Secondary Content FAQ

NOTE: As of August 7th, 2025, Secondary Content, part of Zazzle’s design tools, is retired to make space for a new and improved design experience. 

If you were a Secondary Content contributor, here are some details to know: 

• Your existing Products that already include Secondary Content won’t be affected.
• If a Customer reorders a Product that includes your Secondary Content, your Royalty still applies with no change.
• Greenroom access to Secondary Content is being paused at this time.
• Your Content will remain available in your Store’s backend while we explore ways to migrate to the new design experience.

What is Secondary Content?

Secondary Content includes digital Content without direct product association (e.g., photography, illustrations created with software like Adobe® Illustrator® or Photoshop®) (“Images”) or simple forms of Content (e.g., Text Pairings, Decorated Text, Shapes, Lines, Icons, Stickers, Simple Vector Art, Background Images, or Background Patterns) (“Elements”). When Customers incorporate Secondary Content into Products, Royalty distribution will occur as detailed here. 

What is Zazzle Create?

Zazzle Create is a design tool offered to Users in the Zazzle ecosystem that allows Users to bring  digital Content to life. There are three types of digital Content available in Zazzle Create: 

• Digital Designs (e.g., Save the Dates, Business Cards, Brochures, Greeting Cards, Zoom Backgrounds)
• Images (e.g., photography, illustrations created with software like Adobe® Illustrator® or Photoshop®)
• Elements (e.g., Text Pairings, Decorated Text, Shapes, Lines, Icons, Stickers, Simple Vector Art, Background Images, or Background Patterns)

How do Creators get attribution for Digital Content (aka Digital Designs, Images and Elements)?

When a User selects any  digital Content made by Creators, Creator attribution will appear in the design tool. Users can click to learn more about the Creator, as well as see the Creator’s Store and Products. Users may message Creators directly to ask questions and inquire about additional customizations before purchasing.

How much does Digital Content cost?

Digital Content is free of charge for digital downloads.

 

If Digital Content is free, do Creators still earn a royalty for their work?

Creators do not earn a Royalty when their digital Content is downloaded – but Creators do earn a Royalty when their digital Content is added to a physical Product and purchased.

 

Is the royalty rate the same for Digital Content on physical products the same as my other designs in the Zazzle Marketplace?

If a Customer purchases a physical Product to which they added Secondary Content, then the Creator(s) of that Secondary Content will share in the Royalty. To learn more about Royalties and Secondary Content, click here.

 

Is Digital Content held to the same content standards as in the physical Zazzle Marketplace? Yes, it is. Please read our User Agreement for a full description of our Content guidelines.

 

What is Zazzle Royalty-Free content?

Zazzle provides Royalty-Free, public domain content in the Design Tools to help support Creators’ creativity and design process. Creators can use this content in designs without it affecting Royalties. Even if a Customer adds this content to a design that includes a Creator's original work, the Creator’s Royalty will remain the same. 

 

What is Zazzle content That is Not Labeled as Royalty-Free?

Zazzle also offers content in the design tools that isn’t marked as “Royalty Free.” This content is available for Customers to use in their own designs, but Creators cannot use it to create and post Public Products (i.e., Products for sale). Currently, if a Customer adds this content to a design that includes a Creator's original work, Royalties will not be affected. However, this may change in the future as we continue to evaluate how this content is used.