Teleport/Portals vs Printie vs In-House: Outsourcing 3D Printing Fulfillment

As 3D printing sellers grow, the biggest question becomes: Do I keep printing in-house, or outsource fulfillment?

Two common outsourcing options are Slant 3D's Teleport and Portals platforms. Teleport connects directly to ecommerce stores, while Portals lets sellers upload models and share a product link without creating a full store.

This guide compares three paths: in-house production, Slant 3D's Teleport/Portals, and Printie.

The core tradeoff: control vs scale

In-house gives you maximum control. Outsourcing gives you faster scale. Most sellers transition only after they hit a volume ceiling where time and hardware become the bottleneck.

Quick comparison table

Feature sets and pricing can change, so confirm current details before committing.

Option 1: In-house production

Best for: early-stage sellers, low volume, heavy customization

Pros:

• Full control of quality and materials
• No platform fees
• Faster iteration on designs

Cons:

• Time intensive
• Growth is tied to your personal capacity
• Requires ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting

In-house works well at low volume, but it is hard to scale without adding equipment and labor.

When in-house still makes sense

Stay in-house if:

• You are still iterating on product design
• Your volume is under 10 to 20 orders per week
• Your materials or finishes require hands-on tuning

Once you are stable and repeatable, outsourcing becomes more attractive.

Option 2: Slant 3D Teleport/Portals

What it is:

• Teleport connects to ecommerce stores so orders flow to Slant 3D for production and shipping.
• Portals lets creators upload models and share a product link without building a storefront.

Why sellers consider it:

• Minimal setup for production
• Outsourced printing and shipping
• A simple way to test demand without owning printers

Things to watch:

• Some sellers report subscription and workflow limitations on Portals and mixed experiences with traffic expectations.

Teleport/Portals can be effective if your goal is to offload production quickly.

When Teleport or Portals is a good fit

Teleport/Portals works best when:

• You want to test demand fast
• You do not want to manage printers
• You are comfortable with a platform-based workflow

If your priority is speed to market, this option can make sense.

Option 3: Printie

Printie is built for ecommerce sellers who want a production-grade workflow with automated fulfillment. The platform focuses on repeatable production, packaging, and shipping so sellers can scale without inventory.

Best for:

• Brands that want consistent output and reliable turnaround
• Sellers who care about packaging and customer experience
• Sellers who have custom parts or assembly
• Teams that want productionization without running a print farm

You can explore the full flow at How It Works and review Pricing to see if the model fits your business.

When Printie is the best fit

Printie is ideal if:

• You sell through an ecommerce storefront
• You want consistent packaging and a brand-aligned experience
• You want custom parts or assembly
• You care about repeatable production quality

This path is built for scaling without inventory while keeping the customer experience consistent.

Storefront vs link-based selling

Portals emphasizes a simple product link without building a full store, which is useful for quick testing.

A storefront gives you more control over branding, SEO, and repeat purchases. If you plan to build a long-term brand, a store-based model usually wins. If you only want to validate demand, link-based selling can be enough.

The best approach depends on whether you want a quick proof of demand or a long-term ecommerce asset.

A note on traffic expectations

Outsourcing does not automatically create demand. Some sellers report that platforms still require their own marketing and that traffic is not guaranteed.

Treat any platform as fulfillment infrastructure, not a marketing engine.

Cost and margin considerations

No outsourcing option works if the product is not priced correctly. Before moving production, confirm:

• Your best sellers have consistent margins
• You have priced for fulfillment costs and reprints
• You are not relying on ultra low prices to win sales

If your pricing is too tight, any outsourcing model will feel expensive.

The hidden cost of scaling in-house

Scaling in-house is not just buying more printers. It also includes:

• More space and storage
• More time spent on maintenance
• Increased failure rate as volume grows
• Higher operational complexity

These costs are easy to underestimate when you are still small.

What to prepare before outsourcing

Outsourcing works best when you have production clarity. Document:

• The exact print settings for each SKU
• Accepted tolerances and finish expectations
• Packaging and inserts needed for each order

The more standardized your process, the smoother the transition.

Avoid the common outsourcing mistake

The biggest mistake is outsourcing before your product is productionized.

Before outsourcing, make sure:

• Your best sellers are locked into repeatable SKUs
• Print settings and finishing steps are documented

A realistic migration timeline

1. Lock your top 3 SKUs and settings
2. Document packaging and inserts
3. Test a small batch through a fulfillment partner
4. Confirm quality and turnaround
5. Move additional products once the workflow is stable

This reduces risk and keeps customer experience consistent.

Questions to ask any fulfillment partner

• What is the expected turnaround time for standard orders?
• How are reprints handled if a part fails QA?
• Can packaging and inserts be standardized per SKU?
• How do you handle material changes or updates?

Clear answers up front prevent surprises later.

If a provider cannot explain their quality process or turnaround expectations, that is a red flag. Reliable fulfillment is a system, not a promise.

Do not be afraid to run a small pilot before committing full volume.

Pilot data makes the final decision objective instead of emotional.

Final takeaway

Teleport/Portals, Printie, and in-house production are three valid paths. The right choice depends on your volume, brand goals, and how much control you want to keep. The better your productionization, the more any of these options will work.