Branding Together: What Has Print on Demand Made Possible?
Co-hosts Theresa Hegel and Cassie Green asked the experts onsite at Stahls’ Fulfill Engine POD Conference for their insights into how the technology has changed the print and promo industries in the last five years.
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.