# Needed: Alternatives to Printful



## RonaldRiq (7 mo ago)

Hi everyone, 

I'm Ronald, president of ZikWave Studios Inc.. We are going to promote and sell clothes with the help of the latest technologies like augmented reality and games on PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox One, etc.. So I'm looking for some people interested in the project and also a some advice about the Printful service that we plan to use to print and ship the clothes. Here's an example of the shopping app in augmented reality that we are working on that features a preview of the clothes that the customers want to buy:










Do you know better alternatives to Printful compatible with Shopify to print T-shirts, hoodies, pants and dresses?

Also do you have any tips about what to watch out for when printing garments, like the quality of the fabric (I prefer cotton) or issues with some colors. Also let me know if you want to have your t-shirts, hoodies, etc. in our project if you are a designer or work with one.










Thanks!


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## JohnDeco (Mar 2, 2020)

You can go with Printify.


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## RonaldRiq (7 mo ago)

JohnDeco said:


> You can go with Printify.


Thanks, I'll have a look at what they offer. Is their print quality better?


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

RonaldRiq said:


> Thanks, I'll have a look at what they offer. Is their print quality better?


Printify is sort of a front-end for multiple independent POD providers. Different people have different opinions/experience of the various sub-providers. I used CustomCat (which is called MyLocker if accessed via Printify). CC used a different brand of DTG (aeoon) than Printful (Kornit). In some ways it was better, in some ways not. Overall, I would not expect consistent, or high, quality from any POD provider, including Printful. Best results will be on higher quality shirts that are 100% ringspun cotton and have a high thread count.


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## RonaldRiq (7 mo ago)

NoXid said:


> Printify is sort of a front-end for multiple independent POD providers. Different people have different opinions/experience of the various sub-providers. I used CustomCat (which is called MyLocker if accessed via Printify). CC used a different brand of DTG (aeoon) than Printful (Kornit). In some ways it was better, in some ways not. Overall, I would not expect consistent, or high, quality from any POD provider, including Printful. Best results will be on higher quality shirts that are 100% ringspun cotton and have a high thread count.


Thanks a lot NoXid. This is very interesting. I read many comments online about Printful and it really seems that the quality is not consistent. One person told me that she wasn't really happy with Printful and was going to print her T-shirts herself with her new DTG printer. I personnaly had great results with Printful but it was just a white logo that was printed. It's troublesome because I could get a lot of returns if the quality is not consistent.

Thanks for the tips for the T-shirts. What is a high thread count to you?


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

30 singles or higher. Gildan Softstyle 64000 is ringspun and 30 singles, and is usually the lowest cost shirt worth using at a POD. Next Level Apparel 3600 and Bella+Canvas 3001 are 32 singles.

Actually, I was being a little sloppy with terminology. The number typically used for T-shirts is not a direct measure of the thread count of the fabric, but a measure of the yarn it is made from.









How To Choose The Best T-Shirt For Your Custom Apparel Business - Gooten


Finding the right t-shirt blank is an important decision for your on-demand apparel business. Here are the main factors you should consider. Finding the right t-shirt blank is an important decision for your on-demand apparel business. Here are the main factors you should consider.




www.gooten.com





"_... 32 singles—this refers to the yarn count, which is the number of times the yarn is twisted and the number of ends of yarns used. Meaning, 30 singles is a single yarn twisted 30 times. While it might sound counterintuitive, the higher the yarn count, the finer (and softer) the thread of the fabric will be...._"

Quality problems with POD come down to the intersection of DTG technology with the business model. They are printing millions of different designs on hundreds, or thousands, of different fabric and color combinations ... in "batches" of ONE. Meaning, they can't mess about wasting time, ink, and garments optimizing pretreatment and ink levels for every design on every fabric composition and color. Sure, they have different settings for use on black cotton vs white poly-blend, so they generally hit in the right ballpark. But that doesn't account for the specific garment and specific art, nor variations from machine to machine or over time. Or if they are trying to save $0.50 a print by using less ink.

White art on dark/black garments is actually where DTG often looks the worst, especially since screen printing and vinyl can do that so consistently well. Too little pretreatment for the garment type, and the white will sink too far into the fabric and look dull and weak; too much and it will not sink in far enough to be durable, though it will look nice and solid and white to start with.


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## RonaldRiq (7 mo ago)

NoXid said:


> 30 singles or higher. Gildan Softstyle 64000 is ringspun and 30 singles, and is usually the lowest cost shirt worth using at a POD. Next Level Apparel 3600 and Bella+Canvas 3001 are 32 singles.
> 
> Actually, I was being a little sloppy with terminology. The number typically used for T-shirts is not a direct measure of the thread count of the fabric, but a measure of the yarn it is made from.
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot NoXid! What you're saying really explains the comments I read about issues with Printful. From what you're saying, I think it's better to work with a smaller company with whom you have a closer relationship. Are there T-shirts that are considered the best, qualitywise, for DTG? I was really interested in DTF, are there known issues with it compared to DTG? Is it better than DTG?


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

RonaldRiq said:


> Thanks a lot NoXid! What you're saying explains really the comments I read about issues with Printful. From what you're saying, I think it's better to work with a smaller company with whom you have a closer relationship. Are there T-shirts that are considered the best, qualitywise, for DTG? I was really interested in DTF, are there known issues with it compared to DTG? Is it better than DTG?


Any of the shirts I named above work well for DTG, as well as any shirts with similar specs.

With DTF one avoids the delicate balance between pretreatemnt, ink, and color/fabric, as there isn't any pretreatment. So that removes the biggest DTG variable. But DTF is likely to feel a bit thicker/heavier and looks a bit more like a sticker stuck on the shirt (which is sort of is). For designs that work with a bold, solid look, DTF may look better. For more subtle art and art with a distressed look, DTG may look better. Everything has its own strengths and weaknesses a gotchas; else the ONE perfect way would be the only way anyone used.


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## RonaldRiq (7 mo ago)

NoXid said:


> Any of the shirts I named above work well for DTG, as well as any shirts with similar specs.
> 
> With DTF one avoids the delicate balance between pretreatemnt, ink, and color/fabric, as there isn't any pretreatment. So that removes the biggest DTG variable. But DTF is likely to feel a bit thicker/heavier and looks a bit more like a sticker stuck on the shirt (which is sort of is). For designs that work with a bold, solid look, DTF may look better. For more subtle art and art with a distressed look, DTG may look better. Everything has its own strengths and weaknesses a gotchas; else the ONE perfect way would be the only way anyone used.


Thanks again. So what is interesting with DTF is that it removes a lot of inconsistencies you can have with DTG. So if you are pleased with a DTF sample, it's likely to be the same quality the customers will have.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

RonaldRiq said:


> Thanks again. So what is interesting with DTF is that it removes a lot of inconsistencies you can have with DTG. So if you are pleased with a DTF sample, it's likely to be the same quality the customers will have.


Yeah. The main variable with DTF isn't the look of the art, but the application, curing, and heat pressing of the adhesive powder that holds the transfer to the shirt. Consistency with that last bit depends upon their equipment and knowing what they are doing. Easier to get right, but still possible to screw-up.


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## RonaldRiq (7 mo ago)

NoXid said:


> Yeah. The main variable with DTF isn't the look of the art, but the application, curing, and heat pressing of the adhesive powder that holds the transfer to the shirt. Consistency with that last bit depends upon their equipment and knowing what they are doing. Easier to get right, but still possible to screw-up.


Yeah, I think I will go with DTF. Even if the feel is a bit less interesting than what you get DTG, I think it's much more important to have consistent results. Do you have some experience with selling clothes? I read that people should avoid places like Brazil because many packages get stolen. I was thinking I should stick to North America, Western Europe and maybe Japan.

Do you have any thoughts on this?


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

RonaldRiq said:


> Yeah, I think I will go with DTF. Even if the feel is a bit less interesting than what you get DTG, I think it's much more important to have consistent results. Do you have some experience with selling clothes? I read that people should avoid places like Brazil because many packages get stolen. I was thinking I should stick to North America, Western Europe and maybe Japan.
> 
> Do you have any thoughts on this?


I haven't really had problems with overseas locations. But I skip all of Africa and any bit of the former USSR still under Russia's thumb. I've sold into surprising (to me) places like Chile and the UAE. Italy often gets mentioned as a problem due to a chaotic addressing system ... where not all addresses are actually unique, but the very few sales I've had there went okay.


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## RonaldRiq (7 mo ago)

NoXid said:


> I haven't really had problems with overseas locations. But I skip all of Africa and any bit of the former USSR still under Russia's thumb. I've sold into surprising (to me) places like Chile and the UAE. Italy often gets mentioned as a problem due to a chaotic addressing system ... where not all addresses are actually unique, but the very few sales I've had there went okay.


Ok, thanks for sharing your experience. Do you have a store online? I would like to check it out to see what you do . Do you take care of customer support yourself or did you hire people or a specialized company for this? I was thinking about outsourcing customer support.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

RonaldRiq said:


> Ok, thanks for sharing your experience. Do you have a store online? I would like to check it out to see what you do . Do you take care of customer support yourself or did you hire people or a specialized company for this? I was thinking about outsourcing customer support.


I have stores on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and my own URLs covering various different niches (as well as PODs: MBA, Redbubble and TeePublic). I do everything myself, so I get to keep some of the money  As to sharing "what I do" with the whole online community of people interested in doing pretty much the same thing--uhm, no


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## RonaldRiq (7 mo ago)

NoXid said:


> I have stores on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and my own URLs covering various different niches (as well as PODs: MBA, Redbubble and TeePublic). I do everything myself, so I get to keep some of the money  As to sharing "what I do" with the whole online community of people interested in doing pretty much the same thing--uhm, no


Ok, you fear competition from here , that's ok. Well thanks for your help with this. I can't wait to launch my new store.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

RonaldRiq said:


> Ok, you fear competition from here , that's ok. Well thanks for your help with this. I can't wait to launch my new store.


Not competition, theft. It is a constant battle to file DMCA complaints against the hungry, thieving hordes , and rather depressing, too.


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## RonaldRiq (7 mo ago)

NoXid said:


> Not competition, theft. It is a constant battle to file DMCA complaints against the hungry, thieving hordes , and rather depressing, too.


Hmm, sorry to hear that. I didn't know about that issue. I'm glad to see that you keep fighting .


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## CreativeShirts (8 mo ago)

Hello We are a small DTG printer, I can print shirts on demand and ship them within US. I will be cheaper than any big brands out there.. Anyone interested , feel free to message


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## BigMoose (May 6, 2021)

RonaldRiq said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm Ronald, president of ZikWave Studios Inc.. We are going to promote and sell clothes with the help of the latest technologies like augmented reality and games on PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox One, etc.. So I'm looking for some people interested in the project and also a some advice about the Printful service that we plan to use to print and ship the clothes. Here's an example of the shopping app in augmented reality that we are working on that features a preview of the clothes that the customers want to buy:
> 
> ...


hey Ronald did you ever find a someone? If not we can do the complete fulfillment process from receiving the orders, making the orders and shipping the orders. We've shipped to every continent but Antartica.


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