First Print Run: Performance, Lessons, & Learnings!
Success! I launched my first print run, featuring my new line of physical products — greeting cards and mini-prints to start!
Why go from VR/AR art to greeting cards? What the heck, Estella?
I’m still thinking and building immersively! I realize that my creation approach is always weaving in and out of dimensions, physicality, and designing for emotionally meaningful experiences.
Just like how traditional illustration has influenced my 3D work, my virtual work is influencing my physical work now.
I believe the world needs more beauty, more authenticity, and more tangible and FELT connection right now.
I also am using this as a pathway for my physical + XR creations. 👀👀👀 Stay tuned via my newsletter for my future XR-activated physical art pieces!
No matter what medium I’m creating in, I am:
Creating artworks to inspire emotional connection
Bridge between digital innovation and the tangible world
Coming up with new, ethics-led ways of making work
Community-building of course!
Always values-first and intentionality!
Goals for this phase / setting up with this First Run:
✅ I just want to make REAL stuff right now:
Experimenting creative R&D with traditional 2D as the origin point (versus 3D immersion as the origin point as I’ve done the last 10 years)
Finding ways to make bite-size AR immersive experiences - or set the foundation for it
✅ Really focus, cultivate, and harness my own creative practice - daily. In my own way. Solely for me. Leading with my own needs before considering monetization evolutions.
✅ Learn about physical art creation workflow, eventually to merch.
Diversify my income streams
Have different price points for experiencing my work
✅ Focus on my local community, my region’s needs and values. Create pieces and products that resonate with Portland
Set up to start selling at local markets and retail shops
✅ Trial + error with greeting card production.
✅ Learn e-commerce business strategy; how to scale up progressively; how to try + test different approaches per audience.
How I selected the pieces:
I asked my audience! Research-led, babeeeeeyyy!!!
I created a page with a selection of images, conducted a survey, and asked my supporters which one of the pieces spoke to them the most.
This at least gave me an idea of popularity. Which doesn’t necessarily mean folks would buy it but it definitely gave me some great qualitative data to work from!
RESEARCH NERD at her finest! LOL
Survey data backend setup:
I used Squarespace’s Form feature to collect all the submissions
And tied it to a Google Sheets
All the data came in as one string, like “[R] Chinese Brush - Bryan,[Q] Sailor Bryan,[E] PNW - Big Maple,[G] Morning Swim,[N] Muir Woods,[O] Princess Serenity,[H] Snowy morning”
So I took all the data that came in, wrote a SPLIT formula wherever there was a “,” comma from those cells, and all the data split up into their own cells.
Then had another worksheet formula COUNTIF for each art piece title to count and tally the number of times pieces were voted:
Strategy + Process Pipeline Design
There was SO much I didn’t know nor understand about e-commerce selling. I actually first tried making passive income, generic products on Etsy and Printful earlier this year - hoping random internet would buy these little knicknacks I created. But no hits! Also, I didn’t love how the quality of those products really dampened my brand.
I wanted to still create physical products but wasn’t sure how it would fit with my XR career branding. After chatting with some friends a bit longer, I realize that no matter what I do - I will always be designing and thinking off of the page. It’s not just that I make XR creations. I make meaningful and emotionally impactful, ethics-driven work. It doesn’t matter what medium.
Teach me da tingggssss
Learning about Pre-Order strategy
Working with AI
Before all of the artist community freaks out! LOL It’s not what you think!
I’ve been working with Claude.ai to learn the basics of e-commerce, what it means to measure and design growth, scaling, and basic terminology like MVP, COGs, Profit Margins, etc. These were all beyond my understanding and I deep-dove into learning these strategies and measurements.
I had Claude generate a Google Sheet with a Sales Tracker and other important sheets for my process.
I use Claude to figure out pricing strategy, the benefits of running a Pre-Order campaign to reduce risk and costs, Free Shipping promos, how to strategize quantity of pieces to print to start (I tend to get over-eager with new things!), and use it to help me calculate things like how many sales I’d need to Break Even, etc.
I also had it generate Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Return Policy drafts based on other small business, creative shops on the internet.
As it relates to learning, brainstorming strategies, and creating a rough idea of steps, I found Claude to be immensely helpful!
Designing with sustainability and ethics in mind
This part is really important for me. It’s no secret the things I believe in and the stances I support. Especially with the radical shifts happening in 2025, it’s imperative for me to find sources of materials and vendors who share similar values. I do believe in the power of grassroots and community.
As much as possible, I wanted to find sustainable and less-harmful packaging for my work. I love the products by EcoEnclose!
Also as much as possible, I want to keep money and resources locally in Portland, so my sales can feed our local economy. I’m printing with Gango Custom Printing - woman-founded, woman-owned, and family run!
Incoming Nerdy Workflow Chart!🤓
I guess this is how I make TODO lists now??
It really helps me to have a linear, user-journey or pipeline that flows with time, and then to have branching TODO items based off of each of the focus of each phase.
You can zoom in / scroll etc with this embed!
Results! Show me the money, Estella!
Greeting Cards:
Selling price: $5.00
Cost of Goods: $2.25
Profit per Product: $2.75
Mini-Prints:
Selling price: $20.00
Cost of Goods: $5.05
Profit per Product: $14.95
Print Quantity:
Greeting Cards: 100
Mini-Prints: 30
Discounts:
15% Off for Subscribers
Free Shipping for orders over $25
Fees:
Squarespace: 2.9% + $0.30
Product by Popularity
Number of Orders: 19
Product Revenue: $700.00
Total COGs: $226.65
Gross Profit: $473.35
NET PROFIT: $397.88
NET PROFIT MARGIN: 57%
Failures & Things that didn’t work out:
💌 I need to order extra envelopes! I ordered the exact amount to keep a tight budget, ended up using some for a set of gifted cards and needed more. Had to buy some extras at Office Depot and cost me more!
💸 AND at the same time, I notice I tend to buy equipment and supplies a bit earlier than I’m ready, too! For instance, I bought some labels and branded some stickers a LONG time ago and by the time I got to actual production, I decided to make some changes. And those costs and products weren’t used. :~) Lessons learned!
Goodbye, too many hours of troubleshooting!
🤦♀️AND OH GOD. GOLD FOILING ON CLEAR LABELS. Homemade Authentication Stickers!
I saw a few hella cute tutorials on how to gold foil at home with a laminator + laserjet printer + gold foil sheets. I wanted to create a special code for the first run of my mini-prints: a QR code that says “FOUNDING COLLECTION • FIRST EDITION”
Printing center-aligned round designs on round labels requires hella calibration. Almost every print on sheets required pixel shift adjustments. (which is MUCH more forgiving visually with clear labels!)
Putting the clear glossy labels through the laminator is too hot and causes too much static for the labels. The material from these labels just didn’t work with the lamination process. I even tried different heating tools - but knew that’s just…. not… gonna work in the long run.
I ordered matte white labels ; still needed to do some printing calibration even with their provided template; printed; succeeded in easily applying the gold foil to the authentication stickers. SO MUCH EASIER.
From there, I knew I couldn’t apply the codes to the front of the art prints - it would have to go on the back of the piece. Not what I wanted originally, but…. so it goes.
The XR-bit of my Mini-Prints! What I was able to achieve: create a full user journey and literally adding digitally backing my physical art for future evolutions - while they already exist in people’s homes!
Founding Collectors receive the special first-run prints
Discover the Authentication code on the back of the prints
Go to the code -> leads to a URL with a Thank You video!
In the future, I can edit the URL to go to another media content, e.g. a 3D model, any special immersive drops.
Instead of paying for a dynamic QR code, I made my own:
QR code goes to a hidden AUTH Landing Page on my Squarespace site
In my Squarespace settings, I made a URL mapping 301 redirect so the AUTH Landing Page goes to a page to view my video.
In the future, I can upload that 301 redirect goes to another place. 👀
What’s next?
I’m super proud and excited about what I’ve been able to create already!
2025 Q2 (April - June) was all about setting up the Foundation for my shop and “publishing” works for sale. The model worked!
Q3 (July - September) is about growing the Foundation, adding a few more offerings, and start diversifying my channels.
Create a workflow to sell framed originals
Speak to x1-2 local retailers to sell my cards
Sell at x1 in-person market
Market testing of +2 genres of cards to see how they do
Consider posting best selling designs on Etsy for online mass marketability
Onward!
THANK YOU so much to my supporters, fams, and friends for buying my cards and prints! It truly means so much to me. I’m so grateful for my village for supporting my creative endeavors. I literally wouldn’t be able to do this without your support!
Want to keep up with all my fiddlings and evolutions? The best way is to subscribe to my newsletter. Thank you!
