Made a request last week to have the approval of creating foil napkins as well. So my question would be for those who requested this, if you can remember, how long did it take to receive an answer. As per the automatic e-mail: 'as soon as possible' 🙃 ... View more

On MS Edge, I came across the new "test-phase" personalization form on customizable pillows of mine. While I like the new approach and look, there are several issues with it in its current state, and some design (and product) realities may not have been taken into consideration. I've only checked it on a desktop so far, and haven't seen it on other products but pillows yet. Please note that these issues are already affecting regular products in the marketplace and may lead to missed sales. MAIN ISSUES The template text fields miss all their labels, and the customer is editing blindly. This may not be an issue on simple designs, but as soon as you have several options, you're lost. Plus, you make all the designers' efforts to provide informative labels obsolete. Template images can only be chosen by clicking on them in the preview. There is no separate choice in the editing/personalization section showing all available image templates, nor are their labels shown, with potential information for the customers (e.g. suggested image size or type etc) provided by the designer. This makes transparent placeholder images impossible to spot and choose, and on complex designs with small, overlapping, and/or clustered imagery, the only-by-clicking/tipping choice will become a gambling game. Screeenshots actual/regular vs new personalization form (on 1920 ws & desktop). The green rectangle on the actual form shows the field labeling, the red marking on the new ones shows the blind walkthrough without.    OTHER THOUGHTS and potential Issues in need for dedicated approach/solving A template field or image can be used multiple times, in multiple/different places (e.g. front + back or on all calendar pages), and in different ways (e.g. flipped or diff. font). This has to be taken into consideration and addressed when setting up the form. As a side note and FYI, this already doesn't work properly in the new image adjustment tool. Design and template elements can be placed on so-called background areas wrapping around the whole product as well as separately on the different faces (e.g. envelopes, gift bags, etc). Suggestion: To keep the field list neat, you can put labels in dropdown areas or small popups showing at hovering/clicking on an icon. Suggestion: Show image template previews (with labels) also on the left side to make them easier to handle, and to make available also invisible or small assets. Nice to have: Give us a dedicated Get Started / Information tool where we can put our dedicated design infos (remarks, tips, etc) and that is shown at the beginning of the form hidden in a collapsing segment or a popup. Note: Some template borders don't show up well on shaped previews. Important: Image adjustments must either be applied on all copies of that template placed on the product, or made to be applied on any duplicate separately. NOTE: This does NOT work correctly on the already existing adjustment tool, in other words, only one element is changed while duplicates aren't.  Please solve the labeling issue or designers (and you) may lose sales. Thanks! P.S. If you want more info on the adjustment issues, glad to explain it further, if you plan to address the problem. Edit: another old/new screenshot:         ... View more

Yesterday, I gave my Zazzle community hub website a little makeover. On the home page, I share a belief that’s guided me from the very beginning: “I’ve always believed entrepreneurship isn’t a race—it’s a shared journey.” Those who’ve known me through the many years I’ve been a “Zazzlepreneur” know how true this is. But I’d like to take you back to where it all started—and why this philosophy means so much to me. My career before kids was as a Manager in the NHS. It was stressful, demanding, and—sadly—not often rewarding. When I became a mom, being the “all or nothing” person I am, I chose to be both a full-time mother and a full-time self-employed, home-based worker. Life threw me another curve when I became a divorced mom of two under the age of three. That meant I had no choice but to throw myself into finding ways to make money online. I tried many things—mainly content creation (back in the pre-AI days, though I like to think the thousands of articles I wrote helped train some of it 😉). I also experimented with selling custom artwork, and that’s where my shared entrepreneurship journey really began. On an art-related forum (remember those?), I met my first “entrepreneur buddy.” Together we decided to give Zazzle a try. I’d already dabbled there, but only in a hobby sort of way. We started small, with a target of just $100 a month—and it took us around six months to reach it. Then we set $200, then more, gradually building momentum. We weren’t just setting goals—we were sharing ideas, critiquing each other’s work, and learning together. Over time, our little duo grew into a larger community of fellow Zazzlers through Facebook groups, blogs, and beyond. The joy we felt in helping others—and receiving help in return—was powerful. It became clear that entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be lonely or competitive. It can be collaborative, uplifting, and deeply rewarding. Of course, there were highs and lows (we wouldn’t be human otherwise). But those connections, that support, made all the difference. Working from home can be isolating—especially in an industry most people in “real life” don’t understand. Many assume we’re just “playing on the computer.” But we know the truth. Community matters. Community rocks. And you rock. Thank you to all those who've been so supportive to me over the years and more recently as I make a tentative return to the fold! ... View more

I hope this post inspires and helps some of you who are either at the edge or feeling the full impact of burnout whether from being a busy entrepreneur on Zazzle or something else.  ----   Burnout isn’t just “being tired.” It’s when your body, brain, and spirit all hit a wall at the same time. For me, months of poor health, chronic pain, and overwork left me running on fumes. I was foggy, exhausted, and honestly scared. The medications I was on made it worse—memory lapses, confusion, even dementia-like symptoms. And yet, like so many entrepreneurs, I kept pushing. Until I couldn’t anymore. The Breaking Point One day, I realized I was done. I was mentally and physically exhausted to the point I couldn't do it anymore. So I did something deeply unpopular in the hustle-driven, “always on” world of entrepreneurship: I put everything down. I stopped grinding. I gave up ... which isn't very glamorous! In an ideal world you stop grinding or rest before you reach this point. I didn't .. I pushed myself way too far. And compounded with chronic health issues my body said " enough !" I decided to lean on faith—the belief that the universe had my back, even when I couldn’t show up at 100%. I've done this before as I've had an 'eventful life' and it didn't let me down so why I didn't just keep my faith I don't know ... we all falter and it's worth remembering that sometimes it's not only good but vital to trust in the power of those forces we do not understand! What Happened Next I expected my print-on-demand business to crumble without me. But it didn’t. Sales stayed steady ( ish). They'd have been steadier if not for the overnight changes Zazzle introduced every now and then! Fee hike being the latest. Orders kept coming in. My passive all be it declining income carried me while I focused on healing. It wasn’t “luck.” Along with faith it was the quiet power of systems, designs, and products I had built when I was well. And it reminded me of something else beyond faith that's important: this is why we create businesses that work for us, not the other way around. My Recovery Wasn’t Glamorous Healing wasn’t linear or neat. It looked like: Doing brain games to sharpen my mind again Fighting for better sleep with a new routine Coming off medications that were making things worse Exploring natural alternatives and lifestyle changes Watching my diet like my life depended on it Drinking more water than ever before Moving my body as much as my back would allow Some days, “progress” was just making it out of bed. Honestly it was dire and chronic depression wasn't helping.  But slowly ( very slowly) I started to feel a shift. My mind felt clearer. Ideas began to flow again. Creativity returned. This is a recent change! So it's been slow ... but recovery when your body needs rest shouldn't be rushed! If it is a relapse is imminent so I'm taking it easy! What I Learned Rest is a strategy, not a weakness. Stepping back doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it means you’re protecting your ability to keep going. Passive income is a lifeline. My Zazzle and print-on-demand shops supported me when I couldn’t show up. Build systems that don’t collapse when you take a step back. Faith matters. Whether you call it luck, the universe, or divine timing—sometimes you have to trust that when you care for yourself, life will carry the rest. Your business needs you at your best. Entrepreneurship requires clarity, energy, and spark. You can’t build anything lasting if you’re constantly running on empty. The Comeback I still live with chronic pain. I still have health struggles. But I’m fighting back. I’m prioritizing hydration, healthier choices, and sustainable routines. And most importantly: my zest for entrepreneurship is alive again. And that feels like a miracle. Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to step back. Don’t be afraid to rest. The unpopular path might just be the one that saves both you and your business. Give yourself permission to rest and trust it will be ok!! Forgive me if this post seems indulgent and I suppose in some way it is but one thing  I have also realised this past year is trying to appear tough and untouchable , built of steel when the reality is the polar opposite isn't helpful because eventually the cracks appear. So that's another take away ... keep it real and ask for help when you need it! Heres to good mental health!  x ... View more

Question for anyone who has received Zazzle’s approval to create embossers: How long did it take you to get approval to create embossers after you submitted your application? I applied about a week ago, and I haven’t received a response yet. Thanks for your feedback! ... View more

This page What Royalty Rate Do You Recommend I Use? suggests a royalty of 5-10% which is pathetically low, but if you read the whole entry and between the lines, it's clear that 1) it's not mandatory, you can set your royalty to whatever you want 2) lower royalties = lower overall prices = Zazzle looks more affordable to shoppers 3) using that low 5-10% benefits the customer not you There's a common theory that higher royalties might keep one down in search results. So i just wanted to do a random search to see what royalty percents were in the top results. That by itself proved interesting and then it spiraled into a deeper dive looking at the other factors that most likely weigh in to where something "places" in results.  I searched (on the US domain) for three keywords + product type. I.E. [keyword1 keyword2 keyword3 product_type] NO QUOTES, and then used the "Refine by Category" filter to narrow results down to just that actual product type. That gave me just over 200 results, a number easy to manage for comparison purposes.  I then noted the details for the top 20 results. In the four days I've been compiling the stats on the results, the search results fortunately remained exactly the same. And then I was given the idea to do the same search on other domains. So I did UK and Canada and noted where items placed there compared to searching on the US domain.  Of the top 20 results, I was only able to obtain all the stats for 7 of them. That's 35%. Not enough to draw any "scientific" conclusions, but still super interesting and able to provide some insight.  The first thing to jump out is that in most cases there is an astounding difference in placement depending on domain!  Designers of all Pro levels were included in the top 20. There were two with a generic Pro badge which means they could be anywhere from Basic to Diamond. None of the results were from Designers without at least the basic Pro badge. Does that mean anything? I honestly have no idea.  Royalties ranged from 10 to 25%. Views ranged from 11 to 347. Creation dates ranged from 2014 to 2024. Looking at the meta data: * All of the results have all three of my search keywords somewhere in the meta data. * One of the top 20 (#16) has all three keywords in the title, in the same order I typed them in search * Five of the top 20 have two of the three keywords I searched for in their title, in the same order I typed them in * Ten of the top 20 have none of my keywords in their title, they only appeared in the tags This list is missing 65% of the data but is still interesting and my own personal conclusions, right or wrong, are, in no particular order:: * number of views alone doesn't seem to be a heavily weighted factor * even number sold won't by itself put you at top of results * likewise, Pro level or zRank alone won't put you at the top * having a personal cover image is still relevant/important * royalty % by itself is not keeping items down in search * last sold date might be an extra-weighted factor with more recently sold items placing better * where your strongest keywords appear and in what order compared to what a shopper types in is important So that's it. My conclusions here are just my own opinions based on the limited data of this search, you all may draw your own different conclusions.  ... View more

Hi Creators, Here's a dedicated thread to leave us feedback about the new feature we just launched, frames! Check out our recent article to learn all about it: https://community.zazzle.com/t5/creator-news/new-feature-alert-frames/ba-p/206434 Thank you! Team Creator  ... View more

I recently unchecked "Do not allow my products to be sold on other websites" under Marketing and Promotions. I have two recent sales now - one from "shindigz" another from "spoke" as the seller . The royalty is much lower on the shindigz sale. Wondering if I should recheck the box to not allow sales on other sites since royalty is lower. Does selling elsewhere drive away from my Zazzle store? Also I looked up Shindigz and found information it ceased operations a couple of years ago. ... View more

Hello everyone! So recently I found out that I need to verify my number (if legitimate) to get my sales on hand. I'm from the Philippines and don't know where to verify my account/store, since it needed the email of Zazzle to message you to manually verify your account. How to verify? Thank you in advance! ... View more

Normally, whenever I upload a new product to my store, I receive an email notification to my registered Zazzle email address as soon as the product is published. Today, I've noticed that I haven't received these emails, so I'm unsure if my products have been published or not. Is this a normal occurrence? ... View more