Verified on 30 October 2026. Platform conditions are subject to change: each date corresponds to the version I have reviewed. Should any information have changed, notify me and I shall update it with the date of the change.
A print, a sticker, or a T-shirt featuring your illustration may be sold without maintaining stock: print-on-demand manufactures and dispatches each product upon purchase. However, each service establishes its own rules: who acts as the seller, the minimum age required, the requirements regarding the ownership of the content you upload, and the status of fan art. This guide compares five services, clarifies the distinction between selling an original and selling reproductions, and summarises the statutory warranty for goods. It does not address VAT, invoicing, or income tax returns. It is intended for individuals aged 18 to 24; if you are a minor, please consult Selling your illustrations as a minor first. This is information, not legal advice.
Original, reproduction, and product
- Original. The physical work or the file you have created. If you sell it, the guide Selling art online explains the rules governing such a sale.
- Reproduction. A copy of your drawing on a print or sticker. Distribution, that is, making copies available to the public through sale, is an author's right (Article 19 of the Intellectual Property Act). If the drawing is yours, you exercise this right.
- Derivative product. Your illustration printed on an object: a mug, a T-shirt, or a case. This is a reproduction that incorporates the illustration into another good, and the service manufacturing it requires you to hold the rights.
- First sale. According to the summary I have verified of Article 19, the right of distribution is exhausted upon the first sale in the European Union made by the rights holder or with their consent. Whoever buys a print may resell it, but not copy it.
How to compare a service
Always examine the current terms of use and content policy. These are the five pertinent points:
- Who acts as the seller to the customer.
- What guarantee of ownership is required of you.
- What their policy states regarding fan art and third-party characters.
- Minimum age for account creation.
- Costs, payment schedules, and who handles returns.
Five services, compared
| Service and version | Seller to the customer | Ownership and fan art | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printful (intellectual property policy, 3 February 2026) | In an external shop, the merchant sells while Printful manufactures and dispatches. Within their own tools, it depends on the service | You must possess the rights or authorisations and are responsible for the content. There is no general authorisation for fan art, and a derivative work is not permitted simply by labelling it as fan art | Not located |
| Gelato (terms of service, 2 June 2025) | The customer purchases from your shop. Gelato states it does not participate in that transaction | You must control the content and possess the rights for Gelato to produce it. Precise text and fan art: not located | 18 years |
| Redbubble (user agreement, 15 May 2026) | You are the principal in the transaction, and Redbubble is an independent contractor that facilitates payment, production, delivery, and support | Only original creations or authorised content. References or parodies are not presumed to be licensed. Their Partner Program may permit works linked to specific licensors | 18 years |
| Spreadshirt (partner conditions in Spanish, 2 March 2020) | Spreadshirt manages the contractual relationship with the customer, production, delivery, and support | They may reject or remove designs suspected of infringing rights. Literal guarantee from the partner: not located | Not located |
| TeePublic (terms, no visible date) | Facilitates the operation, payment, support, manufacturing, and delivery. Whether the artist is always the legal seller: unconfirmed | The creator guarantees that they possess the rights or have permission, and only their own or authorised content is uploaded | 16 years |
The Spreadshirt condition I have located in Spanish is from 2020. Their terms for US partners are more recent, dated 3 January 2024, but they do not apply automatically to Spain.
Money, payments, and returns
| Service | Margin and costs | Payment | Returns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printful | Charges for production, shipping, taxes, and services. You set the price in your shop and retain the difference. Fixed commission percentage: unconfirmed | In the standard model, there is no periodic payment from Printful: the customer pays in your shop | Manages manufacturing and logistics incidents. Commercial returns from the customer of a connected shop are your responsibility, except for the contracted service |
| Gelato | No commission on retail sales in the standard flow. Charges for product, shipping, and taxes; you set the price | Does not pay royalties: the customer's payment goes directly to your shop | You maintain the retail relationship. Gelato is responsible for production or transport defects; full policy and date: not located |
| Redbubble | Base price plus your margin, including taxes and potential charges. You select a margin percentage within a limit, and there may be account fees based on tier | Usually between the 15th and 20th of the month, with a threshold and verification | Coordinates support. Damages must be reported within fourteen days and may require photographs or a return. Responsibility for content and design lies with the seller |
| Spreadshirt | In the Marketplace, the design price is paid minus VAT. In Spreadshop, base margin plus a potential bonus, minus discounts and VAT | Exact deadline in the Spanish version: not located | Manages the relationship with the customer and considers a sale valid only if it is not cancelled or returned in accordance with the law or their policy |
| TeePublic | Remuneration according to the service agreement and an earnings table; updated amount: not located | Frequency referred to an appendix: not located | Handles exchanges and returns, with a request within 30 days of the expected delivery. For returns exceeding 250 dollars, a 20% restocking fee may apply |
Minors
Gelato and Redbubble require an age of 18 for an account. Redbubble states that an account cannot be created or managed in the name of a minor, and that a parent may upload the minor's work to their own account. TeePublic sets the age at 16. I have not located the minimum age for Printful and Spreadshirt. If you are a minor, please consult Selling your illustrations as a minor first, where the process regarding sales and payment is explained.
Fan art and third-party characters
None of the five services I have reviewed offer general permission for fan art. Printful states this explicitly. Redbubble cautions that references and parodies are not presumed to be licensed, and TeePublic restricts uploads to original or authorised content. The exception is the Redbubble programme with specific licensors, and the terms are set by each licensor. If your drawing is based on a third-party character or brand, read Fan art: what you can do with third-party characters before uploading it.
The legal guarantee of goods
If the customer is a consumer in Spain, the business selling the good is liable for any lack of conformity existing at the time of delivery. According to the data I have verified, the general period of liability for goods is three years from delivery, and the remedies include repair or replacement and, where appropriate, a reduction in price or termination of the contract. Liability lies with the selling business; direct action against the producer is limited to specific legal cases.
These points are in Articles 114 to 125 of the consolidated text of the Consumer and User Protection Act, which I have not been able to transcribe. Copy them from the BOE before citing them.
In my view, this is significant because on Redbubble you are the principal, and in a shop connected to Printful or Gelato, you are the seller to the customer. This may render you liable for the guarantee to the consumer even if the product was manufactured by the service. This is my interpretation based on the terms, and I have not located an official criterion.
For personalised products, Article 103(c) excludes the right of withdrawal for goods "made to the consumer's specifications" or clearly personalised. A product from your catalogue, which is manufactured when someone buys it, may not be a personalised product in that sense. If you offer products with the customer's name or details, that is a different case. I have not verified that distinction.
Cost template
This is my own and does not include taxes, which are outside the scope of this guide.
| Concept | Amount |
|---|---|
| Product production cost at the service | |
| Shipping cost | |
| Commissions or account or platform fees | |
| Payment gateway cost, if not included | |
| Your desired margin | |
| Retail price |
Calculate the price based on the total cost and your desired margin, and check each service's table: it varies according to the product and the country of delivery.
Scope: topics not covered by this guide
- Taxes. VAT, invoicing and income tax returns have their own rules. Consult How to invoice the sale of an artwork in Spain: VAT and withholding tax and Selling art online.
- Fairs and direct sales. For selling stickers or prints at a fair, the local print provider is not compared here. Consult Selling your fanzine at a fair.
- Other platforms. I have not reviewed other print-on-demand services.
Checklist before opening a shop
- Do I meet the service's minimum age, or is an adult managing it with me?
- Is everything in the design mine, including fonts, textures and references?
- Do any recognisable characters, brands or people appear?
- Do I know who is listed as the seller to the customer and who handles returns?
- Have I calculated my cost and my margin?
- Have I read the current version of the terms and saved a copy with the date?
Points requiring clarification
- The minimum age for Printful and Spreadshirt.
- The literal guarantee of ownership for Gelato and Spreadshirt.
- The current Spreadshirt conditions for Spain: the localised version is from 2020.
- The commission and payment terms for TeePublic and Spreadshirt.
- Whether the artist is always the legal seller on TeePublic.
- The full text of Articles 114 to 125 of the Consumer and User Protection Act.
Itineraries
I am going to sell or exhibit
If you wish to sell reproductions without holding stock, start with a service that does not charge a commission on your sale and allows you to set the price. Read their content policy first, as this determines what you may upload.
An open conversation
This guide compares dated terms from five services. If you sell with any of them and detect a change, or if you work in consumer law, you may write to me.
Sources
- Printful, intellectual property policy and terms, policies and returns.
- Gelato, terms of service, legal information and payment process.
- Redbubble, user agreement and user policies.
- Spreadshirt, partner conditions and terms for US partners.
- TeePublic, terms, intellectual property policy and returns.
- Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007, Consumer and User Protection Act (BOE), arts. 103 and 114 to 125.
- Intellectual Property Act (BOE), art. 19.