ULTIMATE Printify Product Sample Review for Etsy Sellers

[@StarlaMoore]

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[@Fillmore.Pockets]

Starla, on Printify, Is the MWW On Demand "Sherpa Fleece Blanket" the same thing as the "Crushed Velvet Blanket"? I only see a MWW Sherpa Fleece Blanket on Printify. I ordered a sample of the Sherpa Fleece and I think I got one of the bad ones you mentioned in the video or I just ordered the wrong MWW on Demand blanket.

[@suzannebeam6935]

Hi Starla, Marc and crew! My "regular" job is in software for the garment decoration industry so I can shed a little light on your chief complaints with your apparel products. These products are generally printing using DTG technology. On its own, this print will only adhere to thin, fully synthetic fabrics. In order to print DTG on cotton or cotton/poly blends, the garment needs to be chemically pre-treated, which can leave the "box stain" that is so apparent on your shirts. They're a common problem, caused by applying too much pre-treatment and/or applying too much pressure or heat when curing it prior to actual printing. The ways to remove box stains are washing two or three times, steaming it with a garment steamer or iron, or spraying with peroxide and tossing it in the dryer. I would consider including wash instructions in a print insert so the customer is aware of how to deal with box stains or find a POD printer that is taking the time/care to properly pretreat for DTG. The problem with POD is that they are working by volume, so "taking time and care" is likely not high on the priority list. The white outline you mentioned in the previous review is a printing error. Most dark color garments require an underbase of white to create rich, vibrant colors. Lack of an underbase is what can result in black or dark colors showing through the print (see the old versus new tees you compared with the same design). The older one appears to have been printed without underbase. My guess is that the printer had a misalignment by about 1/8 of an inch between the underbase print and the actual print. The white layer should NOT be visible. Hope this helps!

[@StarlaMoore]

Definitely useful information. Consider how difficult communicating all of this to customers would be, hopefully before a negative review is placed. We were able to get most of the square out of the prints with a single wash, but the sweatshirt feels as if it has a bit of the burn you described.

[@CarrieReagh]

Oh my gosh...this was incredibly valuable. Thank you for going through all that, including the info (PoD vendor), specific item purchased and all the good (and bad) deets. SO helpful. Thank you, guys!

[@Dareanddoit]

Yeeees, we want more videos like this! I' m curious about the Unisex Mineral Wash Shirt /Colortone 1300, the women's Racerback Tank/ Next Level and the difference between the candles in the catalog. Thank you!

[@Stumblingthroughlife]

Yes please keep doing reviews because it's important so our customers are happy.

[@TheGeekAuthority]

Very informational and loved the detailed enthusiasm you two bring to the presentation of the products. Also, it gives all of us an idea of what we can expect! Thanks Starla and Mark!

[@StarlaMoore]

You're so welcome!!! 💜 Hope you're both doing well!

[@CrystalCuddington]

These Product Sample Review videos are so helpful. Thank you for sharing your investment with us. Very generous of you and appreciated!

[@theswimmingowl]

Ok… I came for the honest reviews of the products but the laughs are the real gold here. You two are making my day better 😂❤

[@StarlaMoore]

You even got a sexy Starla striptease that you didn't ask for. 😂😂😂😂😂

[@theswimmingowl]

@@StarlaMoore exactly! 🤩 it’s a dream video!!!! 😂 I cannot stop giggling through this.

[@ChristopherKretz]

The goo on the Bella + Canvas is pre-treat for the DTG printing. I add a note to my orders and descriptions that it will be gone after the first wash.

[@karlamurphy9934]

This is my favorite video of yours! Honest, relatable, and helpful! 🤗🙏thanks!

[@juliageist3546]

I'm definitely going to check out the tumblers now! I had seen initial reviews that they weren't great, but with that coating it seems like they really stepped it up!!

[@StarlaMoore]

I've had great luck with them so far! Even the initial batch from a few months ago was pretty darn nice.

[@NicaMagsino-h5i]

Really helpful to us. Been wanting to knownif the product is good. Requesting also for product review on pillow, pillowcase, desk mat please. Thank you so much.

[@karen-fg]

Thank you for doing these! I’ve been onesies t about blankets, but will try the crushed velvet !

[@lbrent82]

I love your reviews! So detailed and honest. Super appreciate the effort that you guys go to!

[@StarlaMoore]

Thanks so much! 😍😍😍

[@CarolineJensen]

This is such a great video. Thank you for your honesty. I get SO frustrated with cheapy products that have to be marked up to make a profit. I wish the crushed velvet was easier mockup-wise.

[@StarlaMoore]

Honestly, they are SO nice to have around the house or to give as gifts that it's worth it to buy samples.

[@janedarc7731]

So helpful and humorous! Thanks! I’m just starting out with POD on Etsy and often wonder what the quality of the finished product will be. I plan on buying many samples when some funds free up a bit, but for now I’m just really grateful for folks like you, telling it how it is! You got a new sub!🙏😊

[@juliemaginn8573]

So entertaining! 😂 I loved the last video where you did the product tests, and this one was even better!! Thank you 😁

[@StarlaMoore]

You are so welcome! 😂😂😂

[@FrancisArstall]

Amazing video!👍👏 I just began my comic book collection and found Toon Haven. They have an incredible range of digital comics for every genre, including the hard to find ones. Lifetime updates too!

[@lazyowl9127]

Main reason I cant put my original artwork in my store. I continually order samples and EVERY time I'm disappointed. Colors are bad, crooked printing, etc.😢 Thanks for the video guys!! ❤

[@StarlaMoore]

Yeah, I was so happy with the improved quality of some items. But others (like the shirts, which I've sampled several times in the past) were such a bummer. I feel like samples would need to be ordered monthly to get a decent average quality.

[@karen-fg]

@@StarlaMooreI quit carrying anything that uses DTG. I received no complaints, but the anxiety about how they will turn out was too much. Also Lane Seven sweatshirt and hoodies are amazing !! I would own so so many, but are not in cold weather enough to wear them as they are so warm !!

[@firelightflow]

@StarlaMoore heyy! So...what shirts would you use instead? These big glue scratchy boxes sound awful...what shirt would you recommend instead? Im a new seller and i have only listed bella 3001 so far.. 😞

[@tarakendalcreations]

Thank you for this video! It is super helpful and you two are incredibly entertaining just by being yourselves. 💜

[@StarlaMoore]

Glad you enjoyed it! 😂💜💜💜

[@erinn5055]

"Looks more like a Jerry to me." I legit snorted, Marc. Thank you, I needed the laugh. 😂

[@StarlaMoore]

This is the man I live with. This is my daily struggle. Someday, I'll write a book about my pain. 😂

[@erinn5055]

I mean, my shop is built on dad jokes, so these are the jokes I live for! 🤣

[@nathaliemcnabb9065]

As always invaluable information, so grateful for these videos. Can always count on your guys to be objective and honest. I LOVE the blanket but never designed any. Would you have a video on the how-to ( or what NOT to) take in consideration for these? There was a mention about dark background doing best but also see you used many vibrant colors. Any fails you can share? Thank you again, from New Zealand, the land were samples often does not reach ;-)

[@41stAndSpeedway]

…🤣😂😅😂🤣This was hilarious!!! Such excellent content too! Honest, objective reviews can be difficult to come by. Always appreciate your honesty … with a Gypsy Rose Lee twist! 💃🏼

[@karen-fg]

I just flew with my canvas bag as a carryon, stuffed with so much stuff. But I use the adjustable strap ones.

[@pastelprintshop]

Enjoyed this video format, had a lot of laughs too, very entertaining you guys 🤣🙌

[@StarlaMoore]

Glad you enjoyed it! 🤣

[@trishely4895]

great video !! Thank you for sharing your reviews of each. For wrapping paper I have been selling the one from Stickers and Posters and have had great reviews from customers and the shipping and delivery times have been wonderful. I have not ordered a sample yet but no bad reviews from customers so far. I also have sold the makeup bag and yes that TAG is crazy large but yes it does tear out easy. I also love the hard cover journals! For the tumblers I have hidden most of mine just due to colors being out of stock most of the time sighs..... But yes love the review videos and BTW I like Five Below also :)

[@StarlaMoore]

We may need to try that option for our wrapping paper!!!

[@ashleyk2220]

Just curious if you’ll have done a review or could do a review on the 2 key rings Printify offers? Great video btw, very informative and gave me some new product ideas 😊

[@gaias1]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Two questions for you. 1) On the tumblers, we got a 15 oz tumbler sample yesterday, the 6th, and the decal/print started coming off when I rubbed it twice with my thumb. Did those tumblers feel the same or hold up better? 2) Which t shirts and provders do you recommend, at least for now? Thank you again.

[@AdaleCreates-oj1mw]

Thank you Starla & Marc! Thanks for sharing your reviews, very helpful 🫶

[@StarlaMoore]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@courtneydane2693]

Hey Starla, can you do an awkward styles haul? I wanna know more about them

[@marcocastillo1787]

Thanks for this video! I really like ordering tees from printify but I use awkward styles instead

[@-R-H-]

I love thick wrapping paper!

[@eveforeman6014]

From my experience with t-shirts with the DTG print, that square is from the pre-treatment followed by a heat press that's used to smooth out the print area.

[@nerdy_kitten]

6:14 I HEAR YOU. One of my favorite shirts is actually from Five Below! Haha Also - any idea if they still use Sherpa for the blanket? I just looked at the images on the product info page and it looks like it's that alternative lightweight fluff you were talking about that wasn't as high quality.

[@cryschapman]

Spoke cost me almost $600 in refunds over the holiday from orders from Black Friday to Christmas and by the time I was aware of the issues I had sold so much. Something definitely changed

[@histrus42]

Great video thanks, just one question… how can you price a sticker $3 when they charge just for shipping $4.29? Did I miss something? Thanks

[@AlcindoCorreaFilho]

Interesting, I'm using these wrapping paper but mine always came in a box and no tape. I always asked for a sample every time I started a new product line/group. Anyway, it is a good idea to get the samples before even try to put a product in the market. Nice review guys.

[@StarlaMoore]

Always! I sample every item before attempting to sell, but unfortunately, popularity of items over time likely causes high levels of demand that suppliers just can't keep up with. Which is why we saw so much variance in quality between this sample haul vs our holiday haul. Definitely frustrating to deal with when you've found a great supplier who slowly begins to slide backward in quality.

[@katieserra6492]

Can you get a sample for free or do you have to buy it?

[@miafarmer1328]

Super fun video! Can you show the inside of the District Photo journal on Friday Bean? I'll def be there :)

[@bryanwaldron9076]

What do you price your stickers at? Seems like they would have to priced pretty high to cover shipping and production cost

[@StarlaMoore]

Not to mention, we pay a small commission to the authors per our licensing agreement. Even at the high price point, they are our most sold items. We charge between $3-$5 per sticker + shipping. Most customers pay around $8 for large stickers with shipping.

[@NobukoChirsa]

You’ve convinced me to give it a go

[@RashaGiabucci]

Super helpful, totally worth watching!

[@Alexis-s1d]

Definitely going to try that, thanks

[@alaskangraphicdesign]

I would try the new Mars Tumbler Matte! They’re thicker, with a screw on, closing lid and they feel more “premium” for lack of a better word.

[@StarlaMoore]

We definitely plan to test them out soon! My hope was that everyone would switch to the new Maars tumblers so the popular OG colors would come back in stock. lol!

[@alaskangraphicdesign]

@@StarlaMoore Lol! That would be awesome! 😂

[@gilmerpuckett5727]

How are Monster Digital with the Gildan and Bella Canva products? That's who I have been using and I have only been open about 8 months and gotten great reviews so far and I usually always use swift POD, MWW and Monster Digital.

[@StarlaMoore]

Hi, Michelle here! Starla and I haven't used Monster Digital for our shop, but I do use them for my other Etsy shops and have never had any quality issues with them.

[@LatrinaWafeeqa]

absolutely incredible info! thank you so much

[@StephFuses]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for reviewing the blankets. I've been thinking about adding a couple to my shop, but I didn't want to add something of an inferior quality. I've been meaning to have one made for me, and this since the deal that I'm going to get one made so I can test it myself. As far as the POD stickers go, have you considered fulfilling the orders yourself by having stickers printed? Or is that a no-go because you're too busy? I ship and mail stickers, and while it's a bit of work, some sticker printers do really beautiful work.

[@StarlaMoore]

Right now due to time, it is best to do POD for my shop, but thanks for the suggestion.

[@brandywhite3652]

I realize this is a little different process, but when I do DTF on shirts for my local shop I get the dreaded square from the heat press. If you try everything and can't get rid of it than I use a small cricut mini iron and fade out the edges around the square. Just remember to keep your iron moving in circles and a low temp close to 275. A home iron around the edges will work too just don't hit the image.

[@StarlaMoore]

This works for personal purchases but the issue is communicating these issues with customers.

[@abbyscreativescape]

Awesome! Question: I redid a bunch of tags and my listings have been live for around two months. Should I just renew them to see if the new titles and tags work? Also one shop doesn't repeat any words in the SEO while the other shop repeats the keyword of what the item is. Is this okay?

[@CryptidMom]

Loved the video!! I'm a bit bummed about the SwiftPOD quality... one of my favorite designs (that I got a sample of) is from them. I have another design using the same shirt style and I'm about to order a sample because now I am worried about it! :(

[@StarlaMoore]

That's why we always order samples-to make sure about how they will look for customers that purchase.

[@jmelwak3]

tumblers definitely looks to be UV printed with UV clear on top. Thanks for sharing these. DTG for dark garments require a pretreat and heat for the white ink to show up on black or dark garments hence the discolored square. Some vendors do this better than others. Different pretreats yield different results. When i was doing dtg i used stuff that you can barely see had no smell and was mixed with water but completely washes away after the first wash. Always had issues with customer getting shirts like this almost as if its not a finished product without the wash. I have dtg shirts that are 5 years old still look great though.

[@eveforeman6014]

The real shiny/laquered tumblers remind me of the ones Printful sells.

[@HaywardHarry]

YES! JUST WHAT I NEEDED, TY!!!

[@TakajinTsukamoto]

ill definitely try that, thanks!

[@tarablyinspired]

Was the square on the Tshirt not there before? I'm getting ready to relaunch my shirt POD shop and I loved the Bella and Canvas Tshirts! I used Monster Digital for printing before and was happy with them but I'm thinking about switching to a Canadian based company instead.

[@StarlaMoore]

Not on our prints from holiday time. This is the first time we've seen the squares.

[@JacinthaYanshi]

I appreciate you for sharing this, excellent!

[@RiseNakamura]

That’s fantastic, thanks for sharing!

[@danalynnthompson5351]

Hi! I left a comment and now I don't see it, so I'm sorry if this is a repeat. Thank you so much for this review!!! I am new to POD so have not seen a lot of samples. I ordered a black and a white Bella+Canvas 3001 t-shirt from Monster Digital and a black and a white sweatshirt from Swift POD. I did not see the "box stain" on any of the products, but I did have the white outline on both the black t-shirt and the sweatshirt even though they came from different providers. I'm just curious how Swift POD (9.2) has a better rating than Underground Threads (8.3) on Printify. Someone else mentioned Awkward Styles on here which has a 7.9 rating. The hard part for me if I decide to switch from Swift POD is that they are one of only two who do the sleeve printing that is so popular now. Any thoughts? Also really appreciated your review of the journals and blankets! Those look amazing!

[@StarlaMoore]

Ratings on Printify are based on three factors: Quality, Production Speed, and Stock Reliability. Some great supplies have lower scores due to a slow production speed or having out of stock issues. If you click on the rating in Printify for the supplier for the product, it will show you the breakdown of the rating.

[@danalynnthompson5351]

@@StarlaMoore Thank you for the reply! That makes sense. I appreciate all the information you give us. ☺️

[@Bebevegetto]

On another note, is it possible to have too many product options in your store? How many would you recommend as a beginning shop owner?

[@StarlaMoore]

It absolutely is. Tons of sellers find themselves in a pit of renewal fees for items that aren't selling. Printify frequently recruits me to discuss niching with their audience for this exact reason. Not to mention, too many choices = choice fatigue for customers (check out the book "The Paradox of Choice" for additional insights). I do have a short video on my channel that outlines the pitfalls of offering "too much": kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4rOc4V5ed-embs

[@Bebevegetto]

@@StarlaMoore very appreciated as always🙏🏽

[@stephday6426]

As someone that is already SJM licenced this was more of a shopping list video than anything else for me. What's your etsy? I need that tote bag 😂

[@StarlaMoore]

Here is the shop address: www.etsy.com/shop/BooksAndColdBrews?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

[@HayakaYamaoka]

Wow, fantastic video. Thanks a lot!

[@KCLyn565]

I had a similar experience with samples during the holidays. I think the print providers get rid of defects in holiday orders.

[@KCLyn565]

I also think they hire temp/seasonal employees that might not be as good as the all year employees.

[@marciaj.7735]

Awesome..very helpful....more please!😊

[@danaparsonsliquidcosmosart2669]

This was great I've been so curious about these things

[@75kym]

Hi, guys! That sticky feeling in the box shape on the tees is likely pretreat spray. It should wash out, unless the heat press was too hot/too long. At our shop we spray the edges with distilled water to soften it up before shipping. They may have used too much, though.

[@StarlaMoore]

I definitely think so because it didn't wash out after the first pass through the washer. Communicating this to customers is going to be a huge concern.

[@75kym]

@@StarlaMooreugh, that’s awful. I’m deactivating my SwiftPOD stuff.

[@Mifutochirikika]

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing

[@LeaVario]

very helpful, worth the watch

[@davidjessamy7904]

Thanks for the reviews. Very helpful. 😊

[@StarlaMoore]

Thanks for watching! 😍😍😍

[@sale2723]

Hi, which suppliers offer affordable and various branding options?

[@StarlaMoore]

I would suggest researching yourself. I personally have only used Printify and Printful.

[@Bebevegetto]

@17:00 I created sooo many products under swift pod, especially variations selection. Is it a good idea to delete those and start with underground?

[@StarlaMoore]

That's entirely up to you. I would make sure you're testing items for yourself though, just to be sure.

[@KKaraSimpalla]

Thank you, really helped me!

[@AzevedoGerhardt]

THANKS A BUNCH, AMAZING VIDEO!!!

[@AkashiKaneko]

wow, great video. thanks so much

[@LeonelleWesley]

Nice vid thank you for sharing with us

[@annemarieenoch7363]

The printify link for the blanket doesn't have anything regarding the sherpa back in the item description. I feel that's pretty important. Am I missing something?

[@StarlaMoore]

Yeah, they don't mention it! Which is odd. But they are definitely sherpa backed.

[@AhmedMuhibor]

Nice. thanks for sharing

[@sioux139]

Is it possible the white tumblers are sublimation and the color tumblers are using DTF print?

[@StarlaMoore]

This is possible but these were the exact same items we ordered a few months ago, so the method that the tumblers were previously printed with has been completely replaced... which is awesome because the new tumblers are great. It does mean that I need to order samples of previous items I'd photographed though, as the previous versions don't have the nice glossy look.

[@magickmica]

🌟Thank You.🌠These product reviews ✴are ⭐so 🤩Helpful!!!!!!

[@StarlaMoore]

You are so welcome!

[@Somerset608]

thats amazing, ty for sharing

[@MerrilyJacobs]

AWESOME it really helped me

[@Alpha-zf5bs]

to bad the Printify MWW on Demand Crushed Velvet Blanket were discontinued

[@FitQTees]

I have not been happy with the print quality on the Tshirts from SwiftPOD lately. Cracking after a couple of washes.

[@StarlaMoore]

Yeah, I hear this so often. I don't trust the company. It seems like way too much slips through the cracks.

[@shonahall1689]

I have many listings up with swiftpod, if I want to choose another pod can I just swap?

[@thefablednook]

this was hilarious! love you guys

[@WadhaPetruszka]

You are AWESOME!!! TY

[@KhuzaymahMuslim]

amazing vid!!! ty

[@Wondrixplore]

you are amazing, thank you for sharing

[@AmberSeymourUrbanTimberRevival]

Great vid, thank you!

[@StarlaMoore]

My pleasure!

[@SalazarBeniesh]

TY!!! AWESOME

[@RoseClell]

great content. ty

[@lazyowl9127]

PS..I have had good quality on Tees and Sweatshirts using Awkward Styles directly or thru Printify. Swift POD not good.

[@StarlaMoore]

We are planning to order some samples. Because I'm not at all happy with this most recent tee order.

[@nitrapalmer]

That was very helpful, thank you for sharing! Also wanted to mention having high resolutions vs low resolution png uploads will impact the print quality- something to keep in mind. I like the glitter tumblers and the blankets, really pretty.

[@shonahall1689]

Great idea re-reviewing. I had the same thoughts in the tumblers so will give them another go, although they did spend a long time out of stock. Maybe they were improving them and removed temporarily?

[@EstherArmstrong-uk9pc]

thanks love this

[@StarlaMoore]

You're welcome!

[@Jessicaboylen]

I carry those t-bottom totes and HATE that big ugly tag inside.

[@StarlaMoore]

At least it ripped easily. 😂 More easily than I expected, apparently. lol!

[@PaesanoPride]

What suppliers were used? Printify gives you choices…

[@StarlaMoore]

They are all listed in the video when each item is showcased.

[@EvilSquirrel83]

I did a sample haul and the quality was so disappointing that I'm screen printing them myself 😅

[@TheHoodProphet]

I’m cracking up 😂

[@AndrewLaSane]

I didn't hear anything after "I have a big butt"

[@StarlaMoore]

Gotta speak the truth here. 😂

[@katieserra6492]

The products you aren't impressed with are you going to not list them afterall?

[@StarlaMoore]

Some of them! We definitely aren't listing the pants. They are awful. The tees, we are listing but we are also including specific wash instructions in our customer communication to ensure that buyers know what to expect.

[@CBestPal]

🤩

[@CaroMadeline]

Thank you, really helped me!