As an entrepreneur, designer, or artist, selling merch helps you monetize your creativity. And there’s probably no better way to do this than Print on Demand services.
Print on Demand fulfillment services are witnessing significant growth. Shifting trends, technological advancements, and increasing global incomes are said to be the major driving factors.
Today, many companies and private individuals offer Print on Demand services, even if you need one shirt. The good news is that you can use Print on Demand platforms that work with your
We have already covered Redbubble, Print Aura, Printify, TeeSpring, Spreadshirt, and others in the past. In this article, we’ll compare Printful with Kin Custom which is another popular Print on Demand platform.
We’ll review their features, integration options, support, pricing, similarities and differences, besides other things.
So let’s get down to Printful vs Kin Custom.
What Is Printful?
Printful is a Print on Demand solution that doesn’t need any setup. The platform is good for entrepreneurs that want to start Print on Demand dropshipping using Shopify, Ecwid, or WooCommerce.
Also, Printful helps you with your shipping, packing, and printing. This allows you to focus on marketing and designing your products. Plus, they help you build your brand with different branded packaging insert options.
Additionally, Printful uses custom branding to package your product, whether it’s from them or not. This gives your customers the impression that it was shipped directly from your warehouse.
The platform also integrates with different eCommerce platforms. Plus, they assist you in building your online store from scratch and also redesigning your existing store.
Create & sell your own custom design products online with print-on-demand dropshipping.
Free signup • No order minimums • 258 products
What Is Kin Custom?
Kin Custom is a platform that lets creators sell, design, and customize their products. The platform also helps you create products using a curated selection. This includes apparel, shoes, accessories, and home goods.
All you need to do is create the designs.
Kin Custom also has carefully-crafted merchandise. They use a multistep process involving hand sewing, cutting, and printing. Even more, they offer different printing methods.
Printing Option
With Print on Demand services, you need different printing options for your variety of products. Let’s look at the printing options that these platforms offer.
Printful
Printful offers different printing methods. However, the most popular method is the Direct to Garment method, which allows you to print single order items.
They also offer other printing methods like embroidery for hats, screen printing for when you have large orders, and all-over sublimation printing for specific clothing.
The best part is that you don’t need to worry about the best printing method. Printful chooses the printing method that best fits your product. Hence, you don’t need to research the different printing methods to know their advantages or disadvantages.
Kin Custom
Kin Custom provides you with different printing options. With the sublimation method, you can print designs on specialty papers and heat the dye into the garment.
The platform also provides UV printing, where ultraviolet light is used in drying ink onto clothes and shoes. Even more, you can also use DTG, where ink is applied directly to your custom made product using inkjet printing technology.
Verdict
Kin Custom and Printful have different printing options to fit your requirements. Both platforms win this one.
Explore: Best Shopify Print On Demand Apps
Warehousing, Shipping, And Fulfilment
You need a warehouse to store Print on Demand products. More so, you need to ensure that shipping and fulfillment are also taken care of, so you have happy customers.
Printful
Printful provides you with dropshipping services. Hence, you don’t need to manage inventory, fulfillment, shipping, or packaging. They don’t only print but also fulfill, ship, pack, pick, and store your products.
This feature is good for entrepreneurs who are starting out or don’t have enough budget for manufacturing tools and product inventory.
More so, you also provide great products for your customers while focusing on other aspects of your store, like marketing, customer service, branding, and design.
Additionally, Printful provides fulfillment and warehousing services. They ship, pack, pick, and store merchant’s products, whether they are Printful products or not.
This service allows you to store products you sell both in their warehouse and in your eCommerce store. They ship your products and fulfill your orders under your brand name.
Kin Custom
Kin Custom does not warehouse your products. But, they provide shipping options like Premium and Express shipping.
Verdict
Printful is the obvious winner here as they warehouse, fulfill, and ship your products on your behalf. More so, they do this regardless of if it’s their product or it’s from your eCommerce store. Plus, orders are fulfilled under your brand name.
Branding Options
While dropshipped Print on Demand products may not be directly from your factory, you still need to be able to slide in a bit of branding. So, what branding options do these platforms offer?
Printful
Printful offers you branding and design services. This allows you to brand your packages and also add small touches like branded receipts and packing inserts. This helps you build your brand.
Some of Printful’s branding options include:
- Packing inserts
- Branded stickers for shipping boxes
- Custom return address
- Outer shirt label
- Inner shirt label
These branding options allow you to maintain your brand consistency from customer service to your products and website.
Kin Custom
Kin Custom allows you to upload your brand logo into Creator Studio, their builtin design tool.
With this tool, you can add your branding to products on check out using Kin Custom’s Custom Branding Sets.
Also, if you have multiple logos or brands, you can use different logos for individual transactions.
Verdict
Though the comparison is already getting heated, Printful wins this one. They offer more branding options and even allow for custom return addresses.
Design Options
If you have design ideas, but you’re not sure how to bring it to life, a Print on Demand could provide you with a couple of ideas. Let’s see if these services offer any design options.
Printful
Printful has a team that helps you with design requirements to get your eCommerce store up and running. They help you create print files for Printful products.
More so, they help you with other design needs like creating customized artworks, designing new graphics, making adjustments to print files, color matching print files, designing sublimation print files, and redesigning your logo.
Also, Printful helps you create graphics, artwork, and designs. This is helpful if you want to launch on other platforms like Kickstarter, society6, and TeeSpring.
This way, you can outsource your design creation process and focus on other aspects of your business.
Create & sell your own custom design products online with print-on-demand dropshipping.
Free signup • No order minimums • 258 products
Kin Custom
Aside from their Creator Studio mentioned earlier; Kin Custom does not offer design options or services.
Verdict
Printful wins this one by a mile. They allow you to outsource your artwork creation so you can focus on building your brand.
Ecommerce Integrations
With eCommerce integrations, you can easily design your products on Print on Demand platforms and sell them on your eCommerce store.
Printful
Printful integrates with numerous eCommerce platforms. This allows you to handle your customer’s order from your eCommerce store manually and send them to Printful.
Integrating your eCommerce store with Printful allows you to send customers’ orders to the platform automatically. Hence, you don’t miss or lose orders or make mistakes with order details when transitioning to the platform.
Printful integrates with eCommerce platforms like:
- Inktale
- Weebly
- Etsy
- Ecwid
Shopify - Tictail
- Gumroad
- Storenvy
- Amazon
- Big Cartel
- WooCommerce
- BigCommerce
Additionally, Printful integrates with third-party apps like Shipstation. This allows you to connect to other platforms like Prestashop and Squarespace.
You can also connect your store to Printful using API integration.
Kin Custom
Kin Custom also supports integration with eCommerce platforms like Universal CSV, WooCommere, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Weebly, Big Cartel,
You can easily handle customers’ orders from your store on the platform.
Verdict
Printful provides more integration options, so it’s the winner for this round. You don’t miss out on orders even when you run multiple eCommerce stores.
Guides & Helpful Resources
With this feature, you can easily find a solution to whatever issues you might have without contacting customer service.
Printful
One of the things that make Printful a valuable service is its wide repository of guides and helpful resources. The platform provides you with printing tips with easily accessible articles on understanding their printing methods’ pros and cons.
You also have access to a mockup generator for applying designs to products. You can create product images for your eCommerce or get a sense of how finished products would look.
Printful also has a profit calculator for determining your profit margins for different products. This way, you can budget your markup appropriately.
Create & sell your own custom design products online with print-on-demand dropshipping.
Free signup • No order minimums • 258 products
You can also access a checklist for a guide on setting up your store with Printful.
The platform also has an active blog and YouTube Channel containing valuable resources and demonstrations and walkthroughs on their integrations, products, and services.
Kin Custom
Kin Custom has a help center containing numerous guides and FAQs on their products and services and shipping, size charts, and so on. They also have a blog with useful information on the platform.
Verdict
Printful wins this one with its numerous guides and helpful resources.
Product Offerings
If you need Print on Demand services for different kinds of products, then the feature comes in handy.
Printful
Printful provides different categories of products like accessories, homeware, and apparel. Their product offerings include:
- Beach blankets
- T-shirts
- Socks
- Phone pouches
- Tote bags
- Hats
- Coffee mugs
- Throw pillows
- Canvases
- Frames posters
- Dresses and skirts
- Leggings
- Hoodies
Kin Custom
Kin Custom offers product categories like shoes, home goods, apparel, and accessories. Products within these categories include:
- Packing slip
- Polybag
- Sewn-in labels
- Shoe tongue
- Shoe insole
- Hangtags
- Accessory holders
Verdict
Both platforms offer numerous product offerings. However, Prinftul has more options than Kin Custom. So, Printful wins this round.
Branded Packaging Inserts Options
Branded packing inserts allow you to showcase your brand to your customer and maintain brand consistency.
Printful
Printful provides multiple branded packaging inserts options. With flyers and coupons, you can promote your store using special deals and discounts.
The platform also allows you to create business cards containing your Instagram handle or links to your store.
Printful also allows you to share branded stickers with your brand logo. Plus, you can design postcards so that customers can remember your brand and use them as decorations.
The platform also allows you to send handwritten thank you cards with your products.
Create & sell your own custom design products online with print-on-demand dropshipping.
Free signup • No order minimums • 258 products
Kin Custom
Kin Custom does not offer this feature.
Verdict
The winner is Printful. They have numerous branding packing inserts options that help you promote your brand and build customer relationships.
Creative Services
This feature helps you outsource your design or creative needs so you can focus on building your brand.
Printful
Printful offers different creative services. They have a team of graphic designers that help you design graphics for your leggings and hoodies and even tweak embroidery files.
The platform helps you design your products using patterns, vector graphics, and typography designs.
They also offer print file editing services like photoshop editing, changing design colors, recreating files in better quality, and reformatting files.
Printful also offers illustration designs like digital painting design, colored graphic design illustrations, line art designs, and character designs.
You can also outsource your branding design needs like brand style guide designs, business card designing, sticker designs, and logo design and redesign.
The platform also provides social media design services like infographics, Facebook cover designs and blog posts, Facebook ads, and Instagram graphics.
Additionally, Printful has a photography team that prints and photographs products on their site.
They also edit photos so that the pictures are ready-to-use and formatted for social media and the web.
The platform also offers video production services if you need videos to market your brand. They have a team of videographers that help you create and edit product promotion videos.
They also provide editing services if you already have footage or video clips. You can showcase your designs and allow customers to visualize them and also see how they’re made.
Even more, you can choose your preferred content time for product marketing campaigns.
Kin Custom
Kin Custom does not offer any creative service.
Verdict
Printful is the winner here. If you don’t have photography, design, or videography skills, the platform helps you with that.
Store Setup Services
Not everyone has the skills to create an online store. This feature helps you to outsource that aspect of your business.
Printful
Printful offers store set up services if you don’t have the tech skills for building an online store.
They help you build your store from scratch and take care of complex processes like tax settings, payment setup, and shipping.
You can also connect your existing store to the platform for product fulfillment if you want to add merch to your store.
This way, you can white-label your products and transform designs.
Printful also helps you add finishing touches to your store. They help you to optimize shipping, create inside labels, and set your theme. They also help with branding and packaging.
Kin Custom
Unfortunately, Kin Custom does not offer store setup services. They only allow integration with other eCommerce stores.
Verdict
No debate here. Printful helps you set up your eCommerce store and also add finishing touches to your already-existing store.
Customer Service And Support
Printful
Printful offers you support via email, live chat, and a contact form. Even more, they have a help center and resources page with a vast repository of guides and FAQs.
Kin Custom
Kin Custom has an inquiry form that you can fill if you have any issues or want to contact their support team. Also, they offer helpful resources on how to get started, set up your custom branding, update shipping, and more.
Verdict
Printful is the winner for this round. Coupled with their live chat feature, Printful provides you with a robust database of support resources to help newbies get acquainted with the app.
Printful vs Kin Custom: Pricing
Let’s take a look at the pricing of these Print on Demand solutions.
Printful pricing
Printful had a couple of pricing plans earlier but very recently, they made the service free for all, that too with additional features.
So Printful is free. You only need to pay for the products, and shipping. Check out the pricing page for the latest on product and shipping costs.
Create & sell your own custom design products online with print-on-demand dropshipping.
Free signup • No order minimums • 258 products
Kin Custom pricing
Kin Custom is free to install. But, merchants take care of the shipping charges and costs when they sell an item. You can get custom branding for only $1.99 from 100 percent recycled materials.
Premium shipping costs $6.99 per item, this pricing doesn’t change regardless of volume. Whereas economy shipping costs $4.99 per item and takes more time to produce and ship.
Also, prices for individual clothing vary depending on the type of product. They have a list of product styles available, as well as their prices on their website.
Even more, Kin Custom offers white label branding at a cost.
Prices for their various services may change with time. You can visit their website for more information.
Verdict
Both platforms win in this one. They are both free to install without any monthly fees or subscriptions.
Printful And Kin Custom Similarities
Let’s go through some of the features that Kin Custom and Printful have in common.
- Kin Custom and Printful have numerous product offerings.
- They provide you with useful guides and resources on their products and services.
- You have access to multiple branding and printing options.
- Both platforms integrate with different eCommerce stores.
- They are both free to install
Kin Custom And Printful Differences
These platforms have their differences. Let’s have a look at them.
Advantages
These Print on Demand services come with their individual benefits. Let’s have a look.
Printful
- Printful has European and USA based warehouses. This gives you access to major consumer markets. They ship to most countries and regions worldwide including the USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, NZ, etc.
- They offer eCommerce platform integrations that allow you to automate your business.
- Printful provides a wide range of online resources that guide you on using their products and services.
- Damaged or lost products can be re-shipped.
- Printful offers numerous customizable branding options.
- There are no monthly subscriptions or fees.
- They offer an unlimited number of orders.
- You have access to a low-risk business model.
Kin Custom
- The platform has an interactive and easy-to-use interface.
- They provide quality prints.
- Kin Custom offers different custom branding options.
Disadvantages
No platform is perfect. These are not left out; they have their disadvantages.
Printful
- Printful has limited product selections. They focus on only categories like homewares, accessories, and apparel.
- They only provide a slim margin for drop shipped goods.
- You have limited branding options.
- Some products have limitations with regard to shipping areas.
Kin Custom
- Their return policy does not include sizing issues.
- You can’t cancel an order.
- Kin Custom offers limited white labeling options.
Final Thoughts: Kin Custom vs Printful
So this was Kin Custom vs Printful.
As you’ve seen from this comparison, both Printful and Kin Custom are good Print on Demand solutions.
Also, both of them have some excellent features. But, if you want me to comment which is better, Printful or Kin Custom, my answer will be Printful.
The platform is free to use and does not need any setup fee. Even more, they specialize in embroidery and take care of the production, shipping, and inventory of your customized shirts.
All of your products are created with your own designs.
Moreover, Printful sells more than T-shirts. They also sell hats, backpacks, posters, swimwear, and more.
Plus, you can either create your own designs or have your customers send their designs to you.