Why I Feel Spoonflower's New Artist Vetting Process Is Actually Good News

Pattern DesignPOD

Jul 7

If you've been thinking about starting a Spoonflower account, heads up: there's a new step in the process. They're now vetting all new artists individually. New users have to submit 5 patterns for review, and if they get rejected, they're blacklisted.

I know, sounds intense!

But don't freak out! This may actually be a good thing. Spoonflower is implementing this change mainly to crack down on AI art and designers who don't know how to make patterns repeat properly.

It sounds like it’s more about technical quality than artistic quality. As long as your patterns repeat perfectly and you don't have those pesky fine white lines, you're golden.🌟

*Your Royal Flyness* - One of my own designs on Spoonflower

The reason why I think this is a good thing...

I've noticed that non-gated POD (Print On Demand) companies are flooded with generative AI "artwork" (heavy sarcasm), and quality control has gone downhill across the board. And when Spoonflower stopped requiring samples to be printed before selling, it opened the floodgates. In a way, the print requirement used to weed out the people who weren’t serious about selling their work, which also meant the platform stayed relatively curated. That sounds a bit harsh, but it’s also true.

Compare this to gated POD companies like Carriage House Printery and Hawthorne Supply Co., where artists have to apply and be accepted in order to sell on their platforms. Because these companies carefully curate the work they feature, there are typically far fewer artists selling there, which can be a huge advantage when it comes to visibility, positioning, and connecting with the right audience.

So I believe Spoonflower's new vetting process is them trying to get closer to that quality standard. So take your time with those 5 patterns, make sure they repeat flawlessly, and you'll be good to go. Artists usually get approved within 24 hours.

All that said, I’m still a big fan of Spoonflower! I don’t mean to knock it too harshly! I know of many artists (many personal friends included) who still make some solid income from it. For example, Mindy Young (of Indy Bloom Design) recently shared in an interview that she still makes $4,000/month from Spoonflower alone. My dear friend, Jillian (of Jillian Nichole Illustration), shared with me recently that she makes anywhere from $400 to $850/month from Spoonflower alone. And Erin Kendal has shared in the past that she was making $10,000/month at one point But that was after a lot of concentrated effort on their parts!

So if you're considering Spoonflower, go for it. Just put the work in, make sure your patterns are technically solid, and you'll be fine.

Love,