Building a Print-on-Demand Pipeline with n8n
Build an automated print-on-demand pipeline with n8n and SudoMock API. Step-by-step guide from design upload to Etsy/Shopify listing creation at $0.002/render.

TL;DR
Build a complete POD pipeline with n8n: watch folder for new designs, generate mockups via API, upload to cloud storage, create Etsy/Shopify listings automatically.
Key Takeaways:
- •n8n provides visual workflow automation
- •Watch folders for new designs, trigger automatically
- •Generate multiple mockup variants per design
- •Auto-create listings on Etsy, Shopify, or other platforms
Build a fully automated Print-on-Demand pipeline using n8n and SudoMock. From design upload to published listing - without touching a single mockup manually.
What We're Building
This pipeline automatically generates product mockups whenever you upload a new design. Here's the flow:
Prerequisites
- n8n account (cloud or self-hosted)
- SudoMock API key (get free credits)
- Cloud storage account (Google Drive, Dropbox, or S3)
- PSD templates uploaded to SudoMock
Step-by-Step Setup
Create the Trigger
In n8n, create a new workflow and add a Google Drive Trigger node (or your preferred storage). Configure it to watch your designs folder.
1{2"resource": "file",3"event": "fileCreated",4"watchFolder": "POD Designs",5"fileTypes": ["image/png", "image/jpeg"]6}
Add HTTP Request Node
Add an HTTP Request node to call SudoMock's render API. This generates your mockups.
1{2"method": "POST",3"url": "https://api.sudomock.com/api/v1/renders",4"headers": {5 "X-API-KEY": "{{ $credentials.sudomockApiKey }}",6 "Content-Type": "application/json"7},8"body": {9 "mockup_uuid": "your-tshirt-template-uuid",10 "smart_objects": [{11 "uuid": "your-smart-object-uuid",12 "asset": {13 "url": "{{ $json.webContentLink }}"14 }15 }],16 "export_options": {17 "image_format": "webp",18 "image_size": 2000,19 "quality": 9520 }21}22}
Multiple Products
Use a Split In Batches node to generate mockups for multiple product types (t-shirt, hoodie, mug) in parallel. Each product type gets its own HTTP Request node.
Save Results
Add another Google Drive node to save the rendered mockups. Use expressions to create organized folder structures.
1{2"operation": "upload",3"folder": "Mockups/{{ $json.design_name }}",4"fileName": "{{ $json.product_type }}_{{ $json.design_name }}.webp",5"binaryData": false,6"fileUrl": "{{ $json.data.print_files[0].export_path }}"7}
Optional: Create Listings
Connect to Etsy or Shopify APIs to automatically create draft listings with your new mockups.
Complete Workflow JSON
Import this workflow directly into n8n to get started quickly:
1{2"name": "POD Mockup Pipeline",3"nodes": [4 {5 "name": "Google Drive Trigger",6 "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDriveTrigger",7 "position": [250, 300],8 "parameters": {9 "event": "fileCreated",10 "folderId": "your-folder-id"11 }12 },13 {14 "name": "Generate T-Shirt Mockup",15 "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",16 "position": [450, 300],17 "parameters": {18 "method": "POST",19 "url": "https://api.sudomock.com/api/v1/renders",20 "authentication": "predefinedCredentialType",21 "nodeCredentialType": "httpHeaderAuth"22 }23 },24 {25 "name": "Save to Drive",26 "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive",27 "position": [650, 300],28 "parameters": {29 "operation": "upload"30 }31 }32],33"connections": {34 "Google Drive Trigger": {35 "main": [[{"node": "Generate T-Shirt Mockup"}]]36 },37 "Generate T-Shirt Mockup": {38 "main": [[{"node": "Save to Drive"}]]39 }40}41}
Advanced Tips
Result
Once set up, every design you drop into your folder automatically becomes a complete set of product mockups - ready for your store. No manual work required.
Related Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
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