Sculpt 3D models

• Add printing-related services like sculpting mold shells (optional)

Draw 2D designs

• Many shops are able to sculpt the design in-house or hire freelance sculptors

Sculpt clay models

Be mindful of the following details:

• Overhangs

  • If you were to print this model from the bottom up, would any portion be detached at any part of the printing? (For example, if there are spikes pointing downwards, then the tip of the spike is lower than the rest of the spike and will not be supported when that layer is printed)

  • Overhangs can be printed, but require additional work from whoever is preparing the model for printing and can cause air bubbles and other issues (such as tearing the mold) when the final product is poured and pulled

• Sharp points and thin texture

  • Air bubble and tearing risk

• Thin stems or thick knots

  • Difficult to pull from a mold

Base size

• Ensure it's large enough to be anal safe (unless toy is not intended for anal use)

  • Base should be wider than largest width of shaft

  • Base should be flared at a sharp angle

• Silicone is expensive; consider reducing base volume where possible

  • Large bases can be appealing for design purposes, such as maws, balls, or grindable bases, and don't always need to be minimized

  • Sculpting the shaft and base separately can make it easier to adjust base size later on

Model views

• For sculpting, advertise the model at multiple angles so all important details are visible

  • Uploading the 3D model itself creates a risk that it will be downloaded and reproduced illegally

• For 2D designs, advertise the model at multiple angles so all details are visible and there is no guesswork when sculpting

  • Consider the front, back, sides, and base, and ask yourself for each one if you can clearly identify what texture should be there

  • Consider a shaded or color-coded version to indicate which areas are indented and which are raised up

• Make sure details are visible; don't obscure them with something like a complicated marbled render or very dark/very light colors

Dildo Sizing

• Shops are able to scale the 3D model and determine the final size/scale of the model and what sizes make small/medium/large

• Consider length compared to girth and calculate this at different sizes to determine if it matches your vision

  • If you want the medium to be 7" long, but the girth turns out to be 3" diameter, it may be worth making the model thinner

  • There is no one right way to go about proportions and sizes; it depends on what the audience will be interested in and what your goals are

• Length

  • Most vaginas have a maximum length capacity of 6-7"

  • Knots should have space after them in order to stay inside; 1-2" should work for most but some people require a longer stem

  • There is an audience for all lengths of toys

• Girth

  • Suggested diameter ranges:

    • XS: Up to 1.6"

    • S: 1.6-1.8", knots up to 2"

    • M: 1.8-2.4", knots up to 2.7"

    • L: 2.3-3"

    • XL: 2.8-3.5"

  • The above ranges are sizes I aim for (such as if I want the medium to be 6" long, I see if the average or max diameter lines up) and are based on sizing I've seen for many models and many shops; this helps me proportion the model in a way that appeals to both me and the shop's potential customers

  • There is an audience for all girths of toys up to 5"

Penetrable Sizing

• Mini penetrables, mainly aimed towards trans men, are sized to fit the genitals

  • Small: 0.4-0.6" diameter tunnel

  • Average to large: 0.6-0.9" diameter tunnel

  • Closed-ended mini pens offer suction while open-ended do not; circular openings are better than oval for suction

• Mid to fullsize penetrables, mainly aimed towards cis men, are intended to be stretched

  • Tunnels as tight as 0.5" diameter are viable, but more prone to tearing than looser tunnels

  • Thicker externals provide more pressure and often better fit a fantasy

  • Thinner externals use less material

Boolean (3D Sculpting)

• Union: Combine two objects into one

  • Useful when cleaning up any gaps between objects before export

• Difference: Remove areas where two objects overlap

  • Useful for creating a flat base

  • Recommended for creating the internals of a penetrable/stroker (after sculpting the internal texture on a cylinder)

3D Tips

• Create a few simple, low-detail, default templates so that you don't always have to start from a sphere

• Free base files may be provided for use from the collaborative indie toy community, such as those from ShopDad (twitter)

• Some 3D model sites provide assets with a CC0 license (meaning they may be used for commercial projects without attribution) that can be added to toy models, such as feathers

Additional Advice

• OnlyGoblins Wiki

• ShopDad's guide here includes information on designing and etiquette

• My Guide to Fantasy Sex Toys includes overviews of toy types, firmness, finishes, and more

Know your value

• Fantasy toy designers have niche skills that contribute to the value of our work

  • Design; 3D modeling; understanding what appeals to collectors; optimizing designs for manufacture; knowledge of what's on the market

• New models bring in new and returning customers, giving a boost to both new and established businesses

Know the market

• Don't undersell yourself, but understand the options that you may be competing against; check out other designers' prices to see what's on the market

• Decide whether your price on a given design should be competitive or not

  • Unique, innovative, and efficient designs can set you apart and easily be worth a higher price

  • Competitive prices may be unfairly low

  • Higher priced designs may not sell as quickly as competitively priced designs

Commercial use

• Models are generally sold along with the exclusive right to produce physical items for commercial use, which warrants a higher fee than non-commercial sales since the buyer will profit from the use of the design or model

• View this article for a brief overview of fee options, including royalties

• Some designers charge increased prices upfront to account for the commercial usage cost

  • Personally, I go for an upfront cost since it means the shop and I get the peace of mind of a single transaction without needing to do extra accounting, it more or less evens out between models/shops with high sales vs low sales, most shops I work with have relatively small drops, it makes taxes easier, the shop and I are not bound by an agreement if something comes up and we are no longer comfortable doing business with each other, and there is no loss to myself if the shop closes or goes on hiatus

Set a baseline

• Choose the minimum amount you want to make per design, whether it's an hourly rate or set price, and use that as a baseline when pricing designs and commissions

Price for skill, market appeal, and value

• Efficient models require less silicone and have lower flop rates

• Unique models with broad appeal have a wide audience (such as a unique knot design)

• Fandom-related models may have a wide audience

  • Consider potential drawbacks, for example if the fandom in question is based on children's media, if the model is based on an underage character, or if the model uses a logo or explicit designwork from the original source (which would violate copyright and could be seen as infringment or a similar issue)

• Sculpting quickly/efficiently is a skill and should not result in undercharging

Toy copies

• It's standard to request one copy of the final product in the artist's preferred specs and with custom colors or some choice in color as part of payment; don't forget to include this when advertising prices if you would like a copy

Payment

• Sex toy designs tend not to count under explicit sexual content, but rather (adult) product design, so should be permitted under most payment services

  • It is advisable not to mention sex toys/dildos specifically as part of the transaction through a payment service, just in case it gets flagged for a keyword

• Requesting payment via invoice often allows a TOS to be included and allows you to set price and currency

• If you are based in the US and exceed $600 in payments received in one calendar year through a payment processor, you will receive a 1099-K from the payment processor when tax season comes around

  • When filing taxes, you should only be responsible for taxes on profits received, excluding payment processor fees and excluding funds that are not profit (such as if you purchase an item for $100 and then sell it for $100, there is no profit)

  • The information above is based on my understanding and research of 1099-K; I am not a tax expert and you should see an tax professional if you need expert advice

Create a site 

• Your designs are all visible in one spot

• I recommend purchasing a URL for $12-15/yr so that shops may navigate to your site without having to remember some long autoformatted free URL

  • Some sites require a premium subscription before you may add a custom URL; Google Sites does not

  • Most site builders with built-in hosting services permit some adult content but not sexually explicit visual content - sex toy model design usually falls under adult content and is not considered explicit, however guidelines for each service vary and may change at any given time

    • Building your own site with a hosting service may be more expensive and difficult to set up, but should offer more freedom when it comes to content guidelines and site formatting

Affiliate with other designers 

• You can all link back to each other (but ask first!)

• If you make 2D designs and the shop needs a sculptor for your design, you could point to your affiliates page if some of them take sculpting commissions

Engage with shops and community members on twitter, tumblr, or other platforms

• Boost your visibility

• Builds a good reputation as a member of the community

Sales can move slowly

• Don't drop prices just because a model doesn't sell within a few weeks or a couple months

  • If a shop is interested, they will very likely either purchase at your listed price or reach out to negotiate

• Remain active within the community and/or keep creating content in order to remain visible and keep your site visible

Curate your image

• What you post on social media reflects on you and can influence your success

• Despite the trends of some furry and erotic circles, support of the following is frowned upon or condemned by many shops and individuals in the collecting community on twitter:

  • Feral/bestiality

  • Rape/noncon, underage content, and sometimes CNC

  • Hate symbols, racism, and alt-right content

  • Transphobia and homophobia

• Many collectors and shops on twitter prefer not to see porn (of real people), so it may be worth adding a note to your bio advising that you may retweet or post this content

  • Retweets can be turned off on twitter when following someone, allowing them to still see your original posts

  • Choose how to curate your presence and audience: Sharing and posting porn may turn off some shops and collectors, but there is also an audience of collectors interested in porn alongside toys

Your work will be represented by the shop, which may influence your reputation; if you don't know much about them, either ask the shop or check their existing site/social media/toys for certain information to ensure their work and their reputation meet your standards

Materials used by shops - What to look for

• Silicone brand

  • Ensure the silicone is quality platinum cure, such as Ecoflex or Dragon Skin from Smooth-On, or PlatSil from Polytek; this makes sure the material is safe

  • Brand does not need to be disclosed; however, I would personally ask the shop to confirm they are using platinum cure, and verify that the shore firmness is within expected range for platinum cure

• Vacuum chamber

  • Ensure the shop uses or plans to use a vacuum chamber to degas the silicone; this removes bubbles and makes the toy non-porous

• Pigment safety

  • Cosmetic grade pigments are preferred and the standard

    • Non-toxic, non-cosmetic-grade pigments should be safe when encapsulated in silicone, but if they rub out or a pigment speck bursts, there's a higher risk of injury

  • Silc Pig products are safe to use

Shop reputation

• Buyer Bewares/Callouts/Consumer Feedback

  • If the shop or individual has been around a while and you're not that familiar with them, do some brief research to see if they have had any callouts or incidents with customers; most shops are reputable, but some have a poor reputation

  • Shops may change their process after a callout, but they may or may not regain trust from collectors and other shops

• Toy quality and reviews

  • Check reviews for dissatisfaction, undisclosed flops, and customer service feedback

  • Visually check products for quality; some may have print lines or may lose detail after being printed

• Website and presentation

  • Shop name

  • Shop marketing, such as product names, characters, and descriptions

I am not a lawyer

• Anything in this section is my own opinion and not professional legal advice. It's meant to point you in the right direction to do your own research.

• A well written contract or terms of agreement reviewed or written by a lawyer in your region will be stronger than something not reviewed by a lawyer.

Resources

• Legal resources from AIGA

• Sale vs licensing

Items to include

• What the customer gains from the transaction

  • For example, the exclusive, perpetual, and worldwide rights and license for production and sale of physical products made using the design/model

  • Selling the design transfers all rights while licensing the design transfers some rights

  • Selling commercial rights to a design may sit in a legal gray area that would be better managed with a license agreement

• Timeframe or deadline for commission and file delivery

  • Give yourself more time than you need - better to overestimate than underestimate

• Whether the customer may edit the model

• Whether you are obligated edit the model per customer request and if there will be any upcharge

• Timeframe or deadline for delivery of your copies

  • What to do if the shop fails to deliver your copies

• Rights to resell

  • You may choose whether or not to provide the right to resell when licensing the model

    • When selling the model outright, you may not have the ability to prohibit resale

  • You may include terms such as right of first refusal or right of first offer

  • What obligations the shop has to you that can be transferred to the buyer (such as if they still owe your copy of the model)

• Whether your renders/art may be used for the shop's marketing

• Whether the shop is required to credit you on the model page and how