5 Common Design Mistakes to AVOID w/ Kittl 🎨

Ryan Hogue Passive Income
9 Nov 202213:49

TLDRIn this informative video, the focus is on avoiding common design pitfalls when using the print on demand design app, Kittl. The video offers practical tips on how to leverage Kittl's pre-built, professional quality design templates to create impactful merchandise, particularly t-shirts. Key advice includes the proper placement of design elements, selecting the right fonts for readability, and choosing color schemes that enhance visibility in search results. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of adjusting designs for specific products and reminds viewers to remove background elements to ensure designs are optimized for printing.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 **Use High-Quality Templates**: Utilize Kittl's pre-built professional templates to start with a solid design foundation.
  • 🖌️ **Customize Templates**: Even if you're not a skilled designer, you can easily customize templates to fit your vision and brand.
  • 📏 **Vertical Orientation**: For t-shirt designs, orient graphics towards the top of the canvas to avoid awkward placement on the final product.
  • 🌈 **Mind Your Color Palette**: Design with a specific product color in mind to increase the likelihood of attracting clicks and standing out in search results.
  • 🔍 **Optimize for Visibility**: Use complementary colors to ensure your design pops against the background color of the product.
  • 🕹️ **Choose Readable Fonts**: Select fonts that are aesthetically pleasing and easy to read, as customers won't spend time deciphering complex script fonts.
  • 📉 **Avoid Overlapping Elements**: Stick to symmetry and simplicity, especially for beginners, to prevent designs from becoming too cluttered or confusing.
  • 📐 **Simplicity is Key**: Keep designs straightforward, as asymmetry and complex layouts can often detract from the overall appeal.
  • 🖇️ **Remove Unnecessary Backgrounds**: When exporting designs from Kittl, ensure to use the 'remove background' option correctly to avoid unwanted patterns in the final print.
  • 📘 **Clip Content for Clean Designs**: Use the 'clip content' feature to apply textures or effects only to the design elements, keeping the background clean for printing.
  • 🚀 **Start with Kittl**: Encourage beginners to start their print-on-demand journey with Kittl, offering a free sign-up and a wealth of design resources.

Q & A

  • What is the main focus of the video?

    -The video focuses on discussing common pitfalls to avoid when using the print on demand design app, Kittle.

  • What does the speaker recommend for those who are not good at design or lack creative inspiration?

    -The speaker recommends going to the Kittle homepage and scrolling through the pre-built professional quality design templates, which are sectioned off by product type.

  • Why is it important to orient graphics towards the top of the canvas when designing for a t-shirt?

    -Orienting graphics towards the top of the canvas is important because it optimizes the design for the product, preventing objects from appearing to float in the middle of the shirt when printed.

  • How can one increase the likelihood of getting clicked in search results?

    -One can increase the likelihood of getting clicked in search results by using a good color contrast between the foreground and background, making the design stand out more.

  • What is the speaker's opinion on monochrome color schemes for designs?

    -The speaker is not a fan of monochrome color schemes for designs, as they believe that using complementary colors can help the design stand out more in search results.

  • Why is font selection important in design?

    -Font selection is important because even if a font fits the niche and look, it needs to be easily readable. Customers are unlikely to spend time trying to decipher a hard-to-read font in search results.

  • What is the advice given for beginners in design?

    -The advice for beginners in design is to start with using templates, keep things simple, and avoid overly complex or asymmetrical designs until they gain more experience.

  • How can one customize a pre-made design element in Kittle?

    -One can customize a pre-made design element in Kittle by clicking on the element and using the available tools to change its color, size, and position.

  • What is the 'clip content' feature in Kittle used for?

    -The 'clip content' feature in Kittle is used to apply a texture or pattern to the design itself without it extending beyond the foreground design, which is essential for removing unwanted background elements for print.

  • Why is it crucial to properly remove the background before exporting a design?

    -Properly removing the background is crucial to avoid a design that looks ridiculous or unprofessional when printed, as it ensures that only the intended design elements are included in the final product.

  • What is the benefit of using Kittle for print on demand designs?

    -Kittle offers an easy-to-use platform with high-quality design templates, allowing users to create professional designs quickly. It also provides tools for customizing and optimizing designs for various products, such as t-shirts.

  • How can one sign up for Kittle?

    -One can sign up for Kittle for free by using the link provided in the video description.

Outlines

00:00

🖌️ Mastering Kittle for Print-On-Demand Designs

This paragraph provides a comprehensive overview of using the Kittle app for creating print-on-demand designs. The speaker emphasizes the importance of adhering to best practices while avoiding common pitfalls. Key features of Kittle include its high-quality, professional design templates and the ability to customize these templates easily. The speaker encourages users to explore various pre-built designs optimized for different products, particularly highlighting templates suited for t-shirts. They also mention resources such as a free Kittle signup link, a print-on-demand mini-course, and a Facebook group, aiming to assist viewers in enhancing their print-on-demand business.

05:01

🎨 Color and Design Optimization in Kittle

This paragraph discusses strategies for optimizing product designs in Kittle, focusing on the importance of color choices and font readability to enhance product visibility and sales. The speaker advises designing with product color in mind to improve the likelihood of a product being clicked and ultimately sold. They emphasize the use of complementary colors for contrast and suggest adjusting the design directly in Kittle for better results. Additionally, the paragraph covers font selection, stressing the need for easily readable fonts that fit the design aesthetic but are still clear to the customer.

10:02

🔧 Simplifying Designs for Better Results

The final paragraph advises novice designers on keeping their designs simple and symmetrical, especially when starting. It points out the common pitfalls of using asymmetrical and overlapping elements that can complicate designs unnecessarily. The speaker suggests using templates and maintaining simplicity to create visually appealing and effective designs. They also highlight the importance of proper background management in Kittle to ensure that the designs look professional and clean when printed, thus avoiding common mistakes that can detract from the overall quality of the print-on-demand products.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Print on Demand

Print on Demand (POD) refers to a process where products are printed and created as orders come in, rather than being pre-made and stocked. This model is popular in e-commerce for products like t-shirts, mugs, and posters. In the video, the host discusses how to leverage Kittle, a design app, to create high-quality designs for POD products, emphasizing the importance of effective design to ensure products are attractive and sell well.

💡Kittle

Kittle is an application mentioned in the video that offers users tools and templates to create designs, particularly for print on demand products. The video highlights features of Kittle like professional quality design templates and the ability to customize these templates easily, making it an asset for both experienced designers and beginners.

💡Design Templates

Design templates are pre-designed resources that provide a starting point for creating graphics. In the video, Kittle is shown to offer various professional quality design templates, which users can select and customize according to their needs. This helps users produce visually appealing designs quickly, especially useful for those with limited design skills or needing inspiration.

💡Color Palette

A color palette is a selected set of colors used in design for consistency and aesthetic appeal. The video discusses the importance of choosing a color palette that enhances the visibility and attractiveness of designs, particularly in how they appear in product listings against competitors. Matching the design colors with product colors (like t-shirts) optimally can influence customer interest and sales.

💡Complementary Colors

Complementary colors are pairs of colors that, when combined, enhance each other's visual appeal. The video explains the use of complementary colors to make POD designs stand out more prominently in search results, potentially increasing click-through rates and sales. This is a strategic choice to maximize the visual impact of a product.

💡Thumbnail

In digital media, a thumbnail is a small image that represents larger content, such as a video or a product on an e-commerce site. The video highlights the importance of designing an appealing thumbnail to make products more clickable in marketplaces like Redbubble and Etsy. A well-designed thumbnail can significantly influence the decision of a potential buyer.

💡Font Selection

Font selection refers to choosing a typeface that complements the design and readability of textual content. The video advises on selecting fonts that are not only aesthetically fitting but also easily readable, as complex fonts might deter customers due to their difficulty to decipher quickly, impacting the product's attractiveness.

💡Symmetry

Symmetry in design refers to a balanced distribution of visual elements. The video suggests that beginners might benefit from using symmetrical designs as they are typically more visually appealing and easier to create effectively. Asymmetrical designs, while potentially striking, can be more challenging to execute well.

💡Monochrome

Monochrome design uses variations of a single color, creating a cohesive and often impactful visual appearance. In the video, monochrome designs are discussed with a focus on the effectiveness of such a style in design differentiation and simplicity, although contrasting colors might be more effective in some cases to capture attention.

💡Clipping Mask

A clipping mask is a feature in graphic design software that allows one layer to define the visibility or shape of another. The video demonstrates using Kittle's clipping mask feature to apply a distressed texture to a design, optimizing it for print quality and ensuring that it does not exceed the boundaries of the design when printed on products.

Highlights

Print on demand design tips are discussed with a focus on avoiding common pitfalls using the Kittle app.

Kittle makes it easy to create high-quality designs, but adhering to best practices is crucial.

Designs should be optimized for the product they are intended for, such as positioning graphics towards the top of the canvas for t-shirts.

The importance of using vertical orientation for graphics on t-shirts is emphasized to avoid designs appearing centered on the product.

The video provides a quick tutorial on how to adjust and move design elements within the Kittle app for better positioning.

The significance of color palette in design is discussed, with a focus on using complementary colors for contrast and visibility.

Monochrome designs may not be the best choice when considering the need to stand out in search results.

The ability to adjust the color of objects within the Kittle app is highlighted, allowing for customization to match product colors.

Font selection is crucial, and while ornate fonts may be appealing, readability should not be compromised.

The video suggests using simple, bold fonts for better readability in thumbnail images.

Symmetry in design is recommended for beginners, as asymmetrical designs can be complex and less effective.

The presenter advises against using overlapping design elements unless the designer is highly skilled.

Templates are a great starting point for beginners in design, allowing for easy customization.

When exporting designs from Kittle, it's important to use the 'remove background' option correctly to avoid unwanted print areas.

Clipping content in Kittle helps to ensure that background textures do not interfere with the clean print of the design.

The video concludes with a reminder to check out Kittle for free sign-up and additional resources for starting a print on demand business.