Licensing print designs in 3 easy steps // Everything you need to know to start licensing pattern designs // A step by step guide to licensing

We work together with lot’s of small start-ups and usually these are the best collabs. It is lovely to connect with new business owners and mompreneurs that are starting their new ventures. But licensing can be a little scary. Every step you take is new and there are so many things to consider if you launch your own product. With this blog post, we’d like to give you a little more insight into licensing artwork for your products.

We’ve been licensing print designs for over 8 years now and every time we collab with newbies we see how this process makes them super insecure. We understand that hiring an artist for artwork can be scary, but it’s not all that complicated and expensive as you might think. This piece is for all you peeps who are on the break of licensing their first pattern designs. These are three easy steps to license artwork for your business.

Step 1 // What do you want?
Before you license designs, it might be good to think about the following. Are you looking for a complete visual brand-wide signature, a coherent collection containing print designs that involve working around a theme or season? Or would you like to license single print designs? Working in collections might be a little pricey. Most starting businesses we collab with ask us to license single prints and later on grow into licensing collections. Make sure you know what you’d like to tell your customer. What’s your vision? Together we can select prints that are carrying your own unique vision. We have lot’s of themes, color palettes and styles to choose from and we’re always up to date about trends and waves going on on the global market. If you know what suits your company best, what you’d like to reflect, we can assist you in picking the right prints. Free of charge.

Step 2 // Pricing
We have over 10.000 non-exclusive print designs to choose from. We have been building our portfolio for over 10 years now. These designs are also available in our Spoonflower shop, and because we can monetize our prints this way we can offer our print designs at low cost. If you license our non-exclusive designs know that we never license prints to similar companies. We always check availability first. This way you can have unique print designs and don’t have to worry about competition and you don’t have to spend a crazy amount of cash. Pretty good right?

Step 3 // The process
Once you’ve selected a bunch of prints, or just one (we value each and every customer!) we’ll prepare the files & invoice for you. Depending on what you’ll be using the prints for we can send you the files you need. The standard three we usually sent out are a high resolution .tiff. The original vector or .psd image. And a .jpg visual. Some designs are made in vector, some are made in watercolors, depending on the origin of the design we’ll make sure you’ll get the right files to send to your own printer or producer. Once payment has been completed these files will be sent to your inbox. Usually, the licensing process only costs two business days. Once you have all files but need further assistance you can always reach out and ask whatever you need. We’re here to assist you even when all files are sent.

Of course, we do not only license our non-exclusive designs. Each quarter we also send out exclusive work to customers who signed up for our mailing. You can also receive these in your inbox. Just send us a quick message. Note that exclusive designs are available form €268. If that’s a little pricey for you licensing our existing designs might be a better solution. We can always tweak colors and detailing and create a one-of-a-kind print.

If you are looking to create a series of print designs for your business and would like a fully exclusive range of designs, that is an option too of course. Since every single custom design process is different we’re happy to chat with you about how this works and we look forward to discussing this directly by email. Just reach out and send us a message.

How I started my creative business // Reflecting on 7 years of being a creative entrepreneur // The first steps

Times have changed, instead of doing interviews about my designs I get asked to talk about running my business and how I started as a creative entrepreneur more and more often. Instead of replying to all those individual messages I thought it was about time to sit down and write a little something about the start of Little Smilemakers Studio.


My E-mail, Instagram and Facebook inboxes are filled with questions like; how did you start your business? What tips do you have for a starting creative like me? And you know, the questions seem so straight forward but the answer’s not that simple. So here you can ready a little something about my own experience as a designer.


The first steps
In 2011 I registered Little Smilemakers Studio as a new business. But things started way before that. When I was in design school I had so many ideas and projects I wanted to work on, and by the time I started out as a graphic designer here in The Netherlands (2004) I was working on all those projects at night after I got home from my job, which was less fulfilling then I had hoped it would be.

After two years of working full time I decided I wanted to specialize in Graphic design and Typography and went back to school. With a full time design job and classes 4 nights a week I still had this itch to create my own thing. I always felt I needed to find a way of expressing myself, pushing my boss and teachers boundaries time and time again. Because I didn’t have much time in between work, classes and school homework, I did not have much time to create my own stuff. I always needed to create, so carrying a camera along was the way to keep creative and true to myself. I always carried along a camera. First an analog Minolta, then my Lomo and after that the digital camera’s came. I captured everything in images.


A passive income
I worked at a design firm in The Netherlands where I had the chance to create the most amazing things, but sometimes, budget and time was restricted and we had to fall back on stock images. I started selling my first photographs on iStock. Images of Rotterdam and The Hague. Typical Dutch street scenes but also raw textures and details, rust, paint, decay. My photography finally had a purpose and it’s the balance between creating from the heart and making a living that challenges me, keeps me energized up until this day.

During my studies on the art academy I started freelancing. One of the first jobs I took on was creating Back-to-school items. Working on school accessories for kids was the start of my career in print designs. I started creating illustrations and surface pattern designs. All sketches and left over creations that didn’t make the final cut were added to my stock portfolio. This created a passive income for me. The foundation on which I could later on built my company.


The leap
After working for another design company for a few years I realized working for a boss was not for me. I missed the freedom to put my all into the job. I started as a graphic designer when things were all peachy but in 2010 the industry was one big mess and the graphic business pretty much collapsed. The design agency struggled with anxious clients and budget cuts. And the job got so stressful my fibromyalgia got so bad I couldn’t sit, stand, sleep, I was in pain 24/7. I knew it was time to leave and take the leap. I had gathered enough experience to know how I did not want to work so I though, what the hell, let’s do this.

You have to be a little naive to start your own business. At least you need to have the courage to think you can figure out, even though you’ve never come across so many challenges you’ll have to believe you can do it all. And so I did. And yes, I did have a lot of experience to take with me. But there was also so much I had yet to learn. And I was not healthy. I was struggling with my joints. But the decision to start my own business was such a relief. I never had to cross that line of physical exhaustion again. So I thought.


Taking on the first projects
Looking back I believe I was a pretty clever one starting out. I had a plan A, B and C. A passive income stream that was growing and now was enough to cover my basic expenses: mortgage, utilities and such. And the stock websites turned out to be a pretty handy tool to show businesses all over the world what I had to offer. I didn’t have to spend too much time on my own website because all my work was already out there to see. The first year I started working with companies from 18 different countries. I has to hire help every now and then. Pretty amazing when I look back on it. I worked with companies in home decor, textiles, kids fashion brands. The first year was definitely exciting! But it hasn’t been all easy.

The first year I was definitely high on the excitement of doing everything for the first time. New jobs coming in. new collabs. New finished work. But with 18 different countries comes 18 different cultures. 18 different ways in which to approach my clients. Working in the creative field is fun, but it’s also being your own accountant, design strategist, trend watcher, you have to become a writer, content manager, communication specialist. It’s a job allright. The creative field is not one to become rich over night. And that was never the goal anyway. I am not a big spender and want to know everything I need to run my business. I am very reluctant to hire help. I want to know what it’s about, and try to teach myself whatever is needed to resolve the problems that I come across.


The ultimate tip
Over the years I have done writing courses, online marketing classes, sales and business coaching sessions, I spend hours and hours on researching copy cats to fight giant corporations using my work without paying. An ongoing investment for my business. It’s been fun but mostly it has been hard work. With determination and time you can do it! The only quick tip I can give you here; if you’re not up for the task, don’t start. If this seems like a hassle to you; keep working for your boss and let him take care of it all. Sometimes the rough and the rude gets to me. But one thing I know for sure: I will always keep creating. And if you have this all consuming itch for creation like I do. You’ll be fine. Trust in your skill and create from the hearts and there will be no one like you. And that’s exactly what the world needs.