# Printful and Printify bulk prep: per-product specs done right

URL: https://helpcenter.readypixl.com/articles/printful-printify-bulk-prep
Markdown: https://helpcenter.readypixl.com/articles/printful-printify-bulk-prep.md
Section: Workflows
Summary: End-to-end recipe for Printful and Printify — per-product templates with different sizes. Save one preset per product type and switch as you go.

This is an example workflow for print-on-demand sellers. Printful and Printify both use **per-product templates**. A t-shirt has different specs than a mug. A mug has different specs than a phone case. There's no single magic size that works across their whole catalog.

The good news: ReadyPixl handles this with **one preset per product type**. Set up the spec once, save the preset, run on every batch of that product. Switch presets when you switch products.

This article walks the recipe + lists the most-common product specs.

## Printful and Printify specs

**Always check the platform's design template page for the exact product you're prepping** — both platforms publish per-product templates with the precise pixel dimensions, and specs change occasionally.

**Printful's general guidance:**

- Standard t-shirt design area: **12″ × 16″** (3600 × 4800 px at 300 DPI). Some larger DTG products: 15″ × 18″ (4500 × 5400 px at 300 DPI).
- Resolution: **150–300 DPI** (150 is enough; 300 is the max — going higher just bloats the file)
- Format: **PNG** for transparent backgrounds (DTG printing requires it), JPEG for images
- Color profile: **sRGB**

**Printify** uses a similar per-product template approach, with sizes that can vary depending on which print provider in their network you're using. Check the product page on Printify for the exact spec.

**For both:** open the product page on the platform → look for the **"File guidelines"** or **"Design template"** download. That's the only authoritative source.

(Source: Printful help center, "What is DPI, resolution and actual print file size?" + per-product file guideline pages.)

## The pipeline

The pipeline is the same shape as the Amazon Merch pipeline — what changes is the canvas size in the Reposition step.

| Step | Tool | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **Color Removal V2** | Removes the solid background color (use AI Background Removal if the background isn't one solid color) |
| 2 | **Trim** | Cuts off the empty edges |
| 3 | **Reposition** | Places the design on the product's specific canvas size at 300 DPI |
| 4 | (Optional) **Watermark Image** | For theft deterrence on shared previews |

## Step-by-step (using t-shirts as example)

1. **Open the editor.** Go to readypixl.com.
2. **Drop your design folder in.**
3. **Add Color Removal V2.** The default preset handles most solid-background designs; nudge the preset (Low/Medium/High) or Base Threshold if needed.
4. **Add Trim.** Defaults are fine.
5. **Add Reposition.** Settings (for standard t-shirts at Printful's 12″ × 16″ DTG print area):

   - Unit: **px**
   - Canvas Width: **3600**
   - Canvas Height: **4800**
   - DPI: **300**
   - Alignment: **Center**
   - Inside Padding: a small amount

   (For Printful's larger 15″ × 18″ DTG products, use **4500 × 5400** instead. Check the specific product's File guidelines page for the exact spec.)
6. **Click Download All.** Output zip ready to upload.
7. **Save as a preset.** Critical for this workflow — name it *"Printful t-shirts"* or similar.
8. **For each new product type, repeat steps 5-7 with that product's spec.** Save each as its own preset:

   - "Printful standard t-shirts" — 3600 × 4800 (12″ × 16″)
   - "Printful large DTG t-shirts" — 4500 × 5400 (15″ × 18″)
   - One preset per other product you sell, using each product's published file guideline
   - etc.

Once your preset library exists, the workflow per batch is: load the right preset → drop designs → Download All. 30 seconds.

## Tips for working across multiple product types

- **Set up presets in advance** for every product you sell. The first time setup takes 15-20 minutes total. Every batch after is one-click.
- **Name presets clearly.** "Printful t-shirts," "Printify mugs 11oz," etc. When you have 10+ presets, naming matters.
- **For products with a wide canvas (like mugs)**, your designs need to be designed for that aspect ratio. A square design centered on a wrap mug template (2700 × 1110) leaves a lot of empty side space — usually that's fine, but plan for it.
- **For asymmetric products (phone cases with notches)**, download Printful/Printify's actual design template (with notch cut-outs visible) and design within those bounds. ReadyPixl handles the bulk transformation; the design itself needs to fit the product.
- **Watch file sizes.** Big canvases × big batches = big zips. 200 t-shirts at 4500 × 5400 PNG ≈ 1-2 GB.

## Differences between Printful and Printify

Both follow the same per-product template pattern, but:

- **Printful** tends to publish more detailed product templates (with bleed lines, safe zones marked).
- **Printify** publishes templates per product and per print provider — the same product (e.g., t-shirt) can have slightly different specs depending on which print provider in their network you're using.

For both, **always check the actual product page on the platform** before locking in your preset. Specs occasionally update.

## Tips for the design itself (before ReadyPixl)

- **Design at the target spec from the start** — opening a 1000 × 1000 design and trying to upscale it to 4500 × 5400 doesn't work as well as designing at 4500 × 5400 originally.
- **Use a print-friendly font.** Some thin or extreme fonts don't print well. Stick with weights and styles that have body to them.
- **Check colors against the print provider's color limits.** Some print methods (DTG vs DTF vs sublimation) handle bright colors differently. Both platforms' product pages include this info.

## What to do if a design comes out wrong

Same troubleshooting as [Amazon Merch bulk prep](amazon-merch-bulk-prep). The pipeline is the same — only the canvas size changes per product.

## What to read next

- **[The pipeline concept](../getting-started/pipeline-concept)**
- **[Reposition](../pipelines/reposition)** — for the canvas-sizing details
- **[Amazon Merch bulk prep](amazon-merch-bulk-prep)** — single-spec workflow
- **[Etsy design prep](etsy-design-prep)** — for prepping product images (vs designs)