Considering new print fulfilment for your art business? A sample order tells you more than a product description can. It lets you judge the finished piece your buyer would receive, while testing how much work an order takes to place and manage.
At PrintShrimp, you create the artwork, listings and demand. We print, frame where ordered, pack and deliver directly to your customer, white label. Before moving your catalogue, use a small, deliberate test to check whether that service meets the standards you have already set for your work.
Start with a baseline you can compare
Choose one or two designs you know well: perhaps a detailed illustration with fine lines and a photograph with subtle colour. Use the print-ready files you would supply for a real sale, then order the sizes and products you are considering offering. A test order is a paid order; you can review current product and shipping details on our pricing page.
Keep an example from your current fulfilment process beside the sample if you have one. Write down what matters for your brand before the order arrives: colour and detail, paper feel, frame finish, presentation on arrival, delivery experience and the time you spend handling the order. Comparing against your own standard is more useful than relying on a generic verdict about print quality.
Test a realistic order, too. If customers commonly buy several prints together, place a multi-print order. If framed work is an important part of your shop, include a frame rather than judging the service on an unframed poster alone.
Check the artwork before judging the print
A sample is most useful when it tests the file you intend to sell. Match your artwork proportions to the selected size and inspect fine detail at the intended print dimensions. Work in sRGB; JPG and PNG are recommended, and PDF is also accepted in dashboard product files. You must have the rights to use the artwork you upload.
For example, if you sell the same illustration in an A-series size and an inch-based size with a different shape, prepare suitable artwork for each rather than assuming one crop will work for both. When your sample arrives, compare it with the approved file and your existing print. Look at small lettering, line edges, shadow detail and whether important elements sit where you intended. Changing a file’s DPI metadata alone will not add image detail.
If something looks wrong, first check the file and crop you supplied. Separating an artwork issue from a production question makes the test more useful when you decide which listings to move.
Handle the paper you plan to sell
If your range centres on Premium posters and art prints, order the finish your buyer would choose. Unframed Premium prints are available in matte, satin and gloss at the same base price. The paper is premium archival-grade, at least 200gsm and 260gsm in most locations, and we use FSC-certified paper. Look at the print under the lighting in which you expect it to be displayed, then check colour, surface and overall feel against your existing product.
If you sell reproductions or a higher-end collection, consider a separate Fine Art sample. Fine Art uses 300gsm, 100% cotton rag cold-press paper with a soft watercolour texture and non-reflective surface. It is available in the UK, USA, Canada and EU. Assess it as its own product rather than expecting it to look or feel like Premium paper.
Record your findings by product and finish. That gives you a practical basis for deciding which existing listings suit Premium, which might warrant a Fine Art option and whether your listing photographs accurately represent what buyers will receive.
Include a frame if framed prints matter to your shop
For a framed sample, check the complete piece, not just the print inside it. Our framed prints use Premium matte paper and pine-wood frames in Black, White or Oak finish. Oak describes the finish, not the wood species. The print is inserted, a hanging kit is included, and the piece arrives ready to hang.
Look at how the artwork sits in the frame, the corners, the finish and the presentation on arrival. Frames have no mount. If your current listing uses a white border, include that border in the artwork file as part of the printed image and test the result before changing the listing. This is a particularly valuable check when you are replacing a framed product customers already recognise.
Evaluate arrival and delivery as a buyer would
When the order arrives, inspect its condition before discarding the packaging. We handle packing and delivery; framed prints are corner-protected and boxed. Our fulfilment is white label, with no PrintShrimp branding or packing slips, so you can assess whether the arrival fits the customer experience you want for your shop. White label does not mean custom-branded packaging or inserts.
Keep production time and shipping time separate in your notes. Processing estimates vary by product and region, and shipping begins after production. An order paid before 3pm UK time on a working day starts production that day; it is not a promise of same-day dispatch. Weekends and England and Wales bank holidays are excluded from working-day estimates. Check the current regional details for the products and destinations you sell, then compare the sample’s journey with the delivery expectations you set in your listings. If you sell across regions, one destination will not tell you everything about another.
Test the order workflow, not only the object
Print quality matters, but switching fulfilment should also make repeat orders manageable. Set up one representative product and note each step you take to place and check the order. Saved SKUs and artwork can reduce repeat uploads, and you do not need to upload your entire catalogue before starting.
If you sell on Etsy, connect through Tools > Integrations and test a product with size variations. One design SKU can be matched across those variations to a PrintShrimp product SKU, with artwork attached for each size or shape. Imported orders missing artwork wait for attention rather than becoming ready to pay. That check is especially important if you sell personalised work: personalisation text can import, but it does not create the personalised artwork for you.
If you sell on Shopify, use the official PrintShrimp app to test a matched product and its fulfilment request. Shopify orders are paid manually. Tracking returns for orders sent through Request fulfillment; do not treat a manually placed order as the same workflow. For other stores, CSV import or the API may be appropriate. Test the route you will actually use, including how you spot an order that needs attention.
Finally, consider what you could repeat across the catalogue. Our free bulk SKU editor can help existing Etsy sellers organise product matching. It is worth assessing alongside your sample if catalogue organisation, rather than print quality alone, is the obstacle to switching.
Decide what to move first
Once the samples and workflow test are complete, score each against the baseline you set: artwork reproduction, paper or frame, arrival condition, delivery experience and time spent managing the order. You may find that a particular collection is ready to move while another needs revised artwork or a different product choice.
When comparing costs, consider your retail price less product and delivery costs, platform costs and any other costs of running your shop. Our fulfilment has free signup, no minimum order quantity and no monthly fulfilment subscription; you pay per order. Optional paid software plans are separate. Use the current pricing for the products and destinations in your evaluation, rather than assuming every order has the same cost.
Create your PrintShrimp account, connect the store you plan to use and place a representative sample order. You can then make the switch collection by collection, based on what you have seen and how the order process works for you.
