Home » Blog » How to Design for Print-on-Demand
Print-on-demand (POD) is a term used to describe a business arrangement with suppliers of white-label products, who customize these products with your designs and sell them to you on a per-order basis. Because you don’t have to stockpile products and only order what you need, this makes POD a great business model for new entrepreneurs who want to preserve their cash flow.
You also don’t need to be a full-time designer to start a print-on-demand business, promote a print-on-demand business, or even create winning designs for POD products.
Ideas for How to Manage POD Design Projects
POD can be used for an almost endless list of different products. The design that you want to be added to the white-label item is one of the most important aspects to consider because this is how you will build your brand and e-commerce business.
There are various ways to find the perfect design for your products:
Outsource Your Designs
Recent surveys show that nearly 32% of all shop owners outsource the design creation process for the products they sell. You can outsource your product designs to designers you know or find great designers to work with on popular platforms.
However, when outsourcing your designs, make sure to share insights about your audience with your designer, clearly explain what you want, and provide examples for inspiration. Throughout the process, it is necessary that you maintain close communication with the designer and provide concrete feedback every step of the way.
Design Your Own Products
If you are just starting a business and working on a tight budget, affording a professional designer might be out of your reach. Luckily, there are several free platforms you can use to design your products, even if you don’t have any background in design.
Most of these tools are very user-friendly, allowing beginners to navigate their interfaces and complete their designs seamlessly. The biggest challenge is finding the inspiration for your design and settling on a concept; you can also sketch the designs on paper and make adjustments before the final cut.
After designing, confirm the file format your POD company prefers (SDK or PNG) and the resolution that best suits your product. For example, 300 dots per inch (DPI) is a common resolution specification. The dimensions of the images should also be the same size as the printed area of the product.
With most POD suppliers, when you upload your design to their websites, you can preview how the design will look on your product and tweak how it will be positioned.
Purchase Pre-Existing Designs
While some suppliers offer free designs, not all have a premium license for commercial use, and other suppliers sell designs that can be adjusted. Do your homework to make sure the designs they offer are not already in use. Finding an available pre-existing design you like can help you quickly develop unique product designs for your products.
Finding Inspiration for Your Products
If you want to venture into POD without an existing product design, you can find inspiration by focusing on the target audience for the product. A great place to find this inspiration would be from content, messaging, or styles that already resonate with your target audience.
With a general understanding of what designs appeal to the target audience of your product, you can brainstorm ideas worth pursuing with business colleagues. Places to find design inspiration can include Pinterest, Instagram, Subreddits, and other places where customers hang out online.
Choosing Your POD Partner
After creating your design, you should dedicate time to choosing the perfect POD supplier for your store. Because different POD suppliers may have different specifications, it is important to know the image requirements and share this information with your designer.
As POD has grown in popularity, so has the number of POD companies in the market. So, when choosing a POD provider, be sure to consider its price, location, reputation, printing quality, and availability. These will help you when pricing print-on-demand products.
Choosing the best POD company available is crucial as it ensures that the designs will look perfect on your products. This goes a long way in increasing customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and sales. You can have one printed product shipped to your address to assess the quality of the printing before you begin selling the items in your store.
In Conclusion
POD often involves creating original designs for a niche of customers. Developing a plan that facilitates the success of POD products can be an overwhelming thought for some business owners with no design background–if you are unsure about how to grow your business, Skup has the experience and track record to guide you through smart POD decisions and help you grow your e-commerce business.
