Printify: Print on Demand

I really love how well Printify and Printful work for my company. My colors are precious to me and take years to develop. I trust these collection of companies as they get it right. Well done. My only suggestions, always strive for More sizes and it would be nice if more print on demand were available on natural fabrics. Keep up the brilliant work.

If you’re looking to do embroidery, stay away. Im not sure i can convey just how bad the experince has been. They are not able to tell you why something "fails" digitsiation. Just that it does. The poor communication and what feels like constantly shifting embroidery guidelines make it unusable. You can submit a simple design a simple as three large uppercase letters (e.g., “ABC”) and have it approved - then submit the exact same design with different letters (e.g., “DEF”) and have it fail without any useful explanation. We check each design and all meet the guidelines so when you get told "does not meet" it woud be somewhat helpful if they could say "what part" does not meet .

All you're told is: “Digitization failed for the embroidery. Please update the design to meet the embroidery criteria.” We only submit designs that already meet the stated embroidery criteria, so when we ask, “Can you be more specific?” we either get no response, or the reply contradicts the embroidery guidelines.

Example 1 – Polo Shirts:
We ordered samples of three different polo shirts to compare shirt quality and embroidery. Immediately, there were issues. We were advised:
• Front Print – Digitized Successfully
• Right Sleeve – Digitized Successfully (this included multiple lines of text, complex script, and an image of an aircraft)
• Left Sleeve – Digitization Failed

The left sleeve simply had a 1” x 2” rectangle. We were told it was “too complex.” Yes, apparently a rectangle is too complex.
When we pointed out that the other sleeve included an aircraft shape and complex script (clearly more detailed), we were then told the sleeve was “unsuitable for filled designs.”

We referred them to their own embroidery guidelines, which say nothing about filled designs being unsuitable. In fact, it specifically mentions that small gaps will be filled, and advises to “keep your design simple.” You know, like a rectangle? I don’t think a shape gets any simpler.
Nearly a week later, we still have no clarity on why it failed. As far as we can tell, it meets all the criteria. Thankfully this was only a sample - imagine a customer dealing with this. (Which, when you think about it, we are too.)

Example 2 – Embroidered Caps:
• Cap 1 – Featured 3 capital letters – approved, no issues.
• Cap 2 – Same design, different letters – rejected. Order cancelled.
We were told: “Digitization failed for the embroidery. Reason for rejection: Small Shape/Text.”
We asked, “Can you be more specific - which shape or text is the issue?”
Their reply: “We are currently in touch with the team responsible for the embroidery process and will keep you informed with any updates.”
We referred them to the Cap 1 order, which used the exact same layout and was approved.
The next day, we were told:
“Your order had to be cancelled and refunded to allow for production to continue.”
What the...? We still have no idea why it failed - awaiting response.

I was hoping Printify embroidery would be a good alternative to Printful. While Printify is slightly more expensive, it doesn’t charge a digitization fee like Printful does. But clearly, that comes at a huge cost in frustration and reliability.

UPDATE 28 Aug: Whlst their other products and support was previously (5 stars), there has since been NO support on any orders. When tying to login to view support tickets it says "user suspended". No details why and no explanation. Chatbot also does not connect to an agent. At this stage, there is NO support. Horrible experience for what was once a great service.

Of all the PODs I've researched, this and a couple others made the cut. In the end, Printify I've found is the best for

1. Design to Product (MockUps) - Within its Admin Console (most products have accurate mockups - other PODs may or may not have mockups, and many that do note that the mockup you're looking at is not an accurate depiction).

2. Quality Selection - You can select which print provider you want to use for printing, and you can see the ratings for them.

3. Integration - The integration with Shopify is the most seamless I've found yet. Also, everything loads correctly, and quickly, every time.

4. Product Creation - The product page in their Admin Console is so well laid out and sections classified, you have a high level of control over your various product elements.

5. Customer Service - They are incredibly quick to respond to any of my queries or assistance. I once reported a mockup glitch, responded and resolved to within hours. Orders and sample orders placed - they request service feedback. Need something done quickly? They'll take care of it. VERY happy.

6. Product Selection - They have a wide variety of product options, so if you prefer just 1 POD partner, start with Printify. I tried adding another few PODs but the difference between them and Printify is apparent in my wishing the other PODs had all the wonderful features of Printify.

For any looking for a POD partner, I hope this helps you in your selection. I spent weeks, okay maybe months, looking into POD options... This was my choice. Not just from the research, but also from testing a few out.

So, take advantage of my leg work, skip the all the research and testing time of PODs yourself, and just start with Printify. Or add them as a POD provider... you may find yourself switching all your products over to them like I did.