Yay! We’re so happy that you want to be a Catalog designer.

Whether you create practical prints, extraordinary works of art, or a little bit of both, we believe the Glowforge Catalog can be incredibly rewarding for you. We always say that Glowforge is magical, but we also know it’s the things you create that are the real magic. 

We want this to be an amazing experience for you and the people buying your designs, so we take a lot of care choosing designers. These articles cover the essentials to start getting your designs into the Glowforge Catalog.

To become a Catalog designer, you’ll follow these steps:

1. Apply to be a Catalog Designer (in this article)
2. Choose a design (in this article)
3. Prepare to submit your design
4. Submit your design
5. If your design is selected

Apply to be a Catalog designer

Ready to share your ideas with the world? 

Premium members can apply to become a Catalog Designer through Early Access. While the catalog design program is currently only available to U.S. residents, we encourage all interested designers to apply. Here’s how:

1. In to the Glowforge App, click the name of your printer, in the upper-right corner.
2. In the window that opens, click Glowforge Early Access. In the menu, turn on the Catalog Designer Early Application option.
   
3. Fill out the questions in the form to tell us a bit about yourself and provide a few examples of your creations.
4. When you’re done, we’ll review your application, and then notify you at your Glowforge account email when you're approved!

We’re excited to offer your designs, and we know you’re eager to get approved and get started. We are going to take several weeks to review submissions – we want to get this right, and give your application the individual attention it deserves. During this review period, we won’t give status updates about your application, so that our team can focus 100% on your application (and everyone else’s).

So you can be prepared when you apply, here are the questions you'll answer:  

1. First off, what’s your first and last name?
2. What is your Glowforge account email?
3. Where are you located?
4. Do you currently sell your designs?
   • Nope, this is my first time!
   • Yes, sometimes
   • Yes! Selling designs is my primary income
5. Great! Can you tell us how many designs you’re considering submitting?
   (This helps us prepare for your submission and does not affect your consideration)
   • 1-2 designs
   • 3-5 designs
   • 6-10 designs
   • 10+ designs
6. Add up to 3 photographs of something you’d like to submit
7. Share a link so we can see more of your work
   (For example, your Etsy, Instagram, or Pinterest)
8. If accepted, when would you be ready to submit your first design?
   • Immediately! I can’t wait!
   • Within a week, I need some time to prepare
   • Within a month, I need some time to create them

Once you’ve applied to be a designer, you’re ready to choose a design you want to submit.

Choose a design 

Choose a design that fits the following criteria: 

1. It is your original design, and doesn’t infringe on the rights of any rights holder. Choose a design that you’ve created from scratch. It should not copy elements from or be derived from someone else’s design. 
   
   
2. You’ve printed it successfully on Proofgrade® materials using default settings. We want to be sure it works with our standard materials.
   
   
3. It is family friendly, and suitable for our community. It can be functional or artistic, simple or complex, but it has to be a quality design that people are going to love. It should be G-rated and appropriate for children to see. Don’t include anything that could be offensive, distasteful, illegal, derogatory, or discriminatory. Please refer to our community policies in the Glowforge Terms.
   
   
4. It is a single design, not a bundle. If multiple prints make up a single design, like a set of six garden stakes, submit them together. If you’ve created six different Art Deco necklaces, each necklace should be submitted separately. 

Now that you’ve decided on the design you want to share with the world, you’ll do some prep work before you submit it.

See also

Learn more about Glowforge Premium.