry the responsibility for customer service, pricing, and returns.
In other words, Printful handles fulfillment, but it’s still your brand and your business — and how smooth the operation feels to your customers depends on how well you set expectations and communicate throughout the process.
Product Range & Quality: Are the Items Worth Selling?
I’ve ordered over a dozen products from Printful, both for personal use and for customer fulfillment. The quality of both print and garment has consistently impressed me.
Product Categories Available:
- T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops
- Hats and beanies
- Mugs, drinkware
- Posters, canvas prints, framed prints
- Bags, backpacks, accessories
- Embroidered apparel
- Phone cases, socks, swimwear
Printful offers 300+ product variants, and most are from well-known brands like Bella + Canvas, Gildan, American Apparel, and Champion.
Print Quality Insights:
- DTG (Direct-to-Garment) prints are vibrant and hold up well after washing
- Embroidery is accurate and clean, though better suited for simple logos
- All-over sublimation products (like leggings) are crisp, though seams may not always align perfectly
Top Performing Products (based on customer reviews and seller feedback):
| Product | Supplier | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Bella + Canvas 3001 T-Shirt | Bella + Canvas | ★★★★★ |
| Champion Packable Jacket | Champion | ★★★★☆ |
| 11oz Mug | Generic | ★★★★☆ |
| Premium Matte Posters | Printful | ★★★★★ |
These products are frequently highlighted by sellers for their reliability, print quality, and customer satisfaction.
The Bella + Canvas tee, in particular, is widely praised for its soft feel and durability, making it a go-to for many apparel-based stores.
Similarly, the matte posters offer excellent color reproduction and premium feel, especially when paired with framed options.
Customers consistently gave high marks for softness, durability, and print sharpness.
One thing worth noting is that product availability may vary depending on the fulfillment center.
For example, certain apparel styles or sizes might be available in North America but not in Europe, or vice versa. Always double-check regional stock before committing to a particular product if you plan to sell internationally.
Branding Features: Does Printful Support Real DTC Brands?
Yes. This is one of Printful’s standout features.
Unlike most POD platforms, Printful allows you to create a custom brand experience. You can present your products as if they’re coming directly from your warehouse — not from a third-party supplier.
Branding Options Include:
- Custom neck labels ($2.49 per label)
- Pack-in inserts (like thank-you cards or coupons – $0.75 per item)
- Custom packing slips with your logo and business details
- Branded return addresses
Why Branding Matters:
If you’re trying to build a long-term business, brand trust is key. These options help create a seamless customer experience — improving retention and repeat sales.
Just be aware that while branding tools are powerful, they come at an added cost and require setup time.
For smaller sellers, these extras can add up quickly, especially on lower-margin items. But if you're looking to build a real DTC brand with repeat customers, these small touches can make a huge difference in perceived value.
Fulfillment Speed & Shipping: How Fast Is Printful?
Fulfillment speed varies depending on the product and destination, but Printful offers clear timelines and consistent tracking.
Printful Fulfillment Time:
- Standard products: 2–5 business days
- Embroidered items or large orders: Up to 7 business days
Shipping Times by Region:
| Region | Estimated Delivery |
|---|---|
| USA | 3–4 business days |
| Canada | 6–10 business days |
| UK & Europe | 5–10 business days |
| Australia & NZ | 10–20 business days |
Printful uses a global fulfillment network with locations in the US, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia. This helps reduce international shipping times.
Shipping Costs (example – US):
| Product | First Item | Additional Item |
|---|---|---|
| T-Shirt | $3.99 | $1.25 |
| Hoodie | $6.50 | $2.00 |
| Mug | $6.99 | $2.00 |
You can choose whether to pass these costs onto customers or build them into your pricing.
In my experience, most customers are willing to wait a few extra days if you set the right expectations during checkout.
Adding shipping timelines on your product pages or order confirmation emails can help reduce complaints, especially during peak seasons or international delays.
Profit Margins: Can You Make Real Money with Printful?
Margins are one of the biggest downsides to using Printful, especially if you’re comparing it to bulk suppliers or overseas production.
Let’s break it down.
Example: Selling a Bella + Canvas T-Shirt
| Cost Breakdown | Price |
|---|---|
| Product Base Cost | $13.95 |
| Shipping | $3.99 |
| Printful Total Cost | $17.94 |
| Selling Price | $29.99 |
| Gross Profit | $12.05 |
| Platform Fees (e.g. Shopify 2.9% + $0.30) | ~$1.20 |
| Net Profit | ~$10.85 |
Margins range from 30%–50%, depending on your pricing and sales channel.
Tips to Improve Profitability:
- Bundle items (e.g., two shirts for $50)
- Upsell accessories like stickers or mugs
- Use free shipping as a sales incentive
- Offer limited edition designs to justify higher pricing
Printful won’t give you wholesale-level margins, but it’s more than enough to build a profitable niche brand.
That said, if you plan to run paid ads (especially on Facebook or TikTok), your profit margins need to be dialed in.
A $10–$12 net profit can disappear quickly if your customer acquisition cost isn’t under control. In these cases, high AOV strategies or email upsells become essential.
Platform Integrations: Where Can You Sell With Printful?
Printful connects directly with all major ecommerce platforms, letting you automate order fulfillment and focus on growing your store.
One-Click Integrations Available For:
- Shopify
- Etsy
- WooCommerce
- Wix
- Squarespace
- BigCommerce
- Ecwid
- Amazon (via app)
- eBay
- TikTok Shop
- Walmart Marketplace (via integration tools)
I tested Printful with both Shopify and Etsy, and in both cases, the experience was smooth. Products synced quickly, orders passed through instantly, and tracking updates were automatic.
If you're selling on multiple channels, Printful allows you to manage all your orders in one central dashboard. This makes multichannel fulfillment less stressful and helps keep things organized as your business grows.
Customer Support: Can You Rely on Them When Things Go Wrong?
Customer service is decent overall.
Most of the time, I used live chat and got help within 10–20 minutes. You can also reach them by email or access their detailed Help Center.
Support Options:
- 24/7 Live Chat
- Email Ticketing
- Help Center / Knowledge Base
- Order Status Page
Printful generally reissues or refunds items when there’s a printing issue.
But in cases like incorrect addresses, lost international packages, or late deliveries, they lean on their policies — which aren’t always in your favor.
If you’re running a high-volume store, you’ll need to build systems to handle customer inquiries on your own side as well.
Also worth noting: support quality can vary depending on time of day and complexity of the issue.
While most basic questions are handled quickly, more nuanced cases — like damaged goods or branding errors — sometimes take longer to resolve. It’s best to proactively review their fulfillment policies so you’re not caught off guard.
Printful vs Competitors: How Does It Compare?
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Printful and its main alternatives:
| Feature | Printful | Printify | Gelato | Gooten |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Quality | High | Medium (varies by supplier) | High | Medium |
| Branding Options | Extensive | Basic | Limited | Minimal |
| Fulfillment Speed | Fast | Varies | Fast | Varies |
| Pricing | Higher | Lower | Moderate | Moderate |
| Integrations | Wide | Wide | Growing | Moderate |
| Support | Strong | Average | Good | Average |
Printful is best for creators who want high-quality products, brand control, and easy integration.
Printify is more affordable than Printful, but quality and delivery can vary between suppliers. Best for sellers focused on price and volume.
Keep in mind that some sellers use both platforms strategically — using Printify for their budget-friendly designs and Printful for premium products or branded items. It's a good way to maximize profits while maintaining product variety and quality control.
Gelato is great for international shipping and strong for eco-conscious sellers. Branding and product range are more limited than Printful.
Gooten is built for scalability and automation. Not as user-friendly or brand-focused, but good for stores with lots of SKUs.
Pricing Overview: What Does It Cost to Use Printful?
There are no monthly fees to use Printful. You only pay when an order is placed. This makes it beginner-friendly, especially for creators testing out new product ideas.
However, if you want access to discounted base prices, you’ll need to sign up for Printful’s Growth plan.
Printful Pro Pricing
| Plan | Cost | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Standard product access, basic mockups |
| Growth | $24.99/month | Premium mockups, background remover, keyword research, product trends, and branded tools |
If you’re scaling your store or running ads, Pro is worth the investment. It also includes exclusive clipart and design elements for your products.
Another added benefit of the Pro plan is early access to new features and design tools, which can give you a competitive edge during seasonal launches or when testing new product categories.
It’s especially useful if you're managing a large catalog or doing high-volume sales.
Printful Growth
Printful Growth is the membership plan designed for growing businesses in the POD world. If you earn $12k a month with your print-on-demand sales through Printful, you can upgrade to this membership automatically, without any extra fees.
This gives you access to a range of benefits, including 20% off DTG products, 30% off other product categories, and a stable pricing structure. You also get product branding discounts of 7%, and unlimited stores and product designs for each Printful account.
If you want to access the “Growth” package, but you don’t have enough sales, a paid option will be arriving soon.
This will allow you to pay a monthly fee to access all of the benefits mentioned above. Once you reach your sales target, you can also switch to the free membership for a year.
Printful Business
Alongside Printful Growth, Printful also introduced its “Business” membership for higher-volume sellers. This comes with much of the same features offered by the Growth plan. However, you also get free digitization for all embroidered products.
Plus, your product branding discounts increase to 9%, and your same order discounts will increase to 25%. You also get up to 22% off DTG products, and 33% off other product categories. Notably. There’s no paid option for this membership yet.
The only way to upgrade is to reach $60k+ in sales over a period of 12 months. All yearly sales are calculated by examining your total order sum for the year, after subtracting all shipping tax, VAT, and discounts.
However, digitization and Printful service fees are added back in.
Printful AI Features
One of the things that sets Printful apart from other print on demand vendors, is its commitment to providing designers with the latest in high-tech tools.
For instance, Printful has its own “smart image tool”, which uses artificial intelligence to assess the quality of your image for product designs.
The AI evaluates the information within a user’s image and sees whether it can be adjusted by adding extra information to suit Printful’s print requirements.
The tool can double the image DPI for images with a low range, to improve the overall quality and clarity of the image. It does this automatically, saving you time editing your designs.
Alongside the smart image tool, Printful also uses AI to help you select the right products for your catalog.
Once you sign up for an account, Printful will show you recommended products you might want to create, based on your potential to increase your profits.
The AI solution evaluates a huge amount of customer interaction data, to showcase the sales potential of each available product, according to your target audience. This gives you an excellent way to make more data-driven decisions when expanding your product catalog.
Is Printful Worth It? My Final Verdict
If you're looking for a reliable print-on-demand partner to help you build a branded ecommerce business, Printful is one of the best choices available.
It’s not the cheapest option, and it won’t give you factory-direct margins — but the quality, automation, and branding tools make it an excellent choice for serious sellers.
You should use Printful if:
- You want to build a long-term ecommerce brand
- You value high print quality and reliable shipping
- You need branded packaging and custom labels
- You’re selling on platforms like Shopify or Etsy
You might want to look elsewhere if:
- Your goal is maximum margin with bulk pricing
- You need fulfillment in regions not supported by Printful
- You’re testing throwaway product ideas that don’t require branding
Printful is especially useful if you're aiming to build a loyal customer base rather than just chasing one-off sales.
The ease of integration, product consistency, and brand control make it a strong option for sellers who want to grow their business over time — not just drop a few t-shirts and move on.
If you're focused on brand equity, customer retention, and long-term scalability, Printful is a solid backend to support those goals.
FAQ
Yes, making money with a high-quality POD vendor like Printful is definitely possible. However, it’s important to make sure you research your audience and products carefully, choose the right items to sell, and select your pricing strategy carefully.
Most people consider Printful’s products to be extremely high quality. The company offers a range of printing options, from cut and sew to embroidery. Plus, it works with leading manufacturers to ensure you always get an excellent result.
You don’t necessarily need money to pay for a Printful account. If you use the free service, you’ll only pay for items when a customer purchases something. However, you may need the budget to pay for ecommerce website design, marketing, and other requirements.
While Printful does integrate with Shopify, it also offers a range of other integration options. You can sell with Printful on Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, Ebay, Etsy, and Amazon.
Printful doesn’t actually pay vendors. Instead, you list products at your desired price point on your website, and receive payment directly from your customers. Printful then charges you the price of producing and shipping the item the customer bought.
Printful also doesn’t take a set percentage of your profits. It’s up to you as a vendor to decide what kind of profit margin you want to apply to your products, accounting for the base cost of Printful’s item, customization costs, and shipping fees.
Printful works with a global team of fulfillment centers worldwide to produce products. This means your print on demand items can be made at a range of locations around the world. Usually, your fulfillment center will be the one closest to your customer.
Printful will only offer refunds for mislabelled or damaged products. They won’t refund a product if your customer simply changes their mind about what they want to purchase. It’s up to you to determine how you want to handle returns for your own customers.
One question, are the internal labels of clothing replaced by those of our brands? in Printful option?
Another question, I only want printing with my logo. I do NOT want to make personalized ones for the public. Can I do it with Pritful? Or is this modality only to sell personalized ones to the public?
Thank you
Hello Sofia, with Printful you can customize you inside labels.
See this article for more info.
Printful will print your graphic off-center and point to their DTG (direct to garment) process terms as being within their expected parameters. I bought a test order t-shirt to check the quality, and the logo was significantly off-center. Eyeballing it was enough, no rulers required. I contacted Printful, and they essentially replied that they have every right to print your logo off center. No refunds.
Here’s their reply verbatim: “After looking at the photos, I can say the design placement is within our discrepancies. For the fulfillment, the human process is involved, which won’t guarantee a 100% placement for every single print. With that being said, the placement discrepancy is from 0.5”-1”, so from the fulfillment side, the outcome is expected.”
My logo looks like it’s more than 1” off from center. It’s not even straight. But they’ll leave it to you to explain that to your customers and deal with any refunds they may want along with added return shipping costs.
So keep that in mind if you decide to go with Printful for your merch.
Thanks for sharing your review Lee! I Hope you’l manage to get your designs right and start selling.
Great article! Takes out many of the initial questions about getting some merchandise for our company. Thanks!
👍👍👍
Joe, this is incredibly helpful. As a novel ecommerce creator, I am hazy as to which printer and dropshipper to use. This was such a thorough review and you shaved off hours/days from me having to do so. Thank you so much! I wish you continued success in your endeavors.
Thanks Kim!
Is there a dress product on this site? As I want to put my designs on dresses
Yes, definitely!
Hi,
I have a question when using Printful. When I design and order from Printful, will they replace the tags on the clothing that states my brand name or will Printful leave the original tag in place?
I have same question.
Hello Gonzo, you can find more info about this here.
Great article! Takes out many of the initial questions about getting some merchandise for our company. Thanks!
You’re welcome Michael!
Hi,
I have a question when using Printful. When I design and order from Printful, will they replace the tags on the clothing that states my brand name or will Printful leave the original tag in place?
Hi
I currently using printful…. I’ve ordered a couple of samples and I’m really impress with the quality of the print on the shirt. The shirts are fine, but I guess I’m looking for a silk screening style. Nice thick prints. Any POD drop-shipping companies that you may know of? It will be appreciated.
Thank you
Hello, Printify is a great alternative to Printful. You can read our review here.
Hello,
I have a question: with Printful, is it possible to print on dishes or on a bottle?
And if this is not possible with “Printful” do you have the name of another manufacturer with whom this is possible?
Thank you in advance.
Sylvie
Hello Sylvie,
With Printful and Printify you can only print on mugs and water bottles.