How to Switch From Printavo Without Losing Your History
How to switch from Printavo without losing history: export your data, run parallel, move payments off the forced processor, and keep every order record intact.
The scariest part of leaving any shop platform is not the new software, it is the fear of losing years of customers, quotes, and order history in the move. That fear keeps a lot of shops on a tool they have outgrown, paying for tiers and a payment processor they never chose.
Switching from Printavo can be done cleanly if you sequence it right. This is a practical, honest walkthrough of how to move to PrintShopCRM without leaving your history behind.
Step one: get your data out
Before you change anything, export what you can from Printavo so you have a clean record of customers, quotes, and orders. The lesson to carry forward is to pick software that respects data ownership on the way in and out. PrintShopCRM supports real data export of line items and size grids, so you never repeat this scramble later.
- Export customers, quotes, and order history from Printavo first.
- Confirm you have line items and size grids, not just totals.
- Keep the export archived as your safety net during the move.
- Choose a destination that also lets you export freely later.
Step two: run in parallel before you cut over
Do not flip a switch on a Monday morning. Run new jobs through PrintShopCRM while existing jobs finish in Printavo, so your team learns the flow without pressure. Once the new system is carrying live work comfortably, you cut over fully and stop paying for the old one.
- Start new quotes in PrintShopCRM while old jobs wind down in Printavo.
- Rebuild your key products and pricing so quoting is fast on day one.
- Let staff learn the unified inbox and production board on real jobs.
- Cut over fully once live work runs smoothly in the new system.
Step three: reclaim your payments and books
Printavo moved shops onto its own processor in April 2023, and switching is your chance to take payments back. PrintShopCRM is bring-your-own-Stripe, so deposits and balances land in your account, and it exports to QuickBooks via IIF. You end up with more control over your money, not less.
- Connect your own Stripe key so payouts return to your account.
- Move off the forced processor Printavo imposed in April 2023.
- Set up the QuickBooks IIF export for clean month-end books.
- Enjoy flat pricing with unlimited seats instead of per-user tiers.
Common Questions
Will I lose my past order history when I leave Printavo?
Not if you export before you migrate. Pull your customers, quotes, and orders out first, then bring them into PrintShopCRM. Because PrintShopCRM also supports real data export, you keep control of that history permanently.
How long should the parallel period last?
Long enough for your open Printavo jobs to finish and your team to feel fluent in the new flow, often a few weeks. There is no rush to cut over on a fixed date; you switch fully when live work is running smoothly.
What about the Printavo payment processor I am stuck on?
Switching lets you leave it behind. PrintShopCRM uses your own Stripe key, so you regain choice over your processor and your payout schedule, which is one of the most common reasons shops look to move in the first place.