Showing posts with label POD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label POD. Show all posts

Designing Digital Birds For Self-Esteem Quotes

I’ve been wanting to design some stylized, whimsical birds for months. I have been watching the quote graphics that others have been designing featuring their stylized, whimsical birds. I have a Pinterest board full of inspiration. Last week I tried it. My first design was the blue bird at the top left. I really like how she turned out. Below is my computer workspace when I was working on her.


I am a self-taught graphic designer and I use Serif software. It rivals Photoshop but is much more affordable since there is no subscription. The suite includes Affinity Publisher, Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer. I included a link in case you are interested and I am not an affiliate. The programs are sold individually for under $50 and Serif often runs sales at 40% off. I started with Affinity Photo and I’ve never paid full price. I have been using the programs for years and absolutely love them!


I used my first bird to design this positive affirmation, healing art quote design. It is available on POD (print-on-demand) products at my Redbubble, faith-based shop, Draw Nigh To Hope. Here are some of the products.


 






 
 
Available On 81 Products 
 All about high self esteem, learning to love self because if we don't, who will?
This uplifting statement will encourage anyone, whether they think that they need it or not.

I will be designing other uplifting, high self-esteem quote graphics featuring the other birds. I’m so happy that I’ve been able to do this. If you’ve been wanting to try something new, don’t wait any longer. Get up in the morning and say today I will do it! Push past procrastination and fear and make yourself do what you know you can do!

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Society6 Versus Redbubble: Features Comparison

You are creating designs and you want to sell them on POD products. You are considering Society6 or Redbubble. Which should you go with? 

You could open a shop at each, but if you want to choose one or the other, hopefully my comparison will help you to decide.

Society6

  • Many mockups are bland and uninteresting. 
  • One mockup for most products.
  • No pet products (bowls, pet bandanas, mats) other than pet art.
  • Somewhat laborious new design upload, 3 initial image dimensions required to enable most  products.
  • Products editing is time-consuming, separate editing window opens, must open another separate window within editing window to see real-time edits.
  • No Set Background Color product editing feature.
  • No choose pattern feature.
  • Lower profit margins on most products than Redbubble.
  • Giftwrap and wallpaper products available.
  • Drapes and sheers available.
  • No hardcover journals or postcards products.
  • No kiss-cut stickers. 
  • No all-over print aprons.
  • Nice 2nd greeting card mockup. 
  • Boring shower curtain mockup.
  • Standard apparel products.
  • Have to sign back in whenever I visit site.
  • No lifestyle templates promotional feature.
  • No download original image/design feature.
  • No activity feed.
  • To like designs you have to click into the design page.
  • No copy current design to create new listing feature.
  • Takes extended time for listing page (Manage Posts) to load all products.
  • Has warning popups regarding possible copyright offenses.
     

Redbubble 

  • Pretty mockups, rooms and better perspectives.
  • Several mockups for most products.
  • Pet products (bowls, pet bandanas, mats), a big marketing niche.
  • Easy and fast new design upload, only 1 initial image required to enable most products.
  • Products editing is swift and easy, editing window opens up immediately within all products window, real-time edits can be seen (while editing) on product in all products window without closing editing window. 
  • Set background color editing feature, useful for designs that do not cover entire product surface, can set background color to blend in with design.
  • Choose pattern tiling feature, regular or offset.
  • Higher profit margins on most products than Society6.
  • No giftwrap or wallpaper products.
  • No drapes or sheers
  • Hardcover journals and postcards products available.
  • Kiss-cut stickers available.
  • All-over print aprons available.
  • Boring greeting card mockup. 
  • Pretty shower curtain mockups.
  • More variety of apparel products. 
  • Never have to sign back in.
  • Lifestyle templates smart layers promotional feature to mockup products and share to social media.
  • Download original image/design feature.
  • Has personal activity feed making it convenient to see who follows and likes. 
  • You can like designs from the thumbnails.
  • Copy current design (which includes enabled products and settings) to create new listing. Great for variations.
  • Listing page (Manage Designs) loads fairly quickly.
  • Shop is closed if RB detects a copyright offense.

I like the variety of products at Society6, especially the drapes, sheers and outdoor products. I like Redbubble's pet products and how quickly I can list a new design. I recently returned to S6 because I missed their products so much. 

I also returned because one of  my two RB shops was immediately closed down because of a copyright offense of which I was unaware. It was not regarding licensed products but was because of a name I had given one of my crafted items that I had scanned and uploaded as a digital. Someone had copyrighted that name. You can search copyrights at this site United States Patent And Trademark Office

Losing that shop taught me a lesson. I should be checking all of my special product names before offering the corresponding images for sale. I don't check my generic-named images. The image that caused me to lose my RB shop was named Treetown. It is a whimsical, watercolor painting that I had done years ago. After RB emailed that I had lost my shop, I went to the Trademark Office site and searched. I found several copyrights for the word Treetown, Tree Town, TreeTown. Some where by the same person. Others were not but I guess there was a difference in the registration that allowed the word to be registered by various people.

When I uploaded my watercolor painting image and used my old name for it, Treetown, RB detected it and my shop was immediately shut down. RB does not give the designer much recourse. One thing that they tell you in the email is that if you should write to protest, they don't even have to read or accept your email. I guess they just don't have time because of all of the copyright offenses, those that are intentional and unintentional. It is the designer's responsibility to ensure that no one has copyrighted the name of their design. 

I think I had over 100 designs when my shop was shut down. I was so proud of all of the work that I had done. I was in shock after I lost my shop. I did not try to contact RB to apologize and try to have it reopened. I decided to reopen my S6 shop (I'd closed it in Jan 2023 not long after I'd opened it) and I'm in the process of uploading most of the designs that had been at the RB shop. I need to rename my Treetown painting and check the name at the Trademark office before I list it.

I currently have a shop at both. By the time you read this post, who knows? You can take a peek if you want to see how I've laid mine out.

Draw Nigh To Hope Redbubble

Draw Nigh To Hope Society6

 



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Is Selling On Redbubble Worth It?

It's worth it, for now, for these reasons:

  • I can see my designs on products that I will most likely never produce.
  • It's free to list.
  • I'm not required to upload a certain of designs in any time frame.
  • I can be as absent or as active uploading designs as I want to be.
  • I always retain the copyright for all of my design. 
  • There is no contract and I can leave the site whenever I want.
These features are generally for any POD venue. I just happen to be at RedBubble.

I also do other things with my designs. I create printables and digitals for my own shop. Diversification is key for me. If I was designing and only selling at RB, I don't think that I'd be successful enough because of the volume of sellers. I also abhor designing for trends and popularity. I want to design what I want. What makes me happy. I am trying harder, though, to occasionally incorporate some trending ideas and motifs into my work. 

If you regularly study trending ideas, motifs and designs and cleverly incorporate them into your work, it will help increase your sales. 

Sources For Graphic Design Ideas

Check out Google Trends for ideas. 

The 12 Most Inspiring Graphic Design Trends for 2023 

Graphic Design Trends 2023: From Anti-Branding to Vivid Minimalism - Envato 10 Design Trends That Will Shift the Vibes in 2023 

 2023 Graphic Design Trends Report | Dribbble



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Poetry About Your Dreams On 33 Products

If you've ever woken up but didn't want to because your dream was too good to leave it, then you'll relate to this poem about dreaming.

Shower Curtain Moon
If you love dreaming and all that has to do with dreams, you will like my new design featuring my poem, What If We Could Live In The Places In Our Dreams?

Comforter With Stars
What if we could live in the places in our dreams?

The places that we miss.

The places that we love.

Blank Card With Moon And Stars

The places that make us feel alive.

Wall Art With Dream Poem

There would be no reason to come back.

Dream Wall Art

But for now, we can only visit.

©SHolland

Art Print Lady Moon Stars

You can find this alluring design on 33 print-on-demand products here: 

What If We Could Live In The Places In Our Dreams 

Grace your home with memories of your lovely dream places!

ACDStudio at Redbubble




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Pet Products With Hearts Design

Spring Hearts is a watercolor hearts design in colors of pink, green and yellow on a white background. This hand painted design is taken from one of my original Hearts paintings. 

I paint hearts designs with leftover paint from craft projects, which is a green process. I scan the paintings and digitally alter them to create new designs and colorways.

Click the product links below to learn more about these artful pet products and to order through my Draw Nigh To Hope shop at Redbubble.

   Cat Mat

 


 

Dog Mat

 


 

Pet Bandana

 



 

Pet Bowl

 





Pet Blanket

 



Thank you for viewing my design and products!



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POD Can Be Good Passive Income

I reopened my Society6 shop so they can sell physical prints of my artwork and greeting cards. Of course, they sell designs on many other products. I will be primarily promoting my wall/framed art and greeting cards from this shop, though my designs will be available on many of their products.
I don't sell maker and handmades products anymore and am glad that I don't have to do packing and shipping anymore. I only sell my digital and printable graphic products from my own shop, Printaphoria
While artists don't receive a lot of money through POD, it's a great way to set up a passive income stream.
Set up your shop. Upload your designs. Write your product descriptions and add your keywords/search terms. Post your listing and move on to something else. 
 
There is, however, consistent promoting that you should do because competition is very stiff at all POD sites. I doubt if very many artists generate income by doing nothing, despite the great site traffic. Adding designs regularly will also help.
I used to be on Zazzle and Curioos but left a couple yrs ago. I was also at Society6 previously, which was the easiest POD site to leave. No problems. No headaches. No drama in closing my account. I'm glad to be back!
 
Visit my shop here:
 


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