This guest post was created by print-on-demand service Printful.
For artists, selling merchandise is no longer just about making some extra income, though that is always useful.
Merchandise has become a powerful tool for connecting with your fans. And more importantly, allows your fans to physically experience your brand and everything your music embodies.
If you’re releasing merch for the first time, knowing where to start can be a bit daunting. There’s a lot to consider, from choosing the right materials to creating a cohesive brand design. But don’t worry—we’re here to help.
Check out our top tips for designing merchandise for musicians below.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Create Your Merch with Print-on-Demand
Before you start designing, it’s a good idea to think about how you’ll produce, sell, pack, and deliver merch to your customers.
One of the easiest ways to sell merch online is by using a print-on-demand service like Printful. Why? Printful takes care of all of the production, packaging, and shipping (with no order minimums). This means you don’t have to worry about printing goods yourself. You also don’t need to hold heaps of inventory because Printful fulfills orders as soon as they are made.
Selling merch with print-on-demand is easy. Here’s what you have to do:
- Create a Printful account (it’s free!)
- Connect Printful to your Bandzoogle store (step-by-step instructions)
- Create designs
- Select Printful products to print your designs on
- Publish the products in your Bandzoogle store
- As orders come in, Printful will print and ship them to your customers
Now that the technical aspects of your merch business are clear, it’s time to design it!
1. Design A Cohesive Brand
Whether you’re a solo performer or a band, your merchandise should reflect your overall brand identity. That means choosing colors, fonts, and designs in line with your music and image. If you’re unsure where to start, look at other artists’ merchandise for inspiration.
A mood board that lets you collect ideas, colors, and designs you like, can be useful when communicating your vision to a designer. If you’re artistically inclined, you could consider designing your own merchandise.
Having a logo that aesthetically and accurately represents your brand is also important. A logo is the first step in creating a brand identity, and you want one that makes your merchandise easily recognizable and identifiable with you and your music.
2. Keep It Simple
When it comes to design, less is often more.
When creating merch designs, keep in mind that these products will either be used or worn by your fans. The merch, therefore, has to be something they can happily show off or wear proudly.
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
A few well-placed logos or images are usually all you need. Anything more can be overwhelming and even tacky. Unless your brand is already maximalist, in which case, you can probably get away with more. But design cohesiveness still needs to be taken into consideration.
Keep fonts and colors simple as well, using a maximum of two different types for each. Too many fonts and colors can be visually distracting and make your merch look cheap.
Build a professional website in just a few clicks where you can sell custom print-on-demand merch directly to your fans, commission-free! Try Bandzoogle now.
3. Determine the Basics of Your Merchandise
Choosing the right materials for your merchandise is integral to its overall quality. If you’re selling t-shirts, for example, you’ll need to decide on the type of fabric, the fits you’ll be offering, and the overall design. Will you go with a standard cotton tee or something more unique? How will your shirts be printed?
When planning design executions, consider the following:
Base Colors
If you’re working on apparel, consider whether you’re going for neutrals, bold colors, or just plain white.
Decide on the color of your print as well, and consider if it will blend well with your base color/s. For example, do you want to go the minimalist way by choosing a black base and brand logo in white? How about a colorful print on white tees?
Base colors play an important role in how your merchandise will sell — not everyone will buy a shocking pink or purple hoodie, but a black or navy one will surely appeal to a larger audience.
The Number Of Colors In Your Print
The number of colors in your print can affect the cost of your merchandise. If you opt to use a local screen printing service, more colors usually translate to a higher price tag. However, if you print your merch with a print-on-demand partner that uses DTG printing, you can have an unlimited number of colors for the same product cost.
The Placement Of Your Design
This is especially important if you’re selling apparel. Will your design go on the front, back, or both? What about the sleeves? Placing your design in an unexpected spot can really make it stand out and grab eyeballs, but ensure it’s visible and looks good.
4. Be Original
Your merchandise should be as unique as you! Consider what makes you stand out from other artists and incorporate that into your designs. For example, if you have a signature style, make sure it’s reflected in your merchandise.
There are many ways to differentiate your merch from run-of-the-mill products like tees, hoodies, and mugs. Some unique products you could customize include:
- Blankets
- Loungewear
- Posters
- Backpacks
- Shoes
- Laptop cases
Personally designed merchandise is a great and uncomplicated way of making it one of a kind. In fact, merch with small personal touches can feel both unique and special. A great idea is to incorporate your song lyrics in your own handwriting on a shirt or hat.
5. Don’t Forget the Must-Haves
Band merch essentials like shirts, hoodies, pins, stickers, and tote bags will always be popular among fans, so ensure they are in stock at all times! They make great gifts for casual fans and die-hard supporters alike, and are easy to produce and sell.
Of course, this isn’t to discourage you from coming out with unique and innovative merch designs. But in addition to your more creative items, always keep the essentials in mind and make sure to stock up on them so your fans can always find what they’re looking for.
6. Consider Embroidering Your Design
If you want to add a touch of luxury to your merch, consider embroidering your designs instead of simply having them printed. Embroidery is often seen on high-end merchandise, such as jackets and hoodies, and is a great way to give it the exclusive factor.
Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash
If you’re selling t-shirts, for example, you could have a small embroidered logo on the chest or sleeve. If you’re selling hats, you could add an embroidered design to the brim or side panel. Just remember to keep your design simple—too much embroidery can look tacky.
7. Make Sure Your Designs Are Of The Highest Quality
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to ensure that your designs are of the highest quality possible — especially if you’re selling them on Instagram or another online channel. Low-quality designs will not only reflect poorly on you as an artist, but will also make your merchandise look cheap.
There are a few things to keep in mind when designing for quality:
- Your designs should be high resolution: If you’re selling digital products like phone cases or laptop skins, your designs should be at least 150 DPI. If you’re selling physical products, such as t-shirts or tote bags, your designs should be 300 DPI.
- Avoid using excessively small text: If your design is too small, it will be difficult for people to read, and they’ll be less likely to buy it.
- Use vector images whenever possible: Vector images are made up of lines and curves, as opposed to pixels, and can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
8. Offer Something For Everyone
Not all of your fans will want the same thing—and that’s okay! It’s important to offer a variety of merchandise to cater to a wider range of fans.
Your fans will likely be a mix of people with different budgets, so it’s also a good idea to offer both high-end and low-end merchandise options. For example, you could sell a limited edition item like a vinyl record for those willing to spend more and affordable items like stickers for those who want to support you but can’t necessarily afford to spend a lot of money.
9. Get Creative With Packaging
It might be tempting to save on packaging costs by using plain old plastic or cardboard boxes, but where’s the fun in that? Get creative with your packaging and make it something your fans will want to keep and display!
Photo by Sticker Mule on Unsplash
Loyal music fans often collect items from their favorite artists. So why not make your packaging collectible? You could include things like art prints, posters, or even a small piece of the stage set from your last tour. There are all sorts of ways to make your packaging stand out, so get creative!
10. Design For-a-Cause Merchandise
A great way to show your fans you care about more than just making money is by donating a portion of the proceeds from your merchandise sales to charity.
You can also make limited edition merchandise based on a cause close to your heart, such as animal rescue or rebuilding an area affected by a natural disaster.
Your fans will appreciate your efforts and proudly wear your merchandise to show their support. And you’ll be able to explore new design ideas in the process.
11. Keep It Fresh
The key to keeping on selling merchandise is to keep things fresh and exciting for your fans. That means regularly releasing new designs and offering limited edition items from time to time.
Follow the Latest Trends
If you can keep your fans engaged and excited about your merchandise, they’ll be more likely to buy from you repeatedly. You can do this by remaining culturally relevant and keeping up with the latest trends. If you can show your fans that you’re always on the cutting edge, they’ll know they can count on you to deliver high-quality merchandise they love.
Consider Limited Editions
If you really want to excite your fans, consider releasing limited edition items. This could be something as simple as a shirt with a special print only available for a week or an exclusive item only available at certain live shows.
Limited edition items are a great way to create a sense of urgency and encourage fans to buy from you sooner rather than later.
12. Get Feedback From Your Fans
One of the best ways to ensure your merchandise is on point is by getting feedback from your fans. After all, they’re the ones who are actually buying and using your products, so it only makes sense to get their input!
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
There are a couple of ways to do this. You could poll your fans on social media or set up a booth at your next show where fans can give you their thoughts in person.
You could even include a survey with every online order or send out surveys to your email list from time to time. No matter how you do it, getting feedback from your fans is essential to ensuring that your merchandise meets their needs and expectations.
13. Focus On Overall Material Quality
It’s important to remember that your merchandise is a reflection of you and your music. That means it’s worth investing in high-quality materials and printing methods. If you cut corners, your fans will be able to tell — and they’ll be less likely to buy from you again in the future.
The last thing you want is to release lower-quality merch that breaks or fades after a few washes. That would be a disservice not only to your supporters and fans but also to your brand. It’s important to do your research and find suppliers you can trust to produce quality products. It might cost a bit more upfront, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.
14. Make It Easy to Buy
The experience of buying your merchandise should be as easy and seamless as possible for your fans. That means having a well-designed website or an online store optimized for mobile devices and accepting multiple payment methods. You should also offer international shipping if you have fans located worldwide.
It’s also a good idea to partner with a fulfillment company that can help you with things like warehousing, packaging, and shipping. This will take a lot of the pressure and stress off you, allowing you to focus on creating great music.
The Takeaway
Photo by Anthony DELANOIX on Unsplash
Creating great merchandise for your fans doesn’t have to be complicated. Just focus on creating quality products that represent you and your music, and make sure you partner with a quality supplier. With a little effort, you can create merchandise your fans will love and appreciate.
