Society6 and Immibrand both let artists put designs on printed products without holding inventory, but the two platforms treat an artist’s control over pricing very differently, and that difference has gotten more pronounced in the last year and a half. This piece breaks down how each platform actually pays an artist, what changed on Society6 in March 2025, and where an artist’s own pricing decisions still matter.
Neither model is universally better, the right fit depends on how much an artist values pricing control versus a fully standardized, hands-off system. This piece walks through the actual mechanics of both so that choice can be made with real numbers in view rather than general impressions.
In this article:
- How Society6 Works for Artists
- The March 2025 Shipping Change
- How Immibrand’s Pricing Model Differs
- When a Capped Markup Actually Helps an Artist
- When Pricing Control Matters More
- Product Catalog Breadth
- Brand and Storefront Identity
- How Payouts Actually Reach an Artist
- A Quick Example, Same Print, Two Platforms
- Best For
- Frequently Asked Questions
How Society6 Works for Artists
The Kind of Artist Society6’s Model Was Built For
Society6’s standardized approach fits an artist producing a high volume of designs across many product types, where the priority is broad reach and low administrative overhead rather than fine-grained pricing decisions on each individual item. An artist uploading dozens of patterns intended for wide, repeatable application benefits from not having to price each one manually.
Production, Shipping, and Customer Service Handled Entirely by Society6
Society6 handles all production, shipping, and customer service for every order, an artist uploads artwork, applies it across the platform’s product catalog, and Society6 manages the rest, print, packaging, shipping, and any customer support issues that come up after a sale.
Standardized, Capped Markups Replaced Artist-Set Pricing
As of March 2025, Society6 moved to standardized, capped markups: 10% on a short list of products (pillows, tapestries, some wall art), and 5% on everything else. Before this change, artists could set their own markup within a range, that flexibility is gone. An artist no longer decides what to charge above the base production cost, Society6 sets the ceiling.
The March 2025 Shipping Change
Why the Markup Cap and Shipping Change Landed Together
Rolling out both changes at once suggests Society6 was rebalancing its entire payout structure rather than making two unrelated adjustments. The net effect for most artists is a more predictable per-item payout, less variability from order to order, but also a lower ceiling on what any single design could earn compared to an artist-set pricing model.
The same update also stopped deducting shipping costs from artist earnings, a genuine improvement, previously an artist’s payout could be reduced by shipping costs baked into the sale. Combined with the markup cap, the net effect is a more predictable but also more limited earnings structure, an artist knows roughly what they’ll earn per item, but has no ability to price higher for a piece they believe is worth more.
How Immibrand’s Pricing Model Differs
| Factor | Society6 | Immibrand |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the markup | Society6 (capped at 10% or 5%) | The artist, directly |
| Production and fulfillment | Handled entirely by Society6 | Print-on-demand via Printful, or artist-fulfilled for originals |
| Shipping cost handling | No longer deducted from earnings (as of March 2025) | Built into the seller’s own pricing decisions |
| Commission on POD sales | N/A, markup model instead of commission | $0 commission on POD, seller bears production cost directly |
On Immibrand, an artist sets their own prices directly, there’s no platform-imposed markup ceiling deciding what a piece of art can sell for. This matters most for artists who believe a specific design is worth more than a standardized formula would allow, a capped-markup system has no mechanism for that judgment, a direct-pricing model does.
When a Capped Markup Actually Helps an Artist
To be fair to Society6’s model, a capped markup isn’t purely a downside. For an artist who doesn’t want to think about pricing strategy at all, a standardized system removes a decision entirely, list the design, the platform handles the rest, including the number attached to it. For artists earlier in their process who aren’t sure what their work is worth yet, this can reduce decision fatigue.
This can also lower the barrier to getting started, an artist with no pricing experience at all doesn’t need to research comparable work or think through margin math before listing their first design, the platform’s formula handles that decision automatically.
When Pricing Control Matters More
For artists who have a clearer sense of their own market position, who know a specific print sells reliably at a certain price point, or who want to run occasional promotions or price test different tiers, a capped-markup system limits that agency. Setting prices directly means being able to respond to actual demand rather than working within a fixed percentage regardless of what the market will bear.
Product Catalog Breadth
Society6 offers a wide, standardized product catalog, an artist’s design can be applied across dozens of product types with minimal setup on the artist’s end. This breadth is a genuine strength for artists who want maximum reach across product types without managing each one individually.
Brand and Storefront Identity
Society6 operates as a large marketplace with its own brand identity front and center, an artist’s storefront lives within Society6’s broader ecosystem and visual design. Immibrand’s model leans toward giving the individual artist’s own identity more visibility, rather than folding every seller into one uniform marketplace look. Which of these matters more depends on whether an artist wants to build their own brand recognition over time, or benefit from an established marketplace’s existing traffic and visual consistency.
How Payouts Actually Reach an Artist
Society6 processes payouts on its own internal schedule and, like most marketplaces, requires meeting a minimum earnings threshold before a payout is issued. Immibrand’s payout structure runs through standard payment processing infrastructure, with earnings reflecting whatever price the artist set, minus normal payment processing costs, no additional markup calculation layered on top.
A Quick Example, Same Print, Two Platforms
Consider a $30 art print with an $10 production cost. On Society6, the artist’s markup is capped at 5% for most wall art (10% applies only to a short list of products like pillows and tapestries), meaning the earnings on that print are calculated from a formula the artist doesn’t control. On Immibrand, the artist sets the $30 price directly, and after the $10 production cost, sales tax, shipping, and payment processing fees are accounted for, keeps the remaining margin without a platform-imposed ceiling limiting what that margin could have been if the artist priced the piece higher.
The difference becomes more visible for artists whose work commands a premium, a capped-markup formula applies the same percentage regardless of whether a design is a simple pattern or a highly detailed, labor-intensive piece, a direct-pricing model lets the artist reflect that difference in the price itself.
Best For
Society6 fits an artist who wants a fully hands-off, standardized system and values Society6’s existing customer base and brand recognition over pricing flexibility. Immibrand fits an artist who wants direct control over pricing decisions and is comfortable making those calls themselves rather than working within a platform-imposed formula.
Some artists use both, listing broad, repeatable patterns on Society6 to take advantage of its existing traffic and standardized system, while reserving higher-value or more distinctive pieces for a platform like Immibrand where the price reflects their own judgment of that piece’s worth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an artist set their own markup on Society6?
No, as of March 2025, Society6 uses standardized capped markups, 10% on select products, 5% on everything else, artists no longer set this themselves.
Does Society6 deduct shipping from artist earnings?
No, as of the March 2025 update, shipping costs are no longer deducted from artist payouts.
Does Immibrand cap how much an artist can charge?
No, artists set their own prices directly on Immibrand, there’s no platform-imposed markup ceiling.
Who handles production and shipping on Society6?
Society6 handles all production, shipping, and customer service for every order.
Is a capped markup model ever the better choice?
It can be, for an artist who wants a fully standardized, hands-off pricing system and doesn’t want to make individual pricing decisions.
Does Immibrand charge a commission on print-on-demand sales?
No, Immibrand charges $0 commission on POD sales, the seller bears the production cost, tax, shipping, and any discount offered directly.
Does Society6 have a large existing customer base?
Yes, Society6 is an established, high-traffic marketplace, which is a real advantage for artists who value discovery traffic over pricing control.
Can an artist run their own promotions or discounts on Society6?
Promotional mechanics on Society6 operate within the platform’s own standardized system, an artist has less direct control over running independent, custom promotions compared to a platform where they set prices themselves.
For a full breakdown of how POD margins actually work once production cost is factored in, see the print-on-demand margin math guide. And for how commission structures compare across platforms more broadly, here’s the Etsy comparison. For general guidance on pricing formulas that account for production cost, time, and margin, this pricing formula guide walks through the math step by step.
Ready to set your own prices instead of working within a capped markup? Sign up to sell on Immibrand, it’s free to start.
