What does “dropshipping” mean?

Dropshipping is a business model where a seller offers products without keeping inventory. Instead of stocking items, the seller forwards customer orders to a fulfillment partner, who then produces and ships the product directly to the end customer.

This means the seller doesn’t need to store, pack, or ship products themselves, and there’s no upfront investment in inventory.

Is print-on-demand the same as dropshipping?

Print-on-demand (POD) is a type of dropshipping, but with an important difference: customization.

With print-on-demand, products are made only after a customer places an order and are customized with your designs. Printful produces the product, fulfills the order, and ships it directly to your customer on your behalf.

How Printful fits into this model

Printful is a print-on-demand and fulfillment service that follows the dropshipping model. You create and sell custom products in your online store, and when an order comes in, Printful:

• Produces the item with your design

• Packs the order

• Ships it directly to your customer

Why use print-on-demand with Printful?

Using Printful’s print-on-demand model allows you to:

• Sell custom-designed products without holding inventory

• Avoid upfront product costs

• Offer made-to-order items that are produced only when sold

This lets you focus on designing and marketing your products, while Printful handles production and fulfillment.