What Is the Creative Fabrica Subscription License and How Does It Work?

(Last Updated On: April 3, 2022)

I love Creative Fabrica and I use this site almost every day. It is an amazing place full of fantastic illustrations, cool fonts, and interesting graphics.

As someone who makes graphics for print-on-demand platforms, I’m always looking for methods to make things go quicker while still maintaining a high level of quality.

That’s why I’m subscribed to Creative Fabrica and Canva, two useful online tools that are helping me with my designs.

The process is mostly the same. I found an interesting illustration on Creative Fabrica, downloaded it with the POD license, and then used Canva to create an artwork with it.

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What Is the Creative Fabrica Subscription License

The POD license will give me the freedom to use and even sell my image as I wish. It sounds simple, and it is.

However, there is one important question I want to focus on in this article. What happens if I cancel my Creative Fabrica subscription.

Will there be any issues with the designs that I already uploaded on Redbubble and Spreadshirt?

I have also a video on my channel where I explain the license on CF in detail.

However, in this article, I will try to explain how the Creative Fabrica subscription and licenses work, and what you should do to stay safe with your designs.

How Does Creative Fabrica Subscription Work

Let’s take two different subjects, one is an artist and one is a business entity. This is because, in the face of the law, they have slightly different positions.

In this case study, both subjects are downloading the same image from Creative Fabrica, both are getting the image with the full POD license.

In the next move, they both upload the same image on Redbubble. This is a pretty common situation.

Is this legal? Yes, it is. They both have a subscription to Creative Fabrica, they both get the image with the full print-on-demand license.

With the license, you can create and upload designs to POD sites that are the same or similar to the original.

This is cool because you don’t need to change the image before you upload it to Redbubble, in this case.

So, from a legal standpoint, there’s really nothing wrong.

However, both of them are still in trouble after they cancel their subscription to Creative Fabrica.

Why?

Let me clear something: I’m not a lawyer, so this is the point of view of an artist.

When two subjects post the identical design to the same platform, one of these designs becomes a duplicate.

So, in this scenario, even though one person has the same copyrights as another since they both have the same license, only the one who posted it to the platform first may be protected by the copyrights.

This is because Redbubble, which is valid for most POD sites, looks at the case differently, they have their own rules and terms.

So, if the person who submitted the design first contacts Redbubble and files a copyright strike against another designer, Redbubble would most likely remove the other design from their platform. Even if both persons have the same full POD license from Creative Fabrica.

This may appear to be harsh, yet it is one of the main reasons why most artists get into difficulties on POD platforms.

To be clear, it is not a Creative Fabrica issue here, it is an issue with Redbubble or other POD sites. They have their own terms, and you need to follow their rules.

So, let’s go back to the scenario when both subjects cancel their subscription to Creative Fabrica.

What will now happen to their designs? Here, the answer is really simple. If you don’t make any change to the design you downloaded from Creative Fabrica, then after you cancel the subscription, you have to remove these designs from any POD site.

This is because we are not speaking about your design, in fact, this design has been licensed to you by Creative Fabrica. And if you cancel the subscription, it is illegal to sell such a design.

You Should Change Designs from Creative Fabrica

Let’s create another scenario. In this scenario, both individuals are downloading the identical design, but they are modifying it.

They are creating something unique from the design and then uploading it on Redbubble. So, what will happen to the designs when they cancel their subscription?

Nothing. This is because they have made significant changes to the design, they have created something unique from it, so they have the right to use it even when the subscription is canceled.

This is critical to learn since it will help you stay safe on any POD site.

You have to always make significant changes to any graphic, illustration, or element you are downloading from Creative Fabrica, you have to always create something unique from it. This way, you can have a long-time running POD business.

Creative Fabrica POD Licenses Explained

So, let’s go to Creative Fabrica to see more details about their licenses.

On this site, there are two main licenses you can get. A basic print-on-demand license and then a full print-on-demand license. In this section of the article, I will talk about the situation where you have a subscription because if you buy something from Creative Fabrica with the full POD license, it is yours forever.

If you are subscribed to Creative Fabrica, then there are two POD licenses. The first is the Basic Print on Demand Usage, which is the default license for all designs with a subscription. This license is letting you use the design on any POD site, but you have to make significant changes to the design. You cannot upload the design without adding new elements to it.

On the other hand, with the Full Print on Demand Usage, you can create and upload designs to POD sites that are the same or similar to the original.

With this license, you get the full rights to upload the design as it is on any POD site you want. However, if you get a copyright strike, it will not be from Creative Fabrica, it will be from the POD site because somebody else has uploaded the same design on the platform.

This is a reason why I’m always recommending changing the design you downloaded from Creative Fabrica and creating something unique from it. Just add something to it, add text, change colors, or add a background.

This way, you will be safe against copyright strikes.

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Here Are Some of My Favorite Tools For Print-on-demand

DESIGNS: For getting started, I like Kittl. It is a fantastic place with highly professional templates, that can be edited and used for print-on-demand. In my opinion, it is a go-to place for any person, who wants to make money with POD.

Another of my favorites is Creative Fabrica. They have millions of cheap graphics that can elevate your t-shirt design. If you are not the most skillful designer, then try Placeit or Vexels. These are platforms, where you can find thousands of pre-made t-shirt designs you can easily edit and publish on any print-on-demand platform. I recommend Placeit for beginners and after you get some sales move to Vexels.

I also use a platform called Simplified, which is an all-in-one tool that combines an AI writer, design editor, video editor, and social content planner into one simple platform. I love it. Just like Canva, Simplified has a free version, so you can try it here.

FREE DESIGNS: I love Canva. I’m using this platform almost every day. With Canva, you can create stunning t-shirt designs, they already have an entire section, where you can make your artwork from scratch or use some pre-made templates and edit them. Canva comes with two main pricing plans: FREE and PRO. And if you are a beginner, then I recommend the free plan, it should be enough for you.

SELL YOUR ART – Start selling your graphics, vectors, or photography on Wirestock to save time and make more money. Its Wirestock Program allows you to submit to multiple stock agencies and marketplaces in a single click. It is currently partnered with Shutterstock, Adobe, Alamy, Dreamstime, Pond5, and Depositphotos. Get a FREE account.

SELLING LOW-CONTENT BOOKS – Selling low-content and no-content books on Amazon can be a great way to boost your online income. Im using Book Bolt to do the research, get pre-made interiors, and create covers. And you can try the platform for free.

Take your POD business to the next level. If you are serious about selling your designs on t-shirts, mugs, and other products, you need to sell them on the biggest marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon. You should also sell for the best prices through on-demand fulfillment companies like Printul or Printify.

Disclosure: Some of the links above may contain affiliate partnerships, meaning, at no additional cost to you, NechEmpire may earn a commission if you click through to make a purchase.