X-Print

A Cologne textile printer with a free POD service

X-Print is the textile printing brand of Boender & Beutel GmbH, a print and embroidery shop at Walnussweg 1 in Cologne, Germany. Alongside custom decoration, warehousing and merchandise production, it runs a free print-on-demand service that prints t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, mugs and other products in Germany and ships them in the seller's name. The homepage says: "Seit 2007 bietet die Boender & Beutel GmbH mit ihrer Marke X-Print Textilveredelung auf höchstem Niveau" (since 2007 Boender & Beutel GmbH has offered textile finishing at the highest level under its X-Print brand). The footer adds "Seit 2004 über 1 Millionen Produkte veredelt" (more than 1 million products decorated since 2004).

The POD page describes the model in one paragraph: the seller places designs on X-Print products "(T-Shirt, Hoodie, Fußmatte uvm.)" (t-shirt, hoodie, doormat and more), integrates them into an online shop, and as soon as one sells, X-Print produces it quickly and ships it to the customer in the seller's name.

What a seller actually gets

The print-on-demand page lists five core features: more than 4,000 selectable product variations, automated fulfillment, a range of shop and marketplace integrations, production from 1 piece, and central management through a cloud interface. Through the cloud-based order handling, the page says, the seller keeps control at all times and can check the status of every order. X-Print takes on production, storage, shipping and returns management, leaving the seller to focus on sales channels and customers.

The terms are simple and published:

• No minimums. "Keine Mindestmengen" (no minimum quantities): X-Print only produces after an order comes in, and the FAQ adds that single pieces are possible.
• No fees. "Die Nutzung unseres Print On Demand Services ist für Sie kostenlos. Sie zahlen erst bei Bestellung." (Using our print on demand service is free for you. You pay only when an order is placed.) The FAQ says the connection costs nothing and the seller pays only per item produced.
• Printed in Germany. "Alle Produkte werden mit modernsten Maschinen und Sorgfalt in Deutschland bedruckt." (All products are printed in Germany with the most modern machines and with care.)
• Dropshipping. Orders can be shipped to customers with the seller as the sender, and the FAQ says shipping goes out under the seller's sender details.

Integrations are listed in the page's FAQ: the shop systems Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopware and Prestashop, and the marketplaces Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Rakuten. For a seller who already runs a shop, X-Print says it can transfer its POD products into that shop; incoming orders are passed to X-Print, "innerhalb von 48 Stunden produziert" (produced within 48 hours), then packed and shipped to the customer. The service description on the page lists Germany, Austria and Switzerland as the areas served.

Products and prices

The POD page publishes four entry prices:

• Premium T-Shirt from €9.95
• Sweatshirt from €9.95
• Damen V-Neck Shirt (women's v-neck) from €9.95
• Tasse (mug) from €9.95

Beyond the POD range, the company describes a much larger sourcing base. The homepage advertises a range of "über 50.000 Artikel" (more than 50,000 items), and says its supplier network lets it pull from "über 250.000 Artikeln von mehr als 300 Herstellern" (more than 250,000 items from more than 300 manufacturers). X-Print is an official Stanley/Stella dealer, and the homepage describes Stanley/Stella's range as "Labelfree und zertifizierte Baumwolle" (label-free and certified cotton), a fit for sellers building their own merch brand. It also runs catalogs of organic products and standard products.

Decoration methods and other services

The site lists seven decoration methods: screen printing, digital printing, embroidery, sublimation printing, flex and flock, transfer printing, and laser engraving. The homepage says its "hochmoderner Maschinenpark" (highly modern machine park) opens up countless options, and that with screen printing, digital printing, embroidery, sublimation and laser it covers "alle Arten der Textilveredelung" (all kinds of textile finishing). The POD page does not say which method is used for a given POD product.

The wider business supports a growing brand:

• Fulfillment and warehousing. A seller can store goods with X-Print, which handles packing, neutral shipping and returns.
• Merchandise and own collections. X-Print plans club wear, fan merchandise, promotional textiles and fashion collections. For special cuts it also runs its own garment production, which it describes as environmentally friendly and under fair conditions.
• Graphic service. A seller can send files, sketches or ideas, and the in-house team of graphic designers creates the motif to suit the chosen textile.

Speed and support

The POD page says: "Wir versenden alle Bestellungen innerhalb von 2-3 Werktagen in Ihrem Namen" (We ship all orders within 2-3 working days in your name). The FAQ puts it as usually 2-3 working days after the order comes in, from the company's warehouse in Cologne. The site header advertises an "Express Service innerhalb von 2-3 Tagen" for its custom work.

Support is by phone on 0221 888 999 33 from Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:00, by email and through a contact form. Customer comments on the homepage praise the quality of jackets, t-shirts and bags. One customer writes that the delivered jackets and t-shirts went down well and that everyone involved was delighted with the quality and workmanship; another calls the quality of the bags "hervorragend" (excellent); a third thanks the team for "diese schnelle und gute Arbeit" (this fast and good work).

The homepage frames the whole offer around the customer's own brand. It speaks to shop owners directly, "Sie haben einen eigenen Webshop und wollen Produkte verkaufen?" (Do you have your own web shop and want to sell products?), and answers that X-Print links its production to the shop and handles order processing. It also says the team accompanies a customer from the first consultation to the finished product, whether the aim is to strengthen a brand, build a fashion label or sell fan merchandise.

Who it suits

X-Print fits sellers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland who run a Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopware or Prestashop store, or sell on Amazon, eBay, Etsy or Rakuten, and want a German printer with no monthly fee, no minimums and dispatch in the seller's name. Brands that will later want warehousing, embroidery or their own cut-and-sew collection can grow within the same company. Sellers who value a supplier they can phone during working hours will find one here.

The trade-off is detail. The site publishes only four starting prices and does not break out shipping rates, so a seller should expect to open an account or ask for a quote before building a full price list. Its service area is stated as the German-speaking countries.