Zazzle Design Tips

• Customized mugs from Zazzle make great gifts. mugs image by poco_bw from Fotolia.com

  Zazzle is a company that sells apparel, mugs, cards, posters and invitations, among other things. Zazzle offers its customers the option to create and order custom-made or personalized items. According to its website, Zazzle ensures that orders are made by demand rather than mass-produced and are typically created within 24 hours of being ordered. A few design tips can help you customize a variety of Zazzle products effectively.

User Guide Design Tips

• When creating a customized product through Zazzle, be sure to read the available user guide. Doing so will ensure that you are aware of all the company's tips and recommendations involved in creating your customized product. For example, the envelope user guide recommends not using a large image on the front of your envelope. The manufacturing process may result in an overly large graphic being printed on both the front and back of the envelope rather than just the front. By checking your product before you order, you ensure that you are pleased with your product and decrease the likelihood of having to return merchandise.

Image Tips

• You can upload your own image or photograph to use when customizing orders on Zazzle. This adds a personal touch and can make a great gift. When uploading images or photos, be sure to use formats that Zazzle supports. These include JPEG, PDF, PNG and Adobe Illustrator. Your product will have the best result if your uploaded image is high-resolution and lacks blurriness. It may also be necessary to crop your photo prior to uploading. Doing so will guarantee that your subject is the center of the composition.

Color Tips

• Zazzle offers its products in a variety of colors. When creating apparel, be sure to inspect your products prior to ordering. If your words or graphics are the same hue as the fabric, they may become lost or hard to see. For example, creating a pale yellow T-shirt with a similar font shade will severely diminish the outcome of your product. Try using a completely different color, such as blue, white or red, as a substitute.

Zazzle Tutorial

• Zazzle often posts video tutorials that help users with design questions. The tutorials last for a couple of minutes, but they can offer great design tips for customizing a product. Invest some time in watching the tutorials for a better finished product.