SuanSupplyHow do you calculate print on demand profit?
Print on demand profit = what the buyer pays − marketplace fees − the print company's base cost − its shipping. You don't hold stock, so there is no inventory cost, but the base cost is much higher than buying in bulk, which leaves less room for fees.
Example with the calculator's default numbers (the same tee as our Printful vs Printify guide): a Bella+Canvas 3001 tee sold on Etsy for US$25 with free shipping, made by Printful for US$11.92 plus US$4.95 shipping. Etsy takes US$1.63 (6.5%), US$1.00 processing (3% + US$0.25) and the US$0.20 listing fee, US$2.83 in total. You keep US$5.30, a 21.2% margin. The break-even price is US$19.14.
What fees does Etsy charge on a print on demand sale?
The same as any Etsy sale: a US$0.20 listing fee each time an item sells and renews, a 6.5% transaction fee on the item price and the shipping you charge, and payment processing that depends on where your bank account is (3% + US$0.25 in the US, 3% + C$0.25 in Canada for domestic and US orders, 4% + £0.20 in the UK). If the sale came from an Offsite Ad, add 15% (12% for shops over US$10,000 a year), capped at US$100. Check any Etsy sale in detail with our Etsy fee calculator.
What does Shopify charge on a print on demand sale?
Only the card fee on each order (2.9% + 30¢ on Basic in the US) plus your monthly plan. The same US$25 tee on Shopify Basic keeps about US$7.10 before the plan fee, but you bring your own traffic. Put the plan fee under "Monthly costs to cover" with your expected sales to spread it, or compare plans in the Shopify fee calculator.
What is a good print on demand profit margin?
There is no single right number. What matters is that the profit per sale covers your time, your design costs and any ads, with room for a discount. Use the break-even price as your floor, then test prices above it. If the margin is thin, try a lower base cost (another print provider or a different blank), charge for shipping, or raise the price on designs that sell.
Printful or Printify?
Printify is cheaper per item on the same blank; Printful is more consistent because it prints in its own facilities. Both are free to start and both connect to Etsy and Shopify. Read the side-by-side numbers in our Printful vs Printify guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate print on demand profit?
Take what the buyer pays (price plus shipping you charge) and subtract the marketplace fees, the print company's base cost and its shipping. The calculator does it per sale and per month.
How much does Etsy take on a US$25 print on demand tee?
With free shipping in the US: US$1.63 transaction fee, US$1.00 payment processing and the US$0.20 listing fee, US$2.83 in total (as of October 12, 2026). Offsite Ads add 12% or 15% if the sale came from one.
Is Printful or Printify cheaper?
Printify, on base price for the same blank tee in our October 2026 comparison. Printful prints in its own facilities, which makes quality more consistent.
Should I charge for shipping or offer free shipping?
Either works for profit as long as the total covers the print company's shipping. Etsy's transaction fee applies to shipping too, so the fees are similar either way.
Does this include taxes?
No. Sales tax and VAT collected by the marketplace and currency conversion are not included.
This calculator gives estimates for planning. Marketplaces and print companies change their prices; check them before you set a price. We are not affiliated with Etsy.