You can request a custom product design. (If you’re looking for web design or a business card or brochure, etc., click here.) But what exactly do I mean by that and how would that work?
First, here are some examples of what I would call a semi-custom design:
- You see a design that I’ve created but you want different wording, maybe a different Bible verse.
- You like the picture in one design but you want a different background or a different color.
- You found a design and it’s on a mug or a tote bag and you want to buy it on a throw blanket or a bathmat.
Most of the above are really easy and all you need to do is ask. I’ll notify you when the product is up and ready to be purchased. I may or may not be able to change the colors of items in my designs. It’s not an absolute guarantee, but I’m probably able to do these kinds of customizations so please ask. The cost is just the item price; no additional charge. Just be aware that it may take ma couple of days to do it so don’t wait till the last minute or ask me when there’s a sale on and expect the item to be ready before the sale ends.
Here are examples of custom designs:
- You want me to design a tote bag with your favorite Bible verse and you give me specific colors and/or artwork items you want included.
- You want a design for a Christmas card or an invitation or Birth announcement or other item that will feature a photo you supply in addition to your suggested content and colors and optional other artwork.
- You have a vague idea of what you want and you need help fleshing out the exact design.
All of these are possible, keeping in mind the following stipulations:
- I am a graphic designer, not an artist. That means that most of my designs feature artwork created by someone else. I have purchased the rights to use this artwork in my designs. I have a lot of items in my library of clip art, including photos and artwork and also textures and frames and an unbelievable number of fonts, but I can’t guarantee I definitely have what you want.
- I’m not allowed to use items that are the intellectual property of others. So, I can’t make you a design featuring the Wonder Woman logo (which is the property of Marvel) or a mug with the exact design motifs seen on R2-D2 (which is owned by LucasFilm, now a part of Disney), for example. Depending on which site we’re talking about, I may or may not be able to get away with well-known phrases from movies or TV shows (Zazzle rejected my use of “War Machine Rox” (from Iron Man 3) and “Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey” from Doctor Who, for example.
- Mysteriously, some of the more obscure items on Zazzle are only available to certain sellers. I’ve been unable to figure out how to make custom postage stamp designs I created be available for sale, for example. So there’s a slight chance you might see an item that I can’t make a design for, but the likelihood is that this won’t happen.
How it Works
As I write this, I have shops on 3 sites (click to see a page with current links). Each has a slightly different product offering. It doesn’t cost me anything to upload an item to be sold there. I receive a bit of a commission when one of my designs is sold. I don’t create the products or do the printing, I just upload the designs. If I create a design per your specifications and upload it for sale, others besides you will be able to purchase it.
Here is some information about the specific sites that I have shops on:
- Zazzle has by far the biggest selection of items they offer. Some items they have that the others don’t: metal water bottles, insulated tumblers, hats, keychains, pin-back buttons, bumper stickers, calendars, mason jars, lamp shades, night lights, toothbrush holders, liquid soap dispensers, and a much wider selection of cards and stationery type items than the other sites.
- Society6 has home decor items, apparel, mugs and phone/laptop cases and sleeves. They have really nice backpacks and recently introduced stickers which are laser-cut right around the image of the design, so you can get stickers in whatever shape you want, but there is only one basic size option.
- RedBubble is known for t-shirts and stickers. They have the laser-cut sticker option similar to Society6, and they have a tall ceramic mug that has an attractive shape that’s not available at the other sites.
Some Ideas to Consider
Why would you even want to buy from one of these sites? Here are some things to think about:
- You’re getting an almost-unique item that you probably won’t see anywhere else.
- If you take advantage of my custom item request option, you can get something very special
- You can get items that coordinate with each other for your home decor or party/event needs. Examples:
- You can get the following items that match each other for a custom bathroom design: shower curtain, towels, bath mat, window curtains, night light, toothbrush holder, liquid soap dispenser
- You can get items for other rooms that match each other: comforters, duvet covers, poufs, pillows, curtains, throw blankets, lampshades, wall tapestry, framed artwork
- You can order customized items for your party or event: invitations, a variety of party favors, paper plates, napkins, cups, thank you cards, bridesmaid/groomsmen gifts.
- This is often the least expensive way to get a custom item in low quantities, especially single items. If you want a custom t-shirt or mug, for example, many places you can order such a thing from will require a minimum number of items purchased. That may be great if you’re ordering them to give to your business customers but not if you just want one to give to that special someone in your life.
Fill out the form below to request a custom design or to ask me questions if something’s not clear.
