With all the different print-on-demand companies competing for your business in 2021, you may feel buried under an avalanche of information and graphic tees. Sorting through and comparing the various print-on-demand services found on Shopify or any e-commerce platform is a daunting task. Whether you hope to make a business out of print-on-demand, want to sell merchandise to spread brand awareness, or think it’d be cool to sell your self-designed “Pfizer Gang” shirts, you must pick the print-on-demand company that’s right for you. In this article, we’ll explain print-on-demand and identify the top five print-on-demand services as of 2021.
Print-on-Demand is an e-commerce model where a company allows you to sell customizable, white-label products and attire (think: t-shirts, tote bags, mugs, etc.) with a design of your choice printed on the item. Most print-on-demand companies charge on a per-order basis, which means you don’t pay anything upfront. This model allows e-commerce retailers to set up an online clothing store with minimal inventory and overhead.
When integrated with your online store, the print-on-demand company receives order information and shipping addresses to handle the order fulfillment for you, so you can handle the entire clothing operation without ever touching the product yourself.
Now, let’s dive into which Print-on-Demand companies your business should consider.
Gooten
Gooten is widely revered as one of the industry’s best print-on-demand services. This white-label printing specialist offers all types and styles of products for your online store and at your brick-and-mortar locations.
Gooten also makes it easy to design products and add them directly to an already-existing online store. The platform’s interface is now more straightforward and that much easier to use regardless of your level of tech expertise. So when a customer places an order on the web, it will move through Gooten for printing and packing, then ship directly to the customer without any work on your behalf.
Part of what makes Gooten unique is that it provides global shipping for all products. Gooten partners with numerous print businesses so there is no cap on the total number of orders. In terms of print quality and cost, Gooten’s products are high in quality, yet not as affordable as Printify, a similar service described below.
Gooten directly connects to Shopify store accounts, WooCommerce accounts and Etsy accounts.
Printful
Printful has quickly ascended to the top of the print-on-demand industry. Though Printful is not yet the industry’s dominant player, behind Printify, it is making steady progress toward that status.
Printful essentially works as the back end of a store, handling all printing needs, packaging and shipments to customers. This on-demand service empowers you to submit orders manually or through an integration that transmits orders automatically from WooCommerce, Etsy, Amazon or Shopify.
Printful has developed a reputation for generating prints of the highest quality, and they have a wide range of products to select from. However, these options come at a relatively steep price tag.
The silver lining is if you are looking for integrations, you will find no shortage of options with Printful, and new integrations are continually added. Examples of Printful integrations include Squarespace, Big Commerce, Etsy, Shopify, Amazon, eBay and WooCommerce.
CustomCat
CustomCat, a print-on-demand company based in the United States, has orders ready to ship in merely a couple business days.
CustomCat gives you more choice when it comes to printing options, including sublimation, three-dimensional dye infusion and direct to garment. Also, this platform has one of the industry’s most expansive merchandise catalogs available for print-on-demand services. So if you are on the prowl for an idiosyncratic print-on-demand product, CustomCat is the answer.
As an added bonus, CustomCat pricing is quite reasonable, especially when compared to one of their most popular competitors, Printful.
CustomCat integrates with WooCommerce and Shopify. However, there is no international fulfillment or options for branding with customized packaging and stickers.
Teelaunch
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could sell your print-on-demand merchandise directly through Etsy or Shopify? With Teelaunch, you can do exactly that. Teelaunch offers a unique selection of products compared to the generic products that are produced by many industry competitors.
Teelaunch provides a wide array of printing options including laser-etching, cut-and-sew, direct-to-garment, and all-over print. In general, Teelaunch production usually takes about four or five business days. There is even a manual order tool that facilitates ordering products to be sold in-person.
Though Teelaunch pricing is not the cheapest, it’s still more affordable than Printful and several other print-on-demand services. Aside from Printful, Teelaunch is the sole print-on-demand app that currently provides a personalization feature. Though the Teelaunch interface and site might seem a bit outdated at first use, the platform is fully functional and primarily geared toward prospective clients who are already Shopify store owners.
Teelaunch can be easily integrated with both Etsy and Shopify.
Printify
Printify serves as a vendor network, meaning this company sources and prints all products through its global partners. The print provider selected ultimately determines Printify’s shipping costs, packaging nuances, production time and other details.
In terms of printing options, Printify provides cut-and-sew, sublimation, direct-to-garment, and any option you can think of through their network. With Printify’s monthly premium plan, you also get an additional 20% off your order.
Printify is ideal for those looking for affordable and flexible print-on-demand solutions around the globe. This means product variety is that much more expansive, shipping is affordable, and delivery is fast.
