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🎨 Printful MCP Server

Automate Your Print-on-Demand Business with AI

Connect Printful's powerful API to Claude, Cursor, and other AI assistants through the Model Context Protocol.

📚 Quick Start • 🔧 Configuration • 🚀 Examples • 📖 Documentation

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🎁 New to Printful?

<a href="https://www.printful.com/a/purplehorizons"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Sign_Up-Get_Started_Free-FA4616?style=for-the-badge&logo=printful&logoColor=white" alt="Sign up for Printful"> </a>

_{Start your print-on-demand business today • No upfront costs • 300+ products • Global fulfillment}

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✨ Features

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🎯 Complete API Coverage

• ✅ Full Printful API v2 support
• ✅ Smart v1 fallback for legacy features
• ✅ 17 tools across all major domains
• ✅ Real-time stock & pricing data

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🛡️ Production Ready

• ✅ Type-safe Pydantic validation
• ✅ Robust error handling
• ✅ Rate limit management
• ✅ Dual output formats (JSON/Markdown)

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🚀 Easy Integration

• ✅ Works with Claude Desktop
• ✅ Works with Cursor IDE
• ✅ stdio + HTTP transports
• ✅ No hosting required

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🤖 AI Skill Included

• ✅ Cursor skill teaches AI how to use tools
• ✅ Best practices built-in
• ✅ Auto-applies workflows
• ✅ Better experience out of the box

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🎁 Bonus: This repo includes a Cursor AI skill that automatically teaches AI assistants how to use the Printful MCP effectively. Just open the project and start asking questions!

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🚀 Quick Start

<details open> <summary><b>📋 Prerequisites</b></summary>

<br>

• Python 3.10+ (Download)
• Printful API Key (Get one free)

</details>

<details> <summary><b>⚡ Installation (3 steps)</b></summary>

<br>

Step 1: Clone & Install

git clone https://github.com/Purple-Horizons/printful-ph-mcp.git
cd printful-ph-mcp
pip install -e .

Step 2: Set up API Key

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and add: PRINTFUL_API_KEY=your-key-here

Step 3: Configure Your AI Assistant

<details> <summary><b>For Cursor</b></summary>

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "printful": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "printful_mcp"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/printful-ph-mcp",
      "env": {
        "PRINTFUL_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

</details>

<details> <summary><b>For Claude Desktop</b></summary>

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "printful": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "printful_mcp"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/printful-ph-mcp",
      "env": {
        "PRINTFUL_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

</details>

✅ That's it! Restart your AI assistant and start using Printful tools.

</details>

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🔌 Transport Options

By default, the server uses stdio transport (required for Cursor/Claude Desktop). For HTTP clients or tools like mcporter, you can use HTTP transport.

<details> <summary><b>📡 Available Transports</b></summary>

<br>

Transport	Use Case	Command
stdio (default)	Cursor, Claude Desktop	python -m printful_mcp
http	HTTP clients, mcporter	python -m printful_mcp --transport http
sse	Legacy SSE clients	python -m printful_mcp --transport sse

HTTP Transport Example:

# Start server on port 8000
python -m printful_mcp --transport http --port 8000

# Or with custom host
python -m printful_mcp --transport http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8080

Using with mcporter:

# Option 1: Use JSON args format (recommended)
mcporter call printful_mcp.printful_list_catalog_products --args '{"limit":20}'

# Option 2: Use typed values (colon for numbers)
mcporter call printful_mcp.printful_get_product product_id:71

</details>

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🎨 What You Can Do

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🛍️ Catalog	📦 Orders	🚚 Shipping	🖼️ Mockups	📁 Files	🏪 Stores
Browse 300+ products	Create & manage orders	Calculate rates	Generate mockups	Upload designs	View statistics
Check availability	Confirm fulfillment	List countries	Check status	Get file info	Multi-store support
Get pricing	Track orders	Delivery times	Custom placements	-	-

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💡 Usage Examples

🎯 Example 1: Find the Perfect Product

# Ask your AI assistant:
"Show me all t-shirts available for DTG printing under $15"

# It will use:
printful_list_catalog_products(
    types="T-SHIRT",
    techniques="dtg",
    limit=20,
    format="markdown"
)

💰 Example 2: Get Pricing

# Ask your AI assistant:
"What's the price for variant 4011 in USD?"

# It will use:
printful_get_variant_prices(
    variant_id=4011,
    currency="USD",
    format="markdown"
)

📦 Example 3: Create an Order

# Ask your AI assistant:
"Create a draft order for John Doe at 123 Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90001"

# It will use:
printful_create_order(
    recipient_name="John Doe",
    recipient_address1="123 Main St",
    recipient_city="Los Angeles",
    recipient_state_code="CA",
    recipient_country_code="US",
    recipient_zip="90001"
)

🎨 Example 4: Generate Product Mockups

# Ask your AI assistant:
"Generate a mockup for product 71 with my design"

# It will use:
printful_create_mockup_task(
    product_id=71,
    variant_ids="4011,4012",
    design_url="https://example.com/design.png",
    placement="front"
)

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🎬 Want to see it in action?

📺 Watch Demo Video • 📖 Read Full Documentation • 💬 Join Community

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🛠️ Available Tools

<details> <summary><b>🛍️ Catalog Tools (5)</b> - Browse products & check availability</summary>

<br>

Tool	Description	Example Use
printful_list_catalog_products	Browse 300+ products with filters	"Show me all hoodies"
printful_get_product	Get detailed product info	"Tell me about product 71"
printful_get_product_variants	Get all sizes/colors	"What sizes are available?"
printful_get_variant_prices	Get pricing by currency	"How much in EUR?"
printful_get_product_availability	Check stock status	"Is this in stock?"

</details>

<details> <summary><b>📦 Order Tools (4)</b> - Create & manage orders</summary>

<br>

Tool	Description	Example Use
printful_create_order	Create draft order	"Create order for John"
printful_get_order	View order details	"Show me order #12345"
printful_confirm_order	Start fulfillment	"Confirm this order"
printful_list_orders	List all orders	"Show my recent orders"

</details>

<details> <summary><b>🚚 Shipping Tools (2)</b> - Calculate rates & delivery</summary>

<br>

Tool	Description	Example Use
printful_calculate_shipping	Get shipping rates & times	"How much to ship to UK?"
printful_list_countries	List supported countries	"What countries do you ship to?"

</details>

<details> <summary><b>🖼️ Mockup Tools (2)</b> - Generate product images</summary>

<br>

Tool	Description	Example Use
printful_create_mockup_task	Generate mockup images	"Create mockup with my design"
printful_get_mockup_task	Check generation status	"Is my mockup ready?"

</details>

<details> <summary><b>📁 File Tools (2)</b> - Upload & manage designs</summary>

<br>

Tool	Description	Example Use
printful_add_file	Upload design file	"Upload my logo"
printful_get_file	Get file info & status	"Check file #12345"

</details>

<details> <summary><b>🏪 Store Tools (2)</b> - Manage stores & stats</summary>

<br>

Tool	Description	Example Use
printful_list_stores	List your stores	"Show all my stores"
printful_get_store_stats	View sales & profit	"What are my sales?"

</details>

<details> <summary><b>🔄 Sync Product Tools (2)</b> - Legacy v1 features</summary>

<br>

Tool	Description	Example Use
printful_list_sync_products	List synced products	"Show my Etsy products"
printful_get_sync_product	Get sync product details	"Details on sync #123"

</details>

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🎓 Documentation

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📖 Quick Start Guide

Get up and running in 5 minutes

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🔑 API Token Setup

Detailed token configuration guide

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🧪 Testing Guide

Learn how to test your integration

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🔐 API Scopes Reference

Required permissions explained

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💻 Examples

Real code examples

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🔧 Cursor Config

Ready-to-use config file

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🔄 API Version Strategy

This server uses Printful API v2 (production-ready beta) with smart v1 fallback:

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🎯 v2 (Primary)

• ✅ Catalog & Products
• ✅ Orders & Fulfillment
• ✅ Shipping Rates
• ✅ Mockup Generation
• ✅ File Management
• ✅ Store Statistics

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🔄 v1 (Fallback)

• ✅ Sync Products
• ✅ Product Templates
• ⚠️ Auto-switches when needed
• 🚀 Future-proof architecture

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Why v2? Better pagination • Real-time stock • Enhanced orders • Improved security • Standardized formats

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⚙️ Rate Limiting & Performance

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📊 Rate Limits

• 120 requests / 60 seconds
• Leaky bucket algorithm
• Auto-retry on 429 errors

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🚀 Performance

• Response times: 100-500ms
• Concurrent requests: Supported
• Timeout handling: Built-in

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🐛 Troubleshooting

<details> <summary><b>❌ "PRINTFUL_API_KEY environment variable is required"</b></summary>

<br>

Solution: Make sure your API key is set in .env or passed via environment variables in the MCP config.

# Check your .env file
cat .env

# Should contain:
PRINTFUL_API_KEY=your-actual-key-here

</details>

<details> <summary><b>⏱️ "Rate limit exceeded"</b></summary>

<br>

Solution: Wait for the time specified in the error message (usually 60 seconds).

• Default limit: 120 requests/minute
• Consider implementing request batching
• Check X-Ratelimit-Reset header for exact reset time

</details>

<details> <summary><b>🔍 "Resource not found"</b></summary>

<br>

Solution: Double-check the ID you're using.

• For orders: You can use external IDs by prefixing with @ (e.g., @my-order-123)
• For products: Verify the product/variant ID exists in the catalog
• Check if the resource belongs to your store

</details>

<details> <summary><b>🎨 Mockup generation stuck on "pending"</b></summary>

<br>

Solution: Mockup generation typically takes 10-30 seconds.

• Wait at least 30 seconds before checking status
• If stuck longer than 2 minutes, check task status - it may have failed
• Verify your design URL is publicly accessible

</details>

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🧪 Testing

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Choose Your Testing Method

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⚡ Quick Test

Automated test suite

export PRINTFUL_API_KEY=your-key
python test_server.py

✅ Tests 6 core features ⏱️ Takes 30 seconds

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🌐 Interactive Test

Web-based MCP Inspector

export PRINTFUL_API_KEY=your-key
./test-with-inspector.sh

🎯 Test any tool visually 🌍 Opens at localhost:5173

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🤖 Live Test

In Claude/Cursor

Just ask:

"List Printful countries"

💬 Natural language ✨ Real integration test

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📖 Full testing guide: See TESTING.md for comprehensive testing instructions.

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🏗️ Project Structure

printful-ph-mcp/
├── 📁 src/
│   └── 📁 printful_mcp/
│       ├── 🐍 server.py          # FastMCP server + tool registrations
│       ├── 🔌 client.py          # API client with auth/error handling
│       ├── 📁 tools/             # Tool implementations by domain
│       │   ├── 🛍️ catalog.py    # Product browsing (5 tools)
│       │   ├── 📦 orders.py     # Order management (4 tools)
│       │   ├── 🚚 shipping.py   # Shipping rates (2 tools)
│       │   ├── 🖼️ mockups.py    # Mockup generation (2 tools)
│       │   ├── 📁 files.py      # File management (2 tools)
│       │   ├── 🏪 stores.py     # Store statistics (2 tools)
│       │   └── 🔄 sync.py       # v1 fallback (2 tools)
│       └── 📁 models/
│           └── 📋 inputs.py      # Pydantic input models
├── 📄 pyproject.toml
├── 🔐 .env.example
└── 📖 README.md

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🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

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🐛 Report Bugs

Found an issue? Open a bug report

✨ Request Features

Have an idea? Suggest a feature

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🔧 Submit PRs

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push and open a Pull Request

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📚 Resources & Links

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Resource	Link
📘 Printful API v2 Docs	developers.printful.com/docs/v2-beta
📗 Printful API v1 Docs	developers.printful.com/docs
🔌 MCP Protocol Spec	modelcontextprotocol.io
🐍 FastMCP Framework	github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk
🎨 Purple Horizons	purplehorizons.io
👨‍💻 Made by Gianni	giannidalerta.com

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📄 License

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MIT License - Free to use, modify, and distribute

View License • Purple Horizons LLC • 2026

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💝 Support This Project

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If this project helped you, consider:

⭐ Star this repo on GitHub

🐦 Share it on social media

🤝 Contribute to the codebase

🎨 Sign up for Printful using our affiliate link

<br>

<a href="https://www.printful.com/a/purplehorizons"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Try_Printful-Start_Free-FA4616?style=for-the-badge&logo=printful&logoColor=white" alt="Try Printful"> </a>

<br><br>

Made with ❤️ by Purple Horizons

Empowering businesses through AI automation

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🚀 Ready to automate your print-on-demand business?

Get Started Now • View Examples • Read Docs

_{Questions? Issues? Open an issue or contact us}

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