Trial and error

More than a week ago, I tried using photos for the first time for a design for my online store. Everything looked perfectly fine on the virtual mockups and I was super excited to see the products in person. Because I only get a small discount (a "sample" price) I didn't order all of them, but chose to order two items I thought would clue me in as to what the photo would look best on.

And boy, did I find out.

The first item I received was the fanny pack. Here's how it looked:

I was pleased with the size -- plenty of room for my phone and keys and face mask -- but the printing was "meh." It just lacked that crisp, vibrant look I was hoping for. After several days of asking myself if I was overthinking it, I decided that I had to pull it. I'm striving for a higher quality here. I couldn't in good conscience ask someone to pay more than $20 for it. So the fanny pack of this design is no longer available for sale.

The second item I received, the face mask, turned out better. The elastic ear loops are comfortable. I can breathe through the mask. And, I felt like I could see the blossoms a bit better. However, I did notice one small thing: there was a white line on the bottom.

Apparently, my photo wasn't sized exactly right. It's something that I would have noticed with either a better preview or, you know, if I was able to be at the printer before I listed it. The good thing is, I was able to just slightly adjust the photo. My hope is that on the next try, it will be "perfect."

I was warned that a lot of starting this business would be trial and error. I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg of things to come. But I'm so thankful for the service I use that makes it so easy to make adjustments from the comfort of my own home. So I plan on sticking with it, figuring out what I'm capable of and hopefully, bringing people some joy.