Scarf design is on my mind today. That’s because I created a new design which looks great on a Redbubble sized scarf. However, the white binding they currently use on the hem is a killer. So, along with scarf designs, POD and Redbubble, I’m on the lookout for a manufacturer.

Yesterday I wrote about abstract painting. The notion that meaning is in the mind of the viewer was central. Today I created a digital mixed media work. Initially it was a monoprint, and I uploaded it to the computer, modifying it into its current form. ‘Dark Abstract’ is the title for now. I’m looking for a better one. Suggestions welcome.

I’m fairly pleased with the results of the work. This afternoon I loaded it up onto Redbubble. Here is a peek at the print on a few different products.

Print On Demand Products

Print on Demand (POD) companies are set up so artists can open an account, then load up their artworks. The company will then have a mostly automated process for showing the artwork on products. The artist promotes their own work, and any orders received are processed by the company. This means customers pay the company, and the artist receives a percentage of the retail cost. If you would like to read more about the way Redbubble works, you can find out here.

Yesterday I wrote about POD home decor products introduced on Spoonflower. Today I would like to contrast this with POD products on Redbubble. These two companies are just two of many POD options available to artists.

As with Spoonflower, I opened my artist shop on Rebubble about a decade ago. I haven’t spent much time promoting it. Nor have I spent a lot of time designing work specifically for Redbubble. Mostly, I would order products for myself, featuring my own designs. Sometimes I ordered products to sell in physical form at markets and other artist events. This arrangement suited me quite well.

How POD Works on Redbubble

Unlike Spoonflower, I can choose which products to show on my shop page. This means I could have different products showing for different designs. I can also adjust the size of the design individually for a product, or sometimes a group of products. So, the artwork might look slightly different on each product. For example, if I have a portrait-oriented work, it will fit onto the cover of a notebook. No cropping is necessary. With an item like a mug, I need to select which part of the image is used.

This arrangement works well for me. It’s pretty flexible. If I really don’t like the way a design looks on a product, I turn it off. Mostly I turn off t-shirts because I don’t want the design as a square on the front. I’m about to turn off hats because the design is too small to see it properly. Having the choice to do this is great.

My gripes about the product range are mainly due to the materials used to create them. I would prefer if rugs, dresses and other fabric-based products offered natural fibers. At the moment, only the t-shirts are cotton. Most things are created from microfiber polyester.

In the past I bought a lot of scarves featuring my designs. I sold these easily at markets. At that time they had a beautiful rolled hem. Now the scarves have a thin white binding on the reverse side of the hem. This simply does not work aesthetically and can ruin the look of a dark scarf.

I love the look of ‘Dark Abstract’ on this scarf. However, it will still come with a white binding on the reverse. And yes, I have taken photographs of previous scarf designs and sent them to Redbubble. As yet, no change.

The Future of My Scarf Designs

Scarf designs are one of the things I love creating. My designs have sold well at markets when I have them. Returning customers look for them.

One of my 2025 goals is to find a manufacturer who can print scarves that meet my criteria. Among other things, I want them printed on natural fibers at a price which is affordable for my customers.

Thinking like this makes me realise I am growing in my standards and in my design work. Whatever I do in the future, I think scarves will always be a part of it.

Links

To find out more about Redbubble, click here.

Find out more about Spoonflower, click here.

See products in my shop on Redbubble, click here.

View designs in my Spoonflower shop, click here.

To read more posts in the 100 Days of Art series, click here.