Product Creation Process
The full process isn’t always told to the public. There’s always pieces missing because people think them so mundane. They don’t realize that others who aren’t accustomed to this process have no idea some steps are missing. I’ll do my best to fill in the blanks.
Step 1: Research
I know what you’re thinking “Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course there’s research before making products Vel. DUH.”
Okay, but did you also know that you need to research who you’re printing from if you’re going to use a manufacturer or printing company?
They use different templates. I used to think they were all the same, and generally speaking they are.
However, if you’ve never done this before you should look into the companies that you may want to use and see if they have them available. Templates are pre-made files you can use so that you aren’t going to mess up the process between design and print.
There should be a list of many types of these places to choose from if you just Google what you’re trying to do. Choosing one is of course the hard part, but that’s going to be a choice custom to you and your product. Research all those features they offer and sometimes you might have to Click “Design Now!” or something of that nature to get a good look at what they offer. Don’t worry, you won’t be actually sending in your design until the check out cart. You can always cancel and come back later when you are ready.
Examples:
If you’re printing for merch they will ask you about features of your product that are specific. Keychains/Lanyards they might ask for what kind of clasp you want. Some offer designer/fancy pieces while others are more simplistic to your taste.
Say you’re designing a T-Shirt but they offer different fits, sizes, or neck alterations. As a woman I’m prone to V-necks. I won’t buy shirts that don’t have one unless I can check the “Don’t fucking choke me” tension at the neck.
Making stickers? They will offer different styles of cuts along with perhaps a material type. There are so many extra bits I was never aware of until I started designing stickers.
Did you know that most people who make Art Prints do it in RGB? When I open a Photoshop file the default is RGB so I never thought about it before. The fun part about Printing in general is that they want you to use CMYK. RGB is designed for web/internet colorization. CMYK is for printing of ALL types. Most places will convert your files, but I would look up how to adjust them accordingly before printing. Companies like it when you use their preferred file version. They have one less step to “fix” your image before printing.
Also make sure you check to see if a certain manufacturer has a MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity.) This is to ensure they aren’t wasting space on their machines and losing money to make you a special small order. Some places will allow a smaller MOQ, but it’s best to make sure you RESEARCH!
Next you’ll need to look at the size of the products you’re ordering, and decide what kind of packaging you may want to order for it. There are so many options, but consider the absolute best way to get your products to your customers without them being destroyed. Postal Services of ALL KINDS…do not care about your packages. Remember that.
Step 2: Design
This is where most people think it starts. “It starts with an idea,” Blah, blah, blah.
Now that you’ve done your research you know what templates to use or what other piece of information your companies want you to have already done. This means that when you create the new file you can do it properly! Size, Format, All the Fixings, Etc.
Have fun. Be cute. Design your heart away with whatever you intend to do with this idea of yours. And just to be clear…
DO ALL OF YOUR RESEARCH!!! If you’re doing a Print, AND a sticker of the same design, they have completely different things you’ll need to make sure they are properly printed. You may have the same design but it’s formatted into several different versions based on WHAT you want them to be created for.
When it’s all said and done you can finalize your creation and place your product order.
Step 3: Product Delivery
While it seems like a fine idea to just look at one of your products and say “good enough” I encourage you to actually inspect every single one. The reason behind this is because these are more likely done by a bulk manufacturer or whatever, and there will ALWAYS be mistakes.
I once ordered some acrylic pins to you know - like go in hats or on backpacks, etc. I only ordered 15, but 3 of those 15 had a chip in them, or the print was slightly off centered. So you see…always check. A small suggestion is to sell the messed up ones “B-Grade” at a discounted price. That way you’re not wasting those mistakes. Some people will still be interested despite the miniscule discrepancies (Little Mistakes.)
Once you’ve decided which products are worth continuing to sell you’re now in the fun stages of PACKING ORDERS!!
-le gasp-
Step 4: Packing Orders
Well, well, well.
So you’ve made it.
Remember I told you that no Postal Service will care about your packages? Well now it’s time to think about why. Anyone ever see “Ace Ventura Pet Detective?” There’s a scene where he’s dressed as a delivery man and he throws, stomps, shakes, and even sits on the package he’s delivering. I always imagine that’s exactly what’s going to happen to each and every package I mail out.
With envelopes you don’t have to worry about those things, but consider that they WILL be bent to fit into a small postal box. Trust me. They’ll try it. EVERY. Time.
So make sure you research which types of mailers you’re going to use. Grab some “do not bend” stickers if you have to. But make absolutely sure it won’t be damaged upon arrival to the customer. Reshipping orders because they were destroyed comes out of YOUR pocket.
The fun part about packaging is that you can do different color tissue paper, stickers, envelopes, labels, and packaging tape! It’s not necessary to design the packaging for your orders…but it is a nice addition to make your customer feel important. You took all the time and energy you had to delicately packaging their items. -relieved sigh-
Just a side note: You can always look at other creator’s packaging ASMR’s on YouTube to see what they do and how they package their items. It’s a great way to see the diversity of other creators and how they try to appeal to their own brand aesthetics.
Step 5: Customer Satisfaction
Surprise!! Another step. Let’s be excited.
No really, be excited because this is the most satisfying part of the whole experience, as a Creator.
Your customers either by their own volition or by your suggestion can post pictures of their packages and what they received on Social Media! -gasp- Guess what that means?!
Free marketing and publicity for you. They are genuinely happy about their products. They want to share with their friends and family. You can post their reactions on YOUR Social Media to prove that your products are excitable!
People aren’t just buying your brand. They are buying the way the feel about your product. When I finally realized that I changed my perspective on how I designed things. We’ll talk more about mood and purchases in another blog sometime, but for now let’s move on.
Reviews are hard to come by, so appreciate them when people take the time. It’s pretty much GUARANTEED someone will take however long it takes to chew you out over something they are completely unhappy with regarding your product. It’s also likely that someone will only ever post something positive if they LOVE it. If they are generally satisfied it’s no guarantee they’ll post a review about the product they bought because it wasn’t worth their TIME.
Ideally I would also like to make a video log on some of my personal processes later just to show how I go about all of this, myself. But otherwise, I really hope this information was useful to someone else.