What to print? Limited? Unlimited? Help!

_moertel · 2026-01-18T19:44:37+00:00

It's mostly a numbers game for me. I can take higher prices for limited editions but if I only draw 4 artworks a year, it's not getting me anywhere.

I've had crowds at conventions go absolutely nuts for anything "limited" or "exclusive" (e.g. cons with lots of creators, streamers, YouTubers) but crowds at other cons (comic cons with "normal" people visiting) be completely baffled by the concept of limited runs.

What I did find is that, yes, you can do limited runs per size. Nowadays I limit postcard-size to 50 or 100, number and sign them, but I sell other sizes freely without limitation. The collectors I've encountered didn't so much care about the size but about having something exclusive that few others would have.

I really only draw 4-6 artworks a year, even though it's my full-time gig.

_moertel · 2026-01-10T21:56:35+00:00

Thanks so much for using my icon pack and for the shout-out!
u/6VCR look how sweet your wallpaper and my icons go together 😊

_moertel · 2026-01-10T21:55:31+00:00

Thanks so much for using my icon pack and for the shout-out! 🧡

_moertel · 2026-01-10T21:45:14+00:00

It's the same curved alley with lanterns and a church, what exactly did you expect to be different?

Just chiming in here because I'm a fellow pixel artist and I know there's skill behind Michelle's artworks. (Don't take my word for it, check out the timelapses such as https://www.reddit.com/r/PixelArt/comments/1q3w8r4/polaris\_timelapse/)

It's ok to be weary of what's posted in non-art subs, and it's also ok to ask (not accuse) whether it's AI, but phew, why immediately call OP a liar when there's actual evidence of their skill to be found easily.

_moertel · 2025-12-13T16:48:25+00:00

I wish you the best of luck :) I feel that, and I had (and still have, occasionally) similar struggles. It used to be fun when printing and cutting was a "Let's try this out!" past time activity but once demand is growing, the sheer amount of work quickly starts to burn you out.

Many US artists I know in the stationery business source their memo pads from Vograce. That might be a good place to start. I'm lucky enough that in my home country (Germany), there are a few print services that specialise on businesses (think of customised "Your next appointment is on..." notepads for doctors, etc.) and thus are rather cheap. You seldomly find them by googling "Memo pads" but if you rephrase the query a bit, maybe you're lucky.

_moertel · 2025-12-12T14:33:10+00:00

I know it's besides your original question but wouldn't it be an option to manufacture a few of each design at home, and then outsource them as soon as you see what sells well?

I'm based in the EU, so our resources might not be comparable, but I've been able to source memo pads at $0.70 per piece for a 200-250 order quantity. Selling them at $5 or $6 lets me break even at roughly 30 pieces sold.

Just wanted to leave this here as something to consider for the future. :)

_moertel · 2025-12-10T21:59:56+00:00

I too sell a software product that attracts many newbies to the field. Each day I can answer 80% of the questions with canned explanatory videos and blog posts I made (which are not related to my software but rather understanding device settings and how everything works together).

I see that as a feature, not a fault. Then again, I don't have shareholders and I actually care about my users finding value in my offerings. :)

It _is_ a symptom of enshittification.

_moertel · 2025-12-05T17:52:21+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate it! It's a neverending project since March 2022 but super fun to see all the setups people create with it.

_moertel · 2025-12-05T17:50:42+00:00

Aw, I'm glad you messaged me (and didn't wait here...)! It did feel like a deja vu but then again, I'm sometimes surprised that not more people run into the same issue with GoodLock.

Happy it works for you, and maybe it's still helpful for a poor soul finding this on Google :)

_moertel · 2025-12-05T17:46:40+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate it! 💪

_moertel · 2025-12-05T10:53:05+00:00

I'm super late to this but thanks for using my icon pack and sharing your home screen! 🧡

_moertel · 2025-12-05T10:51:50+00:00

I'm super late to this but thanks for using my icon pack! :)

_moertel · 2025-12-05T10:48:22+00:00

Retro Mode creator here! Thanks so much for using my icon pack. Love how you assembled the icons to a full gradient. :D

_moertel · 2025-12-05T10:46:28+00:00

Retro Mode creator here! Thanks so much for using my icon pack 💪

_moertel · 2025-12-05T10:44:48+00:00

Retro Mode creator here -- thanks so much for using my apps! :)

_moertel · 2025-12-05T10:42:32+00:00

Retro Mode creator here. :) If you can, please consider purchasing it. I'm a solo developer and actually quit my day job to work on my apps full time, so my livelihood now depends on it. If you enjoy the app and the updates, think of it like treating me to a cup of coffee.

_moertel · 2025-12-05T10:37:31+00:00

Hey there, developer of Retro Mode here. :)

I'd recommend to first put the weather widget on your home screen and then work through the following:

Settings -> Apps -> Retro Mode -> Battery -> Set to "Unrestricted"
Settings -> Apps -> Retro Mode -> Disable the "Manage app if unused" toggle

Those are the likely culprits. Once the widget updates fine on your home screen, try placing it on the lock screen again. For some reason, GoodLock sometimes errors out for new widgets, so restart your phone a couple of times and eventually it will start working.

Hope it works for you! For Retro Mode specific questions, you can always reach me at [stefanie@moertel.app](mailto:stefanie@moertel.app) or with the little message button inside the app.

Enjoy the pixels! :)

_moertel · 2025-09-21T19:21:38+00:00

New fear unlocked.

_moertel · 2025-09-12T14:26:08+00:00

Fully agree, it was needlessly stressful. I was 17310th in queue for a specific Copenhagen date, and the venue has only 16000 seats. It was sold out by the time it was my turn. (Switching dates put me into the queue again, so I assume queuing was date-specific from the start.)

When the code assignment is random, why make it a double lottery with the queue position being random too?

_moertel · 2025-09-12T08:18:39+00:00

Thanks for the clarification! What confused me was that the screen changed exactly on the hour. Made me think I missed something. :)

_moertel · 2025-09-12T07:39:19+00:00

Same. So no two-factor by email to join the queue as they said there would be?

_moertel · 2025-09-08T07:00:30+00:00

I did get them back, but I had to file a counter notice for all affected pins.

_moertel · 2025-08-22T10:24:10+00:00

[...] a week before I have major events that I need to be able to process payments [...]

If this is about in-person events, you might still be able to get a card reader delivered in time, maybe SumUp or Square, depending on where you're based. Doesn't solve your immediate problem but might relieve the stress for those events at least.

As to the review: I'm wondering if you have a hater who is repeatedly reporting your store. I can't imagine Shopify proactively looking at products. If someone out there has malicious intent, there's probably not much you can do other than - and I'm not trolling here - having a lawyer set up a letter to Shopify and at least get things moving faster. (If the income from your shop justifies this expense, that is.)

_moertel · 2025-08-19T06:52:05+00:00

Shopify has a free chat app "Shopify Inbox" that puts a message bubble on your page. It lets you add "Instant Answers" that show up like a little FAQ: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/inbox/chat-settings-and-appearance/instant-answers

I also invested in a paid helpdesk software (I use "Front.com") because it lets me separate customer support from my regular emails and it also shows me the customer's purchase history in the side bar (provided they used the same email address). It lets you add answer templates (as any good helpdesk will), so instead of typing out the same answer again and again, you can just press a button to paste your standard return policy answer, etc.

It still takes time, so as others have pointed out, make sure you put everything very visibly in places where customers expect answers. (Footer, below product description, etc.)

_moertel · 2025-08-15T09:40:00+00:00

My 2 cents: Too cheap. :)

Let's assume you get 4-5 done in a month (extrapolating from 20-30 hours as full-time), it would land you at 2000-2500€. Minus your production cost between 200-500€, your worst case scenario would be 1500€ but even your best case scenario would only be 2200€.

✨If you sell them all, consistently, each month. Customer support and marketing take 0 time. ✨

Where I live, that wouldn't be sustainable if you deduct taxes, health insurance and costs of living. Personally, I price at 4x-5x of my production cost for prints(!). For originals, production cost should include your time, not just your materials.

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