Guest Blog - All about Merchandise

Prints, in particular merchandise is something I have on my plan but have never got round to doing. 

Laura Pennell, an artist local to me who I have been coaching is really getting her business off the ground and has very kindly written the below article for you all - just in case you're thinking of going down a similar route.

You can find Laura's work on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurapennellart/

I hope you enjoy this blog post she's written :)

Getting into Merchandising 

I’m a coloured pencil artist, who has been working since the end of 2018 doing originals, prints and commissions. Bonny asked me to write a piece regarding the next stage of my world domination, which is in merchandising artwork! Hopefully it will help some of you too with planning where you want your artwork to go. There are so many ways of getting art out in the world; but if you decide you would like to put your work onto products then hopefully my experiences might help. 

Last year I had a trade stand at various shows, and over the course of the year built up a small range of merchandise to sell on the stand. One of the easier items to arrange are mugs and coasters. Ceramics are easy to sell as they make such good small presents or stocking fillers near Christmas, and they have a broad appeal for buyers. They are relatively inexpensive to buy in small batches and therefore make a great way to make your first foray into printing work onto products. 

The most affordable way to start off is by using a company who replicate work using dye sublimation. This technique allows for full colour printing; the artwork is printed onto a special paper which is transferred onto the ceramic using a heat press. There are lots of companies in the UK who will do this! The ceramics are generally a high quality but imported product; however this does mean you can offer a range of merchandise at a very reasonable price. I began with taking three of my drawings and having them printed onto mugs and cork-backed coasters. They sold really well and meant my trade stand had a wider range of products for customers to see. I used insights from my Facebook posts to decide which drawings to put onto the mugs; it’s important that they will have broad appeal.

The next stage of ceramic-world-domination comes with working with a UK based ceramic manufacturer. The company I use is based in Stoke-on-Trent which is well known for specialising in pottery and ceramics. They are much more involved with the design process, use the highest quality pottery and use a different process to transfer image to product. Rather than dye sublimation, transfers are produced using a silk screen decal – this process provides for a much closer match to original colours, and therefore a better representation of artwork. Additionally, working with a manufacturer who make their own ceramics in house means I can have a wider range of options when it comes to choosing individual aspects such as the shape and size of my range of mugs. 

Over the next couple of years I am planning on increasing my product range, from my mugs and coasters to teapots, jugs and other ceramics. It’s a process however, and I don’t expect it all to come at once. In fact, it’s more important to me that I plan each range and make sure it’s what I’m happy with rather than rushing to get a whole range of products out quickly. Once my products are finalised the next stage will be to pitch to companies to stock my range. 

Overall, merchandising your work can really be a good way of getting the most out of your original work. It can promote your art to a wider audience and also provides a really affordable way for people to buy into your work. If like me, you are not overly business minded, there is a lot of support out there! From learning about barcodes to creating order forms, the internet is definitely your friend. Additionally, Facebook has many business groups which are great for advice; I’m a member of “Small and Supercharged” which is aimed towards small business, and “The Girls Mean Business” aimed at women in business. Both have been invaluable in giving me the confidence to use my artwork to its maximum. Overall, my maxim when it comes to merchandising work is to simply go for it. You may end up with boxes full of cushions you can’t sell (yes, this has happened to me before) but if you take a slow and steady approach, you can create bespoke small batches of products which will definitely sell. Next step, the Apprentice!