TERRIFIC TEMPLATES

I am not a font hoarder. I do have more fonts than I can use, but I'm not a true collector by any means. Some of my designer colleagues have fonts by the thousands. I've whittled mine down to a few hundred (i think, honestly it's so hard to keep track).

And that's the point. Once you get beyond a certain number of fonts it becomes difficult and overwhelming to manage. I not currently doing much design work requiring loads of fonts so I'm keeping my list to the absolute best / favorites. The go-to fonts that I love the most.

I recently picked up an incredible bundle deal that has quickly become just that. My go-to font collection when I need something with a little personality. See that feature font in the image above, that one is called Shiplap. On my tech support post images I'm using Farmer's Market.

They are part of a 100 font bundle I picked up in a sale event last year and it is one of the best groups of fonts I have. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of other individual fonts I love and use often, but as a collection this one is - well, just fun.

One of the best features of the bundle that I have appreciated the most (besides fantastic font designs) is a small under-utilized organizational feature - the font file name. Not the name OF the font, but the how the font FILE has been named. Hats off to the designer for this because I LOVE it. 

Every font file begins with the letters DTC then the font name. Which means when I go to use a font in the collection they are all lined up in order as a collection in my font manager. Such a small detail but it is so very helpful when trying to manage too many fonts!

Ok, so the fonts are really the important bit. See for yourself if this collection tickles your fancy. :)

Happy creating
Shawnna

please note :: I often recommend resources I love, some I receive an affiliate commission for at no additional cost to you, but all are resources that I personally use. I am not otherwise paid to promote.

If you are a digital seller and currently selling on Etsy - this is for you!

I started selling on Design Bundles (DB) 5 years ago back when the platform was in its relatively early stages. And while things were a bit slow there for a few years, recently traffic has exploded and the site has gone from strength to strength with a thriving seller and buyer community.

So much so that some months my sales on DB have rivaled my more established Etsy shop! 

If you haven't looked at this platform, or have been hesitant to branch out beyond Etsy I would encourage you to give the platform some serious consideration.

Here are a few helpful Q&A's to better inform your decision to join this growing platform:

1. Can anyone sell on Design Bundles?

Yes. And no. Design Bundles is strictly for digital sellers and you have to apply to join. DB is very strict about copyright and trademark infringements and they go to great lengths to keep the integrity of the marketplace intact. They also ensure that sellers are of sufficient talent and caliber to satisfy buyer needs.

To apply you'll need to provide a link to your portfolio or existing shop. Ideally at least a dozen or so products at minimum and of the caliber you'd like to sell on DB (no point showing them products that aren't eligible to sell there).

This is actually a really good thing since one of the biggest issue digital sellers on Etsy face is competition with unscrupulous sellers that steal copyrights or ignore trademarks.

2. Do all digital products sell well there?

Mostly yes! While DB is definitely much more popular with the crafter crowd; with fonts, cutting files and sublimation graphics being in the top selling groups, it is possible to do well there with other product types and DB is looking to expand and diversify it's offerings. My own products do well there and are generally not part of the most popular categories.

3. Aren't the fees a bit high? Etsy fees are so much lower.

This depends really on what you value as a business owner. I realize the numbers might be off-putting on the surface of it, but what you get by comparison actually makes it worthwhile. 

First, there are no hidden costs, everything is included and you can easily budget around it. With digital products you have greater flexibility for pricing anyway, so it's not as bad as it seems.

Bear in mind, DB sets the licensing package, handles all sales transactions, provides 5 star customer service and handles all sales tax burdens. What you are paying for you get back in time not spent dealing with difficult customers, answering endless customer questions, or wrangling with all the paperwork necessary for sales tax remittance (your payouts are categorized as royalties).

4. How easy is it upload and manage listings in the backend?

It's somewhat comparable to Etsy in ease of use. DB has been making improvements recently and takes feedback from sellers with serious consideration, so even more improvements are on the horizon. (oh yes, a platform that values it's sellers, listens to feedback, and responds... oh my!)

5. Is the customer service really that good, even for sellers?

YES! DB is still a small independently open company and great customer service is something they take pride in. They look after both buyers and sellers with the exact same enthusiasm and all reports are glowing. I know, it's hard to believe, but I'm not exaggerating. 

As a final thought, I'll say that being part of the Design Bundles community has been a very positive experience. Sellers are helpful toward one another and the company encourages positive engagement across the site - they lead by example on this and are available in the forums on a daily basis answering questions or just adding to the conversation. It's generally a very happy environment. 

Should you have further questions, respond below, reach out directly to DB or ask around for more opinions from other sellers.

If you're interested in applying, use my reference code here to sign up, I do get a bonus if you're accepted before the end of the year, but that doesn't change anything I've said so far.

Happy designing
Shawnna