How to Avoid your Design Being Edited for Multiple Uses via Digital Download

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Many of you have expressed concern re your one design being edited multiple times for multiple uses with a single purchase. As an example, a wedding invite purchased for download, then being edited for save date, rsvp, details, reception etc etc.

I recently had a happy customer on a competitor site tell me how delighted they were that they were able to use my design download for a great many items (not included in the set). I was ‘amused’ rather than annoyed as this was only my 2nd sale on that site and the customer was so happy! So YES it does happen, and despite all the many warnings ( I had them) , the customer still did it and was completely oblivious to any wrongdoing.

So how to prevent this from happening?

In retrospect.. this won’t work but moving forward it will.

For those of us who design using alternative software, we can incorporate the ‘event’ or various text elements as part of the fixed background design which we can LOCK in place if we wish to. As such the ‘event/theme’ cannot be changed or edited by the customer. *** With skill they can remove any element but then if they have that skill, they don’t need our design templates, they can pop along to other free design sites and create their own.***

So re the example below:

You create the background with the text and the only editable templates will be the items they can personalize themselves. Even the photos here are fixed to the design, WE add the placeholder photos on top of this design for the customer to change, but should they delete all the template fields what will be left is this, which cannot be used for anything other than a save the date. I have added my logo here to stop theft of this image!

You may say " but we want our customers to be able to change the text in case they want printed items".  In this case you make a s econd version which does NOT allow digital downloads and has text they can edit for the event etc.

This will also prevent the design from being resold on other sites. Under the placeholder photos, you can have your logo, hidden but visible if the placeholders are not used or are removed.

Yes I know there is an error on this image re overlapping text on photo - it is for example here only and NOT for use :wink:

save date fall.png
save date fall.png779×1000 255 KB

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Brilliant!

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If I don’t feel like going into Photoshop or Illustrator and making a banner. Will locking the layer and making it always visible do the trick too? Now that Zazzle has more script fonts this could be an attractive option. If the customer wants another version I hadn’t thought of, it would be a faster edit. Thanks for starting this thread. 

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I ‘think’ locking will work, it should do BUT we do need clarification re this. I already lock many of my graphic images but that’s a swings and roundabouts regarding the customers ability to size up or down and transfer to other products for printing.

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I have also been thinking about putting a transparent layer above text that I am not allowing people to edit or delete. It would have a subtle texture or color. So that if a person tries to erase it, they get an ugly smear. I think if I lock that layer with the text, it would keep them from changing anything but their personal information, which would sit above the transparent layer. 

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Another good idea. Grouping elements also creates a bit of an issue for the customer making changes unless they work out the elements are grouped.

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 If you group and lock, then they can’t move or ungroup it. The price of a digital download in my mind. I am locking my templates down. They will be able to add personal information and that’s it. I am locking down all the event fields and graphics if I decide to use any and limiting the invite to that use. The irony is until this happened, I left the templates wide open, even though a screenshot was possible. Perhaps experience will teach me this isn’t necessary,. That would be a nice surprise!

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I think for new items, with these strategies, we can pretty well protect ourselves from misuse. 

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I am going to start nailing down all of my templates. When customers start to think of Zazzle as a digital download site, all designs will be at risk whether they are cleared for download or not. Screenshot theivery will probably increase. Thank you for listening, it has been helpful to have you to bounce ideas off. In some ways you give me hope.

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That’s a lovely thing to say thank you, and of course it is mutual. There is definitely hope, I forsee this being a huge success, if we can nab some of our competitor site sales then it will be awesome.

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I have started redoing my cover images and I am adding a small note in the corner which reads:

’ re instant downloads - single, personal use only’. 

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Thank you for this topic. I have never locked any designs or text.   By locking do you mean choosing make it permanent and always visible?  Any idea if we do this, then they won’t be able to unlock for a digital download? So if i layer elements in the design and lock it, it would work just like a flattened design in PS?  Meaning, they can’t change it?  

And are designers considering making two designs? One locked for digital and one unlocked for printing? It is an idea I had not considered.  thanks

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yes, I am considering all sorts, 2 versions, 3 … 

James has confirmed in another thread that locking, and making permanent always visible will prevent the customer making changes/removing the element

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You are awesome, Leah! This is an excellent way to protect the designs from being “misappropriated” and reused over and over and over again for different purposes/events. Thanks for taking the time and putting this together. 

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That’s an EXCELLENT point! The thievery will definitely increase as Zazzle’s image is devalued.

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Depends on what you mean by success. Sure, some people will be successful (at least at first) in the race to the bottom, but will Zazzle be able to make as much money from digital downloads, as they formerly made by selling real invitations and other physical products?

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I am going to start limiting the use of the back of the invitation as well. Providing a blank background just leaves you open to the background bandits that get a piece of your commission if someone adds their background to your design. So I am going to add the event and some personalized template to discourage the use for more than one event. 

The doomsday prepper in me is now designing all invitations, greeting cards, business cards etc assuming that someday Zazzle will force us to allow digital downloads. 

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You’re very welcome Fizzy :slightly_smiling_face: