Sometimes we sit down to make a piece of art without really thinking about the products we’re going to create. If you’ve ever been frustrated while trying to place your artwork on a product, or wished you could move elements around after you’ve uploaded, you’ll know this can be super frustrating.

If you’re keen to sharpen up your shop and improve what you offer to customers and followers, there’s an approach that may serve you better. Start creating your art with products in mind. Here are five things you can do to shift your mindset and think like a product designer.

@thedaintysquid, @kittenxlady and @iamthegreatwent, and @4theloveoftoys on Instagram 

Picture the Physical Product

It helps to think about the physical object you’re designing for and it can inspire some clever ideas for your designs. What part of your design is sitting on the front of the mug when someone’s holding it? Which part of a scarf is more visible when worn? Can you incorporate the background color of a t-shirt into your design?

Pro Tip: Create a palette of the Redbubble t-shirt colours in programs like Procreate, Illustrator or Photoshop so you can check how your designs look on each of the colors and make adjustments if you need to.

Pick the Right Dimensions and Sizes

We offer some BIG products. Wall Tapestries, Duvet Covers, Comforters, Throw Blankets and Shower Curtains all require a file that’s 7632 x 6480 pixels. If you want to create for a specific product, it helps to familiarize yourself with product dimensions and formats.

Make Multiple Versions for Different Products

As we add more and more products to Redbubble, one size rarely fits all. If you want to offer ALL the products, and you want them to look amazing and attract customers, it’s a good idea to think about creating multiple versions.

Stickers, T-Shirts and Canvas Totes look better with transparent backgrounds, but you may want to include a background on Wall Art. You may want to position your artwork differently on a Mug vs a Bath Mat. Tweaking your designs for each format is a bit of extra work but it can elevate your products from good to amazing.

Set up Your Files for Easy Editing

If you’re creating different versions, this tip is going to save you hours. Most graphic software will allow you to work in layers. Use them to your advantage. Having a separate background layer is a must. You can just hide it when saving your t-shirt or sticker file. Having other elements on separate layers will also mean you can isolate, edit, move or remove them altogether with ease.

Revise and Edit Your Designs

Even the best designers go back and make tweaks and adjustments to their original designs once they see a test print. Once you’ve uploaded, check your designs using the product previews and don’t feel it’s too much effort to adjust the sizing placement or colors on your original designs if you’re not 100% happy.

We hope these tips help you think like a product designer, so your designs look even more amazing on products and your customers love their purchases even more. Do you do any of these already? Do you have any more tips? We’d love to hear about them in the comments.

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