Everything I actually use, in one place.

Free Resources

I built this page for the person who's staring at a blank screen wondering where to even start. No fluff, no affiliate-link graveyard, no fifty tools you'll never open.

Just the handful of things I reach for every week, with a quick note on why. If it's on this list, I've used it myself. The full method lives in the Starter Kit. But the tools? Those should be free, so here they are.

AI Image Tools I Actually Use

This is where your designs get made. You don't need all of these. Pick one, get comfortable, and know the others are here when you want to experiment.

Google Flow
My top pick, and what I run almost everything through. Free tier available and Paid, with a small free credit allowance to start.
FreePik (Magnific)
Handy when you want a bunch of options fast and like working in one spot. (Free tier available.)
Midjourney
I tried to go this route and to be honest if you're new to AI images tools, this one is not for beginners, but produces killer designs.
Leonardo.ai
I have used this a few times and it can create solid designs, but I just liked Google Flow and Freepik better.
My 2 cents about AI Image Tools

Here's the thing: my prompts work in all of these. You're never locked into one tool. Tool quality varies, so when you find a prompt you love, test it in two before you commit.

Fix and Polish

You made something gorgeous and now it needs to be print-ready. This is the cleanup crew.

IMG2Go.com
Great to resize images, convert from JPEG to PNG easily. Free and paid plans are available. Goes off credits per month. User friendly for newbies.
ImageResizer.com
Another freebie I have used to resize images and change the format from JPEG to PNG.
TinyPng
Free online image optimizer for faster websites! Reduce the file size of your WEBP, JPEG and PNG Images with TinyPNG's smart lossy compression engine.
Canva
Change your images’ dimensions in a few clicks. Resize and share your images to your socials, post them on your website, or add them to a presentation in an instant with Canva’s online image resizer.
My 2 cents about Image Resizers

Always upscale to 2K minimum for anything printed, and 4K for big stuff like wall art. A file that looks crisp on your screen can still print soft. Size up before you upload.

Mockups and Listing

Now you put that design on a real product so buyers can picture it in their hands. Example in the photo is a mockup from store I stalk with love >>> Creatsy.com.

Creative Market
This option is NOT FREE. I have so many mockups I should own stock in this company. Worth it when the design really matters.
Etsy
A lot of the same designers sell their mockups on both Creative Market and Etsy, and Etsy's usually cheaper.
Canva
I use Canva sporadically for resizing, removing backgrounds, and prepping images for my site. That's about it. Perfect for newbies and anyone steering clear of Photoshop. (Free, paid tier optional.)
SellerPic.ai
My shortcut when I need lifestyle mockups in minutes, not hours. Upload your product, it spits back styled photos that look like you ran a real photo shoot.
My 2 cents on Mockups and Listing

Start with Free options first. Pay only when free runs out of room.

Smart Prompting (The Free Stuff)

I keep the full method in the Starter Kit, but here are the no-secret habits that make any AI tool behave better. Steal these freely.

Keep text short.
One to three words renders cleanest. The longer the phrase, the more likely you get gibberish. Save the long stuff for Canva.
Use CAPS
"WANDER OFTEN" comes out sharper than "wander often." Small trick, big difference. Use CAPS for statement phrases
Always generate four variations.
AI never gives the same result twice. Four at once gives you a real shot at a winner on the first try.
Anti-gibberish negatives.
Tell the tool what you don't want: no misspelled words, no fake letters, no extra text. It listens.

Quick Reference

300 DPI, minimum, for anything that gets printed. Screens are forgiving. Print is not. When you're unsure, upscale, because that fixes most resolution complaints before they happen.

Match this chart before you upload and the platform stops complaining (PNG Transparent Format with Greeting Card/Wall Print PNG or PDF):

  • Sticker, 3x3 inch: 1500 x 1500 px
  • Sticker, 4x4 inch: 200 x 2000 px
  • T-shirt design: 4500 x 5400 px
  • Mug Wrap: 2700 x 1080 px
  • Greeting Card (5x7): 1500 x 2100 px
  • Wall Art (8x10): 2400 x 3000 px
  • Wall Art (16x20): 4800 x 6000 px
  • Journal Cover (6x9): 1800 x 2700 px

Resize in Canva or any free image editor before you upload.

Quick cheat sheet so you're never guessing:

  • PNG: Stickers, tees, mugs, anything that needs a transparent background.
  • Cards: Cards and wall art with a full background.
  • PDF: Print-ready files for professional printing.
  • SVG: Logos and graphics that need to scale to any size.

For Vessel Method designs: Etsy digital downloads use PNG or PDF, print-on-demand uploads use PNG, and keep your own copy as a PNG at the highest resolution you've got.

Open the file in Preview or Photos. If you see a checkered pattern, it really is transparent and Etsy's just showing a white preview (your buyer still gets the transparent file). If you see solid white, re-export from your tool with transparency turned on.

Ready to build a brand, not just a design?

The tools above will get you making things. The Vessel Method gets you making things that look like yours. Stop copying. Start branding.

Get the Starter Kit — $67