Before you connect a print on demand partner to your Etsy shop, ask how long production really takes, which print method and blank they use for each product, how they check quality, who pays for reprints and how tracking reaches Etsy. Those answers set your processing time, shape your listing copy and decide how your first problem order goes, so get them in writing before the first sale.
This is for sellers choosing a first production partner, or adding a second one for a new product. Etsy allows production partners, but the shop stays yours: the buyer, the review and any case land on you, not on the printer. Etsy's rule is that using production partners, including print on demand services, is allowed on Etsy, as long as the items being sold are the seller's original design (or the buyer's customization).
The checklist at a glance
| Topic | Question to ask | Why it matters on Etsy |
|---|---|---|
| Production time | How many business days from order to carrier, in a normal week and in peak season? | It sets your processing time and ship-by dates |
| Print method | Which method and which blank for each product? | Your description has to match what arrives |
| Files | What size, resolution and format do you need? | Wrong files print soft or with a white box |
| Quality checks | Who inspects each item before it is packed? | Fewer defect messages and fewer cases |
| Reprints | Who pays for misprints, damage and lost parcels? | You refund the buyer whatever the partner decides |
| Tracking | Does every order get tracking, and how fast does it reach Etsy? | US sellers need it to complete orders, and Star Seller counts it |
| Location | Where are orders for US buyers printed and shipped from? | Delivery time, duties and Purchase Protection |
| Costs | Are item cost and shipping shown separately before you pay? | Your margin on every order |
Production time and capacity
Ask for the number of business days between an order arriving and the parcel reaching the carrier, and ask again for the holiday season. Ask whether weekends and public holidays count, whether there is a daily cut-off, and what happens when a blank colour runs out.
On Etsy, the processing time is how much time you need to get an order ready to ship, and the ship-by date is the date you commit to ship. Processing starts the day after purchase, and once at least 5 orders have shipped, Etsy can show buyers your actual processing time based on the last 120 days. Set yours to the partner's real production time plus a buffer for your own checks, never to their best case. Etsy's customer service standards expect at least 80% of orders to ship on time, and our guide to what processing time to set for POD goes further.
Print method, blanks and files
Ask which method prints each product (DTF, DTG, sublimation or embroidery) and which exact blank it goes on: the brand, the style number and the fabric. One style is not always one fabric. Gildan's sheet for the 5000 lists several colours in cotton and polyester blends, and the Comfort Colors sheet asks you to allow for slight color variation in production and washing.
Then ask for the file specification. One provider recommends 300 DPI for JPEG and PNG files, and another notes that JPEG does not support transparency, so transparent areas can print as white. Ask for the print area per size as well, since a design can be scaled down on small sizes.
This matters because Etsy Purchase Protection does not cover cases where the item doesn't match the listing description. If you do not know the fabric, you cannot describe it.
Quality checks, reprints and lost parcels
Ask who looks at each item before it is packed, and what they check: placement, colour, smudges, the size label. Ask how personalized orders are proofread, since a misspelled name means a reprint whoever made the mistake, and whether you can order samples before you list. Our guide to ordering samples of your own products lists what to look at.
Then ask about problems, and get the answers in writing:
Who pays for a misprint, a wrong size or a wrong colour?
Who pays when an item arrives damaged, and what photos do they need?
What happens to a parcel lost in transit?
How long do you have to report a problem after delivery?
How fast is a reprint made, and does it wait in the normal queue?
Whatever the partner decides, the buyer deals with you. Etsy Purchase Protection can cover up to $250 of a refund in eligible cases, such as an order that never arrived. Among its conditions, the order must have shipped within your processing time with valid tracking or an Etsy label. Our guide to a POD order that arrives damaged or misprinted covers the conversation with the buyer.
Tracking, location and costs
Ask whether every parcel ships with tracking, which carriers they use, and how quickly the number reaches you or Etsy. For US sellers, adding tracking information is required to complete an order, orders need valid tracking to qualify for Star Seller and for Purchase Protection, and you have 3 days to correct a tracking number or carrier. Our guide to tracking numbers on Etsy explains the timing.
Ask where orders for US buyers are printed. If your shop is outside the US, Etsy's June 2026 update says that starting July 9, sellers outside of the US will need to account for all of their costs, including duties and import fees, and orders shipped without duties prepaid no longer qualify for Purchase Protection.
Finally, ask how costs are shown: item and shipping on separate lines, extras for back prints or larger sizes, and when you pay.
Disclosing the partner on Etsy
Once you choose, tell Etsy. Etsy says that if you work with a production partner, you must disclose that production partner in your relevant listings. You add one under Shop Manager, Settings, Partners you work with, with the partner's name, location and a description of how you work together. Etsy lets you hide the partner's name from buyers and show a descriptive title instead, such as "Apparel printer". Our guide to production partners on Etsy covers the rules in full.
How fulfillment works in Alomations
When you fulfill through Alomations, several of these answers sit on the orders screen instead of in an email thread. Etsy orders arrive resolved: the design and variant are matched, and the buyer's personalization text and photos are attached. Before you pay from your balance, the item cost and shipping are shown separately, and each order row says which print centre has the order. A partner cannot mark an order shipped without a tracking number, and tracking is posted back to Etsy where Etsy allows it. You can also print and ship an order yourself, and fulfillment is open on every plan, Free included.
On the product side, the catalog lists every product with its from price, and shipping is quoted separately. Our catalog products are printed with DTF for apparel and with sublimation for products that need it, and production for US orders is in the US. For anything else, write to our support team before your first sale.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to tell Etsy which production partner I use?
Yes. Etsy requires sellers using production assistance to share it on the listings concerned, and buyers can see your partners in your shop's About section.
Should my processing time match the partner's production time?
Set it a little longer. Your processing time covers everything until the parcel is ready to ship, including your own checks, and Etsy can later show buyers your actual processing time.
Who pays when a printed item arrives damaged?
That depends on the partner's policy, which is why you ask before you start. On Etsy, the refund to the buyer comes from your shop either way, unless the case qualifies for Purchase Protection.
Can I work with more than one production partner?
Yes. Etsy's partner settings have an option to add a new production partner, and you disclose the right partner on each listing it produces.
Start on the Alomations free plan to see the item cost, shipping and print centre of each order before you pay.
