Etsy Taps Printify, Printful Parent FYUL For New Digital-To-Print Sales Test
Etsy is looking to capture more sales from digital downloads with a new print-on-demand service that keeps physical product purchases on the marketplace, working with the parent company of Printify and Printful to sell printed versions of designs purchased from independent creators.
The company announced the digital-to-print test in September but did not identify the printing provider or say whether sellers would receive any additional compensation when their designs were printed. Sellers began investigating the arrangement themselves, with some tracing the Ventur Editions shop back to Printify.
In response to questions from Value Added Resource, Etsy has now confirmed that Ventur Editions is powered by FYUL, parent company of Printify, Printful and Snow Commerce, and that creators receive no additional compensation when buyers order printed versions of their designs.
The arrangement builds on a similar experiment Etsy ran with Printify and Shutterfly in 2022, when buyers were directed to the providers' external websites to order printed versions of their digital purchases. Etsy cited that earlier collaboration and FYUL's existing relationships with thousands of marketplace sellers when asked why it selected the company for the new test.
Liz Morton
This time, those purchases are completed on Etsy, adding to the company's gross merchandise sales (GMS) and generating additional marketplace fees. Etsy declined to disclose how many sellers are currently included in the test, making it difficult to gauge the potential financial impact.
Buyers of eligible digital downloads may see a pop-up offering to have their purchases printed on products such as posters, mugs and apparel. Additional "View Print Options" links appear on order confirmation and past purchases pages, directing customers to Ventur Editions listings where they can select a previously purchased design or upload their own image.
The printing order is a separate transaction, with Ventur Editions handling production, shipping and customer service. Printed products also have their own listings and reviews. The integrated referrals give FYUL access to buyers from other Etsy shops through promotional placements not currently offered to other print-on-demand sellers. Asked whether other providers might eventually be offered the same opportunity, Etsy said it is currently focused on testing this version of the service.
The company described the test as a way to make printing more convenient for buyers. "Today, buyers already print their digital purchases at home, at local print shops, or through online services," Etsy said. "This test explores how we can make that process more convenient by allowing buyers to order printed goods without leaving Etsy."
Some sellers have raised concerns that problems with Ventur Editions orders could still result in negative reviews for the original digital seller, even though they have no control over printing or fulfillment. Etsy's buyer help page specifically directs customers to leave reviews and request support through their Ventur Editions order, though it's unclear whether Etsy will offer the same review protections it provided during its 2022 test, when sellers were told they could report reviews relating solely to printing orders for possible removal.
Etsy says eligible digital sellers in the US and Canada may be included automatically unless they opt out, with sellers who already offer physical versions of the same designs or use their own print-on-demand integrations excluded.
Sellers can disable the printing offers through Shop Manager, but the opt-out applies to their entire shop rather than individual listings. Etsy says previously purchased files from opted-out shops will no longer appear as selectable printing options, though buyers can still upload downloaded files to Ventur Editions themselves.
Etsy says it expects buyers to follow the original seller's licensing restrictions when reproducing digital designs, but did not explain whether Ventur Editions verifies those permissions before printing uploaded files. The company also confirmed that Ventur Editions' listings are permitted under its Creativity Standards, which classify products personalized with buyer-supplied text or images and made by production partners as "Sourced by a seller."
