MerchZing
Designs That Sell
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A free, hands-on course · 9 modules · about 6 hours

Design things people want to wear, and be allowed to sell them.

Learn to pair Creative Fabrica assets with Canva to build original print-on-demand designs. Every module has a tool you can play with, and a small task you finish before moving on.

Start with module 1 Jump to the Lockup Lab Download the workbook (PDF)
9 interactive toolsProgress saves in your browserNo made-up income claims
NIGHT SHIFT NURSE

Invented example lockups. Tap a shirt color to see how contrast changes.

How it works

Learn it, play with it, ship one design.

Short lessons

Plain-English modules on licensing, niches, design and listings. Skim or read.

Tools that think with you

A license game, niche scorer, lockup lab, price calculator and more. They run right on this page.

A task per module

Finish each "Do this now" and tick it off. By module 9 you have a real design in the wild.

Module 1 · about 40 min

Licensing first

Before you design anything, learn what you are allowed to do. It is the least exciting module and the one that protects everything else.

The idea in one minute

Having a file does not mean you may sell products made from it. Each marketplace and each tool has its own terms, and they change. Your job is to read the current terms, keep a record, and design in a way that is clearly your own work.

  • Creative Fabrica's Subscription License (v1.6, effective April 10, 2026) says downloads from April 25, 2026 include Full POD rights. Older downloads follow Basic POD rules.
  • Fonts for POD are allowed only as flattened art. The font file must never be uploaded or extractable.
  • Needlework and embroidery files are excluded from POD.
  • Items can't be registered as trademarks. Breaches can carry a stated penalty of $250 per product.
  • Canva allows original compositions on merchandise, not content used as-is or sold standalone. Branded content is restricted, and AI tools have their own terms.

Always re-check. Terms were read in 2026 and can change. This is education, not legal advice. Open the current license page before you upload.

Allowed, not allowed, or it depends?

License game

Your licensing log

Build the habit

Record every asset you use. If a platform ever asks, you have an answer in seconds. Saved in this browser.

AssetSourceLicenseDateUsed in
Nothing logged yet.
Do this now

Open the Creative Fabrica license page and Canva's content license. Write down one rule from each that surprised you, and add your first row to the log.

Module 2 · about 45 min

Finding niches that want you

A niche is a group of people who see themselves in your design. Start narrow and specific, then check whether anyone is already buying.

Narrow beats broad

"Dog lovers" has thousands of competing listings. "Retired firefighters who raise beagles" has a few, and the buyer feels seen. Combine an identity, an interest and a feeling.

  • Look at how people describe themselves: jobs, hobbies, milestones, hometowns, causes.
  • Check marketplace search suggestions and the "related searches" on listings.
  • Look for niches where you can add something real, like humor you understand or a community you belong to.
  • Avoid trademarks, brand names, and slogans owned by others.

Niche sentence builder

Try it
Fill in the first two boxes.

Score your niche

Gut check
3
3
3
3
3
15of 25

Under 15: shelve it for now. 15 or more: worth a test. This is a thinking aid, not a prediction of sales.

My top three niches

Do this now

Build three niche sentences, score each, and write your top three above. Pick one to carry through the rest of the course.

Module 3 · about 40 min

Shopping Creative Fabrica with a plan

Don't browse. Shop with a niche, a style and a shortlist, and screen every asset before you download.

What to buy, and what to skip

Favor layered or separable files, simple shapes, and sets that give you a coherent style. Skip anything that looks famous, derivative, or tied to a brand.

Which license route?

Screen before you download

8-point check

Palette builder

Click a swatch to copy
Do this now

Make a shortlist of 5 assets for your niche. Run each through the screen, log the keepers, and save one palette you like.

Module 4 · about 35 min

Canva setup for print-ready files

Print files fail on boring things: wrong size, a background you didn't mean to keep, a design that vanishes on the shirt color.

Set up once, reuse forever

Create a blank custom-size design at your target pixel size, work with a transparent background, and export as PNG. Transparent PNG export is a Canva Pro feature.

Verify specs. Sizes shown here came from third-party sources. Check your platform's current upload requirements before you commit.

Export, step by step

    Canvas size visualizer

    Verify before use

    Will it show on the shirt?

    Contrast tester

    Passes at a contrast ratio of 3:1 or better, a practical rule for bold artwork. Thin or small details need more.

    A folder system that saves you

    DesignsThatSell/
  01-Niches/
  02-Assets/        (downloaded files + license notes)
  03-Canva-Source/  (editable links and exports)
  04-Final-PNG/     (named niche_design_v1.png)
  05-Mockups/
  06-Listings/      (titles, tags, notes)
    Do this now

    Create a blank canvas at your target size, name it, and set up the folder structure on your computer.

    Module 5 · about 75 min

    Design principles, then three builds

    Six rules that make a design read from across a room. Then try them in the Lockup Lab.

    One clear hierarchy

    One thing is biggest, one is second, everything else is quiet.

    Limit the palette

    Two to four colors prints cleaner and feels intentional.

    Mind the silhouette

    The outer shape should be recognizable even when squinting.

    Readable at a glance

    Test at thumbnail size. If you can't read it there, buyers won't.

    Leave breathing room

    Margin around the art keeps it from feeling crammed.

    Design for the shirt color

    A dark ink vanishes on a dark shirt. Choose ink for the fabric.

    Typography Lockup Lab

    Build #1 · stacked type
    Ink

    Thumbnail test: if all three sizes read, you're close.

    Build #2 and #3

    Badge design. Place your text inside a simple container (circle, shield, rounded rectangle). Use the arched layout above to see how curved text changes the feeling. Limit yourself to one container shape and one accent color.

    Original composition. Combine at least three elements, at least one of which you made or heavily changed, and arrange them on a layout nobody else has. Module 6 shows you how.

    Font reminder. Check the font's license for POD use. Export flattened art only, and never upload the font file itself.

    Do this now

    Finish all three builds in Canva. Export each and run the thumbnail test on every one.

    Module 6 · about 45 min

    Make every design distinctly yours

    Licensing aside, a design that looks like every other listing won't sell. Transformation is how a stock asset becomes your work.

    Transformation lab

    Toggle layers
    As downloaded
    YOUR WORDS
    Your version

    Originality checklist

    Does not count as a transformation: adding a drop shadow, nudging the saturation, renaming the file, or putting a border around it. Those changes leave a design that looks the same to a buyer.

    Process note

    Write two sentences on what you changed and why. Keep it with your files. It documents your creative decisions.

    Do this now

    Pick one design from Module 5 and run the side-by-side test: put the original asset next to your version. If you can't instantly tell them apart, keep working.

    Module 7 · about 50 min

    Mockups, listings and search

    Buyers find you by searching, and decide by looking. Write for both.

    Title builder

    Phrase + audience + product

    Tag chips

    Max 13

    Price it so you profit

    Calculator
    Suggested price
    $0.00
    Fees taken
    Your profit
    Margin

    Price = (cost + shipping + profit) ÷ (1 − fee%). Use your platform's actual fee numbers.

    Honest mockup check

    Do this now

    Create three mockups for your best design and write one full listing: title, 13 tags or the number your platform allows, and a plain description.

    Module 8 · about 35 min

    Platforms and their rules

    Each route has different upload specs, fees, and disclosure rules. Pick one to start, learn it deeply, then add a second.

    Which route fits you?

    3 questions

    Upload-and-list marketplaces

    You upload art, they print and ship. Low effort, high competition, strict upload specs.

    Your own store plus a print partner

    More control and brand, more setup. You handle marketing and customer service.

    A mix of both

    Test designs on a marketplace, then move winners to your own store.

    Verify platform rules yourself. Etsy's October 22, 2026 AI update (as summarized by a third-party source) describes limits on bot-generated listings and disclosure expectations. Read the official policy before listing. Some POD sites ask you to certify copyright.

    Do this now

    Choose one platform. Read its content policy and upload requirements, and note three rules you didn't know.

    Module 9 · ongoing

    Test, track and improve

    Your first designs are experiments. Track what happens, diagnose what's wrong, and make the next one better.

    Design tracker

    Diagnose what's wrong

    Your 30-day plan

    Seller's pledge

    Do this now

    Publish your first listing, set a date to review it in 14 days, and enter it in the tracker.

    Studio Pass

    Finish all nine "Do this now" tasks to unlock your pass.

    A keepsake for you, not an official certification. Add your name and take a screenshot.

    DESIGNS THAT SELL
    Your name
    Completed all 9 modules

    Quick answers

    Questions people ask

    Is this course really free?

    Yes, it runs on this page with nothing to buy. You will need your own Creative Fabrica and Canva accounts to follow the build steps.

    Can I sell a Creative Fabrica graphic exactly as I downloaded it?

    It depends on your license and the download date. The subscription license read for this course includes Full POD rights for downloads from April 25, 2026 and Basic POD rules for older ones. Even where it is allowed, a design that looks like everyone else's rarely sells. Read the current license yourself.

    Can I use Creative Fabrica fonts on shirts?

    Only as flattened artwork. Never upload the font file or leave text editable. Check each font's own license too.

    Do I need Canva Pro?

    Transparent PNG export is a Canva Pro feature. You can practice without it, but ready-to-upload files usually need transparency.

    Will this make me money?

    No one can promise that. Results depend on your niche, your design quality, your listings and a lot of testing. This course teaches a careful process and makes no income claims.

    Can I use AI-generated images?

    Canva's AI tools fall under separate AI product terms, and platforms are adding their own disclosure rules. Read both before you use AI output on merchandise.

    Sources and further reading

    Check the originals.

    Image-size specs and the Etsy October 2026 update came from third-party summaries, not official pages. Verify them at the platform before you rely on them.

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