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Printful

Print-on-Demand ManufacturingFounded 2013
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026
Independent Editorial Analysis
7 historical events · Editorial analysis

Printful Company Profile: Revenue, Business Model & Strategy

Research depth: 7 milestones · 10 FAQs

Printful is a private print-on-demand company founded in 2013 by Lauris Liberts and Davis Siksnans. It last reported revenue of more than $289 million (2021), merged with Printify in 2024, and is part of FYUL under CEO Alex Saltonstall.

How Printful makes money: Printful earns money on each item it produces. A seller connects a store on Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, Wix, WooCommerce or another platform, uploads designs and sets retail prices.

Revenue & employeesCEO historyFoundersBusiness model
Annual Revenue (FY2021)$289M
Employees2,000
CEOAlex Saltonstall
Founded2013
IndustryPrint-on-Demand Manufacturing
By Swet ParvadiyaLast reviewed:
Data sources: annual reports, SEC filings, methodology
Industry:Print-on-Demand Manufacturing

Printful key figures

Printful had revenue of $289M for fiscal year 2021, up 38.9% from FY2020.

Source: Printful press release · Last reviewed October 2026

Revenue growth, FY2018 to FY2021
+55.1% a year
Compound annual rate, $77.4M to $289M
Peak revenue year
FY2021
The latest annual year is the highest in this series
Revenue per employee
$144,500
FY2021 revenue divided by 2,000 employees; headcount may use another date
Current chief executive
Alex Saltonstall
In the role since 2022 (4 years)
Documented transactions
3
Between 2023 and 2024
Founded
2013
13 years ago
Where was Printful founded?
Printful was founded in Riga, Latvia in 2013.
When did Printful start?
Printful was founded in 2013.
How old is Printful?
Printful is 13 years old as of 2026.
In-Depth Analysis
183 words · 1 min read

Printful is a private print-on-demand company founded in 2013 by Lauris Liberts and Davis Siksnans. It last reported revenue of more than $289 million (2021), was valued at over $1 billion in 2021, merged with Printify in November 2024, and is now part of FYUL under CEO Alex Saltonstall.

How Does Printful Make Money?

Sellers connect a store, upload designs and set prices. When a customer orders, Printful charges the seller a base product price plus shipping, makes the item in its own fulfillment center and ships it under the seller's brand. Extra revenue comes from branding add-ons, warehousing and enterprise merchandise.

Who Owns Printful?

Printful is privately held. Bregal Sagemount invested $130 million in 2021. In November 2024 Printful and Printify merged as equal partners, and in November 2025 the group adopted the parent brand FYUL, which also includes Snow Commerce.

Revenue History

  • 2018: $77.4 million
  • 2019: $116 million
  • 2020: about $208 million
  • 2021: more than $289 million

Printful has not disclosed revenue since 2021.

Competitors

Gelato, CustomCat, Gooten, Redbubble, Spring, Zazzle and Fourthwall. Printify is now a sister brand.

Table of Contents

Printful Key Facts

CompanyPrintful
Annual revenue change+38.9% (FY2020–FY2021)
Financials$289M (FY2021, last reviewed October 2026)
Valuation$1.0B (private company, last reported)
Last reviewedBy Swet Parvadiya, Founder & Editor - October 2026
Founded2013
Founder(s)Lauris Liberts, Davis Siksnans
CEOAlex Saltonstall
HeadquartersCharlotte, North Carolina, United States (FYUL group HQ: Riga, Latvia)
IndustryPrint-on-Demand Manufacturing
Employees2,000+

Printful Company Profile: Revenue, Business Model & Strategy

"Printful went from three products in 2013 to more than $289 million in revenue in 2021, became Latvia's first unicorn, and in 2024 merged with its biggest rival, Printify."

Why Printful Wins

Printful wins on control: it runs its own factories, offers custom branding, and integrates with major store platforms, and since 2024 it shares a parent with Printify.

Printful operates in a competitive market alongside Printify, Redbubble, Teespring (Spring by Amaze), Etsy, Inc.. Analysts frequently compare Printful and Printify due to their overlapping products, target markets, and strategic positioning. See full comparison →

Printful is a private print-on-demand company founded in 2013 by Lauris Liberts and Davis Siksnans. It last reported revenue of more than $289 million (2021), merged with Printify in 2024, and is part of FYUL under CEO Alex Saltonstall.

Revenue

$289.0M

Founded

2013

Employees

2K+

Author: CorpDigest Research DeskCompany Research

Key Facts

  • Founded: Printful was established in 2013 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States (FYUL group HQ: Riga, Latvia).
  • Revenue: Printful had $289.0M in annual revenue (FY2021).
  • Scale: Printful employs 2,000 people globally.
  • Business Model: Printful earns money on each item it produces.
  • Competitive Edge: Printful controls production in its own facilities in Charlotte, Dallas, Toronto, Tijuana, Barcelona, Riga.

How Printful Makes Money

Capital Allocation & Scaling Mechanics

Printful earns money on each item it produces. A seller connects a store on Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, Wix, WooCommerce or another platform, uploads designs and sets retail prices. When an end customer orders, the order flows to Printful, which charges the seller a base product price plus shipping, prints or embroiders the item in one of its fulfillment centers, and ships it under the seller's brand. The seller keeps the difference between retail price and Printful's charge. Additional revenue comes from branding add-ons such as custom labels and pack-ins, warehousing and fulfillment of sellers' own stock, design services, and enterprise merchandise programs for brands.

Explore Printful In Depth

📅Printful History & Milestones💼How Printful Makes Money📊Printful Revenue & Financials⚔️Printful Competitive Strategy & SWOT👤Printful Founders & Origin Story🏆Printful CEO History & Leadership🤝Printful Acquisitions & Deals

What Is Printful's Growth Strategy?

Printful grows by adding sales-channel integrations, widening its catalog, and courting enterprise brands; enterprise customers grew 115% in 2021, with partners including Coca-Cola, MTV and Comedy Central. It bought merchandise specialist Snow Commerce in 2023, and the Printify merger in 2024 added a marketplace-style provider network.

How Much Revenue Does Printful Generate?

Printful has not published annual results since 2021. Its disclosed revenue rose from $77.4 million in 2018 to $116 million in 2019, about $208 million in 2020 and more than $289 million in 2021, a 39% increase. By 2021 it had fulfilled over 48 million items and its customers had passed $1 billion in cumulative sales. The 2021 Bregal Sagemount round valued it at over $1 billion. Figures for the combined FYUL group have not been disclosed, and third-party estimates claiming revenue above $2 billion are not supported by company filings. Printful is a dominant, globally recognized print-on-demand and drop-shipping platform, achieving a private market valuation of over $1 billion to become Latvia's first-ever unicorn.

Financial MetricEstimated Value
Employee Count2,000 +
Latest Annual Revenue$289.0M (FY2021)

Historical Revenue Chart

Printful Annual Revenue History

All figures in USD.

Fiscal YearRevenue FigureYoY Change
FY2018$77.4MN/A
FY2019$116M+49.9%
FY2020$208M+79.3%
FY2021$289M+38.9%

The source for each year is listed on the Printful financials page.

Core Strength

In-house fulfillment centers across North America and Europe give control over quality and speed.

Key Weakness

Factories, equipment and staff are costly when demand softens.

Deep Dive into Printful SWOT Analysis

Who Are Printful's Main Competitors?

Printful operates in the absolutely massive, hyper-growth 'Print-on-Demand' (POD) e-commerce sector. Historically, Printful was locked in a brutal, highly expensive war for global dominance with its primary Latvian rival, Printify. Printful's absolute core strategic advantage was its premium, vertically integrated model: unlike Printify (which outsourced printing to a network of third-party shops), Printful physically owned its massive, multi-million dollar printing facilities in the US and Europe, guaranteeing vastly superior quality control. However, in 2024, the two fierce rivals executed a massive, highly unexpected 'merger of equals.' This combined behemoth now completely dominates the Shopify dropshipping ecosystem, possessing absolute, unassailable scale against smaller rivals like Gelato and SPOD.

Top CompetitorsHead-to-Head Analysis
PrintifyCompare vs Printify→

What Is Printful's Full Historical Timeline?

Historical Timeline & Strategic Pivots

Key Milestones

2013 - Printful launches

Launched July 16 with posters, canvases and T-shirts, plus a first Shopify integration.

2017 - Riga fulfillment center and marketplace integrations

Opened a fulfillment center in Latvia and added Amazon and Etsy integrations.

2021 - Unicorn status and $289M revenue

$130M non-control investment from Bregal Sagemount at a valuation over $1B; revenue exceeded $289M.

2022 - Alex Saltonstall named CEO

Former Wayfair executive succeeded co-founder Davis Siksnans.

2024 - Merger with Printify

Printful and Printify agreed to merge as equal partners; joint leadership started November 20.

2025 - FYUL parent brand launched

Printful, Printify and Snow Commerce placed under the FYUL umbrella in November.

Risks & Weaknesses

Analytical Assessment

Primary Risk Factor

Fixed factory costs, price competition from cheaper POD networks, shipping and tariff costs, and execution risk in integrating the Printify merger.

Risk assessment based on public filings, SWOT analysis, and verified industry data. Not financial advice.

How Did Printful Start and Grow?

Established

2013

Fiscal Revenue (FY2021)

$289.0M

Workforce

2K+

HQ Location

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States (FYUL group HQ: Riga, Latvia)

Key Turning Point

: The Strategic Shift That Created a Behemoth

Draugiem Group turned the printing it needed for its own shops into a service for all sellers.

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Explore Printful In Depth

Detailed research across every dimension of Printful — history, financials, leadership, and strategy.

Company History

Printful is one of the largest print-on-demand companies. It lets creators and businesses sell custom products without buying stock: Printful makes each item only after it is ordered and ships it directly to the buyer.

Full Printful history →

Revenue & Financials

Printful had $289M in revenue for fiscal year 2021. Data covers 4 fiscal years.

Printful financials →

Founders

Printful was founded by Lauris Liberts, Davis Siksnans in 2013. Explore each founder's background, motivations, and their role in building the company.

Printful founders →

CEO & Leadership

Printful is currently led by Alex Saltonstall. Explore the full CEO history — leadership transitions, tenures, and the strategic decisions of each chief executive.

Printful CEO history →

Business Model

Printful earns money on each item it produces. A seller connects a store on Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, Wix, WooCommerce or another platform, uploads designs and sets retail prices.

How Printful makes money →

Acquisitions

Printful has completed 3 documented acquisitions. Explore the full acquisition history and strategic rationale behind each deal.

Printful acquisitions →

Competitive Strategy

Printful grows by adding sales-channel integrations, widening its catalog, and courting enterprise brands; enterprise customers grew 115% in 2021, with partners including Coca-Cola, MTV and Comedy Central.

Printful strategy →

Related Company Comparisons

CorpDigest Research Desk

 Research Profile

Our analysts compile business strategy profiles from public financial filings, press releases, and analyst reports. Each profile is reviewed for accuracy before publication by our editorial desk and updated on a rolling basis.

About the Author →Our Methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions About Printful

How does Printful make money?

Printful charges online sellers a base price for each product it prints, plus shipping, every time an order comes in. Sellers set their own retail price and keep the margin. It also earns from branding add-ons, warehousing, design services and enterprise merchandise programs.

Who owns Printful?

Printful is privately held. Since merging with Printify in November 2024 it is part of the FYUL group. Shareholders include the founders and Draugiem Group circle and growth investor Bregal Sagemount, which invested $130 million in 2021.

Who is the CEO of Printful?

Alex Saltonstall has been CEO since October 2022 and leads the merged Printful-Printify company, FYUL. He previously ran CastleGate and Partner Operations at Wayfair. Printify's former CEO Anastasija Oleinika is President and Head of Platform.

Who are Printful's competitors?

Main competitors include Gelato, CustomCat, Gooten, Redbubble, Spring, Zazzle and Fourthwall. Printify was its closest rival until the two merged in 2024.

What is Printful's revenue?

Printful last disclosed revenue of more than $289 million for 2021, up 39% from about $208 million in 2020. It has not published later figures.

Did Printful and Printify merge?

Yes. They announced the merger on November 5, 2024 as equal partners, and a joint leadership team started on November 20, 2024. Both brands still operate separately, and in November 2025 they were placed under the parent brand FYUL.

Who founded Printful and when?

Lauris Liberts and Davis Siksnans founded Printful in 2013 within Latvia's Draugiem Group; it launched on July 16, 2013 in California.

Where are Printful's fulfillment centers?

Printful operates fulfillment centers in Charlotte, Dallas, Toronto, Tijuana, Barcelona, Riga and Birmingham (UK), with partner facilities in Brazil, Japan and Australia.

Is Printful a Latvian company?

Yes, while physically headquartered in the United States (Charlotte, NC), Printful was entirely founded by Latvian entrepreneurs and is celebrated as Latvia's very first billion-dollar 'unicorn' startup.

Who founded Printful?

Printful was founded in 2013 by Latvian entrepreneurs Lauris Liberts and Davis Siksnans, originally starting as a side project to print motivational posters.

Analysis: How Printful Makes Money

Deep dive into the Printful business model, revenue streams, and strategic moats in 2026.

Competitor Benchmarking

Printful vs Printify

Compare

Financial data on this page is sourced from SEC EDGAR filings, official earnings releases, and verified press statements. Revenue figures are reviewed and updated periodically. Read our full data methodology ->

Explore More Brand Histories

This corporate intelligence report on Printful compiles data from verified filings. Explore more detailed brand histories and company histories in the global Print-on-Demand Manufacturing marketplace.

Print-on-Demand ManufacturingBrand Histories ->Browse Print-on-Demand ManufacturingCompanies ->Full Company Directory ->

Related Companies to Printful

Shopify Inc.
Technology
Etsy, Inc.
E-commerce
Wix
Website Building
Redbubble
E-Commerce / Creator Economy
Printify
Print-on-Demand (POD) MarketplaceCompare
Teespring (Spring by Amaze)
Creator Economy

Compare Printful With

P
P
Printful vs Printify
Strategic Head-to-Head

Editorial Methodology

Company Research

We use company filings, annual reports, company statements and press reports, with primary sources preferred where available. Each financial row shows its recorded source. Full-year figures are separated from annualized run-rates, partial periods and forecasts; unaudited figures carry a label. Source detail varies by company, so check the linked material when the reporting basis matters.

1. Primary Sources

Public companies may provide filings and annual reports. Private-company figures may come from statements or press coverage. A missing figure stays missing, and a source link should identify where its number came from.

2. Expert Curation

We organize company records and review claims for strategic context, source quality and clarity. Pages show a review date where one is recorded.

3. Multi-Pass Audit

Technical checks flag inconsistent figures and missing links. Editorial review of the underlying source remains necessary for claims those checks cannot verify.

Swet Parvadiya
SEC filings & public records methodology
Sourced from public financial records

Explore Related Pages for Printful

History & FailuresTimeline, setbacks, and key milestonesBusiness ModelHow they make money and market productsFinancialsRevenue history and fiscal metricsCompetitive StrategyRivals, benchmarks, and SWOT analysis

Sources & References

The data and narrative synthesized in this intelligence report were verified against primary sources:

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Explore Printful

Core profile pages, founders and related research hubs for this company.

Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.