One of the best things about ecommerce is how it helps you spread your work out into the world through garments, prints, home goods, and so much more. Though with so many printing services using different methods to help you create your products, it’s fair to feel a little overwhelmed. So let’s walk through some of the basics.
First, focus on your artwork file. You’ll want to defer to your printer when it comes to figuring out image dimensions, file types, etc., but it’s generally safe to assume that bigger is better as long as it doesn’t exceed the printer’s maximum requirements, and you’ll want to go with the file type that is better optimized for the media you’re working with. After all, you worked hard on your designs, so the last thing you want is for them to look stretched out or blurry.
For example, if your file has a transparent background, you’ll probably want to save it in a format that supports transparency like a PNG or TIFF file, as opposed to a JPEG, which is better for your more standard photographs.
Your printer will be able to offer more specifics, but once you have your file, the next thing you’ll want to do is get that image file uploaded. An easy way to do this is to use a service like Dropbox, where you upload your image files and generate a direct link to them. We have an in-depth guide on using Dropbox with Order Desk, which covers uploading and getting a public link to the artwork file. By using Dropbox and Order Desk together, you’ll see an option as you’re uploading your artwork to add the link as item metadata, assigned to each product name.
If you’re not adding the link directly with our Dropbox integration, you can also upload the file to Dropbox or another hosting service directly, then add that link to your orders in Order Desk. You can add it directly into an order you’ve already received by clicking on the item name, then going to the Add Variation button. Type in print_url into the Name field, and paste in your artwork link into the Value field.
This will need to be accompanied by a print_sku, which is the product code that your printer will use to identify what product you’ll be printing the image onto. It can be added as an additional variation below your print_url.
When you’re using Order Desk, the entire goal is to help you save time by automating these processes for you, so we don’t want you doing any work you don’t have to do. To get those artwork files added to your orders automatically, you’ll want to start by adding your items into your Order Desk inventory if you haven’t done so already. That’s a whole other topic, so if you’re not sure how to add your inventory, check out our quick start guide here.
Once you’re in your inventory and viewing an item, you’ll immediately notice that the item fields are similar to the fields when you’re editing an order item.
This time, you’ll be adding your details into the Metadata Fields, so print_sku and print_url will go into the Name field, while your product code and your artwork link will go into the Value field for each corresponding row.
The last step is to open your Store Settings page and enable the setting called Add Inventory Details to Order Items.
After enabling this, your orders will automatically be updated to include any print details you’ve added for any of the items being ordered. So basically, you would no longer have to worry about getting your artwork through to your printer, because Order Desk will be taking care of that for you.
That’s your cue to kick back, and relax!
