Gelato vs merchOne Specs 2026: Canvas, Mugs, Blankets

Gelato vs merchOne: Which platform fits your store?

• Choose Gelato if you sell in many countries and want the widest local-production reach. Gelato lists 250+ print partners across 32 countries.
• Choose merchOne if wall art and home décor are the core of your store and you want one manufacturer in control of materials and quality. merchOne has 20+ years in business, owns and runs four factories in Latvia, Poland, Germany and the USA, and works with 10,000+ POD companies worldwide.

Production model and catalog at a glance

Sources: gelato.com homepage and canvas pages; merchone.com homepage and product pages, checked 23 October 2026.

What this means for you: Gelato’s strength is reach. Orders go to a partner near the buyer, so you can serve many countries without managing logistics yourself. merchOne’s strength is control. Every order is made in a merchOne factory, so one team handles materials, printing and quality. Orders are routed to the closest US or EU facility, which means EU orders are printed in Europe and US orders in the US, with no cross-border shipping costs or customs delays.

The SLA (service level agreement) is the production time merchOne commits to before an order ships: 2 days for unframed canvas and posters, 3 business days for everything else, with a 95% target that holds in peak season. The 60,000 m² of space and the 2.5 million+ products per day of capacity are the scale behind that promise.

Pricing rewards growth too. merchOne offers a free product configurator and volume discounts above 100 monthly orders, which reduce production costs by 5-8 percentage points. Custom enterprise pricing is available beyond 500 units per month. Neither platform has a minimum order, so you can start with a single product.

Quick takeaway: pick Gelato if you need to reach many countries. Pick merchOne if most of your buyers are in the US and Europe and you want one manufacturer making everything locally.

Canvas: Materials, frames and artwork requirements

Canvas is the product where the two catalogs overlap most, and where the spec sheets differ most. merchOne sells canvas in both the EU and the US, so sizes and prices are shown for both markets.

Sources: Gelato canvas and framed canvas guide; merchOne canvas product pages, checked 23 October 2026 (prices and US sizes re-checked 26 October 2026).

Format choice

Gelato’s help center lists 50+ canvas formats and converts units by destination country, so a buyer in the US sees inches and a buyer in Germany sees centimeters. That suits sellers who want to offer many dimensions across many markets.

merchOne organizes canvas into four named formats, so every product has a clear purpose. Sizes are listed in centimeters for EU orders and in inches for US orders:

• Classic Canvas (2 cm deep): the slimmer option. EU: 19 sizes, 20×20 to 120×90 cm, from €4.33. US: 24 sizes, 8×8 to 48×36 in, from $8.90.
• Gallery Canvas (4 cm deep): a thicker gallery wrap that hangs without a frame. EU: 26 sizes, 30×20 to 180×100 cm, from €10.92. US: 11 sizes, 12×8 to 48×36 in, from $15.90.
• Framed Canvas: canvas that arrives already framed in a shadow frame. EU: 8 sizes, 20×20 to 120×80 cm, from €11.78. US: 10 sizes, 8×8 to 40×30 in, from $29.90.
• Canvas Wall Hanging: a retro style with magnetic pine wood bars and a leather-effect cord. EU: 11 sizes, 30×20 to 60×180 cm, from €7.59. US: 11 sizes, 12×8 to 71×24 in, from $11.90.

Together that is 64 size options in the EU (19 + 26 + 8 + 11), covering 33 distinct dimensions, and 56 size options in the US (24 + 11 + 10 + 11), covering 30 distinct dimensions. Some dimensions appear in more than one format, which is why the distinct counts are lower.

Gelato lists more unframed sizes. In the EU, merchOne goes larger on Gallery Canvas, up to 180×100 cm, and offers long, narrow panoramic sizes such as 160×40 cm and 180×60 cm, which suit wide walls like the space above a sofa or bed. In the US, the largest Classic and Gallery canvases are 48×36 in, and the panoramic Canvas Wall Hanging sizes include 48×16, 48×24 and 71×24 in.

Quick takeaway: Gelato gives you more sizes to choose from. merchOne gives you fewer, clearer choices, panoramic formats and a ready-framed option. Choose Gelato if size variety matters most. Choose merchOne if you want large or panoramic canvas (up to 180×100 cm in the EU, 48×36 in or 71×24 in in the US) or a framed canvas that arrives framed.

Materials and edges

Gelato prints on a coated cotton-polyester blend (about 300-350 gsm, a measure of fabric weight). merchOne canvas is 100% polyester at 285 g/m² with a matte, low-glare coating, so it reflects less light from windows and lamps, even on large prints. It is also tested for harmful substances. Both platforms build the stretcher frame (the wooden frame behind the canvas) from wood: FSC-certified wood at Gelato, solid pinewood at merchOne.

For edges, merchOne lets you choose how the image meets the sides. Folded edges can be any color you set through the file background. Stretched and Mirrored extend the image around the sides. On a 4 cm Gallery Canvas with Folded edges, your file needs a 45 mm border.

Quick takeaway: the two canvases are made of different fabrics, so order one sample of each to compare the feel. With merchOne you also get three edge styles to choose from.

Framing

Gelato frames are made of wood and come in three colors. merchOne’s Framed Canvas uses a shadow frame made of 100% recycled ocean plastic with a matte finish. A shadow frame holds the canvas with a small gap around the edge, which gives the piece depth on the wall. It comes in six colors: Black Matte, White, Vintage Silver, Oak Vintage Flair, Walnut Flair and Natural Wood (EU only). The wider range lets you offer metallic and wood-effect finishes alongside black and white, and recycled content gives you a ready-made sustainability story for your listings. If your buyers expect real wood frames, check that detail before listing.

Hanging works differently too. Gelato includes a mounting kit, and framed canvases come with a sawtooth hanger, screws and a hook. merchOne sells a Hanger Set as an optional add-on (+€1 / +$1.90), so you decide whether to bundle it into your price.

Quick takeaway: choose Gelato if your buyers want real wood frames and a hanging kit in the box. Choose merchOne if you want more color choice (6 vs 3) and a recycled-material story.

Ink

Gelato prints canvas with wide-format inkjet and uses no white ink, so white and transparent areas of your file are not printed and the white of the canvas fabric shows through. merchOne uses water-based HP Latex inks, which are solvent-free and odorless, so there is no strong chemical smell when your buyer unpacks the order. Print the same artwork on both platforms and judge the color for yourself.

Quick takeaway: the ink type is different, but the real test is color. Compare one printed sample from each platform before you commit a collection.

Wrap and bleed

Wrap is the part of your image that folds around the sides of the canvas. Because of it, your file has to be larger than the front of the canvas. Gelato publishes the math. For a 200×300 mm slim canvas with the image wrapped around the edges, the file needs to be 298×398 mm. For a thick canvas, it needs to be 310×410 mm. Read Gelato’s canvas upload guide before you prepare files.

merchOne publishes a Print Area Guide for every canvas product. The seller-dashboard configurator also previews canvas variants across sizes and edges and generates mockups, which saves most of the manual file setup.

Quick takeaway: if you prepare files by hand, Gelato’s formulas work. If you want less manual work, merchOne’s guides and configurator do most of the setup for you.

Mugs: Print areas, care and design considerations

Both platforms offer 11 oz white, colored-inside and magic mugs. Gelato publishes detailed mug formats and print areas (the part of the mug that can carry your design, given as width × height). merchOne’s Classic Mug is one of its top sellers by order volume across the Teeinblue seller network, and its range adds occasion mugs built for gifting seasons: the Heart Mug and the Seasonal Mug with Pre-Printed Inside.

Source: Gelato printable area for mugs.

Key points from Gelato’s documentation

• White ceramic mugs in 11oz, 15oz and 17oz are microwave and dishwasher safe.
• Colored-interior mugs come with blue, pink, red, green or yellow rims, interiors and handles.
• Magic mugs are black when empty and reveal the design with a hot drink. They are not microwave or dishwasher safe, and high-contrast designs are not recommended because the mug is not fully opaque.
• Conical mugs, such as the 17oz latte and the travel mug, distort artwork slightly. Circles can print as ellipses, while horizontal lines stay straight.
• Gelato recommends 300 dpi files and bold colors, since pastels and fine tints can look faded on ceramic.

merchOne mug range: eight models

Source: merchOne mug product pages, checked 23 October 2026 (prices re-checked 26 October 2026). Mugs without a $ price are currently sold in the EU market only. See all merchOne mugs.

Does merchOne cover Gelato’s mug formats?

Here is how each of Gelato’s eight mug formats lines up with the closest merchOne mug:

The Heart Mug and the Seasonal Mug with Pre-Printed Inside have no match on the Gelato mug page we reviewed.

Quick takeaway: of Gelato’s 8 mug formats, merchOne matches 3 at the same size, offers a similar mug in a different capacity for 3 more, and has nothing for 2 (the 15 oz ceramic and the 17 oz latte). merchOne’s mug range is produced in Europe and sold to EU sellers. If your best sellers are standard 11 oz mugs, merchOne covers you and adds occasion mugs for gift seasons. If you rely on 15 oz or 17 oz ceramic mugs, Gelato is the better fit.

Seasonal mugs for gift campaigns

The Seasonal Mug with Pre-Printed Inside is a good fit for sellers who run holiday campaigns. The message hidden inside the cup is already printed, so your design and your customer’s names or photos go on the outside. A single listing covers Birthday, Christmas, I Love You and Mother’s Day, which means you can reuse one product across four gifting moments. It sits naturally in merchOne’s Christmas collection.

Mug orders also get a “plus one” shipping rate: after the first item, shipping rises in smaller steps (every mug except the Travel Mug). That helps when buyers add a second mug to the same order.

Mugs are a small-margin, high-volume product, so the practical questions are print area, file rules and return risk from color shifts. Ask each platform for the same three things:

• the printable area of the mug you plan to sell;
• whether the wrap needs bleed (extra image beyond the edge so nothing gets cut short). Gelato requires 2 mm of bleed at the top and bottom of its 11oz ceramic mug;
• a printed sample of your best-selling design.

Compare the samples side by side before you commit a collection.

Blankets: Standard and Premium specs

Blankets are one of merchOne’s top products. Teeinblue order data from the merchOne seller network ranks the Standard Blanket among the top eight products by volume, behind Canvas, Poster, Classic Mug, Premium Pillow and Framed Poster. Demand clusters in wall decoration and home décor during gift seasons. In the US, fleece photo blankets are a common gift for Christmas, Mother’s Day and graduation.

Standard Blanket

Premium Blanket

Source: merchOne blanket product pages, checked 23 October 2026 (prices re-checked 26 October 2026). See all merchOne blankets.

How to choose: g/m² is fabric weight. The Premium Blanket (510 g/m²) is more than twice as heavy as the Standard (240 g/m²), which gives it a thicker, plusher feel and a higher starting price. Both come in the same three sizes in each market and share the same safety and care details. The difference is the fabric, the back color and the corners.

When you compare with Gelato, check the same points on its current blanket pages: fabric and fiber content, gsm, sizes in your target markets, single-sided or edge-to-edge print, edge finish and care instructions. Then order one sample of your best-selling design from each platform.

Quick takeaway: choose the Standard Blanket for lower-priced gifts and the Premium Blanket for a heavier, more upscale product. Because both come in the same three sizes, one design works on either.

Posters and framed posters

Gelato publishes more poster paper types and sizes, including Fine Art (Giclée). merchOne focuses on two clear options, sold in both the EU and the US:

• The merchOne Poster uses 230 g/m² matte satin luster photo paper in the EU. You can print in color or black & white from one design, and add poster clips if you want.
  • EU: 25 sizes from 18×13 to 120×85 cm, including A4, A3, A2, A1 and A0. From €2.76, shipping from €3.99.
  • US: 13 sizes from 11×8.5 to 36×24 in (about 28×22 to 91×61 cm), including 11×8.5 in (US Letter) and 17×11 in (Tabloid). From $3.70, shipping from $5.90.
• The merchOne Framed Poster arrives framed, so there is no separate frame to buy. It is lightweight and easy to hang.
  • EU: 4 sizes (30×20 to 80×60 cm), each with a decor frame made of 100% recycled ocean plastic, in five finishes: Black Matte, White, Vintage Silver, Oak Vintage Flair and Walnut Flair. 275 g/m² matte satin paper. From €10.70, shipping from €3.99.
  • US: 3 sizes on 9 mil Briteline satin (semi-gloss) photo paper (9 mil is about 0.23 mm thick): 16×12 in at $46.90, 24×16 in at $76.90 and 36×24 in at $127.90. Shipping from $15.90.

See all merchOne posters.

Quick takeaway: choose Gelato if you want a choice of paper types, such as Fine Art (Giclée). Choose merchOne for a simple poster lineup that is sold in both the EU and the US, with the entry price from €2.76 / $3.70, and a framed poster that needs no separate frame.

T-shirts: Gildan 5000 and Bella+Canvas 3001

Both suppliers list the same two blank models, so compare print method, sizes and price. merchOne prints both by DTG (direct-to-garment), which means the ink goes straight onto the fabric. Both shirts are sold in the EU, so check the EU color chart on each product page.

• The Unisex T-Shirt Gildan 5000 is a 180 g/m² (5.3 oz/yd²) cotton shirt with tubular knit, which means no side seams. It comes in sizes S to 5XL. Prices start at €7.85 in the EU.
• The Unisex T-Shirt Bella+Canvas 3001 is a lighter 142 g/m² (4.2 oz/yd²) shirt made of Airlume combed ring-spun cotton. It is pre-shrunk and side-seamed and comes in sizes S to 3XL. Prices start at €12.21 in the EU.

Shipping in the EU starts from €3.99 for the first item.

Quick takeaway: since both platforms use the same two blank shirts, the shirt itself should feel the same. The difference comes from print quality and price, so order one sample of your best design from each. Choose the Gildan 5000 for a sturdier, lower-priced shirt with sizes up to 5XL, and the Bella+Canvas 3001 for a lighter, softer shirt.

Beyond canvas, mugs and blankets

Wall art range

merchOne’s wall decoration catalog lists 24 formats, including acrylic prints, acrylic prints on metal, premium acrylic prints, adhesive posters, canvas, framed canvas, metal prints (matte and gloss), MIXPIX®, photo boards, round photo prints, wall tapestries and wood panels. The home décor and accessories range adds bed linen, mugs, pillows, blankets, rugs, notebooks, tote bags, towels and window blinds, plus pet products. Having this many formats under one manufacturer means you can build a full collection, from a poster to a metal print, with one supplier and one set of quality standards.

Personalization

71 merchOne products are integrated with Teeinblue, so buyers can personalize them directly before ordering: 26 wall decoration, 30 home décor and accessories, 12 apparel and 3 pet products. Any product in the merchOne catalog can also carry a custom logo or catchphrase. For loyal sellers, merchOne can also adapt to special requests, including special product sizes and additional printing methods.

Fulfillment details

merchOne syncs your store orders automatically, routes them to the closest US or EU facility, prints and hand-stretches canvas, and ships with tracking sent to the buyer. Production starts from 2 days, with a 95% SLA target that holds through peak season. merchOne also uses a grouping model for canvas printing (several orders are printed together) to cut material waste.

Gelato routes each order to a partner based on product and delivery destination, and shows an estimated delivery time for each product.

Quick takeaway: if you want to sell wall art, home décor and personalized gifts and buy them all from one factory, merchOne’s catalog is built for that.

Quick verdict by product

How to compare the platforms for your store

1. List your top five products. If canvas, framed art and home décor make up most of your sales, compare merchOne’s four canvas formats and six frame colors against Gelato’s wider size range.
2. Order the same sample from both. Use one design on a canvas, a mug and a blanket. Judge color, texture, packaging and delivery time.
3. Check your markets. If you ship mainly to the US and Europe, merchOne’s owned regional facilities and consistent materials matter, and local production means no cross-border shipping costs or customs delays. If you ship to many other countries, Gelato’s wider partner network may reduce delivery time.
4. Check the sizes in your buyers’ units. US buyers shop in inches and EU buyers in centimeters. Compare the size lists for the market you sell in, because merchOne’s US and EU size lists differ.
5. Match the file workflow. If your team already prepares bleed and wrap files, Gelato’s published templates work well. If you want fast setup without design tools, merchOne’s configurator takes custom canvas from upload to published product in about 15 minutes.
6. Confirm specs on the live catalog page. Platforms update materials, sizes and prices, and partner-based networks can vary by production site.

What makes merchOne home décor different? Blankets come as ultra-soft 510 g/m² premium plush or dense 240 g/m² fleece, and premium pillows are hand-sewn from super-soft plush with a borderless print, all with OEKO-TEX® certified fabric. The mug range adds an accent mug with the inside and handle in 7 colours and a seasonal mug with a pre-printed inside. Mugs and pillows are produced in merchOne’s EU sites in Riga, Szczecin and Bitterfeld-Wolfen, so orders to EU customers never pass through customs.

Frequently asked questions

Which platform has more canvas sizes?

Gelato lists 50+ unframed canvas formats, more than merchOne’s unframed range. merchOne’s EU price tables list 64 size options across its four canvas formats: 19 for Classic Canvas (2 cm), 26 for Gallery Canvas (4 cm), 8 for Framed Canvas and 11 for Canvas Wall Hanging. Those options cover 33 distinct dimensions, from 20×20 cm up to 180×100 cm. The US price tables list 56 size options in inches (24 for Classic Canvas, 11 for Gallery Canvas, 10 for Framed Canvas and 11 for Canvas Wall Hanging), covering 30 distinct dimensions from 8×8 in up to 71×24 in. For framed canvas, Gelato lists 13 sizes and merchOne 8 in the EU and 10 in the US, while merchOne offers 6 frame colors to Gelato’s 3.

Does merchOne list canvas sizes in inches for US sellers?

Yes. US orders use inch sizes, such as 12×8, 16×12, 24×16, 30×20 and 36×24 in, and the largest Classic and Gallery canvases are 48×36 in. EU orders use centimeter sizes. Gelato lets you order in either unit and converts to the nearest size for the destination country.

What are the canvas thickness options?

Gelato offers 2 cm and 4 cm unframed canvas. merchOne offers Classic Canvas at 2 cm and Gallery Canvas at 4 cm, both in 285 g/m² 100% polyester with Folded, Stretched or Mirrored edges.

Which frame colors does merchOne’s Framed Canvas come in?

Six: Black Matte, White, Vintage Silver, Oak Vintage Flair, Walnut Flair and Natural Wood (EU only). The frame is made of 100% recycled ocean plastic. Gelato lists three wood frame colors: black, natural wood and dark brown.

Are the mugs dishwasher safe?

Gelato says its white ceramic 11oz, 15oz and 17oz mugs are microwave and dishwasher safe, and its magic mugs are not. merchOne’s Classic Mug showed no visible change after 125 dishwasher cycles and is microwave safe. Its Magic Mug is hand wash only.

Does merchOne offer the same mug sizes as Gelato?

Partly. merchOne matches Gelato’s 11 oz white, colored-inside and magic mugs. It also has a porcelain, an enamel and a stainless steel travel mug, each in a different capacity from Gelato’s version. It does not offer a 15 oz ceramic or a 17 oz latte mug. merchOne’s mug range is produced and sold in the EU.

Does merchOne have mugs for Christmas and other gift seasons?

Yes. The Seasonal Mug with Pre-Printed Inside has a message pre-printed inside the cup and your design on the outside. One listing covers Birthday, Christmas, I Love You and Mother’s Day, and it starts at €7.37 (EU market). The Heart Mug (from €6.56, EU market) is made for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day collections.

What poster and framed poster sizes does merchOne offer in the US?

The Poster comes in 13 US sizes from 11×8.5 to 36×24 in, from $3.70. The Framed Poster comes in 3 US sizes: 16×12 in ($46.90), 24×16 in ($76.90) and 36×24 in ($127.90). In the EU, the Poster has 25 sizes and the Framed Poster has 4.

Where does merchOne produce its orders?

In its own four factories in Latvia, Poland, Germany and the USA (Columbus). Orders go to the closest US or EU facility, so EU orders are printed in Europe and US orders in the US.

Does either platform require a minimum order?

Neither Gelato nor merchOne requires a minimum order for print on demand.

What file resolution should I use?

Use 300 DPI at final print size for canvas and mugs on both platforms. merchOne’s configurator accepts JPG or PNG files and recommends the eciRGB-v2 color profile.

Where do I confirm current specs?

Use each platform’s product catalog page and design template, which list the exact dimensions for the product you plan to sell.