Gelato
Gelato is a print-on-demand platform built for global routing and local production in 30+ countries. Connect Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, or Wix, publish products quickly, and reduce shipping time and cost with nearby facilities. Broad catalog (DTG, DTF, sublimation, wall art, stationery), sustainable ops, competitive Gelato pricing, and reliable fulfillment times.
* affiliate link – if you make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Gelato overview
Gelato is a print-on-demand platform that produces items after the order is placed and routes them to a nearby production partner. The big appeal is local manufacturing—instead of shipping every parcel overseas, Gelato prints in-region across North America, Europe and many other markets. The catalog covers everyday best-sellers like tees and hoodies (DTG/DTF), mugs and drinkware (sublimation), wall art and posters (paper printing), and stationery. If your audience is spread across multiple countries, Gelato’s network helps keep delivery estimates realistic while trimming duties and long-haul transit.
Pricing, quality, and fulfillment
You’ll see a lot of talk about Gelato pricing because it sits competitively for many SKUs, especially when you factor in shorter routes and fewer cross-border fees. Always compare landed cost—base price plus shipping, taxes and platform fees—against the selling price your brand can support. Quality is consistent across core products, but as with any network, sample your top SKUs before a big campaign. Typical fulfillment times for common items are around two to five business days; delivery then depends on local carriers. The advantage is routing: printing close to the buyer usually means quicker delivery and fewer support tickets.
Integrations and branding
Gelato integrates with Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, and Wix (plus an API), so you can publish products with mockups and variants and have orders sync back automatically with tracking. Most shops enable auto-fulfillment to keep day-to-day work minimal. Branding options vary by product and region—inside neck labels, branded packing slips and pack-ins are supported on select lines—so check the product page notes for availability in your target markets. If eco credentials matter to your brand, Gelato’s local production and reduced shipping distances align nicely with sustainability messaging.
When Gelato makes sense
Choose Gelato when your customers are international and you want local production to shorten delivery windows, reduce shipping costs, and minimize customs surprises. It’s a strong fit for brands selling across the US and EU (and beyond), creators who value sustainability angles, and stores that need predictable routing without managing multiple suppliers manually. If your strategy is the absolute lowest base cost or US-only speed on a narrow catalog, you may mix providers—use Gelato for global reach and another service for ultra-cheap or US-fast SKUs. Either way, the combination of routing, integrations and automation makes Gelato a practical engine for scaling POD internationally.
Alternatives: For aggressive base costs and many competing providers, try Printify. If you want a premium in-house option with strong branding tools, see Printful. For fast US turnarounds on core items, look at SPOD. Explore more options on our POD Suppliers hub.