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Watch the video: “How to Create Custom Print-on-Demand Listings on Etsy with Printify” by @moneywithmak
If shoppers come to Etsy for one thing, it’s personalization. In this guide, we’ll walk through a proven workflow—choosing a custom-ready product in Printify, building a base template in Canva, manually creating your Etsy listing with personalization enabled, and fulfilling each order via Printify’s Other orders flow. It’s simple, repeatable, and set up for profit once your template is in place.
What you’ll learn
- How to pick a custom-friendly product in Printify (like the teddy bear with a T-shirt) and why going beyond apparel can help you stand out.
- How to pull exact print file dimensions from Printify and design a flexible base template in Canva.
- How to manually create an Etsy listing and switch on the personalization field so buyers can add their text.
- How to handle fulfillment: update the design, import the order in Printify, and ship—without auto-syncing a product.
Understanding Custom POD Listings: Why They Matter Personalized products are a revenue unlock on Etsy because buyers expect customization and are willing to pay for it. The video demonstrates a complete process for creating a manual listing that accepts personalization, then fulfilling each order through Printify. This approach offers control: you decide how the listing looks, what information you collect, and how to handle the design edits per order.
The Power of Personalization Personalization elevates your offer from “another product” to “my product.” With a clear area reserved for custom text and thoughtful mockups showing where the text appears, customers know exactly what to expect. The tutorial uses a teddy bear with a customizable T-shirt, and a base design that reads “Sending you a hug,” with a text placeholder for the buyer’s name or message.
Etsy vs. Shopify for Custom Orders The workflow here is shown for Etsy, but the creator notes it works similarly for Shopify. The key difference with this custom approach: you don’t publish a synced Printify product. Instead, you create your Etsy listing manually and fulfill orders by bringing the updated design into Printify when an order arrives. This keeps your listing flexible and focused on personalization.
Choosing Your Product on Printify
Picking the right product matters. In the video, the creator intentionally skips saturated categories like t-shirts and sweatshirts to explore less crowded options. A teddy bear with a customizable T-shirt becomes the hero product—visually adorable, giftable, and built for personalization.
Beyond T-Shirts: Unique Customization Ideas If you’re looking to stand out, consider categories that get less traffic but spark stronger buyer intent—think ornaments, cards, canvas prints, or plush items with a print area. The teddy bear offers a defined print zone on its shirt, making it clear where custom text lives.
Finding Print File Requirements When you click Start designing on the Printify product page, look for the Print file requirements panel. This tells you the accepted file types, max file size, and exact print area dimensions for your design. In the video, the print area is referenced as 5.75 x 6 inches for the teddy bear’s T-shirt, and supported formats include JPG, PNG, SVG, and PDF.
Designing Your Template in Canva A base template can save you hours over time. The tutorial creates a core design—“Sending you a hug”—and leaves a clear text placeholder like “Your text here” to show buyers where their personalization will be placed. This template becomes your master file for every order.
Crafting the Base Design The creator uses Canva to set up a clean, legible design. If you bring in graphics or fonts from Creative Fabrica (as mentioned in the video), make sure you have a commercial license. Keep your layout simple and legible at the final print size, and make sure the personalization area is obvious in your mockups so customers know exactly what they’re getting. magnetic embroidery hoops
Resizing for Perfection If you have Canva Pro, use the Resize feature to match the exact print area dimensions provided by Printify. The tutorial inputs 5.75 inches wide by 6 inches high, then adjusts the layout so nothing is cropped or distorted. If you don’t have Pro, you can still create a new canvas with the correct size and move your elements over.
Pro tip Before you leave Canva, rename the file clearly as your reusable template (for example, “sending a hug bear t-shirt custom template”). This makes it easy to find and edit when orders roll in.
Watch out Forgetting to check Transparent background when you download a PNG can leave a white box on the printed product. Select PNG and tick Transparent background every time.
Quick check
- Is the design aligned and legible at full size?
- Is the personalization area clearly indicated in your mockups?
- Does your font license cover commercial use?
Setting Up Your Etsy Listing for Personalization
With your mockups ready, it’s time to create the Etsy listing manually. The video shows downloading Printify mockups (Save image as) to upload to Etsy. You can use these, or elevate them by bringing the images into Canva and adding backgrounds or helpful annotation to stand out in search.
Manual Listing Creation Because we’re not publishing directly from Printify, the listing must be created in Etsy. Add your images, a descriptive title, and relevant tags. The description should clearly state that the product is personalized and how buyers should provide their text. The tutorial notes that you can even order a sample to take your own photos—a great way to differentiate your listing in a crowded category. embroidery machine hoops
The Crucial ‘Personalization’ Toggle Scroll to the Personalization section of the Etsy listing editor and turn it on. The creator explicitly leaves “Personalization is optional” unchecked so the field is required at checkout. Add straightforward instructions, like “Please add the text you would like printed on the shirt.” This reduces back-and-forth messaging and speeds fulfillment. Etsy also displays a character limit; in the video, it shows 256 characters.
From the comments
- Several viewers asked how to list something that buyers can personalize—the answer lives here: enable Personalization and provide clear instructions.
- Others asked about shipping settings (size, weight, ship-from). The video doesn’t specify this; if you need guidance, check your chosen print provider’s documentation, or consult Etsy’s shipping profiles for generalized settings. The tutorial keeps focus on the personalization workflow rather than shipping specifics.
Fulfilling Custom Orders with Printify Here’s where the magic happens. When you receive an Etsy order, you’ll see the buyer’s personalization text. You’ll then update your Canva template, export a new PNG with transparent background, and bring that final file into Printify to fulfill the order.
Editing Designs for Each Order Open your master Canva file and swap in the customer’s text—e.g., “Love, Lily & Mike.” Download the updated PNG with transparent background to keep the garment color intact. The video shows a live example of editing the text and saving the new version.
Importing Orders from Etsy to Printify Because you didn’t publish a synced product for this listing, the Etsy order will appear in Printify under Other orders. From there, select the relevant order, choose Select product, and attach your draft product (the teddy bear you saved as a draft with your base design). Replace the artwork with your updated PNG, verify shipping details, and click Import order to send it to production. The video demonstrates this flow but does not press the final button to avoid sending a live order.
Alternative: Add Custom Text Directly in Printify You can also upload a base design without text and add the customer’s personalization using Printify’s Custom text option. This is faster, but be mindful of font availability in Printify; if it doesn’t match your mockups, it may change your product’s look. The tutorial shows where to access Custom text in the editor.
Watch out
- Double-check the personalization text against the order before importing—typos equal remakes.
- If using Printify’s text tool, ensure the font appearance aligns with what you show on Etsy. Mismatches can cause confusion.
Troubleshooting snapshot
- Order not showing in Other orders: The video confirms that custom Etsy orders flow into Other orders when your store is synced to Printify, even without an attached product. If an order doesn’t appear, the video doesn’t provide additional causes or fixes.
- Upscaling files: A commenter asked about upscaling. The video does not specify any upscaling steps. Stick to the Printify print file requirements and the exact dimensions provided for the product.
Tips for Success with Custom POD Optimizing Mockups Unique, high-quality mockups win clicks. While you can use Printify’s defaults, adding background context or callouts in Canva (e.g., “Add your name here”) helps communicate value at a glance. The creator mentions you can order a sample for photography if you want the most distinctive visuals. embroidery hooping station
Managing Customer Expectations
- Use your description to set boundaries on what can be personalized (e.g., text only, no image uploads) and how formatting works (case, symbols, character limits).
- The video shows making personalization mandatory on Etsy so customers can’t check out without entering their text. That alone reduces message volume and delays.
- Keep your Canva template named and organized—faster edits mean faster turnaround.
From the comments: what the community asked (and what the video covers)
- “How do you post custom listings?” The video shows creating the listing manually in Etsy and enabling Personalization; it does not cover selling transfers or non-POD shirts from home.
- “Mockup tutorial?” The creator references having a mockup video but doesn’t teach it here.
- “Returns?” The creator replied there is a separate video on their channel about returns, not covered in this tutorial.
- “Shipping dimensions/weight?” Not specified in the video; use your provider’s documentation or Etsy’s shipping tools.
Your repeatable checklist 1) Choose a product in Printify and note the print area and file requirements. 2) Build a base template in Canva with a clear personalization placeholder. 3) Export PNG with Transparent background. 4) Upload to Printify and save the product as a draft (don’t publish). 5) Create your Etsy listing manually, upload mockups, and enable required Personalization with clear instructions. 6) When an order arrives, edit your template with the buyer’s text, export, attach the design to your Printify draft in Other orders, and import the order for fulfillment.
Micro-wins that add up
- Clear naming conventions for templates and exports save minutes per order.
- One strong lead image improves click-through.
- Required Personalization reduces back-and-forth messaging.
If you’re diversifying product lines The exact method scales to any Printify item that supports custom designs. You can repeat the workflow across seasons and occasions, or for entirely different product categories beyond plush. The video also notes this applies similarly on Shopify, provided your store is connected so orders appear in Printify’s Other orders. magnetic frames for embroidery machine
FAQ Do I need Canva Pro? Not strictly—Canva Pro’s Resize feature makes dimension changes quick. Without Pro, create a new canvas sized to Printify’s exact dimensions and paste in your design.
How do custom orders sync between Etsy and Printify? Custom listings aren’t published from Printify. You make the listing in Etsy, and when an order arrives, it appears in Printify’s Other orders tab (as shown in the video) if your store is synced. You then attach your draft product and updated design.
Can I offer personalization on other Printify products? Yes. The process isn’t limited to the teddy bear—apply it to any product with a print area. The video does not list all eligible products, but the method is the same.
Final thought Custom POD is about clarity and repeatability. Nail your template once, write crystal-clear listing instructions, and the rest is a smooth, scalable workflow—design, import, fulfill, repeat. mighty hoop