the diva's guide for online retailers

The Best Online Pillow Design Tools for Online Retailers

A complete platform guide comparing six of the most widely used pillow design tools — evaluated across seven categories that matter specifically to online retailers.

What Online Retailers Actually Need From a Design Tool

Designing a custom pillow for personal use and designing one for retail are fundamentally different tasks. A consumer needs a finished product. A retailer needs a repeatable, scalable creative process that produces consistent, professional output across a growing catalog, integrates cleanly with fulfillment partners, and protects the brand identity they are building.

Most online pillow design tools are built for consumers. They are optimized for single orders and simple uploads, and they fall short the moment a retailer needs to manage multiple SKUs, maintain visual brand consistency, or export artwork for use across different fulfillment platforms. Choosing the right tool from the start saves significant time and prevents the creative bottlenecks that slow a growing product business.

This guide reviews six of the most widely used platforms for online pillow design: Adobe Express, Printful, Printify, Gelato, Redbubble, and Spoonflower. Each is evaluated across seven categories that matter specifically to online retailers, using a five-star rating system and a full feature comparison table.

The Diva's Top Pick

Adobe Express Is the Smartest Investment an Online Retailer Can Make for Pillow Design

Running an online retail business means every tool in your workflow needs to earn its place. Wasted time is wasted revenue, and a design platform that limits your creative output limits your product catalog. Adobe Express is the best online pillow design tool for online retailers, and the case for it is straightforward: it is the only platform in this guide built from the ground up as a creative tool rather than as a fulfillment service with design features added on.

1,000+ Templates

Customizable templates spanning every aesthetic for rapid catalog growth

Adobe Stock Access

Millions of professional assets directly in your design workflow

Brand Kit

Centralized brand colors, typography, and logos for catalog-wide consistency

Adobe Firefly AI

Commercially safe original artwork without any design background required

Full Export Flexibility

PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG — never locked into a single fulfillment partner

Real-Time Collaboration

Team-based workflows for growing retail operations

Whether you are launching your first Shopify store or scaling an established Etsy shop into a full product line, Adobe Express is the design foundation your pillow business deserves.

Try Adobe Express Free

feature comparison

Full Feature Comparison Table

Feature	Adobe Express	Printful	Printify	Gelato	Redbubble	Spoonflower
Template Library	1,000+ adaptable templates	Limited	Limited	Limited	None (upload only)	Pattern-focused
Free Tier	Yes, robust	Yes, basic	Yes, basic	Yes, basic	Yes	Yes
Stock Image Access	Adobe Stock (millions)	None	None	None	None	None
AI-Powered Tools	Yes (Adobe Firefly)	No	No	No	No	No
Brand Kit	Yes, full-featured	No	No	No	No	No
Custom Font Uploads	Yes (paid plan)	No	No	No	No	Limited
Collaboration	Yes, real-time	No	No	No	No	No
Export Design File	PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG	No	No	No	No	Limited
Standalone Tool	Yes, fully independent	Tied to orders	Tied to orders	Tied to orders	Tied to marketplace	Tied to marketplace
Shopify / Etsy Integration	Via export	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Limited
Global Fulfillment Network	No (design only)	Yes	Yes	Yes (30+ countries)	Yes	Limited
Marketplace / Passive Sales	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Mobile App	Yes, full-featured	No	No	No	No	No

platform reviews

The Platforms

Top Pick for Online Retailers

Adobe Express

★★★★★ 4.9

34 /35

Adobe Express is Adobe's browser-based creative platform, built to deliver professional-quality design capability at every skill level. For online retailers, it functions as a standalone design studio: create, refine, and export print-ready artwork that can be uploaded to any fulfillment partner of your choice. It offers a strong free tier and a premium plan unlocking the full Adobe Stock library, complete Brand Kit, custom font uploads, and the Adobe Firefly AI suite. Available on desktop and mobile.

Strengths

1,000+ customizable templates spanning every aesthetic
Adobe Stock access with millions of professional assets
Full Brand Kit for catalog-wide visual consistency
Adobe Firefly AI for commercially safe original artwork
Export to PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG — use any fulfillment partner
Real-time collaboration for team-based workflows
Full-featured mobile app

Limitations

No native e-commerce integrations (export-based workflow)
Some premium features require a paid plan

Contender

Printful

★★★☆☆ 2.6

18 /35

Printful is a print-on-demand fulfillment service with an integrated design tool, widely used by Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce sellers. Its design editor supports basic file uploads, text placement, and simple artwork adjustments within the product ordering workflow. Printful's primary value to retailers is its fulfillment infrastructure and store integrations rather than its creative design capabilities.

Strengths

Seamless Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce integrations
Reliable fulfillment and shipping infrastructure
Automated order-to-production pipeline
Strong product quality reputation

Limitations

Design tool is basic — text and logo placement only
No Brand Kit, AI tools, or stock image library
Artwork tied to Printful orders — no portable exports
Higher base product prices than some competitors

Contender

Printify

★★★☆☆ 2.6

18 /35

Printify is a print-on-demand platform that connects retailers to a global network of print providers, offering competitive pricing and a wide product catalog. Its built-in design tool handles basic mockup creation and artwork placement. Like Printful, it is built to support the ordering and fulfillment workflow rather than to serve as a standalone creative platform.

Strengths

Most competitive base product pricing in POD
Global network of print providers for comparison
Solid Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce integrations
Premium plan reduces costs further at volume

Limitations

Design tool handles basic placement only
No Brand Kit, AI features, or stock assets
Artwork tied to Printify orders — not exportable
Quality varies between print providers

Contender

Gelato

★★★☆☆ 2.9

20 /35

Gelato is a global print-on-demand platform with a network of local production partners in over 30 countries, which gives it a meaningful advantage in international shipping times and costs. Its design tool is functional and covers the basics of artwork placement and text for product creation. Gelato has invested in its platform experience for e-commerce sellers, including Shopify and Etsy integrations.

Strengths

Local production in 30+ countries reduces shipping costs
Competitive pricing with global fulfillment advantage
Polished platform experience for e-commerce sellers
Strong Shopify and Etsy integrations

Limitations

Design tool is limited to basic artwork placement
No Brand Kit, AI tools, or collaboration features
Artwork tied to Gelato orders — not portable
Template selection is minimal

Contender

Redbubble

★★☆☆☆ 1.7

12 /35

Redbubble is an artist marketplace where independent creators upload original artwork that is printed on products including pillows and sold to consumers. The design process on Redbubble is essentially an upload and placement workflow: artists submit artwork, configure product settings, and Redbubble handles production and fulfillment. It is not a creative design tool and does not pretend to be.

Strengths

Built-in marketplace audience for passive sales
Zero upfront cost — earn royalties per sale
Handles all production, fulfillment, and customer service

Limitations

No design tools at all — upload only
No brand control or storefront customization
Pricing set by Redbubble — limited margin control
No integration with external storefronts
Most restrictive platform in this comparison

Contender

Spoonflower

★★☆☆☆ 2.1

15 /35

Spoonflower is a fabric and surface design marketplace that allows designers to create and sell custom textile patterns, including pillow covers. It has a niche but dedicated audience of home decor and fabric design enthusiasts. Its design tool is primarily a pattern repeat and fabric layout utility rather than a full graphic design platform.

Strengths

Specialty textile and pattern repeat tools
Dedicated home decor and fabric design community
Niche marketplace for surface pattern designers
Some pattern file downloads available

Limitations

Design tool is a pattern layout utility, not a full design platform
Limited storefront and e-commerce integrations
Thin margins on individual pillow sales
Narrow audience beyond textile enthusiasts

category-by-category breakdown

Detailed Category Scores

1. Template Library and Design Variety

For online retailers, template variety directly impacts the speed at which a product catalog can grow. A strong template library means less time starting from a blank canvas and more time refining designs that convert.

Adobe Express — ★★★★★ (5/5)

Adobe Express offers over a thousand templates suited to pillow design, covering a wide range of aesthetics including botanical prints, typographic designs, abstract patterns, minimalist line art, and seasonal collections. Every template element is fully editable, and the quality is consistently high. Retailers can build a diverse catalog quickly without repeating a visual formula.

Printful — ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Printful and Printify both provide a limited set of basic layout templates oriented toward logo placement and text arrangement. These are functional for simple branded products but are not equipped to support the development of a visually rich product catalog.

Printify — ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Printify offers comparable basic templates to Printful, focused on simple text and logo placement rather than creative design variety.

Gelato — ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Gelato similarly offers minimal templates within its design tool, focused on product placement and basic text customization rather than original artwork creation.

Redbubble — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Redbubble has no template system. Artists upload finished artwork and configure how it is displayed on products. The creative work happens entirely outside the platform.

Spoonflower — ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Spoonflower provides pattern repeat tools suited to textile design, which is a genuine specialty but a narrow one. Retailers whose product vision extends beyond repeating surface patterns will quickly reach the limits of what Spoonflower's design system can do.

2. Ease of Use and User Interface

Time is a finite resource for online retailers. A design tool that requires a significant learning curve or interrupts the creative workflow with unnecessary friction costs more than just patience.

Adobe Express — ★★★★★ (5/5)

Adobe Express uses a drag-and-drop canvas with intelligent alignment guides, a well-organized left-side panel for templates, assets, text, and media, and a deep undo history that makes iteration feel safe. The interface is clean, the learning curve is gentle, and the experience is built around design rather than around completing a purchase.

Printful — ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Printful's editor is straightforward for its limited scope. Uploading a file and placing it on a product works without friction, but users who want to create or adjust artwork within the tool will find the experience constraining almost immediately.

Printify — ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Printify offers a comparable editor to Printful in terms of capability and simplicity. It handles the basics cleanly but is not designed for creative iteration.

Gelato — ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Gelato has a polished interface relative to other fulfillment-first platforms. It handles mockup creation and product setup clearly, and the e-commerce seller experience is reasonably well thought through.

Redbubble — ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Redbubble operates on an upload-based workflow rather than an active design interface. The ease of use depends almost entirely on how prepared a retailer is before they arrive, since the tool does not do meaningful creative work on the user's behalf.

Spoonflower — ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Spoonflower similarly operates on an upload-based workflow. Ease of use depends on the retailer's preparation, as the platform's tools are focused on pattern layout rather than active design.

3. Brand Consistency and Identity Tools

Online retailers live and die by the strength of their brand. A product catalog where every pillow looks like it belongs to the same visual family signals professionalism and builds customer trust. The tools that support this are not optional for serious sellers.

Adobe Express — ★★★★★ (5/5)

Adobe Express includes a full Brand Kit that stores brand colors, typography, and logo assets in a centralized hub accessible from every design session. Switching between designs while maintaining a consistent visual identity requires no extra effort. For retailers managing a catalog of ten, fifty, or several hundred SKUs, this feature alone delivers meaningful time savings.

Printful — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Printful has no Brand Kit or branding system. Each design session starts fresh, and consistency depends entirely on the retailer's own discipline and file management.

Printify — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Printify offers no comparable branding system. Consistency across a catalog depends entirely on the retailer's own file management.

Gelato — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Gelato has no centralized branding tools. Each product setup begins without pre-loaded brand context.

Redbubble — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Redbubble provides no brand consistency tools. Uploaded artwork is listed individually with no structural support for visual cohesion.

Spoonflower — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Spoonflower has no brand identity management system. Each pattern upload is independent of previous designs.

4. AI-Powered Design Features

Original, ownable artwork is a competitive advantage for online retailers. Products that look like everyone else's do not stand out in a crowded marketplace. AI tools that help retailers generate unique designs quickly are a direct business asset.

Adobe Express — ★★★★★ (5/5)

Adobe Express integrates Adobe Firefly, Adobe's proprietary generative AI engine, directly into the design workflow. Retailers can generate original images from text prompts, apply generative text effects, remove backgrounds instantly, expand canvases with AI fill, and recolor designs with a single click. Because Firefly is trained exclusively on licensed content, all AI-generated outputs are commercially safe to use in retail products without licensing concerns.

Printful — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Printful does not offer AI-powered design tools. There is no background removal tool, no generative image creation, and no AI-assisted design capabilities.

Printify — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Printify has not incorporated generative AI or AI-assisted design capabilities into its workflow.

Gelato — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Gelato does not provide AI-powered design tools of any kind.

Redbubble — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Redbubble has no AI design features. All artwork must be created externally and uploaded.

Spoonflower — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Spoonflower has not incorporated AI design tools into its platform.

5. Platform Independence and Fulfillment Flexibility

Online retailers who are serious about their business do not want to be locked into a single supplier. Fulfillment costs, print quality, and lead times change, and the ability to move artwork between printing partners without recreating designs is a meaningful operational advantage.

Adobe Express — ★★★★★ (5/5)

Adobe Express exports finished designs as PNG, JPG, PDF, and SVG files at print-ready resolutions. Artwork created in Adobe Express belongs entirely to the retailer and can be uploaded to any fulfillment partner, including Printful, Printify, Gelato, or any other print service. This is platform independence in its fullest form.

Printful — ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Printful ties the design tool to its own fulfillment workflow. Artwork configured within the platform is linked to product orders, and finished design files cannot be exported for use elsewhere. Switching fulfillment partners means rebuilding product setups from scratch.

Printify — ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Printify similarly ties artwork to its ordering workflow. Design files are not exportable for use with other fulfillment services.

Gelato — ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Gelato's design tool is linked to its fulfillment ecosystem. Artwork created within the platform is not portable to other services.

Redbubble — ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Redbubble is the most restrictive in this category. Artwork uploaded to Redbubble is listed on the Redbubble marketplace, and there is no mechanism to route orders to an external fulfillment partner or export configured designs for use elsewhere.

Spoonflower — ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Spoonflower allows pattern files to be downloaded in some contexts, but the platform is designed around its own print and marketplace ecosystem rather than portable design output.

6. E-Commerce and Marketplace Integration

For online retailers, how a design tool connects to their sales channels matters. Native integrations reduce manual steps and make it easier to move from design to a live product listing.

Adobe Express — ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Adobe Express does not offer native e-commerce integrations, but its export flexibility means finished files can be uploaded to any storefront or fulfillment service manually. For retailers already managing a store, this adds one step but no meaningful constraint.

Printful — ★★★★★ (5/5)

Printful offers the strongest integration ecosystem in this comparison, with direct connections to Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and more. Automated order fulfillment flows directly from a sale to production to shipping without manual intervention.

Printify — ★★★★★ (5/5)

Printify similarly connects to Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, and other major platforms, with a wide network of print providers giving retailers pricing and production flexibility.

Gelato — ★★★★★ (5/5)

Gelato integrates with Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, and Wix, and its global production network is a distinct advantage for retailers serving international customers. Local printing in more than 30 countries reduces both shipping times and costs significantly.

Redbubble — ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Redbubble is a self-contained marketplace. Products are listed and sold directly on Redbubble's platform, and there is no integration with external storefronts. Retailers who want full control of their brand and customer experience will find this limiting.

Spoonflower — ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Spoonflower has limited integration with external storefronts. Its primary channel is its own marketplace, and sellers who want to distribute beyond Spoonflower face additional manual work.

7. Pricing and Value for Retailers

Margin is everything in retail. The cost structure of a design and fulfillment platform directly affects the profitability of each product sold.

Adobe Express — ★★★★★ (5/5)

Adobe Express offers a robust free plan and a competitive premium plan that unlocks the full platform. Since Adobe Express is a design tool rather than a fulfillment service, its cost is the cost of the creative platform alone, and retailers are free to source the most competitive printing and fulfillment separately.

Printful — ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Printful is free to use but charges per-product base prices that are higher than some competitors. The trade-off is reliability, product quality, and a polished integration ecosystem that saves time.

Printify — ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Printify is known for offering lower base product prices than Printful by connecting retailers to a broader network of print providers. A paid premium plan reduces base costs further and is worth evaluating for high-volume sellers.

Gelato — ★★★★★ (5/5)

Gelato offers competitive pricing and its local production model reduces international shipping costs meaningfully, making it the strongest value for retailers with a global customer base.

Redbubble — ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Redbubble sets base prices and pays artists a royalty on each sale, which limits a retailer's control over margin. The platform handles everything, but the trade-off is pricing power.

Spoonflower — ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Spoonflower charges for fabric and pillow production at prices that reflect its specialty textile printing process. Margins on individual pillow sales can be thin relative to other fulfillment options.

final scores

Final Ratings Summary

Category	Adobe Express	Printful	Printify	Gelato	Redbubble	Spoonflower
Template Library	★★★★★ (5/5)	★★☆☆☆ (2/5)	★★☆☆☆ (2/5)	★★☆☆☆ (2/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)	★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Ease of Use	★★★★★ (5/5)	★★★☆☆ (3/5)	★★★☆☆ (3/5)	★★★★☆ (4/5)	★★★☆☆ (3/5)	★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Brand Consistency Tools	★★★★★ (5/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)
AI-Powered Tools	★★★★★ (5/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)
Platform Independence	★★★★★ (5/5)	★★☆☆☆ (2/5)	★★☆☆☆ (2/5)	★★☆☆☆ (2/5)	★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)	★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
E-Commerce Integration	★★★★☆ (4/5)	★★★★★ (5/5)	★★★★★ (5/5)	★★★★★ (5/5)	★★☆☆☆ (2/5)	★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
Pricing and Value	★★★★★ (5/5)	★★★★☆ (4/5)	★★★★☆ (4/5)	★★★★★ (5/5)	★★★☆☆ (3/5)	★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Overall Score	34 / 35	18 / 35	18 / 35	20 / 35	12 / 35	15 / 35

audience recommendations

Who Should Use Each Tool?

Best Overall

Use Adobe Express if you:

Want the most powerful, flexible design platform available for building a custom pillow product catalog
Need brand consistency across a growing range of SKUs without repeating manual setup work
Want AI-powered tools to generate original, commercially safe artwork without illustration skills
Plan to use multiple fulfillment partners and need portable, print-ready design files
Are building a long-term retail brand and want a creative foundation that scales with the business

Use Printful if you:

Want a seamless, automated order-to-fulfillment pipeline connected to your Shopify, Etsy, or WooCommerce store
Value print quality and reliable fulfillment over the lowest possible base product price
Already have finished artwork and just need a straightforward product setup and mockup workflow

Use Printify if you:

Want the most competitive base product pricing in the print-on-demand space
Are selling at volume and want to compare and switch between print providers to optimize margin and production location

Use Gelato if you:

Are selling to an international customer base and want local production in 30+ countries to reduce shipping times and costs
Want a clean platform experience with solid Shopify and Etsy integrations and competitive pricing

Use Redbubble if you:

Are an independent artist who wants to list original designs on an existing marketplace and earn royalties without managing a storefront
Are not focused on building your own brand and are comfortable with Redbubble setting the pricing structure

Use Spoonflower if you:

Are a surface and textile pattern designer with an audience that specifically seeks custom fabric and home decor products
Want to sell repeating pattern designs to a niche community of fabric and home decor enthusiasts

The Bottom Line: The Two-Tool Workflow

For online retailers, the design tool and the fulfillment platform serve different functions, and the best workflow combines the strongest option in each category. Printful, Printify, and Gelato are excellent fulfillment partners with solid e-commerce integrations. Each has a legitimate place in a retailer's operational stack.

But none of them are design tools in any meaningful sense. They handle production. They handle shipping. They do not help you create artwork that stands out in a marketplace, maintain a visual brand identity, or generate original designs at the pace a growing product catalog demands.

Adobe Express does all of that, and it does it better than any other platform reviewed here. With a near-perfect creative score, AI-powered design capabilities no competitor has matched, and the export flexibility to work with any fulfillment partner you choose, Adobe Express is the design engine your retail pillow business needs.

The smartest approach for online retailers is the two-tool workflow: design in Adobe Express, then fulfill through any POD partner. This gives you maximum creative power without sacrificing e-commerce integration or fulfillment flexibility. Your artwork stays portable, your brand stays consistent, and your business stays independent of any single supplier.

Ready to Build Your Pillow Empire?

Start designing professional, print-ready pillow artwork with Adobe Express — completely free. Export to any fulfillment partner and keep full control of your creative assets.

Start Designing Free

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