Guide
Print MIS vs web-to-print
Web-to-print takes the order. A print MIS runs the shop that fills it. They solve different problems, and plenty of shops need only one of them.
Side by side
What each one does
| Web-to-print | Print MIS | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An online storefront | The system the shop runs on |
| Who uses it | Customers placing orders | Estimators, production and the front office |
| Handles | Product catalog, options, file upload, checkout | Estimating, production boards, proofs, shipping, invoicing, reporting |
| Best for | Repeat, standard products ordered online | Custom quotes and everything that happens after the order |
| Without the other | Orders arrive, but the job still has to be planned, run, shipped and billed | Customers order by email or phone instead of a storefront |
Which do you need?
Start from how your work comes in
Mostly custom quotes
Brochures, booklets, forms and jobs quoted to spec. You need a print MIS. A storefront adds little.
Standard products ordered online
Business cards and reorders bought at set prices. A storefront takes the orders, and something still has to run the jobs.
Both
Run the shop on an MIS and feed online orders into it, so every job ends up on the same boards.
InfusePrint
A print MIS, with a way in for web orders
InfusePrint is a print MIS, not a storefront. If you run a web store, an importer you build against the documented REST API can bring each order in.
- Each online order comes in as a quote, tagged “Online storefront”
- The same order can’t come in twice
- Paid orders can go straight to production
- From there it’s a normal job: proofs, boards, tracker, shipping and invoicing
- An AI coding assistant can write the importer from the OpenAPI spec. The open API
FAQ
MIS vs web-to-print FAQ
What is web-to-print?
An online storefront where customers order products, choose options and upload files. It takes the order; something else has to run the job.
What is a print MIS?
The system a shop runs its business on: estimating, production, proofs, shipping, invoicing and reporting, from quote to invoice.
Do I need both?
Only if your customers order online. A shop that quotes custom work needs an MIS; a storefront adds a way for customers to order standard products themselves.
Is InfusePrint web-to-print?
No. InfusePrint is a print MIS. If you run a web store, an importer you build against the REST API can post each online order in as a quote.
Can web-store orders skip the quote step?
With an importer you run against the API, each online order comes in as a quote tagged “Online storefront”, the same order can’t come in twice, and paid orders can go straight to production.
See where your orders would land
Book a walkthrough and we’ll show the boards, the tracker and the API on the kind of work your shop runs.