(mostly because twitlonger doesn't work anymore so i need a place to post Long Things ha, I know most of you tumblrites are here for tutorials so you can just ignore this)
Good news: I got a job!
Bad news: I got a job!
Thank you for the past 8 years as I pursued full time creative work! I met so many wonderful people and made amazing memories. Although it didn't quite work out, and I wish I could have left victoriously, I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have tried chasing my dreams!
I will still be lurking around online, though in lower capacity. Since my creation time will be heavily restricted, I've decided to cut out most activities and focus my free time on what I have always loved most: writing fiction.
The following activities will come to an end:
Sticker club (via Ko-fi membership) — Sticker club's final period will run through September. Memberships will be permanently closed on Sep 30. As a thank you to the sticker club members who supported during its (admittedly kinda short lived) lifespan, I'll be sending members any 3 requested stickers while stock allows! Please message me through Ko-fi with your requested stickers, or I will pick some random ones that I think you might like.
Livestreams — Livestreams and YouTube memberships will close. After this week, there will be two streams: one on Mon, Sep 4, and the last stream on Sunday, Sep 10. On Sep 10, the membership feature will be toggled off and all memberships automatically terminated. Please feel free to end your membership before then to avoid being charged for a shorter period. The YouTube channel will remain open, with previous livestreams and videos accessible. I may continue to post occasional edited videos or other content on the channel, who knows?
Conventions — Due to limited time off, I will no longer seek to table at local conventions and trade shows.
Fanart — There will no longer be dedicated fanwork or fanmerch releases, although clearly, if I really want to make the occasional trinket and throw it on the shop, nothing will really stop me either. But with limited time to create, I will basically be focusing on making 95% OC content.
You can still find me writing Airlean Tales, which will begin its second season soon enough with 60,000 words already written, and possibly dabbling around on AO3!
Thank you again for the fantastic journey. Part of me can't believe that somebody like me actually learned how to kind of draw, and I hope to take everything I've learned and experienced with me into this next chapter. Thank you, and much love—
— Luna Chai
May the celestial parlor appear again one day!
Emblem Engage! These 2.5" iridescent charms feature the brilliant colors of the Engage cast and a Sommie-shaped keychain clasp. They're up in shop here and will also be at Anime Impulse OC!
I recently ordered a bunch of clear vinyl stickers from Zap Creatives, so here's some of my thoughts and experience! This review was written Apr 28, 2023.
Lightning Review
Price: ✧✧✧✧✧
Order Convenience: ✧✧✧✧✧
Production Speed: ✧✧•••
Quality of Product: ✧✧✧••
Quality of Printing: ✧✧✧✧✧
Communication: N/A
Recommended? Yes. A solid option for those who need many different sticker designs, and aren't in a rush.
Comments
Ordering
Ordering from Zap Creatives was super easy. Their site is clear to navigate, with all options clearly laid out and the quotes accessible. They set up your artwork and cutlines for free, and after a few days, give you a proof sheet to verify dimensions, white ink area, and cutlines.
Prices are some of the best on the market for lower quantities and very affordable. It's a godsend that they let you split bulk orders among multiple designs, up to 10 designs per listing—overall it ends up saving small artists a lot of money since we can't order a ton of every design.
Timeline
Order made — 0 business days
Digital proof — 5 business days
Production — 5 business days
Shipping (courier) — 4 business days
Total time: 14 business days; 18 calendar days
Overall, this speed is slower than the average sticker manu I've worked with.
Receipt
Package receipt had some issues, but it wasn't the manu's fault. My package was vetted by USA customs and the official was careless, so they tore a lot of the packaging. Paper shredding got all over the stickers and made the inside a total mess.
Thankfully, none of the stickers were damaged—I just had to spend a bunch of time cleaning up the stickers, or there would be paper lint stuck all over them.
This is mostly because Zap Creatives uses a lot of post-consumer, recyclable, paper-based packaging, so it gets very messy when torn apart. But I'd rather they use eco-friendly packaging and have to spend a little time to clean a mess, rather than they switch to all plastic.
The stickers were good quality. I got matte vinyl, which had a slight matte lam feeling with a subtle shine; I really liked the texture. The vinyl felt thinner than I would have liked, though—thinner than Sticker App and Sticker Giant. They seem waterproof and tear-resistant, but not as heavyweight as most people might expect from vinyl decals.
Color printing was beautifully done, very accurate to the CMYK PSDs I provided them. They have a very good color range. Cutlines were accurate and it's nice that they are small, so most of the space goes to the design.
Overall, I had a good experience, and likely will order from this manu again! I prefer my clear stickers to feel a little thicker and sturdier, and depending on the season, Zap Creatives can be slow to produce. That being said, the stickers are overall high quality, and very convenient and affordable to order. If you're not in a convention rush, they are a great option.
Enamel pins: They’re shiny, they’re collectible, and they’re portable enough for fans to pin them on just about anything. If you’re looking for resources on how to make enamel pins, then here’s my thorough tutorial!
1. Creating the Art
First things first: you’ll have to make your art! The following tips are for making your art with enamel pins in mind.
SIZEÂ
It’s good practice to draw your art at at least 2x the size you plan it for, at 300 DPI. For one, you can always resize your art down, but it’s a pain to size up without pixelation or loss of quality. For two, big art allows you to cross over into other products, like having the same design on vinyl stickers.
Personally, I like to draw my art at a minimum of 5” at 300 DPI.
I recommend drawing with the same color lineart as the plating you want. E.g. use a rose-gold color if you want rose gold plating, dark nickel, etc. You can check out common plating types later in this tutorial.
COMPOSITIONÂ
Enamel pins are a unique medium that prioritizes composition, minimalism, and color palette. Make sure to keep your pins in a cohesive silhouette, rather than have a lot of cut-out areas in the middle. Manufacturers may charge you extra for cut-outs.
COLOR SELECTIONÂ
When designing enamel pins, simplify your color palette and keep it restricted to a handful of colors. This is mostly due to the minimalist aesthetic of the medium, but also, manufacturers will charge you extra for more than 5 colors in one pin.
Most manufacturers will require that you send the art to them in CMYK color format, so save your files as CMYK and watch the brightness of your blues, since CMYK eats blue for breakfast.
2. Picking a Manufacturer
Your art is ready, and now you just need a producer! There are two different kinds of manufacturers: middlemen versus overseas factories. At the time of this writing, there isn’t a way to truly order enamel pins domestically; most western companies disguise the fact that they’re middlemen.
MIDDLEMEN
Middlemen are domestic businesses that act as an agent. They accept your enamel pin order and communicate with overseas factories for you to make the enamel pins.
PROS
Good communication
Extra quality control check
Works with the factory for you
CONS
More expensive
Longer creation time
Working with middlemen is intended to give you some protection from issues and problems with global producers, and also give you someone to easily communicate with. Within my personal experience, I haven't had great experiences with them; however, they are a solution that work for many others, and can be beginner-friendly.
Below is a list of notable middlemen at the time of this post’s writing, although I haven’t tested them all myself.
Notable middlemen: Wizard Pins, The Studio, Enamel Pin Factory*
* I do not have a good experience with this company and don’t recommend them, but have included them on this list since many know their name.
ALIBABA PRODUCERS
Alibaba is a global trade marketplace where you can commission custom products directly from factories in other countries, mainly China.
PROS
More affordable
Tons of options
Faster creation time
Ships direct from factory
CONS
Expensive shipping
Higher rate of shipping damage
Larger risk of art theft
People may be reluctant to order from overseas like China or India due to rumors of art theft, but there are many manus who specify that they will never take or distribute your designs. Much of your experience will depend on which factory you choose, so do your research in this area. Rely on reviews and trusted recommendations when you make your selection. If picked properly, working with Alibaba manus can be a very smooth and easy process.
Since packages ship from overseas, you will find a slightly larger rate of flawed products in your order compared to domestic orders from shipping damage.
Below is a list of notable Alibaba producers at the time of this post’s writing, although you can find a more up-to-date version at my artist resources masterpost!
Notable Alibaba producers: Krell, Vograce
3. Pin Options
There are a lot of options when it comes to the world of making pins, so here’s a helpful little glossary/guide to what all those terms mean!
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HARD VS. SOFT
Hard enamel pins have the metal lines and the paint colors on the same level, while soft enamel pins have the paint colors lower than the metal lines. As a result, hard enamel pins feel completely smooth, while soft enamel pins have slightly bumpy edges.
PLATING TYPE
Most enamel pins are made with zinc alloy, but are plated to create different metal colors. Each manu offers different colors, but the most popular options are generally:
Gold
Rose gold
Silver
Black nickel
ACCESSORY TYPE
Accessories are the clutches or fasteners that come on the rear side of your pin. Some of them may come with an extra charge. The most popular ones are generally:
Black rubber clutch
Butterfly clutch
Your manu may offer other options like heart rubber clutches or pastel clutches, so be sure to ask them for a complete list of options!
SILKSCREEN PRINTING
Silkscreen printing applies enamel paint directly to the pin's flat surface, allowing you to apply borderless color spots. Especially popular for applying blush or hair highlights to character pins. Silkscreen printing costs an extra fee.
GLITTER
Glitter is mixed into enamel for an eye-catching multicolor shine. Costs an extra fee.
PEARL
Pearl powder is mixed and swirled into enamel paint for a beautiful, marble-like shimmer. Best applied onto large areas as the pearl needs to be swirled. Costs an extra fee.
STAINED GLASS
Translucent enamel fills a cutout section, resulting in a light-catching stained glass effect. Costs an extra fee.
GLOW-IN-THE-DARK
Glow-in-the-dark pigment is added to enamel for a luminous effect in low lighting. The brightness will depend on the palette, as some colors are more luminous than others. Costs an extra fee.
RAINBOW PLATING
Rainbow plating is a special metal finish where the pins are submerged into a chemical solution and applied with electricity, called anodizing. This changes the metal into vibrant colors. Due to the process, this is only available with soft pins (recessed enamel levels). Costs an extra fee.
4. Ordering Pins
PLANNING THE COST
Enamel pin orders are typically broken into two parts: the mold fee, and the per-unit price.
Mold Fee 🔨 — The mold fee is a flat fee associated with every enamel pin order. It takes a lot of start-up work to cast the mold for metalworking, and the mold fee represents that. Mold fees are anywhere from $60-$100.
Per-Unit Price 💎 — The per-unit price is the cost associated with the enamel pin quantity. This will be anywhere from $1 - $3 per pin, more if you have special effects added.
Due to the high startup cost associated with ordering enamel pins, you want to order a minimum of 100 for each design. 200 or more is preferred.
Please note that enamel pins are expensive to make, and not recommended for starting merch artists. The high minimum demand also makes shipping expensive ($100+), and transactions can often reach into several thousand dollars. They're beautiful to look at and fun to make, but it's safer to make them with some starting capital, like a Kickstarter or side job—or experience in ecommerce and shipping from making something more accessible, like acrylic charms and prints.
GETTING A QUOTE
To get a quote, make an account on Alibaba and click “Contact Supplier” on the listing page.
In your inquiry, include all the details of your pin, as well as your shipping address so that they can calculate the freight cost for you. Generally, order 10% more than what you plan to sell. This is your safety margin in case you receive any damaged pins.
The manu will generally respond within 1 business day with a detailed quote.
STEP FOUR: SENDING PAYMENT
If everything looks good on the quote, it’s time to send payment!
Some manus will ask for you to send payment via Paypal and take a screenshot, while others will send you an invoice using Alibaba’s system.
STEP FIVE: DIGITAL PROOFS
Shortly after sending payment (usually 1 business day), the manu will send you a digital proof of your pin that might look something like this:
Here’s the things you really want to check so that you don’t waste $200 or more:
Dimensions. Are the pins the right size? Are you sure you want them at that size? Take a ruler, measure it out, and imagine holding it. Tell the manu if you want any changes to the size.
Clutch points. Check the colored circles on the back of the pin. Those mark where your clutches will be. Are they in the correct place? Will your pin hang securely? Do you need more or less clutch points, or do they need to change position at all?
Clutch type. The clutch type you asked for will be beneath the clutch point diagram. In the above image, it’s a black rubber clutch. This is the standard for most enamel pins, but if you requested a butterfly clutch or something else, make sure it’s correct.
Color palette. This is the most important area, and a bit more detailed, so I’ll take some time on this below.
STEP SIX: COLOR PROOFING
At the bottom of your digital proof, you’ll see rows of numbers next to a colored swatch. Each of these numbers corresponds to a Pantone Solid Colored swatch.
Back in the day, Pantone had a free online color finder that let us check the swatches. However, they decided to gate that behind a subscription (whee capitalism) so now, we'll have to use a different technique.
To check the swatches, go to encycolorpedia and type in the paint code. You might see several brands pop up, so make sure you select "Pantone / PMS."
You’ll want to check each individual swatch to make sure the color is accurate to what you want. If the swatch isn’t quite accurate, try typing in the original hex code (e.g. #298f3a) into encycolorpedia's search, and look for a similar Pantone color that ends with C. Then tell the manu which swatch you’d like to switch it to.
Be picky with the proofing step. Once the manu makes the mold, it will take a huge fee for you to switch things around since they have to recast the mold. It’s better to request changes on things that bother you now, rather than wait and receive a flawed product later.
5. Packaging Pins
BACKING CARDS
Almost all enamel pins come with backing cards. There’s all sorts of options, from matte cards to shimmer cards to foil cards. Spend some time on the design aspect, since this will really enhance your pin and catch customers’ eyes at conventions.
For indie pins, backing cards are usually either 2.5” x 2.5” (US square) or 85mm x 55mm (European portrait).
You can get the manu to print the backing cards and attach the enamel pins for a fee, but I like to do it personally so that I can use compostable sleeves (next section).
SLEEVES
Once the pin is attached to your backing card, you’ll want to put it in a sleeve for protection. I recommend using ClearBags’ compostable PLA sleeves, which are crystal-clear, but plant-based and biodegradable.
With the sleeve in place, your pin looks absolutely pristine!
QUALITY CHECKING (SECONDS)
While every manu runs a quality check on your pins before they ship to you, they’re bound to miss things that you’d catch since you know the characters. When packaging or organizing your incoming pins, be sure to check each and every one. You don’t want to send your customer a flawed pin!
Be on the lookout for:
Missing fills or colors, especially in small areas
Small holes or bubbles in the fills
Scratched plating
These are considered B Grade pins, or more commonly, seconds. They are usually still very decent quality and can be sold on your shop at a discounted value (15-20% off).
You Did It!
You’re at the end of the tutorial! I wrote this post because it was difficult for me to find beginner’s resources on making enamel pins. Hopefully, it can act as a helpful starting point in your own enamel pin journey! Now go forth and make ye some shiny things.
If you found this tutorial helpful, please consider buying me a Ko-fi to support the blog!
Acrylic charms are an adorable, convenient way of personalizing belongings, and they’re popular sells at conventions! If you’re an artist who’s ever wondered how to make your own acrylic charms, then here’s a thorough tutorial on how to do so… without perishing.
1. Creating the art
First things first: you’ll have to make your art! The following tips are for making your art with charms in mind.
SIZEÂ
It’s good practice to draw your art at least 2x the size you plan it for, at 300 DPI. For one, you can always resize your art down, but it’s a pain to size up without pixelation or loss of quality. For two, big art allows you to cross over into other products, like having the same design on vinyl stickers.
Personally, I like to draw my art at a minimum of 5” at 300 DPI.
COMPOSITIONÂ
Art composition is an underrated aspect of charm-making. The aesthetics of the acrylic cutline actually make a huge difference in the charm.
Here’s one of the very first charms I made:
As you can see, the art looked fine on my canvas, but when tested with a cutline, there were some super weird parts that jutted out. The overall shape and silhouette is just not very pleasing to the eye.
In comparison, here’s some charms I made after some more experience:
The cutlines feel more solid and cohesive, and there’s a very obvious point of visual interest. Even if there are small objects, they’re arranged to flow with the overall composition of the charm. Once cut out, they feel great in travel size!
COLOR SELECTION
When drawing for charms, remember that your charms will be printed, meaning they have to be in CMYK color mode. In other words, blue is eaten for breakfast.
I use Clip Studio Paint, which only uses RGB, not CMYK. However, you’ll want to avoid any highly saturated blues, hot pinks, or neons while coloring, because those will usually be dulled when converting to CMYK.
2. Prepping the Files
Is your art ready? Time to format your files for your manufacturer!
Add an x where you'd like the manu to add the charm hole.
If you'd like to have a gradient effect or transparent printing on your acrylic (see below), then add a layer beneath your charm art. Add any gradients or transparent printing to that layer.
FILE TYPES
JPG? PNG? TIFF? There’s a lot of image types out there, and they can make your head swim. Here’s a quick breakdown of them so you know what to use for your acrylic charms!
Want the tl;dr? Export your file as a CMYK PSD, max quality.
JPG. JPG is an image format that can hold CMYK information, which is good for printers. However, it has some downsides; it can’t be transparent and it is lossy, meaning it always compresses some information and is not max-quality.
PNG. PNG is an image format that is lossless, or max-quality, and also can be transparent. Unfortunately, it was developed specifically for computers, and can only be in RGB, not allowing CMYK.
TIFF. TIFF is a relatively new image format that was made to solve all problems by creating a lossless, transparency-compatible, CMYK-compatible format. It’s generally the best option for printed work even though few people have heard of it. Manus may be unfamiliar with this format.
PSD. PSDs, or Photoshop files, were once the standard of sending acrylic charm files because they are lossless, can hold multiple layers, CMYK information, and transparency information. But as we all know, Adobe went off their rocker and jacked up the price beyond what lowly artists could afford. Many programs like Clip Studio Paint have poor CMYK conversion, but thankfully, there are still some programs that have great CMYK PSD conversion, like Affinity Designer.
As a result, you’ll probably want to stick with CMYK TIFF or CMYK PSD to send to your manufacturer.
CMYK CONVERSION
Time to turn your images into CMYK so that they’re ready to print!
Do not export CMYK with Clip Studio Paint. I don’t know what they did to their algorithm, but something about the way CSP interprets CMYK color space destroys pieces faster than a rhino in a china shop. You’ll have to export as an RGB file (PNG), then do the CMYK conversion in another program.
I often sing the praises of the Affinity series, and I usually use Affinity Designer—a one time $50 cost, much cheaper than Photoshop. You can still export in layered PSDs, and their CMYK color space is much better than CSP.
(No, they don’t endorse me or anything. They’re just cool.)
To change an image’s color space from RGB to CMYK in Affinity Designer, open up File > Document Setup…, find the Color tab, and select Color Format: CMYK/8. Hit OK, and your image will convert.
3. Picking a Manufacturer
Your art is ready, and now you just need a producer! There are two different kinds of manufacturers: domestic versus global.
DOMESTIC PRODUCERS
These domestic producers manufacture charms in-house with their own sets of printers, laser cutters, etc.
PROS
Good communication
Fast shipping
Very few flawed items
CONS
Expensive
Limited customization
Need to be assembled
Setup time
With domestic producers, you trade time and money for personal connection. Domestic charms I’ve ordered are high quality with communicative staff, but they don’t come with accessories (like jump rings and keychain rings), and also require some setup time to use the companies’ special templates. If you aren’t comfortable working with jewelry, adding accessories can be time consuming and frustrating.
Below is a list of notable domestic producers at the time of this post’s writing, although you can find a more up-to-date version at my artist resources masterpost!
Notable domestic producers: Chilly Pig, Ink It Labs, Acorn Press, Zap Creatives for UK*
* Word on the street was that Zap Creatives was a middleman, but after looking into their blog, they state their charms are manufactured in-house.
ALIBABA PRODUCERSÂ
Alibaba is a global trade marketplace where you can commission custom products directly from factories in other countries, mainly China.
PROS
More affordable
Tons of options
Comes pre-assembled
No setup time
CONS
Expensive shipping
Higher rate of shipping damage
Larger risk of art theft
People may be reluctant to order from overseas like China or India due to rumors of art theft, but there are many manus who specify that they will never take or distribute your designs. Much of your experience will depend on which factory you choose, so do your research in this area. Rely on reviews and trusted recommendations when you make your selection. If picked properly, working with Alibaba manus can be a very smooth and easy process.
Alibaba manus often set up files and assemble charms with accessories for you. They also offer a lot more customization options like foil stamping, prism coating, epoxies, and more.
Since packages ship from overseas, you will find a slightly larger rate of flawed products in your order compared to domestic orders from shipping damage.
Below is a list of notable Alibaba producers at the time of this post’s writing, although you can find a more up-to-date version at my artist resources masterpost!
Notable Alibaba producers: Juno Charms, Kuien
4. Charm Options
There are a lot of options when it comes to the world of making charms, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by them. Here’s a helpful little glossary/guide to what all those terms mean!
Note: Not every manu offers every option. This is just a guide for you to know what they mean when they refer to these terms.
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SINGLE / DOUBLE BOARD
Single board charms are made of a single layer of acrylic with the design printed on the back, resulting in one side feeling like smooth acrylic and the other having a slightly textured feeling.
Double board charms are sandwiched by acrylic on both sides so that each side is equally smooth. They are only available with Alibaba producers.
GLOSS / MATTE FINISH
Some manus offer the option to add a coating or finish to the back side of your charms (single board only).
Matte usually feels a little textured, slightly scratchy in a linen-papery kind of way.
Gloss usually feels very smooth and shiny, similar to the acrylic side, but with a very slight bump where the art is.
EPOXY
Epoxy is a special thick coating applied onto a charm that protects the art. The result gives one (or both) sides of the charm a rounded edge, and the surface feels just like the acrylic. Sometimes specialty epoxies are available, like epoxies with glitter.
Epoxies adds significantly to the thickness and weight of the charm, which can either make it feel more substantial or overly heavy.
FOREGROUND / 3D PRINTING
Foreground printing is when the charm has multiple layers of acrylic with printed designs, giving some extra dimension to the artwork.
FOIL STAMPING
Foil stamping prints gold or silver foil on top of the acrylic once the charm is complete. This allows shiny foil patterns on top of the art.
HOLOGRAPHIC / PRISM / BROKEN GLASS FINISH
Shard-like holographic film is applied to the acrylic charms, resulting in a special look like shiny/legendary cards, sort of like stained glass.
COLORED ACRYLIC
There's two possible methods to get a colored acrylic effect:
Transparent printing allows you to add a semitransparent colored background (whether solid or gradient), which adds a very nice pop of candy-like color to your charm’s acrylic.
Printing on tinted acrylic, also known as gumdrop charms, gives stronger pigmentation but has also makes the charms no longer see-through.
To prep your file for this effect, fill the background layer of your charm file with your desired color, at between 65% - 85% opacity (depending on how strong you want the background color to be). The background can also be a gradient or a pattern; it all depends on your tastes!
MIRROR ACRYLIC
Mirror acrylic gives a beautiful effect that catches and reflects the local light, giving a color-changing holographic effect to the charm. You can see the effect in action at this YouTube short.
ACCESSORIES
Alibaba manus often assemble the charms for you, and have a wide variety of the attachment accessories to choose from. Above are some examples of accessories that they might offer. Generally speaking, special keychain rings are the most popular options.
POPULAR OPTIONS
Overwhelmed and not sure what to pick? Here's some of the more popular combinations from artists:
Single board, single epoxy. A thicker charm with a plain or glitter epoxy adding additional substance and weight. Great for mini-charms, like 1” - 1.5” size.
Double board, specialty coating. A pristine-feeling charm due to acrylic being on both sides, often featuring some kind of holo or sparkle effect. Great for larger charms, like 2.5” size or larger.
Double board colored acrylic, single glitter epoxy. The trending “gradient charm” with a glitter finish on the front side to catch the eye.
5. Ordering Charms
Selected your options and ready to go? Time to contact the manufacturer!
First of all, go to the manufacturer’s listing page and click “Contact Supplier.” For ordering from Alibaba, you’ll have to make an Alibaba account.
Give the manu a detailed breakdown of what you want, including:
Charm type. Single board? Double board? Foil? 2", 4", epoxy, transparent printing? List all your desired options here.
Quantity. Generally, order 10% more than what you plan to sell. This is your safety margin in case you receive any damaged charms.
Shipping address. Give your shipping address for a quote that includes production, fees, and shipping. It highly depends on the number of charms you purchase, but you should expect to pay anywhere from $80-$200 for shipping to USA.
Phone number. Add your phone number with the international code (e.g. +1 234 567 8910). Manus will need to add this info onto the shipping label.
File upload or link. If the price they give you is satisfactory, send them a link or upload to your image file. Make sure it’s in the right format—most take RGB PNG or CMYK PSD!
SENDING PAYMENT
Some manus will send a formal invoice via Alibaba, whereas others will request sending payment via Paypal, plus screenshot proof.
If a manu requests Paypal payment, make sure you trust them, as you are not protected. Alibaba invoices provide some minor protection for your orders and generally come with lower risk.
6. Packaging Charms
You’ve received the charms! Charms will tend to come with protective film on one or both sides to help protect them from shipping damage.
Most artists do not peel the film so that they are safer during shipping transit. However, I often find that the damaged film makes the charm look bad, so I peel it off when packaging it. It’s up to your personal preference.
Now for my favorite step: packaging charms! Or you might hate it. You can feel free to keep it simple, but for me, this is a step that can really add a ton of love.
BACKING CARDS
Backing cards are the background-style cards behind your acrylic charms. They can help protect your charms from moving around and hitting each other in transit, and they can also serve as a very pretty aesthetic to help sell your customers on the purchase.
I like to simply design and order business cards, since business cards are fairly cheap and easy to print anywhere.
SLEEVES
For protective bags to house your charms and backing cards, check out Clear Bags! They offer plastic, kraft, and plant-based bags to hold your merchandise.
While you’re at it, please please please consider using their eco line, which uses plant-based material to create compostable crystal-clear bags.
And with that, your charms should be ready to sell!
DOMESTIC DIY’ERS: WORKING WITH JEWELRY
If you ordered your charms domestically, you’ll need to learn how to assemble them with jump rings and your accessory of choice, like keychains or phone straps. You’ll need the following!
Jump rings, usually 7mm - 10mm (Amazon)
Desired accessories (black phone straps, heart keychain clasps, or star keychain clasps)
Two pairs of flat nose pliers (Amazon)
To assemble charms, you’ll need to do the following:
Open a jump ring with the pliers. Be gentle with the handles or you’ll put dents into the jump ring.
Thread the jump ring through the charm’s hole and your desired accessory.
Close the jump ring with the pliers.
You Did It!
You’re at the end of the tutorial! Hopefully this post helped clarify any questions you might have about the charm-making process. Now go out there and have fun making your own charms!
If you found this tutorial helpful, please consider buying me a Ko-fi to support the blog!
Photo by Jiawei Zhao on Unsplash. Last Updated: Dec 2, 2022
Harmonization codes in customs forms are now required by most countries when shipping internationally, but no need to be intimidated! Here’s some harmonization codes for common small artist merchandise, as listed on the TARIC database.
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Shipping Resources
International Mailing Address Formats by BitBoost — A very helpful list of address formats in various countries. Good to cross-reference when sending packages to other countries.
Harmonization Codes
Acrylic charms, pins, and standees: 3926.90.9790 (source)
“Other articles of plastic and articles of other material headings 39.01 to 39.14; other; other.” (Classify these on the customs forms as “plastic keychains,” “plastic pins,” and “plastic standees.”)
Art posters and prints: 4911.91.0090
“Other printed matter, including printed pictures and photographics; pictures, designs, and photographs; other.”
Books and zines: 4901.99.00
“Printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter, whether or not in single sheets; other.” (If printed sheet music, use 4904 instead.)
Calendars: 4910.00.00
“Calendars of any kind, printed, including calendar blocks.”
Embroidered patches: 5810.92.10 (submitted by Jeff Finley)
“Badges, emblems, and motifs of man-made fibers, embroidered, in the piece or in strips, other than without visible ground”
Enamel pins and charms: 7117.19.0090 (source)
“Imitation jewelry of base metal, whether or not plated with precious metal; other.” (If cuff links, use 7117.11 instead.)
Notebooks and notepads: 4820.10.30
“Registers, account books, notebooks, order books, receipt books, letter pads, memorandum pads, diaries and similar articles; notebooks, letter pads and memorandum pads.”
Postcards: 4909.00.00
“Printed or illustrated postcards, printed cards bearing personal greetings, messages or announcements, whether or not illustrated, with or without envelopes or trimmings.”
Stickers, paper: 4911.91.4040 (source)
“Printed pictures, designs and photographs, other than lithographs on paper.” (If paper labels meant for utility and not decoration, use 4821.90.90 instead.)
Stickers, plastic or vinyl: 3919.90.5060 (source)
“Self-adhesive plates, sheets, film, foil, tape, strip and other flat shapes, of plastics, whether or not in rolls.”
I will be updating this list if I encounter any issues or obstacles with these harmonization numbers. In the meantime, happy shipping, and best of luck!
