What Has Print on Demand Made Possible?
What does print on demand (POD) make possible today that wasn’t realistic five years ago?
That’s the question Branding Together co-hosts Theresa Hegel and Cassie Green asked the experts onsite at the Stahls’ (asi/88984) Fulfill Engine POD Conference 2026.
From helping alleviate sustainability challenges to increasing customization, each insider had excellent advice to share. Special shout-out to our interviewees:
- Maddy Alcala, president of OrderMesh, Taylor OnDemand
- Rob Watson, CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier Vantage Apparel (asi/93390) and a member of the Counselor Power 50
- Milissa Gibson, sales director of Lane Seven Apparel (asi/66246)
- Jayson Tompkins, founder of Stahls’ Fulfill Engine and chief digital officer at Stahls’
- Davis Slagle, vice president at BeeGraphix
- Josh Ellsworth, chief revenue officer at Stahls’
- Lisa Hubbard, vice president of sales and marketing at Counselor Top 40 distributor The Vernon Company (asi/351700)
- Ross Greenstein, co-founder of Brand Sauce
- Ross Hunter, chief operating officer of Liquid Graphics
Key Takeaways
• Attendees of the Print On Demand Conference in West Palm Beach, FL, this year had a lot of thoughts on what POD has made possible today that wouldn’t have been realistic five years ago.
• POD has united a like-minded community focused on building efficient, automated processes.
• Quality and brand perception have shifted, expanding POD from low-end drop-shipping to B2B, corporate and retail programs.
• Advanced decoration capabilities, including unlimited colors and complex customization, have elevated what is possible with minimums of one.
• POD enables businesses to scale seamlessly, treating orders of one and 10,000 through the same systems and production flows.
• Faster turnarounds, new techniques like liquid 3-D and reduced waste are reshaping sustainability and innovation in decorated apparel.
