Sell Custom Merchandise with Printful on Squarespace
TL;DR:
- Connect Printful to Squarespace for print-on-demand merchandise without upfront costs
- Create custom products, set your prices, and Printful handles printing and shipping
- Works on all Squarespace plans that support selling products
- Customers pay you directly, Printful bills you separately for production
- Keep both platforms synced to avoid order and inventory issues
Getting Started with Printful Integration
Printful connects directly to Squarespace through the Custom Merch panel. You'll need a Squarespace site with Commerce functionality and either an existing Printful account or you can create one during setup.
Connect Your Accounts
Head to your Squarespace dashboard and find the Custom Merch panel. Click Connect and follow the prompts. If you don't have a store page yet, Squarespace will ask you to create one. Give it a name and set whether it's visible to visitors or hidden while you're setting up.
You'll then connect your Printful account or create a new one. Once connected, you can browse Printful's product catalog right from your Squarespace dashboard.
Create Your First Product
Pick a product from Printful's catalog and click Add Product. Upload your designs, add text, or place your logo where you want it. The key decision here is pricing. You need to cover Printful's base cost plus shipping, then add your profit margin.
Check what similar products sell for to make sure you're competitive. Once you're happy with the design and price, submit the product. It will automatically appear in your Squarespace store.
Setting Up Payments and Shipping
Payment Processing
You'll need to connect a payment processor before you can take orders. Squarespace Payments, Stripe, and PayPal all work well. Set this up through the Custom Merch panel by clicking Set up.
Shipping Configuration
This is where things get a bit more complex. Printful has different shipping rates depending on what you're selling and where it's going. You'll need to set up shipping options in Squarespace that cover these costs without overcharging customers.
If you're selling products that ship from different locations, consider setting up shipping profiles for each zone. This gives customers accurate shipping costs at checkout.
Tax Settings
Don't forget to configure tax rates based on where your customers are located. Squarespace handles this calculation, but you need to set the rates correctly for each region you're selling to.
Managing Orders and Products
Order Fulfillment
Once someone buys from your store, the order automatically goes to Printful for production and shipping. You can track order status in your Squarespace dashboard, and customers get updates as their order moves through the system.
Mixed Orders
If you sell both Printful items and other products, pay attention to how fulfillment notifications work. Customers might get confused if part of their order ships immediately while custom items take longer.
Product Updates
To change product details like titles or prices, edit them in Squarespace, then refresh the data in Printful. For design changes, update the files in Printful and they'll sync back to Squarespace.
To remove products completely, delete them from your Squarespace store first, then update Printful to keep everything aligned.
Common Issues and Solutions
Product syncing problems are the most frequent issue. If products aren't showing up correctly, check that all changes are saved in both platforms. Image and design updates need to happen in Printful, while pricing and descriptions are usually managed in Squarespace.
If orders aren't processing properly, verify that your payment processor is working and that shipping zones are set up correctly for your products.
FAQs
Can I sell Printful merchandise on any Squarespace plan?
Yes, it works on Business and Commerce plans, plus the newer Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced plans.
Do customers pay me directly for Printful products?
Yes, customers pay the retail price you set. Printful bills you separately for their production costs.
How do I fix syncing issues between Printful and Squarespace?
Make sure changes are updated in both platforms. For designs, update in Printful first. For pricing and descriptions, update in Squarespace.
How long does fulfillment take?
Printful typically takes 2-7 business days to produce items, plus shipping time. Check their current processing times as they can vary.
Jargon Buster
Print-on-Demand – Products are only made when someone orders them, so you don't need to buy inventory upfront
Syncing – Keeping information consistent between Squarespace and Printful
Fulfillment – The process of making and shipping orders to customers
Mockup – A preview image showing how your design looks on the actual product
Wrap-up
Printful integration removes most of the headaches from selling custom merchandise. You handle the marketing and customer service, while Printful deals with production and shipping. The setup takes a bit of work initially, especially getting shipping rates right, but once it's running smoothly you can focus on creating great designs and growing your business.
Keep an eye on your profit margins and don't forget to factor in payment processing fees when setting prices. Both platforms have good support documentation if you run into issues.
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