From Design to Product - Behind The Scenes
Join me as I take you through the process of bringing artwork to life, featuring collaborative designs, meticulous product selection, and the seamless execution of printing and shipping.
First The Design
I make a design (by drawing in Procreate and or designing in Adobe Illustrator). Some designs are 100% my work, while for others I collaborate with other artists & designers. My daughter's becoming an awesome artist herself and you'll see some of her work here!
Create a Product at the Print Provider
I then upload the design and choose the products I want to put it on, whether it's a t-shirt, mug, blanket or anything available. I also can choose colors & sizes. I always order a sample myself the first time I use a product so that I can verify that it's great quality before I add it to my shop.
Mockup Photos Are Generated
My printing provider (also known as POD provider) generates mockup images of the design on the product and uploads them to my store. I've ordered many samples from them throughout the years and have always been happy with how well the mockup photos represent the actual products I've received. They use the actual product for the photos, so details like stitching, the collar, sleeves, etc... are accurate. I never use generic or ai generated mockups that do not use the original product brand.
You Place Your Order
Once you place your order, it shows up in my online store and also gets sent to my print provider. I get a chance to double check it before it gets sent to production at the location closest to your shipping address (usually in the U.S. for U.S. orders).
Your Order Gets Printed and Shipped Out
Your order then goes into a printing queue and gets printed in the order in which it is received (unfortunately there's no way to expedite the process). Different types of products such as mugs or tshirts might get printed at separate times or locations and might therefore be shipped in separate packages.
You Receive Your Order
99% of the time when the customer receives the item, it's just what they expected and they love it! If that's the case, I'm glad and please come back and leave a review! On the rare occasion that you receive the wrong item or there's a defect, please let me know right away and I'll make it right! Just send me some photos so I can share it with my print provider's quality assurance team. You can then choose to get a refund or a replacement product to be sent out to you.
Why I Love It
Using a print on demand provider means I can leave the task of printing and shipping the products to a company that's an expert at it and I can focus on what I'm good at which, is the designing. The fact that I don't have to keep inventory means I can offer many more colors, sizes and products. I also have the freedom to work while I travel, so I can actually go on vacation without shutting down my store.