Are you making these print on demand design mistakes?
Watch this video and don't lose time and money on designs that will fail–sometimes even
before you start selling them.
TOP 7 PRINT ON DEMAND DESIGN MISTAKES BEGINNERS MAKE
Hey, its Wes from Printful!
Creating the perfect print on demand design isn't easy.
In this video, we'll go over the top things you should avoid from the get-go.
Before we begin, make sure you subscribe to our channel and tap on the little bell icon
to get notified about our latest videos and never miss out on new ways to make your store
more successful.
COPYRIGHTED AND TRADEMARKED CONTENT
The number one mistake most beginners make is not paying attention to copyrights and
trademarks.
Not only will it violate content policies of most of the services you use, it will also
get you in trouble with the law.
That means you can't print shirts with designs you found on Google without checking who it
belongs to, create designs with your favorite brand slogans or even sell fanart-based designs.
Sooner or later, your content will be taken down and you may even end up with a lawsuit
against you.
Keep in mind that Printful doesn’t assume liability for copyright infringements and
this video should not serve as concrete legal advice – consulting a copyright attorney
is always the best route if you have specific questions about your products.
That said, a sure way to avoid trouble is to be the owner of the copyright, purchase
the rights to use, display and resell it or use content that's under public domain.
All content must comply with right of publicity, trademark, and copyright laws.
While copyrighted material can be used under fair circumstances in the interest of free
speech and cultural advancements, more often than not though, transforming or using someone
else’s work for profit just doesn’t constitute fair use.
It’s all determined on a case-by-case basis.
I'd recommend to always play it safe and either use work that’s under public domain or create
original designs.
If you’re not sure if your idea complies with copyright law, it might be best to leave
it, or speak to an attorney.
You can read more about copyright and fair use in our blog, there’s a link in the description
below.
BORING OR UNORIGINAL CONTENT
The second most common problem with print
on demand designs is boring and unoriginal content.
Print on demand products, in contrast to dropshipping, have a higher cost per product because they
are printed on demand.
If you're trying to compete with products that are not unique and are printed in bulk,
you just can't keep up with the prices elsewhere.
In addition to that, generic products just don't create any urgency and excitement that
drives sells.
People want to buy something unique–scarcity is a dealmaker in ecommerce.
If they can buy this design at any other store at any other time, why would they rush to
buy it on yours?
To ensure your success, find a specific niche and focus your efforts there.
Put some thought into your designs and make them stand out.
CHEAPING OUT ON DESIGNS
While we encourage people to be creative and use Printful's mockup generator and other
free design apps to create their own designs, if you're not familiar with print design and
don't spend a lot of time working on your products, it's gonna show.
If you buy your designs online and only go for the cheapest ones you can find, they might
lack either quality or originality.
Using these will again lead to boring or unoriginal content that won't drive any sales.
In addition to that, print on demand print files require a lot more extra work than a
regular design.
Keep in mind that you need to color correct for printing, use transparency wisely, check
the image resolutions and tons of other stuff.
Investing time or money in making sure that your print files are gonna look good when
printed, is going to save you a lot of heartache–spoiled samples, unsatisfied customers and orders
put on hold.
For more information on the technical side of designing, check out the resources in the
description down below.
You can also use Printful's Design services for both creating your designs from scratch
and adjusting them for printing.
BAD GRAMMAR
This one is a no-brainer.
Bad grammar on your text designs is going to show that you haven't spent a lot of time
on your designs–certainly not enough to notice the mistakes.
The only exception might be an intentionally misspelled word–like a pun or a niche-specific
inside joke.
For example, a cat design with the word “purrfect”, or a dog design with “puppuccino” might
work just fine with the right visuals.
The key is to be creative and make it obvious that the misspelling was intentional.
VIOLENCE AND GRAPHIC CONTENT
Another thing that will get you in trouble
is creating designs with violent or graphic content.
Printful requires submitted content to be respectful of others and of the law–obscene
content, or content that depicts or promotes illegal activity may be removed, which means
you'll have to start your design again from scratch.
We also don't tolerate content that expresses hatred towards any person or group–it's
against Printful's values.
You also have to follow your local laws and those of the regions you're shipping orders
to.
It's your responsibility to understand what you legally can and can't create for your
store.
MISSING INSIDE LABEL INFO
Creating a custom label for your products
is certainly a good way to promote your brand, however, there are a few things you have to
include in the inside label by law, like the size of the garment, where it was made and
information about its material.
Without the necessary information, your order could be put on hold.
You can find an inside label guide in the file guidelines under each product’s page
or use our automatic template with all the necessary information included.
AWESOME DESIGN, WRONG PRODUCT
Choosing the cheapest or most popular product for your designs might not always be the best
decision.
Every product has a different texture and feel when printed–your designs will look
slightly different depending on the fabrics and fabric blends you print on.
That's why choosing the right material for the right design is crucial.
For example, as a rule of thumb, ink is more spread out and looks more faded on sweatshirts
than t-shirts since sweatshirts are made with polyester that absorbs the ink more than other
fabrics.
You must also keep in mind that some designs just work better on specific products–for
example, patterns look good as all-over prints, photographs work well as posters, and typography
designs are perfect for DTG products.
To be on the safe side about the quality of your prints, order a sample before introducing
them to your store.
And that's it!
What else do you want to know about creating print on demand designs?
Let me know in the comments below!