The Truth About POD Creators and Platform Reviews

 

In the world of print-on-demand (POD), artists and designers bring products to life but they don’t manufacture, ship, or control fulfillment. Yet when delays or service issues arise, it’s often the creator who bears the brunt of customer frustration. This misalignment damages reputations, suppresses sales, and misleads future buyers.

Let’s break down what POD creators actually do and what they don’t.

 What POD Creators Do

• Design the product: Every visual element, layout, and text is crafted by the artist.
• Upload and format: Creators prepare files to meet platform specs, ensuring print quality and alignment.
• Write product descriptions and tags: They optimize listings for search visibility and customer clarity.
• Promote their work: Most creators handle their own marketing, social media, and outreach.
• Earn royalties: Typically, between 5–15% of the sale price, (after platform fees) and depending on platform settings.

What POD Creators Don’t Do

• Print or manufacture the product
• Package or ship orders
• Control delivery timelines
• Handle customer service or refunds
• Own or operate the platform

Creators are independent contributors. They license their designs/artwork to the platform, which handles all logistics. When a product ships late or arrives damaged, that’s a platform issue not a creator or shopkeeper failure.

 The Problem with Misattributed Reviews

Many platforms allow customers to leave reviews directly on product pages. But when those reviews focus on shipping delays or service complaints, they unfairly penalize the artist. A 2-star rating for a late delivery on a design the customer hasn’t even opened can tank a creator’s visibility and sales.  Word of mouth by unhappy customer who did not receive her purchase on time along can destroy the creator who had nothing to do with shipping.

This misattribution:

• Distorts the product’s reputation
• Suppresses future sales
• Damages the creator’s brand
• Misleads other customers

 

 Who Should Customers Contact?

If your order is late, damaged, or incorrect, contact the platform’s customer service team not the artist. The creator didn’t pack your order, print your card, or choose the shipping method. They created the design.  That’s it.

 

 What Platforms Should Do

To protect creators and improve review accuracy, POD platforms should:

• Separate product design reviews from fulfillment reviews
• Clarify review prompts to reflect what’s being rated
• Allow creators to flag or respond to misattributed reviews
• Educate customers about the creator’s role

 

 Final Thought

Creators deserve fair representation. If you love a design, support the artist. If you have a shipping issue, contact the platform. Let’s keep the feedback honest and the blame where it belongs.

AI Art and Copyright: Why Responsible Creation Matters

 

 

There’s a lot of confusion out there about how AI art is made and even more misinformation about copyright. One of the most common myths is that AI “steals” images from online artists to create new work. As someone who’s been creating with AI tools for years, I want to clear that up.

Let’s start with the basics.
AI generators don’t “grab” copyrighted images and copy them. They’re trained on massive datasets to learn patterns, styles, and visual language just like a human artist studies thousands of works to develop their own technique. But the newer, responsible AI tools don’t allow you to upload a copyrighted image and ask the model to replicate it. That’s a violation of copyright law, and the platforms know it.

I’ve tested this firsthand. If you try to feed a copyrighted image into a modern AI generator and ask it to “make one like this,” it will either block the request or return something generic. These systems are designed to avoid infringement. And if AI art were truly stealing, we’d be seeing lawsuits and takedowns everywhere. But we’re not because responsible creators lead the process with care.

So where do the “cheap AI images” come from?
Some creators use bulk generators to produce thousands of images with little refinement. These packs are often sold for pennies, and yes they flood the market. But that’s not the fault of the tool. That’s a choice made by the user. And just like with stock photography or vector bundles, quality varies. One person’s “crap” might be another’s treasure. Customers connect with emotion, story, and style not just technique.

I’ve been creating digital art since 2008.
After a head injury, painting with a mouse was part of my therapy. It was hard. The results weren’t perfect. But people still bought that art. Because it meant something. And that’s the truth of art whether it’s made with a brush, a mouse, or an AI tool.

The customer should always have the right to choose.
And creators should have the right to be seen. That’s why I speak up not to argue, but to protect the legitimacy of my process and the visibility of my voice.

If you’re a fellow creator, I encourage you to lead with clarity. Tag your work. Disclose your tools. And trust that your process when guided by care and integrity will always matter.  

Image Disclaimer:
All images featured in this post are original AI-assisted artworks created by Susang6. Each piece reflects her unique styling, emotional calibration, and studio standards. To view these images in larger format and higher resolution, please visit her studio here.

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Why I Switched Back to a Personal Pinterest Account: A Zazzle Seller’s Experience

 

 

Pinterest just changed the rules and for independent creators using platforms like Zazzle, it’s not a minor tweak. It’s a structural shift that affects how we link, share, and promote our work.

I got the popup: Verify your store to continue. But here’s the catch Pinterest now requires business accounts to claim their website to unlock features like product linking, analytics, and the Verified Merchant Program. And if your storefront is hosted on Zazzle, you’re stuck. You can’t claim a site you don’t own, and Zazzle doesn’t let you edit your store’s HTML or DNS settings.  So, what happens when your store is 100% original, professionally curated, and fully compliant but still unclaimable?  In my case, I switched back to a personal Pinterest account to preserve visibility and control over my pins and group boards.

 My Solution: Returning to a Personal Account

After hitting a wall with Pinterest’s verification system, I made the decision to switch back to a personal account. Why? Personal accounts still allow manual pinning and profile links. I retain full control over my boards, branding, and seasonal collections. I avoid the headache of trying to “verify” a domain I don’t own. It’s not ideal but it’s honest, and it works.

 What You Can Still Do

Even without a business account, you can still build visibility: Pin your products manually with strong seasonal keywords. Create themed boards that reflect your collections (e.g. “Vintage Autumn Decor” or “Wildlife-Inspired Gifts”). Add your Zazzle store link in your Pinterest bio. Use strong captions to highlight your creative process.

Final Thoughts

Pinterest’s update may feel like a setback, but it’s also a reminder: platforms change, but your voice doesn’t have to. Whether you’re a wildlife advocate, a seasonal designer, or a creator with 5,000+ original products, your work deserves to be seen on your terms.