Copilot AI Can Help You Create Product Mockups - Here’s How

If you’re an artist, designer, or print on demand shop owner, you probably know the importance of mockups. They help your products shine in real-life settings, tell a story, and connect emotionally with your audience.

But here’s something you might not know:
Copilot AI can help you create custom mockups for your products.

And not just generic ones. I’m talking about styled, branded, emotionally resonant mockups that reflect your products aesthetic and speak directly to your audience.

 Wait… AI Can Do That?

Yes. Microsoft Copilot isn’t just a chatbot it’s a creative companion. You can collaborate with it to:

• Design lifestyle mockups for mugs, cards, notebooks, and more
• Style flat lays with seasonal or thematic elements
• Add text overlays like “New in the shop!” or “Grace Being Grace Collection”
• Create visuals that match your brand’s tone whimsical, empowering, vintage, sparkle, you name it

It’s not a replacement for the websites built-in previews. It’s a way to go beyond them adding storytelling, charm, and context that helps your products stand out and get noticed by your customers.

 

What Kind of Products Work?

Copilot can create mockups for:

• Greeting cards
• Mugs
• Journals and notebooks
• T-shirts and tote bags
• Posters and prints
• Stickers and stationery
• Throw pillows
• Legging outfits 

Basically, anything you sell that benefits from a styled scene or emotional context.

 How Do You Share Your Designs?

It’s simple. You just upload:

• A product image from your store (flat preview or lifestyle shot)
• Your original design file (PNG, JPG, or even a screenshot)
• A photo of the physical product, if you have one

Then you tell Copilot:

• What the product is
• What kind of scene or style you want (e.g., cozy desk, office workspace, vintage flat lay)
• Whether you want any text overlay

Copilot will create a styled mockup that fits your brand and helps your product shine.

 Why This Matters

Because artists deserve tools that support their vision not just automate it. Copilot doesn’t just generate images. It collaborates. It listens. It helps you tell your story visually, ethically, and beautifully.

And if you’re building a brand like I am, Grace beingGrace, sparkle robot cards and gifts for tech girls. This collection is rooted in storytelling, empowerment, and charm these mockups can be a game-changer.

Want to Try It?

I’ve already started using Copilot to create mockups for my Sparkle Tech Whimsical Gifts  and Writers & Novelists collection. If you’d like to see examples or get help creating your own, just reach out. I’d love to share what I’ve learned.

Because when artists and AI collaborate with care, the results can be truly magical.

 

Shop Smart, Support Designers: The Referral Guide Every Shopper Should Know

 

In the vibrant world of online fashion and home decor, independent creators pour heart and strategy into every listing from cozy autumn throw pillows to whimsical Yule-inspired accessories. But behind those beautifully curated storefronts lies a challenge many shoppers don’t even realize exists: missing referral commissions.

Cozy autumn leaves home decor throw pillow

 A True Story from My Shop

One of my favorite customers and dear friends wanted to support my small business and proudly purchased a chic black-and-white striped outdoor patio pillow from my online store. Before shopping, she thought she’d done the right thing by “clearing her browser cookies.”

But here’s the catch: the method she used barely scratched the surface. Some old cookie data lingered, and because of that, even though she meant to support me through my referral path, I didn’t receive my commission.

This issue may seem minor, but for independent designers who rely on these earnings, it’s a major blow. Referral commissions help sustain creative businesses, fund rescue missions, and support everyday life.

 

 Why It Happens and Why It Matters on POD Platforms

Shopkeepers on print-on-demand (POD) marketplaces earn meager royalties per sale often just a modest percentage of the final price. And with many print on demand platforms now layering on service fees, creators are left with thinner and thinner margins.

Referral bonuses offer a chance to earn more but only if tracking cookies are properly cleared from the shopper’s browser. Without that clean start, the credit goes unseen.

These creators aren’t making millions. Referral commissions help pay utility bills, put food on the table, and offset high living costs. Anyone can relate to that. The smallest steps by a shopper can make the biggest impact.

AI generated image prompt design by Susang6

 

✅ Cookie Clearing Guide for Conscious Shoppers

If you want your purchase to fully support a designer, here’s what helps:

1.    Use a Private or Incognito Window
This is the simplest way to shop with clean tracking. It avoids confusing browser settings and won’t erase your saved logins or preferences.

2.    Manually Clear Your Browser Cookies
Visit browser settings, select “Clear browsing data,” and include cookies and cache. This helps eliminate lingering referral data from previous visits.

3.    Skip Quick-Clean Extensions
These often leave older cookie data behind, even if your browser looks freshly cleared.

4.    Begin Your Visit from the Designer’s Storefront or Product Listing
Starting fresh from their direct link helps ensure your order is attributed correctly, especially when you've discovered their work through a link the designer shared at Pinterest, Facebook or other social media.  Or you could message the designer to ask questions about the product that you would like to buy. The designer then can help with modifications of the design like personalization and provide you with a direct link.

These steps support both your privacy and the creators you care about.

 

Why Shoppers Hold the Power

When you shop thoughtfully, you’re not just buying a seasonal pillow or festive fashion piece you’re making a difference.

Referral commissions help:

• Offset tiny royalties and rising platform fees
• Fund pet rescues and community causes
• Sustain creative energy for upcoming collections
• Support real-life needs like groceries, utilities, and peace of mind

Every action matters. And anyone who’s ever nurtured a dream, managed a tight budget, or wanted to support small business knows it’s the little things that truly count.

 

Shop Smart, Shop Fair

So whether you're shopping for Halloween pillow covers, Yule decor, or breezy fashion updates, here’s the takeaway:

Start your shopping journey with a clean browser. Be mindful of tracking. Support intentionally.

Your purchase is more than a transaction it’s a vote of confidence, a ripple of impact, and a way to make sure artists and makers receive the recognition and reward they genuinely deserve.

Final Notes

Many readers still aren’t familiar with how Print-on-Demand creators actually earn and there’s often confusion around referrals. That’s why I wrote this post: to clear the air and offer a helpful guide.

We don’t just upload a stock image and hit publish we start from scratch. For me, creating an invitation or card means choosing fonts, working with color and layout, and crafting greetings that feel personal. It’s a creative labor that can take hours.

And......

Just to be crystal clear: referral commissions are paid by platform, not customers. They do not increase your total cost. There is no donation involved, and this post does not link to any fundraising effort. 

If I mention that referral income helps support my rescue mission, it’s simply to share how I personally use what earn online at POD.  I did not ask for contributions.

When you shop through a creator’s referral link, you’re giving fair credit where it’s due without paying anything extra.  

Thank you for supporting artists who put time, care, and creativity into what they do.

This article was published by Susan Golis, Freelance Writer and content Creator