Fan-Tastic Standees: Designing Iconic Acrylic Merchandise

Fans love acrylic standees for their durability, vibrant colors, and customizable shapes, making them fantastic merchandise. These standees are popular for various purposes:

Character figures: From movies, TV shows, games, or comics.
Brand promotion: With company logos, mascots, or products.
Event souvenirs: For weddings, birthdays, or corporate gatherings.
Desk decorations: Featuring motivational quotes, photos, or art pieces.
Custom gifts: Showcasing portraits, pets, or favorite items.

Acrylic standees have become a popular choice for fans when it comes to merch for several reasons:

Visual appeal: Acrylic standees often feature vibrant colors and detailed designs, making them visually striking and attractive to fans.
Durability: Made from sturdy acrylic material, these standees are more resistant to wear and tear compared to paper or cardboard alternatives.
Presence and weight: The weight and solid feel of acrylic standees give them a premium quality that fans appreciate.
Three-dimensional design: With a base and upright structure, acrylic standees are three-dimensional, adding depth and dimension to the display.
Versatility: They can be displayed on any flat surface, making them perfect for decorating desks, shelves, or any personal space.
Collectibility: Many fans enjoy collecting different designs or editions of acrylic standees, making them a prized part of their merchandise collection.

These qualities make acrylic standees not just a piece of merch, but a stylish and durable way for fans to showcase their passion and decorate their surroundings.

The anatomy of standee

A basic standee typically features one upright, but due to easy production techniques, your standee can include multiple uprights. Along with double-sided prints, where your artwork is displayed on both sides, the only limit is your imagination.

Upright: This is the main part of the standee that displays the design or image. It is usually made from a thinner piece of acrylic and can be single-sided or double-sided.

Base: The base is typically made from a thicker piece of acrylic to provide stability. It often has slots or holes to securely hold the upright part of the standee.

Some standees have a simple push-fit construction, where the upright part fits into the base. Others may have additional components like screws or clips to secure the parts together.

an inforgaphic of an acrylic standee showing an upright stand and base as individual parts

Creative possibilities

Double-sided print: Use this to explore different moods and personalities of the character.
Multiple uprights: Juxtapose two characters or even create little scenes with backgrounds and props.

By utilizing double-sided prints, you can delve into the character’s mood and personality. With multiple uprights, you can juxtapose characters or create intricate scenes with backgrounds and props. Your creativity knows no bounds!

When designing or selecting a character for a standee, it’s crucial to keep in mind the size limit of around 20cm. On the plus side, custom acrylic standees offer remarkable flexibility in shapes and designs. You can fully customize the shape, allowing you to take advantage of this and fully explore the dynamic qualities of your character.

Key points for character design

Silhouette readability: Ensure the character’s silhouette is unique and recognizable, even at a smaller size.
Proportions and shapes: Adapt the character’s proportions for the size of the standee; avoid overly intricate or tiny details that might be lost.
Details and accessories: Include prominent details and accessories that reflect the character’s personality and story, ensuring they remain clear and visible.
Color scheme: Choose bold and contrasting colors to enhance visibility and make the character stand out.
Focus points: Highlight specific areas, like the face or unique accessories, to draw attention.
Line work: Use clear and consistent lines, with thicker lines for important outlines and thinner lines for smaller details.
Consistency: Maintain consistent design elements throughout the character to ensure a cohesive look.

By paying attention to these aspects, you can ensure that your character’s details are visible and contribute to the overall impact of the design.

Using a mock-up during the process is invaluable—it helps visualize how the final product will look before committing to production. With our mock-up, you can ensure that proportions, colors, and details translate well into a 3D acrylic format. It allows you to experiment with poses for the best aesthetic balance, verify proper sizing to avoid cramped or empty designs, and allows feedback from others to make necessary adjustments early on.

The image shows an acrylic standee with a cutout of a k-pop idol, standing with both hands raised and making a peace sign with both hands.There are two black spotlights positioned on either side of the standee, facing towards it. The background is plain gray.

The image depicts the exterior of a building with a sign that reads "Katofie" in stylized orange letters. The building has a brick facade with green and brown accents. In front of the building, there is a life-sized standee of an anime-style character dressed as a police officer, with a hat, blue shirt, and dark blue shorts. The character is depicted in a dynamic running pose.

Telling a story through character design

A standee is an excellent opportunity to tell your character’s story and create an emotional connection with fans.

Character backstory: Develop a detailed backstory for your character. Who are they? What are their motivations, fears, dreams, and experiences? This backstory will inform every aspect of their design, from physical appearance to clothing and accessories.
Personality traits: Define the key personality traits of your character. Are they brave, curious, mischievous, or wise? These traits will influence their posture, facial expressions, and overall demeanor.
Visual elements: Use visual elements to convey the character’s story. This includes clothing, hairstyle, accessories, and even scars or tattoos. Each element should have a purpose and tell a part of the character’s history.
Color palette: Choose a color palette that reflects the character’s personality and story. Colors can evoke emotions and symbolize different aspects of the character’s journey.
Environment and props: Design the environment and props that surround your character. These elements can provide context and enhance the storytelling.
Body language: Pay attention to the character’s body language. How they stand, move, and gesture can reveal a lot about their personality and emotions.
Interaction with other characters: Consider how your character interacts with others. Their relationships and dynamics with other characters can add depth to the story.
Symbolism and metaphors: Use symbolism and metaphors in your design to add layers of meaning. Elements like a broken sword, a fading flower, or a glowing pendant can represent the character’s struggles, growth, or destiny.

Bring your character to life: Crafting captivating scenery

Designing basic scenery can set the stage for your characters and enhance the storytelling. Here are some steps and tips for creating effective basic scenery:

Concept and theme:
- Decide on the overall concept and theme of the scenery. Is it a bustling cityscape, a tranquil forest, a mystical fantasy land, or a cozy indoor setting?
- Think about the mood and atmosphere you want to convey. This will influence your choice of colors, lighting, and details. Consider adding atmospheric elements elements like fog, rain, or sunlight rays to enhance the mood and realism of the scene. These elements can also help create a sense of time and weather conditions.
Layout and composition:
- Sketch a rough layout of the scenery, planning out the major elements like buildings, trees, mountains, or furniture.
- Use the rule of thirds to create a balanced composition. This involves dividing your scene into a 3×3 grid and placing important elements along the lines or intersections.
Foreground, midground, and background:
- Break your scenery into three layers: foreground (closest to the viewer), midground (middle distance), and background (farthest away).
- This adds depth and dimension to the scene. For example, you could place detailed elements like flowers or rocks in the foreground, larger objects like buildings or trees in the midground, and distant mountains or sky in the background.
Details and textures:
- Add details and textures to make the scene more realistic and engaging. For natural environments, consider the textures of different materials like wood, stone, water, and foliage.
- For urban or indoor settings, think about the surfaces of walls, floors, furniture, and decorative elements.
Color palette:
- Choose a color palette that complements the mood and theme of your scene. Warm colors can create a cozy or vibrant atmosphere, while cool colors can evoke calmness or mystery.
- Ensure the colors of different elements harmonize with each other to create a cohesive look.

By following these steps, you can create a compelling and visually appealing scene that enhances your characters and storytelling.

"An acrylic standee with multiple uprights depicting a peaceful rural scene. It features a figure of a person in a hat, white shirt, blue shorts, and boots, standing near a rustic house with a red roof. To the left, there's a large tree, and the background includes mountains and a wooden fence in the foreground, all combining to create a pastoral atmosphere."

Custom acrylic standees made easy: Templates and tools from popular companies

Companies that specialize in creating custom acrylic standees provide a detailed guide for preparing files for acrylic standees. You can download templates and follow their instructions for creating standee and base artwork.

Vograce: Offers fully customizable acrylic standees with options for different shapes, sizes, and designs. They also provide holographic and glow-in-the-dark options.
Zap! Creatives: Known for high-quality acrylic standees with single or double-sided designs. They also offer templates and guides to help you create your custom designs.
Hamfai: Provides a variety of acrylic standees, including human-shaped and photo standees. They focus on durability and customization.

Mock-ups: The secret tool in a graphic designer’s arsenal

In graphic design, a mock-up is like a sneak peek of your final product. It’s a realistic representation that helps you see how your design will look in the real world. Whether it’s packaging, printed materials, or clothing, mock-ups let you visualize the end result, gather feedback, and make any necessary tweaks before going into full production. They’re super handy for ensuring everything looks just right and for impressing clients with a polished preview.

Create a mock-up with our ready-to-use collection of images.

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Helpful Links

Quick guide to making acrylic standees