6 Print On Demand Mistakes to Avoid with Metal Prints

Metal prints are durable, long-lasting, and boast legendarily rich color. However, if you’re new to print on demand, you may come across issues that prevent you from enjoying all these benefits.

Do you ever worry that you’ll create prints that don’t meet your customer’s expectations? How about accidentally printing the wrong size and getting your image cut off? Whatever your concerns about switching to metal prints, we’re here to help.

We’ll look at the top 6 print on demand mistakes beginners often make and how to avoid them. By the end of the article, you and your customers will reap all the benefits that come with high-quality metal prints.

If you’re short on time, the top 6 print on demand mistakes you should avoid are:

• Make sure you have a strong vision to increase the chances of people buying your prints
• Narrow down a niche to increase your chances of selling metal prints consistently
• Maintain clear expectations for your metal prints to avoid customer confusion
• Print a higher volume for more active periods like holiday season
• Market the unique appeal of metal prints to differentiate them from other brands
• Double-check you have the right templates and DPI for printing

Source Image: Unsplash

Source Image: Pixabay

Have a Vision for Your Prints and Print on Demand Service 

Before you hunker down with a print service, it’s essential to have a clear vision for your prints. What purpose will these prints serve your customer, project, or artistic vision?

According to recent studies, metal (as well as metal alloys) are the fastest growing 3D printing segment. Let’s get into the mindset of why someone may turn to these types of prints.

For example, one person may choose metal prints because they want to stand out from the competition at a trade show. The glossy sheen and high-quality of metal prints will quickly communicate to passerbys that their business means business. 

Another person may prefer metal photo prints because they don’t want their family photo to fade or wrinkle over the generations. Metal prints provide benefits such as being resistant to scratches, molding, and wrinkling. This smart decision weighs the benefits between metal and common (yet less reliable) materials like paper and canvas.

No matter your goals, having a clear vision in mind ensures your metal prints will always serve a purpose and please a buyer.

Source Image: Pixabay

Narrow Down a Niche to Increase Your Chances of Selling Metal Prints 

Do you plan on selling metal prints to customers? It’s important to narrow down a niche to increase your chances of selling – the biggest doesn’t catch the most fish, after all!

Choosing a niche for print on demand is easier when you start with an industry. Perhaps you want to help out small artists trying to feature their work in art galleries. Maybe you want to help customers create timeless portrait prints of their beloved pets. 

Once you have a clearer idea of the industry – and the people who purchase from that industry – it’s time to address their problems with your metal prints.

For example, some of your customers may be worried about low-quality prints driving away possible customers at a trade show, so choosing a print service dedicated to the highest-quality materials is essential. You may also have people who don’t feel comfortable using a print service, making you a helpful go-between. 

Communicating how well you solve the problems of your leads or customers can look like tailored blog posts or About Pages with a bullet list of their pain points. Whatever you need to ensure your metal prints are worth investing in. 

Source Image: Pixabay

Always Have Clear Expectations on Your Metal Prints

Successfully print on demand means having clear expectations around your prints. What should your customers expect when they open up their new purchase?

A seamless printing process for your customer should involve clear price ranges for sizes, print type, and finish. Collaborating with your favorite print service on these factors can even yield benefits for you such as contract pricing. When everyone knows what they’re getting out of the deal, everyone wins. 

You should also make it clear what you will or won’t print. For example, you need to be careful not to print anyone else’s intellectual property – Google Image Search is a useful tool to double-check that you’re not being asked to print another artist’s work without permission. 

You may also want to specify in a FAQ or service section about any sensitive subjects such as blood or nudity. 

To save your business some trouble, make sure your website has a contact page where people can reach out with questions or concerns. You can also create a FAQ page to address their most common concerns upfront.

Source Image: Pixabay

Prepare for a Higher Volume During the Holiday Season

Once the holidays roll around, everything kicks into high gear. A common beginner mistake is treating the end of the year like any other time, resulting in stress for both business owners and potential customers. 

Expect a higher-than-average volume of print on demand requests for Christmas, New Years’ and Black Friday. You can prepare by outlining clear expectations on your contact page or FAQ page on shipping costs and estimated delivery times. For example, if your printing service needs a few extra days to fulfill orders, let your customers know up front to avoid confusion.

You can also craft marketing campaigns that specifically tap into the nostalgia of giving gifts during the holiday season. This proactive approach will help you snag a few more customers during a time when holiday discounts are at an all-time high.

We provide our production time and rush time at the top of our site’s front page so you always know what to expect. Contact us today for your holiday rush questions or concerns.

Source Image: Pixabay

Market the Unique Appeal of Metal Prints

Metal prints are a high-end printing option, so go the extra mile to promote their unique appeal in your marketing. These prints sell even better when people know the full range of benefits they’ll enjoy upon purchasing. 

Whether through a blog post or a Google Ad, inform your customers that you chose metal photo prints for their quality. We only print on high-quality ChromaLuxe panels to deliver the richest color and sharpest detail. Our variety of finishes – ranging from gloss to matte – ensure you or your customers will find the right presentation to bring out the best in a photo, illustration, or logo.

Metal prints stand out from wood, paper, and canvas for their unparalleled durability. They’re waterproof, making them resistant to both rust and mold build-up – perfect for outdoor settings or indoor settings with high moisture. They’re also resistant to scratches, a helpful feature if you or your customers need to display prints with a high volume of foot traffic.

Lastly, our metal prints come with several mounts and backings for the ultimate presentation. You can make a work ‘float’ off the wall with a box mount or add a sleek frame with a premium frame mount, among others.

Who doesn’t love quality? When you share these benefits up front, your customers will have no problem bridging the gap between a metal print and the image they want printed.

Source Image: Pixabay

Make Sure Your Printing Templates and DPI are Suitable 

Last but not least, double-check your printing templates to make sure they’re suitable. These templates give you a quick and easy reference point for any images submitted to your business.

Templates make it easy for you or customers to customize a design, but sometimes they don’t translate well across all images. We recommend testing your templates with a few practice images and/or prints before using them. The last thing you want is to provide a template for an abnormal printing size that cuts off part of an image or doesn’t load certain file types. 

Also: don’t overpromise! If there are certain sizes your printing service can’t accommodate – or certain resolutions you can’t print – don’t be dishonest. We personally recommend a DPI of 180 for larger metal prints and 150 for smaller metal prints. 

FAQs 

Got a few more questions about metal prints to get you started? We’ll answer a few below.

Are Metal Art Prints Worth It? 

Absolutely. We use high-quality ChromaLuxe aluminum panels matched with dye sublimation printers by Epson specifically designed for metal printing – the results are beautiful, high-quality prints that last for decades.

How Do You Get a Picture on Metal?

Printing a picture on metal starts with printing on a specialized paper substrate called sublimation paper. This paper is then placed into a dye sublimation printer alongside a heat press. You can find out more about the science here.

How Long do Metal Prints Last?

Our ChromaLuxe aluminum metal prints last at least sixty-five years. They’re waterproof, rust-proof, mold-proof, scratch-proof, and don’t fade from exposure to dirt or sunlight. 

Do Metal Prints Fade?

Provided you get the highest-quality metal, no. We only use ChromaLuxe aluminum metal panels that don’t fade from sunlight, exposure, or physical contact (like rubbing or scratching).

What is the Best Surface for Metal Prints?

The best surface depends on what you’re printing and where you plan on displaying it. Glossy is best for rich color and prints that aren’t in a direct light source. Matte is ideal for softer colors and any work that needs to be by a window or under a lamp.

Source Image: Pixabay

We’re Ready to Help You Create Polished and Long-Lasting Metal Prints 

Being new to printing is a daunting process, particularly when working with high-quality metal prints. However, we’re here to help you or your customers create some dazzling works of art.

Avoiding common beginner mistakes starts with why you want to use metal prints in the first place. Narrowing down your niche – and by extension, your ideal buyers – will ensure you create products that resonate with customers. We also recommend going out of your way to test out your templates and double-check your DPI before committing to print on demand services.

You don’t have to figure out printing all by yourself. Learn more about how we help businesses and individuals craft the highest quality metal prints.