You do not have to recreate your entire product catalog in Printeez before you start fulfilling orders. Printeez lets you import your Shopify orders and map them to fulfillment products one at a time, as you go. This means you can start fulfilling real orders immediately, creating only the products you actually need.
This workflow is especially useful when you are switching from another print-on-demand provider or when you have a large Shopify catalog and want to onboard progressively without setting everything up upfront.
How the Mapping Workflow Works
When Printeez imports your Shopify orders, any order that contains a product not yet connected to a Printeez decorated product will appear in the Not Synced tab of your Orders page. This is your starting point for mapping.
- Not Synced tab: shows all imported orders that still have unmapped variants, products that Printeez does not yet know how to fulfill
- Mapping connects your Shopify listing to a Printeez product: once mapped, future orders for that product can route to production automatically
- You create products as you need them: there is no requirement to build your full catalog before processing orders
Step 1 — Find Orders with Unmapped Products
Go to your Orders page in Printeez and open the Not Synced tab. This lists every imported order that cannot yet be sent to production because one or more products have not been mapped to a Printeez decorated product.
Click on an order to open it. You will see which variants are unmapped, shown with a warning or a prompt to map them.
Step 2 — Create a Missing Fulfillment Product
If the product does not yet exist in Printeez, you can create it directly from the mapping workflow without leaving the order. Click the option to create a new product, select the blank garment you want to use, choose the colors and sizes your Shopify listing offers, and attach the artwork.
If you already have artwork saved in Printeez from another product, you can reuse it without re-uploading. Select it from your saved artwork library and apply it to the new product.
Once the product is created, save it and return to the mapping step.
Step 3 — Map the Shopify Variants to Printeez Variants
After the decorated product exists, you connect each Shopify variant to its matching Printeez variant. This is where color and size mapping happens.
Your Shopify store may use different names than Printeez. For example, your store might call a color 'Espresso' while the Printeez catalog lists it as 'Dark Chocolate'. The mapping step lets you tell Printeez exactly which Shopify name corresponds to which Printeez variant. Once saved, Printeez remembers these mappings for all future orders.
- Color mapping: connect your Shopify color names to the matching Printeez color names
- Size mapping: connect your Shopify size labels to the matching Printeez size options
- Saved permanently: the mapping applies to all future orders for this product automatically
Step 4 — Add Missing Colors to an Existing Product
If your Shopify listing has a color that you forgot to include when first creating the Printeez product, you can add it without rebuilding the product. Open the product in Printeez, add the missing color, and the artwork is automatically applied to the new color. Save the product and return to the mapping workflow.
Step 5 — Connect Canada and US Products to the Same Shopify Listing
If you sell in both Canada and the US, you need to map both a Canadian fulfillment product and a US fulfillment product to the same Shopify listing. Printeez routes each order to the correct location based on the shipping destination.
Within the mapping for a single Shopify product, you can select the Canadian blank for Canada and the US blank for the US. Both are linked to the same listing, your customers see one product, and Printeez handles the routing behind the scenes.
Step 6 — Use Suggested Product Matching
For orders that contain products already in your Printeez catalog, Printeez can suggest a matching fulfillment product automatically based on the Shopify product name and variants. You review the suggested match, confirm the color and size mapping, and approve it.
You can approve suggested matches one at a time or use the bulk approval tool to confirm multiple mappings at once, which is useful when you have many orders waiting to be mapped.
Step 7 — Review and Submit Mapped Orders
Once orders are mapped, they move to a ready-to-submit state. Review them in the Orders page to confirm everything is correct, the decorated product, the artwork, the colors and sizes, and the destination.
When you are satisfied, submit the orders to production individually or use the bulk submit feature to send multiple orders at once to both the Canada and US production locations as needed.
Important Notes
Mapping does not build your full catalog
The mapping workflow connects individual orders to decorated products, it does not automatically create your full Printeez catalog. Products only exist in Printeez after you create them, either through the mapping workflow or through the product builder.
Mappings are saved and reused
Once you have mapped a Shopify product to a Printeez decorated product, that mapping is saved. All future orders containing that same Shopify variant are automatically routed to the correct Printeez product without any additional manual steps.
Switching from another provider
If you are moving from Printful, Printify, Gelato, or another print-on-demand provider, you do not need to set up your full Printeez catalog before starting. Import your Shopify orders, map the products you need as orders come in, and build out your Printeez catalog progressively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to create all my products in Printeez before I can start?
No. You can create products as needed directly from the mapping workflow. Import your orders, open the Not Synced tab, and create the fulfillment product when you encounter an unmapped order.
What happens if my Shopify color names don't match the Printeez catalog?
You set up a color mapping that tells Printeez which Shopify name corresponds to which Printeez variant. For example, your store's 'Espresso' maps to Printeez's 'Dark Chocolate'. Once saved, this mapping applies to all future orders automatically.
Can I map both a Canadian and a US product to the same Shopify listing?
Yes. Within the mapping for a single Shopify product, you can select a Canadian blank for Canadian orders and a US blank for US orders. Printeez handles the routing automatically based on the shipping destination.
Can I reuse artwork from another product?
Yes. When creating a new fulfillment product from within the mapping workflow, you can select saved artwork from your Printeez artwork library instead of uploading a new file.
What is the Not Synced tab?
The Not Synced tab in your Orders page lists all imported Shopify orders that contain at least one product that has not yet been mapped to a Printeez decorated product. It is your starting point for the mapping workflow.
Can I approve multiple mappings at once?
Yes. When Printeez suggests product matches automatically, you can review and approve them in bulk instead of handling each order individually. This is useful when you have many orders waiting for mapping.