I didn’t realize this at first, but many artists on Spoonflower are open to adjusting color in their designs. (Scale too!)
When I started asking about customization, a designer shared a few tips from her side of the process—and those tips made everything go much more smoothly.
Here’s what helped.
Start With Clear Color Information
The biggest takeaway: hex codes are incredibly helpful.
If you’re working from a paint color, this matters—Sherwin-Williams publishes hex codes for every paint color on their website. That gave me a clear, digital reference to share instead of trying to describe color by eye.
It’s not a perfect printed match, but it’s a solid place to start.
In a recent scenario, I worked with this design by Ronya Lake.(https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/ronya_lake)
I wanted to change the medium blue to the green below; the white to mustard and the dark blue to the blue below.
The Most Accurate Option (From a Designer’s View)
The designer explained that the best-case scenario is ordering a Spoonflower color map printed on the exact material you plan to use.
You choose the color directly from the printed map, then share: the hex code and the color map number. I did not have the Spoonflower color map and only the hex code.
From her perspective, this removes guesswork and leads to better results.
What Designers Appreciate Knowing Up Front
These details came directly from the artist’s point of view:
How much you plan to order (swatch vs. yardage)
When you’re planning to order
Whether you’re asking multiple designers for recolors
What the final use will be (wallpaper, upholstery, nursery, etc.)
Since designers are paid only when a product is purchased, this context helps them decide how much time they can realistically spend on a request.
A Small Courtesy That Matters
One thing she emphasized: don’t ghost.
If a project changes direction or doesn’t move forward, a short note thanking the designer for their time goes a long way. It’s one of the most appreciated (and least common) parts of the process.
The Takeaway
Custom color on Spoonflower is more accessible than most people realize.
Clear color references, realistic expectations, and good communication made the process easier—and led to better results. I have done this for wallpaper and fabric!
This is the modified design and I am looking forward to what it will look like in my bathroom!
