Instant Download: Questions, Suggestions and Feedback!

[James]

Hi Creators, 

We're so excited to introduce Instant Downloads to Zazzle. If you haven't checked out the announcement and dedicated Landing page including FAQ's and How it works, please do so.

We're sure you might have some questions about this and some thoughts, so please feel free to share them here. 

Thank you,

The Creator Team. 

[Barbara]

Something truly important just dawned on me: The price of diesel fuel is putting a heavy strain on shippers and there's even a shortage of diesel being predicted. More and more people will be opting for digital downloads. Zazzle is doing the right thing and so will we if we opt in.

Colorwash's Home

[albamarie]

You are absolutely right. Don't know why so many are being negative about this. Market forces require a response.

[Connie]

There are way more negatives than positives- licensing issues, far less money to be made from digital than from physical, devaluing our designs by practically giving them away for free, just to name a few.

[Connie]

It depends on how you interpret "doing the right thing." Devaluing the physical market and the huge loss of income that entails, while opening ourselves up to a licensing legal quagmire, while extending an open invitation to thieves (especially with money-back guarantee), isn't the right thing in my eyes. Digital download are old hat, and the market is already extremely oversaturated with it, but Zazzle is the only company of its kind for physical products.

If you feel like sharing your work with the world for free, to help the fuel strain on shippers, go for it. I'm opting out!

[Barbara]

@Connie  It took me a while to figure out where I wrote "doing the right thing," but I finally found it. For me, it works because I use mostly my own artwork or, occasionally, public domain. But that's not what I was referring to. What I was thinking of was Zazzle's business, which isn't quite as busy as it was several years ago. To stay alive, they have to innovate, and in today's economy, they have to be clever about it. They've had problems with out of stock products, but if they don't need as many physical supplies, they can keep on truckin' without the trucks.

I realize designers who focus on weddings may end up having a lot of problems, quite legitimate ones.

In the end, any changes in the status quo, no matter in what aspect of life, will be good for some and not so good for others. You're obviously angry with my opinion, but it wasn't directed at you. Peace.

Colorwash's Home

[Brite]

This is such a huge concern. I am very upset about this. I've had my art stolen by wine and paint parties (and others), and when we sent cease and desist letters, the girl claimed she painted my painting, it was hers. I have copyright, but if it's not in the US, good luck with that. This will only make it worse for artists. Don't kid yourselves. I've been selling my work online for 21 years and it is happening all over. 

[GabrielaG]

I have a question for Zazzle regarding the "png" files that come with an instant download. 

Here is the information Zazzle added on "Faqs" https://www.zazzle.com/creators/playbook/instant+downloads+faqs regarding download files and sizes that  will come with an instant download.

Since Png's support transparent backgrounds, making them preferred for graphic design, would this mean that clients can change our white or whatever "background color" we have and choose the "transparent" color option and now get the download with our images with no background? this would make all our designs available for grabs! perfect environment for stealing it... they can simply erase all the invitation's text and now they have all our images ready for any use. In some of my designs I have my design "locked" but I  leave the option for clients to change the background color to any color they like, but if they can choose the transparent color option then the png download will offer our designs to the wolves!

Can Zazzle confirm if clients will be able to choose the "transparent" color option when they customize their digital downloads?

[Connie]

The money-back guarantee all but ensures that your designs WILL be up for grabs anyway, but since the current pngs that we download for our own product mockups don't have a transparent background, so probably the customer versions won't either. But it's easy enough to eliminate white backgrounds and make your own transparent designs.

[GabrielaG]

As you said, "probably" customers versions won't either, but we haven't got any confirmation from Zazzle as if customers can change and choose a different background color, and choose the "transparent" color option in Zazzle designing tool. I'm not willing to risk any of my designs in a "probability" . We need assurances!

[James]

@Hi @GabrielaG ,

Customers will interact with Instant Downloads the very same way as they currently can. With the same options and restrictions set up by you as the Creator. The background color is not something we give the option to lock so yes, they can change this as they please. Same as they can now. 

[GabrielaG]

Thank you James for your response. 

I've been thinking about this, and I guess as a workaround for those designs we have with the background color available for customization, we could add from elements a white square and cover the whole background. Set it as the bottom layer and "lock it" with our design on top also locked.  Unfortunately by doing so, clients will no longer be able to change the back color ,but at least this way we can protect our designs from clients changing the background to transparent on Zazzle's editor tool and getting our designs ready for theft and misuse. I know that even then, they can find ways to remove the white background outside Zazzle, but at least it makes it harder for them. 

It does involve a lot of work checking each product before adding it for digital download. Find out if the invitation was made at the time with a background already added on the "locked" design, if not, add the white square and send the product to get  "replaced", then once replaced add it for download...OMG! I can see myself getting all mixed up with which ones I already added as downloads, which ones I sent to replace, which ones have been replaced and now can be added as downloads... we will  have to be super organized!...but I guess better this, than getting our designs stolen.

Still, there are other things, at least for me, to consider before deciding to add any invite design for digital downloads, like not allowing digital refunds, having a limited time to access downloads and not offering downloads as part of sales.

[joniwarden]

In all the questions so far, are there directions for noobs to get to the settings where to opt in to be sure they are eligible to use this new feature?

[James]

Hi @joniwarden ,

If you don't opt-in by whatever we set the deadline at (not decided yet) for auto migration, everyone will still have the option a day or two later to opt-in their products manually. 😊

[tkgoforth]

I am so not excited about this.  I think there can be a lot of abuse and confusion. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to opt out.  

[CrazyMermaid]

I have opted out as well. At least for the Beta where they are allowing returns. 

[Happyzazzler]

I agree. I want to 100% stay opt out on this.

[GoodEarthPhotos]

I think I'm going to opt out for now. I'll let you work out the bugs and then consider entering the download market possibly later. I was hoping that you'd have it, like some other websites, where you order a card and send to one or many-many persons for a one time charge. It would be great for invites, or a last minute birthday cards. To let someone have unfittered access to my material and  to download and use/change content  indefintely sounds a bit scary. I vote for the "middle option"--let someone send out our cards/invites as needed, which a charge everytime they send a card--regardless of the number of people. One card sent to one person or 500 people online would be the same charge--but they don't get a download--just the ability to send the card. If they want to send the card another time--another charge, etc.

[GoodEarthPhotos]

Is there a way to see my comment that I posted earlier. I don't see it--Are you taking some comments down? Please advise how to find my comment? Bo

[Barbara]

I see two posts, one in which you explained why you'd be opting out and then the one wondering what happened to another of your posts. Was there a third?

Colorwash's Home

[CrazyMermaid]

I find it easier in these long threads to sort by newest comments. I see the same two comments that Barbara sees. 

[Cat]

Question about invitations with special cuts (scalloped edges, bracket cut, etc.) Will the edge cut be preserved in the download? 

When we designers download those types of invites, we have 2 choices. Downloading the artwork removes the cut and just gives you the square invite. Downloading the mockup gets you the image with the cut - but you have to photoshop out the background. I think that customers will expect their download to have the same edge cut as their design - hoping that has been addressed.

[a11dt]

It seems I cannot find where I see my "instant download products". I just followed instructions about how to enable it, as I have most of my products in eligible items. Where do I see them and can for instance change royalty? Sorry if this is obvious. I looked everywhere in the store and on the forum and don't find it.

[a11dt]

wanted to delete this question as I rather opted to post a new thread here.
Noticed deleting is not possible, editing is not possible..... 😏😐

[GabrielaG]

I understand why Zazzle would like to get into the digital environment, but perhaps this is not the best way as it leaves your designers exposed to misuse of their art. But there are other more exciting  and safe ways to do this. What if Zazzle could offer animated email versions of our invites. Imagine if clients could come to Zazzle and choose the invite they like (from our normal invites we already have), then they choose an envelope from the invite collection as well as enclosure cards if needed. Then after they customize them with their details, Zazzle creates an animated email e-card, where guests can open their email and see a beautiful envelope with their guest name(s) on the front, then the envelope would turn and open, showing your envelope inner design. Then the invite would come out followed by an enclosure card for those who added any details cards. It can even have a selection of music to choose from to add as a background. So it can become an elegant and original way to send invitations.
Not only would Zazzle be revolutionary and avant-garde, but guests could have a seamless transition to digital invites as it simulates the experience of getting and opening a paper invite, while at the same time our designs would be safe and no longer be in danger of getting stolen. 
I can see this really hitting off especially with younger generations (in their early twenties) who are more environmentally conscious and so used to everything digital, practical, quick and easy and they will become our biggest customers in about 5 years. So definitely the future is going that way, but wouldn't it be great if we can offer digitals as an experience where they can feel as if they opened the envelope themselves rather than a flat image on an email which truly looks cheap? 
I know this would require more money and technical investment from Zazzle, but it could be a game changer in the industry, opposite to digital templates which have been available for a while and Etsy is already saturated with them. An innovation like this, with animated digital invitations with all their detail cards and RSVP might even eliminate the need for wedding websites!
Just food for thought... what do you think?

[Barbara]

Actually, animated greeting cards have been around for quite a number of years, and yes, they're absolutely cool, but if it were to happen at Zazzle, it would mean a lot of change and re-jigging of the site.

Colorwash's Home

[GabrielaG]

There are very few options for animated wedding e-cards like "Greenvelope" but they don't have the reach and inventory that Zazzle can offer. Most animated card options out there are fun e-cards for birthdays and such. 

Yes, without a doubt, it would mean a lot of work for Zazzle, but probably it would have to be done anyway in order to survive. I don't see paper invites staying around in 10 years. Maybe just wedding invites, until someone offers them in an elegant digital version and wins the market over.... Could Zazzle be the one winning it over?

[Cat]

I LOVE this idea, but I still want the regular digital download option - or more accurately, that's what my customers want. Your suggestion would be wonderful for certain situations, but it might be too much for what some customers want. I'm picturing my elderly father tying to navigate something like that - it would be WAY more than he could handle!

Plus, this only works for invitations - not seating charts, and that's my single most requested digital download product.

[GabrielaG]

I'm glad you liked the idea 🙂 Guest would only need to open their email, that's all.

Our customers would only need to choose the same products they are already choosing right now (their invite) and customize with the template as they are doing right now and an envelope from the collection. The only difference would be to provide the email addresses for their guests, which is the same effort or less than right now addressing envelopes and posting each invite in the mail. 

Just in the case of weddings, if they want they could add their details cards and rsvp as well, which again clients are already doing so 🙂

[Cat]

I agree that is seems simple, but it only works for an email situation (which, honestly, is too much for my dad - LOL!) - not sure you could post something like this on social media. 

My brother always sends digital e-cards, and honestly I find them very annoying. Perhaps I'm unique in this, but I hate being forced to sit through a stupid display. And if it was an invitation, there's the added problem that people want an easy way to reference the thing to remember the time and date etc. I wouldn't want to have to sit through the whole video again just so I could remind myself which day the event was.

Anyhow, I'm not saying that I don't like the idea, because I do - I think it could be a unique and beautiful option. I just don't think it replaces the need for a basic digital download.

[GabrielaG]

I can see younger generations sending printed invitations cards to their older guests and e-cards to their friends, LOL 🙂

[Cat]

Ha! Agreed. I think older folks need something they can hang on the refrigerator door! 😀

[GabrielaG]

You are right, seating charts is my single most requested digital download product as well. And in fact is the only digital product I might consider to offer as it involves mainly a bit of text and the clients guests names, so no much danger for my designs to get stolen there.

[Deb]

Am I the only one who wonders about the fees?  I have Yet to see anyone ask or address this ..

[ColsCreations]

I posted a break-down here. The $1.81 in fees their example is showing is the

5% transaction fee for a royalty being above 15% ($0.28)
20% referral carve-out for a referred sale ($1.11)
and they're also including their 7.11% (100 - 92.89) of the total the customer paid ($5.98)  which equals $0.42 as a fee.
0.28 + 1.11 + 0.42 = $1.81

@Deb 

[KC]

I believe this is a line item to account for OTHER platforms' subscriptions/fees etc because there are some out there that people use to sell through Etsy. 

So to sell a comparitive way/product on Etsy, you would need to have BOTH a platform for templates (with a subscription and per-sale fees) AND a listing on Etsy, which has its own fees per sale.

[JB]

This comparison chart doesn't fly because I would have never put any of my digital designs for sale on Etsy for $6 and Etsy doesn't force percentage off sales ever. I also wouldn't sell them for $12 either. Too low. So the earnings comparison is wrong from the jump. The Etsy earnings would be more like $14 or $15 after paying the listing fee and the transactions fees.

[yjr]

I'm opting out for now. I use the same files for posters and greeting cards, and while I'd be fine with someone sending low-res digital invites via email or messenger, or something, and I'd be fine with someone making a 5x7 or 8x10 print, I'm still not clear on whether the customer will also get 150-res versions of my 600-res poster-sized files to upload to another POD site. Zazzle can police it's own uploads, they can't police elsewhere.

I don't think returns should be an option once edited; if there's a typo, just fix it. That's ludicrous. And allowing edits and redownloads in perpetuity doesn't even make sense. So they can never be discontinued or out of print? That's exactly the problem the authors had with getting rights to their books back when ebooks first started because they were never out of print. I occasionally have to delete POD access when I sell exclusive licenses. What happens to customers with lifetime access then?

It just seems like lifetime access to print-resolution images is making art theft easier, and it's already easy enough.

[Melissa_Patton]

That is a good question about “allowing edits and redownloads in perpetuity”. If we delete or hide a product for any reason, every digital customer still has permanent access, editing, and downloading rights? If a designer left Zazzle for any reason, digital customers still have permanent access and editing capacity to those designs through their Zazzle link? (From Zazzle’s side of this: what if you take down a product because you found a copyright violation in the design, but you already let a customer purchase a digital download? Do you revoke that customer’s permanent rights? Do you tell the customer before you do it? Or does that customer find out when they suddenly can’t access the product for edits?)

A good deal of this could be solved by putting a time limit on the customer’s ability to edit and redownload a digital product. Two weeks? Three months? One year? After that, you could offer them the option to extend their editing time on the product by repurchasing their license.

[Cat]

The FAQ says they can choose between a 1280px jpg, a 2048px png, or a 150dpi pdf - but I'm unclear exactly what they mean with the pdf especially in terms of embedded raster images and posters. Does that mean they get a different resolution file depending on the size of the poster? If that's what it means, and my calculations are correct, then a 50"x50" poster at 150dpi is the equivalent of a 7500px raster - which is pretty super high resolution. It would be nice if Zazzle could clarify that.

[Stargazer]

OK. My Store - Settings - Advanced Settings - And I can see I'm IN the Instant Downloads program. Let's see what will come out of it. Good Luck Everybody!