If you’re new to the world of print on demand design, the whole process can seem a bit daunting. But never fear! In this blog post, we’ll break down the basics of print on demand design, so you can get started creating your own amazing designs with confidence.
First things first: what is print on demand design? In a nutshell, print on demand design is a service that allows you to create custom products without having to deal with the hassle and expense of inventory or minimum order quantities. You can create anything from t-shirts to mugs to phone cases, and there’s no need to worry about storing or shipping products, because your customers will place their orders directly with the print on demand company.
Now that you know a little bit about print on demand design, let’s talk about some of the basics of designing for this type of printing.
The first thing to keep in mind is that, because you’re not printing your designs yourself, you’ll need to provide your print on demand company with high-quality files that are ready to be printed. This means that your designs should be created at or near the final size that they’ll be printed at, and at a resolution of at least 300 dpi. (Don’t worry – if you’re not sure what dpi is, we’ll explain that in a bit.)
It’s also important to think about the colors you use in your design. When you’re designing for print on demand, you’ll need to use a color palette that includes both CMYK and RGB colors. CMYK colors are mainly used for printing on paper products, like t-shirts, while RGB colors are used for digital products, like phone cases.
And speaking of digital products, it’s important to remember that many print on demand companies offer a wide range of products beyond just t-shirts. So if you’re thinking about creating a design for a phone case, for example, be sure to check out the product offerings of the print on demand company you’re working with to make sure they offer the type of case you’re looking for.
Now let’s talk about some of the technical aspects of print on demand design. As we mentioned earlier, your design files need to be high-resolution – at least 300 dpi. But what does that actually mean?
DPI stands for dots per inch, and it’s a measure of the resolution of your design file. The higher the dpi, the higher the resolution – and the better your design will look when it’s printed.
Another technical aspect of print on demand design is bleed. Bleed is the area of your design that extends beyond the edge of the product it’s being printed on. For example, if you’re creating a design for a t-shirt, you’ll need to include bleed in your design file so that there’s no risk of the ink being cut off at the edge of the shirt.
Most print on demand companies have specific requirements for bleed, so be sure to check with the company you’re working with before you submit your design files.
Now that you know a little bit about print on demand design basics, it’s time to start creating your own amazing designs!