From any idea to the business coming out of it, there is a complex set of stages I need to be aware of for it to work. The following covers just a few of the topics I thought worth mentioning in brief. Although I am talking about a very specific creative field here, the concepts may apply to any project.
POD (Print-on-Demand) has become so accessible that at first glance it might seem as simple as a walk in the park.
Let’s make a quick comparison between extremes. Separating an egg into the yolk and the white is supposedly simple. Sending vessels to the moon is one of humanity’s greatest and most complex achievements. Each of the two – separating eggs and sending vessels – resides on (or close to) one end of the spectrum. Maybe that’s why parents say to their kids “This is not rocket science” when they try to teach them how to separate eggs. Then those kids sketch a cartoon asking “What came first – the white or the yolk?” and print it on a T-shirt. Print-on-demand is not rocket science. However, it can definitely benefit from systems that make it as simple as separating eggs.
Apart from adding ideas to the line of designs I turn to prints, I enjoy telling the stories behind the process. Are you an aspiring POD creator? Maybe you just want to find a unique design that someone else created and place an order. Weighing the options available becomes part of the story.
Print-on-demand as an industry has gone through an incredible development process. Today there are many companies offering various ways to upload a design and have it printed on almost anything. Whether you just want to get your single design printed for personal use, or you have an enterprising vision, a system is employed.
What system am I talking about?
Your own system of course. Since I have no idea what your system is (yet), I can only point to possible components of it. Either you’ve already established them or you might one day do that. That is the idea behind my title: provoking thought into action. Your desire to print an image over the surface of a T-shirt is the thought. Your action is the set of processes that allow you to reach the end result.
- The first result is an image file.
- Then comes the choice of POD vendor.
- In that vendor’s platform, setting up the product is next.
- Marketing your product is part of setting up the product, but it’s a world of its own.
Now, what comes first, your client or your new design?
Each of the above stages has its own set of sub-stages.
Following is a brief extension that while cannot cover all there is to say, will give a sense of the scope of work involved. Going through this one step at a time will help in keeping the fun of turning your creativity into tangible results. My own journey into POD started years ago when I sketched an idea one morning.
At the time, I created an illustration on my computer and printed it on paper. Then I went to a shop I saw a few days before. At the time of writing this, they (Pongo) are still there. The guy at the counter, who turned out to be the owner of the establishment, transferred my print into a sheet, that was then heat-pressed onto a shirt. That ease of turning ideas into tangible results got me hooked. Then POD was born and made things even easier. So easy, that I am suddenly a shop owner.
The transition from hobbyist to business-making can look seamless. But it does have its very formal checks and balances that need to be applied to make it so.
Image file: process techniques
‘Process’ is a loaded word and so is ‘technique’. Indeed, coming up with techniques that facilitate a process can be complex. And when that is done, life can become easy. That’s why I love the process. Whether you’re a professional designer or a hobbyist, each of us has many ways to deliver an idea from thought to action: pencil and paper, talking to myself or someone else, sculpting a piece of clay, and many more techniques. All of these even before turning on the computer.
Image file: file names
If you are ever going to make a routine of creating designs for print, you will surely end up with a ton of files to handle. Consider not only the end result but the research, the versions, the variations, and who knows what else. The creative process is typically a walk into the unknown. File name protocols are just as useful for a side gig as for any professional outlet.
Image file: filing system
POD is a fancy acronym for labour-intensive shop-keeping. Am I doing this for the money? For sure I am, but there is a lot more than that in this engagement. Whether you make money off your POD commitment or not, it is a business. In my own filing system, I separate projects by design. In each folder, I create subfolders for references, promo images, and other categories to help me visually orient myself. Some people prefer to throw everything into one folder and use the search feature. Look at your filing system as a set of storage and display cases. If you roll up your sleeves and do the hard work of organizing your files, your clients will benefit and hopefully your bank account too.
POD vendors: selecting your platform
The list of POD providers is virtually endless. Creating an account is the obvious first step. Browsing through the platform will give you a sense of both the user interface and experience. You have the option to look for items, artists, themes and more. How convenient to find what you’re looking for is a journey in itself. Have a look at just two and experience the difference. I use Threadless a lot, I have an Etsy shop, and I appreciate RedBubble‘s tools and processes. None are perfect, but I will not get into what’s perfect at this time.
POD vendors: vendor-specific files (templates)
As the variety of products available for applying print on increased, some enable new and exciting opportunities. My favourite is All-over-print (AOP) and its equivalents. Initially, this was a novelty in T-shirts. Then products like leggings, duffel bags and even skateboards appeared. Although the latter is not a real all-over-print product, it does require its own unique file to be uploaded. Vendors provide templates that allow us the creators to make sure the design fits the product. The results can be jaw-dropping.
Setting up the product: the online shop
Before the product itself, many platforms provide a sub-platform which is your shop. This is another item that has evolved through the years. Then we’re almost at the point of purpose: creating the products. From the best-known T-shirt, POD today only starts with garments and reaches all the way to furniture and lifestyle accessories.
Setting up the product: marketing
Marketing? Yes. Marketing! I always enjoy getting the occasional email notifying me of a sale, especially of items I haven’t bothered to promote. Like most anyone else, I really don’t like the need to push my own designs. Don’t they attract their own attention? Well, attention builds attention. Fame attracts fame. Until I have a following and admiration of a few thousand or more paying clients, my sales will reflect the simple statistics of obscurity.
If you are turned off by the prospects of doing POD, you can always join the virtual line-up to purchase the designs you enjoy. Better still, let someone else buy your favourites for your birthday, engagement or promotion.
The inventories I update consistently can be reached at Threadless, Etsy, and RedBubble. I’d love to see a picture of you wearing one of my designs. Or riding a skateboard for that matter. The duffel bags are great too.
There is a lot more to making designs for print, enjoying the process, and reaching business success on top of that. Some of the points above are useful as advice to follow. Some might only provoke thought. Your questions, feedback and comments are most welcome. If there are topics you’d like me to cover, feel free to let me know. What interests you is always helpful in fulfilling the purpose of our exchange.
Design is a Matter of Life 