# Any standard format for POD fulfillment service provider



## srini994 (Feb 27, 2008)

Apologies in advance if this question is dumb

I have a website where i have my own Tshirt designer and Checkout process , I have talked with few Fulfillment services that will do the order fulfillment using email as mechanism between the website (me) and them.

I find each POD vendors email asking for a different mechanism to describe the image location , size of image etc etc. Is there a standard format that all DTG POD vendors use? I read about something called PCL but was not sure if this is used.

Basically i want to find out if there is a standard format that all DTG printers would understand that i can generate instead of creating different email formats for different POD vendors.


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## Dennis Graves (Apr 27, 2009)

I don't really have the answer you are looking for, I normally just have the people send me their files labeled front, back or sleeve. Something like SmithFront, JonesBack.

I am interested to know which online designer you are using because I am "in the market" for one.

Thanks,

Dennis Graves


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## skibum (Feb 19, 2006)

srini994 said:


> Basically i want to find out if there is a standard format that all DTG printers would understand that i can generate instead of creating different email formats for different POD vendors.


I don't think there is a standard. We also offer fulfillment services via e-mail and API, but instead of attaching the artwork to the email we have the partner (that's you) upload the artwork and create the shirt in their Printfection account. You can do this manually or via our API. Either way, you get a real-time rendered preview of exactly what the finished item will look like. We've found this is much easier and more accurate than trying to describe what you want via e-mail.

This way the e-mail only contains metadata about the order like the shipping address, product ID number, etc.

I'm not sure if there are any other vendors offering something like this. If there were, then you could just create the item with the vendor and the e-mail could be the same format even if you were using different vendors. I'd be willing to collaborate on a standard if any other vendors are interested. Let me know!


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## srini994 (Feb 27, 2008)

@Casey/SkiBum
I looked at the API option, May be i do not understand this correctly but The API might not be useful to my usecase
I think the API is useful if i preload a set of images and users select one of those images from my website. I have a website where users can customize/personalise everything. What it entails is, I can not preload any image to Printfection account at all Hence email would be the only option.

Problem with Email
(1) Each vendor has a different format for order processing and order confirmation
(2) Some vendors handle returns while email is used (most likley vendors who have email as the only option), Some vendors do not (not sure what printfections stand here is)

To solve the aforementioned problem, If we come up with a format which can depict "What u see on Tshirt Dsigner is What you get via mail (finished products). I think it will solve follwoign problems
(1) Websites like mine can work seamlessly with different vendors
(2) Lower returns
(3) Every fulfillment service can handle returns too

I apologize if what i said does not indicate how vendors work, this was based on few vendors i started talking to and i believe there can be an elegant solution ot this


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