What This Tool Does
To calculate print on demand profit, subtract your base product cost, supplier shipping fee, platform transaction cut (such as Etsy's 6.5%), payment processing (3% + $0.25), and customer acquisition ad spend from your retail price. Use this free calculator to model exact profit margins for Printify, Printful, and Gelato.
How to Use It
- Choose your POD supplier preset (Printify, Printful, or Gelato) or enter custom blank and printing costs.
- Select your sales channel (Etsy, Shopify, or Amazon) to automatically apply marketplace fee rules.
- Enter the customer retail price and shipping charged to the buyer.
- Review complete fee breakdown, net dollar profit, margin percentage, and return on investment (ROI).
Worked Example: Bella+Canvas 3001 T-Shirt on Etsy via Printify
You sell a custom graphic t-shirt on Etsy for $28.00 with $4.99 shipping charged to the customer. Printify charges $8.33 for the printed Bella+Canvas 3001 tee and $4.99 for shipping.
| Etsy Transaction Fee (6.5%) | $2.14 |
| Etsy Payment Processing (3% + $0.25) | $1.24 |
| Etsy Listing Fee | $0.20 |
| Supplier Manufacturing Cost | $8.33 |
| Supplier Fulfillment Postage | $4.99 |
| Total Combined Deductions | $16.90 |
From a $32.99 customer payment, your net take-home cash profit is $16.09, delivering an outstanding 48.8% net profit margin.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming customer shipping covers supplier postage without accounting for the marketplace fee charged on that shipping.
- Offering free shipping without baking the $4.50 to $7.00 supplier postage cost into your retail listing price.
- Neglecting sales tax on supplier invoices by failing to submit an approved state resale exemption certificate.
- Failing to set aside a 3% to 5% reserve for occasional misprint reprints or transit loss.
- Underpricing Gildan 18000 sweatshirts or hoodies during Q4 seasonal peak shipping surcharges.
Last Reviewed: October 2026. Note: For marketplace fee schedules and policies, always verify on Etsy Seller Fees Policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a healthy profit margin for print-on-demand on Etsy?
Top POD sellers typically target a net dollar profit of $10.00 to $18.00 per item, which corresponds to a 35% to 50% net profit margin after all platform and supplier costs.
How do Printify and Printful fees compare in 2026?
Printify connects you to distributed print networks with base Bella+Canvas 3001 prices around $8.33 ($6.42 on Premium), while Printful fulfills in-house at around $10.75 with integrated branding and pack-in slips.
Does Etsy require disclosure of print-on-demand partners?
Yes! Under Etsy Creativity Standards, you must declare your production partner (e.g. Printify, Printful, Gelato) in your listing settings and shop profile.
Should I offer free shipping on print-on-demand products?
Free shipping boosts conversion in Etsy search, but you must increase your base retail price by at least $5.00 to absorb the provider shipping invoice.
How do sales taxes affect my POD margin?
Unless you submit an approved state resale certificate to Printify or Printful, they are legally required to charge sales tax on your production invoices.
Is my calculation data saved or transmitted to any server?
Never. ListingGuard calculates everything locally inside your web browser with zero remote tracking.