A store owner is rebranding and transitioning to print-on-demand (POD) via Printify while still holding limited inventory of certain shirt sizes. They want to know the most efficient way to handle orders—fulfilling in-stock sizes themselves while routing unavailable sizes to Printify.
Two main solutions were proposed:
Option 1: Single listing with multiple fulfillment locations
Set up two fulfillment locations in Shopify (one for on-hand inventory, one for Printify)
Add all sizes to one product listing
Shopify automatically routes orders based on inventory availability
This approach provides a seamless customer experience and is considered the most professional solution
Option 2: Preorder or contact form approach
Mark unavailable sizes as “Preorder” with estimated shipping times
Alternatively, add a “Can’t find your size?” button directing to a contact form
Use apps to manage preorders or customer inquiries
Consensus: The single listing with dual fulfillment locations is recommended as the easiest and most user-friendly approach, avoiding the need for duplicate product listings.
Summarized with AI on November 1.
AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
Hi! So I am currently working on rebranding my website, and trying to get it up and running again. I am looking to begin using Printify to switch my store to being POD based. However, I still have some shirts on hand. My question is how can I most efficiently set up my store page? I will be selling some of the same shirts that I have on hand, but I have limited sizing. Is there a way for me to have the shirts listed on my store, and send the sizes that I do not have on hand to the POD company, while fulfilling the orders for the sizes that I have on my own? Or does this need to be two separate listings, and one listing be the sizes that I have, while the other listing will be the sizes that need to be fulfilled through Printify? I just want to make sure that I am going about this in the easiest way possible.
Thanks for reaching out to the community. We are MooseDesk, a comprehensive Live Chat, FAQ & Helpdesk App designed to elevate your customer support experience.
I think for you problem I’d like to suggest some ways to resolve this problem best:
A. Solution #1: Add a preorder react button when customer choose unavailable size:
Single Product Page: List the shirt as one product in a single product page. For sizes you have, mark them as “In Stock” and available for immediate purchase.
Preorder Option: For sizes you don’t have, set them as “Preorder” and note that they’ll be fulfilled by Printify with an estimated shipping time.
Clear Labels: Clearly label the in-stock sizes with “Ships Immediately” and the preorder sizes with “Preorder - Ships in X days.”
Automated Workflows: Integrate your store with Printify to automate preorder fulfillment.
Single Product Page: List the shirt as one product with all sizes.
Can’t Find Your Size Button: Add a button labeled “Can’t find your size?” on the product page.
Contact Form: This button directs customers to a contact form where they can request their size.
Fulfillment: You can then process these requests through Printify.
This solution is easier to do cause you don’t have to find a specific app for creating Preorder. A single button on Product Page is easy to do and direct customers to a Contact Form is easy as well.
If you want to build such contact form like that you can use MooseDesk. Luckily we do offer creating Contact Page like that. Here’s a sample page you can check:
I see you’re in the process of rebranding your store and transitioning to Printify for POD while still having some existing inventory on hand. That’s a great move, and I totally get why you want to manage this efficiently without creating unnecessary complexity in your store.
Solution: Managing Inventory & POD in One Listing
You don’t need two separate listings—you can manage both in a single product listing by setting up two fulfillment locations in Shopify: one for your on-hand inventory and another for Printify fulfillment. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Set Up Multiple Fulfillment Locations- Go to Shopify Admin > Settings > Locations
Add a new location (name it something like “Printify Fulfillment”)
Keep your current inventory location for the stock you have on hand
2. Add Your Product in Shopify with Two Fulfillment Methods- In Shopify Admin > Products, create a single product listing
Add all sizes to the product variant section
For sizes you have on hand, set the inventory to your local fulfillment location
For sizes you don’t have, assign them to the Printify fulfillment location
3. Connect Printify for Automatic Fulfillment- Install the Printify app from the Shopify App Store
In Printify, create a matching product with the same variants
Connect the Printify product to the same Shopify product
Shopify will automatically route orders based on inventory availability:
If a size is in stock at your location, you’ll fulfill it manually
If a size isn’t in stock, Printify will handle it
Alternative Option: Separate Listings (Less Efficient)
If you prefer a simpler setup, you could create two listings:
One for on-hand inventory with limited sizes
One for POD fulfillment with all sizes
However, this is less user-friendly because customers may not realize they need to check two different listings for the same design.
Final Thoughts
The single listing with two fulfillment locations is the easiest and most professional approach. It keeps your store organized and provides a seamless shopping experience for your customers. Shopify will automatically split orders between your stock and Printify, saving you manual effort.
If you need any other assistance, feel free to ask, and I will try my best to support you.
Best regards,
Daisy.
