Outsourcing Designs
You will want to outsource your designs ONLY. Outsourcing your research or any other step is not necessary and will only waste your time and money. I would recommend outsourcing designs after reaching at least $500 per month, as by this point you should have a good grasp on Merch and should begin automating your Merch account further. Outsourcing does not have to be done for every shirt and should only be done at higher tiers when you can afford it (if you couldn’t before) and when you are certain that a t-shirt design will sell. It should also only be needed for t-shirt designs that require high-quality graphics or a unique design. Therefore, you should use your best judgment when outsourcing and not, for example, outsource plain text designs of which you can easily create yourself.
There are several ways of going about finding an outsourcer to design your t-shirts. I have found the best way is to hire someone directly and work with them as it is the cheapest, most personal, and is the best method in the long run, as your designer(s) will become accustomed to your preferences. The other places to outsource would be in Facebook “design groups”, design agencies, or design forums. These are all viable options, but I will not be getting into any of them as I have not used them much myself and are of less value than a direct hiring.
The place I use to find great designers is through Upwork. Upwork is essentially a freelancer focused site where you can hire and find freelance work. It is similar to other freelance sites such as Fiverr and Freelancer. Upwork, however, is the best, and most cost-effective site for finding and hiring professional designers for your Merch designs. If you are looking towards only outsourcing a few designs, however, I would recommend Fiverr.
To begin, simply sign up for Upwork. Use your real information and be honest when filling out information. After a few verification steps, you should reach a dashboard where you can select what you want to get done and what kind of project you have for freelancers. Before this step, make sure to fill out any billing methods. Note, a 2.75% processing on all your payments will be required. You can choose to instead pay $25 a month if you decide to completely overhaul most of your designs to Upwork freelancers.
From the dashboard, select: “I need to hire more than one freelancer” as you will receive more applicants (even though you only need one designer) and state as your title: “Original T-Shirt Designer Required for $4 per Design” or something similar. This title allows you to be upfront and for people who are happy with the price to be clicking on your listing. Anyone else who tries to hassle for a different price, you should ignore. As the title mentions, it will only be around $4 for each design, so that if even one shirt sells (and the shirt is priced appropriately), you will still be making a profit. You will then need to describe what work will need to be done. This is where you should describe in detail what you will be sending to the designer, what you should expect, and if you desire, sample files of designs can be attached as well. The next page will provide you with a sample script that you can use in your job postings.
Hello!
I require (100) t-shirt designs over the next (1-2) month(s).
I will be sending you a list of ideas for t-shirt designs that I would like to be created. You will then use your artistic and creative talent to recreate an original piece in your own style. For example, I may send you a link to a t-shirt design or an image, and then I would like your own unique spin to create a more visually attractive design.
If you are willing to work with me and fit the required deadlines, I would be willing to leave a lot of 5-star reviews. I would also like to hire for a long-term position. (Reply “key” in your application if you read this). You should be expected to create (4-5) designs per day until the required (100) t-shirt design amount. If I am satisfied with the work and results, then we could continue working together afterward.
All artwork being used on the t-shirt designs should be available to use for commercial use. Therefore, I will require all links to any artwork or imagery used.
I look forward to working with you!
(your name)
As you can see, this script is straightforward and hopefully clear to the viewer. Anything in parentheses is what you should or can change depending on how many designs you require and your budget. Depending on your preference, you can include a keyword within the job posting to ensure that applicants are actually reading the job posting. For example, in the middle of a paragraph state “Reply “key” in your application if you read this”. After receiving dozens of applications, you can easily ignore the ones who are not even capable of reading a short job posting properly.
After pasting and altering this job description, choose “ongoing project” as you want someone to stick with you as your Merch account continues to grow. In addition, do not limit which countries can submit proposals to you as you will want people who are okay with $4 per design. Usually, designers in the United States find $4 per design laughable.
You will then enter in skills needed, which is an optional field, although I prefer to fill it out. Put in skills such as T-Shirt design, Graphic Design, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. For the start date, pick whatever date you would like, but I would choose the date you are posting the job. State your price at a fixed price to avoid any complications or potential headaches. I would recommend keeping your budget to around $100, even if you are not planning on spending that much, as it is merely to grab the attention of designers when they are looking for job postings. Finally, state the desired experience level to be of Intermediate level.