Sorry, Your Merch Designs Suck

We hate to say it, but your merch designs kinda suck. And we know a thing or two about what makes a quality merch design.

Thousands of people use Spreadshop to create their own custom merch, but not everyone gets it right. We’ve seen too many shop owners make the same mistakes when creating their merch designs.

And the thing is: You don’t have to be a professional designer to make awesome merch. We’ll prove it to you!

1. You’re Doing Too Much

You can’t, and really shouldn’t, try to be doing it all with your merch designs. We get that you want to be creative and share your passions with people, but it can be overwhelming. It’s easier when you boil your merch designs down to a singular niche or interest.

And it can be whatever you want. Merch for pickleball enthusiasts, listeners of shoegaze, cartoon drawers, like Cartoonist Kayfabe. The list is endless. By targeting a niche, you make it easier to find your audience and sell merch.

Those are the people that you want in your corner. They’ll be invested in your merch from the jump and return to your shop whenever you drop new merch. That’s the key to success: returning customers.

2. Basic is Boring

No one’s going to buy basic, boring merch designs. Your audience deserves better than that. If you want your merch to sell, you’re going to have to put in some effort.

Find your brand colors and use specific imagery that resonates with potential customers. Mila the Chi is an adorable chihuahua whose funny antics have gained her over 100K followers. She often contorts herself into positions where she’s upside down.

Her owner capitalized on this and decided to make a merch design out of it. That’s the kind of thinking you need to have when it comes to your merch designs. What can you do that’s different from other creators in your field? And maybe that involves hiring a professional.

3. Don’t Go it Alone

You might just have to accept it: You’re not a merch designer. Design tools like Canva make it easy for people to make designs, but even then your options are limited. Existing graphics and templates aren’t enough to engage people.

That’s why we recommend hiring a professional. You can connect with hundreds of designers through Fiverr. Search keywords like “T-Shirt design” or “podcast design” for the right designer. Easily browse their portfolios for examples of previous work.

If price is an issue for you, many designers have affordable tiers. It’s worth paying $20, even $30, for a design that will sell. It makes your merch look more credible AND professional. Communication with your designer is easy and you can give them as many notes and rough sketches as needed.

Your designs won’t suck and you’ll sell more merch when you follow these tips.

We can’t wait to see what you do. Launch your own merch with Spreadshop for FREE (seriously) today!