PlanktonPunkt

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PlanktonPunkt Designs puzzles available in CreateJigsawPuzzles

link to order print on demand PlanktonPunkt Designs jigsaw puzzles (printed in China)

PlanktonPunkt Designs POD products in Printify

link to order PlanktonPunkt Designs print on demand wares from the source

PlanktonPunkt Designs POD products in Etsy

A link to order from a selection of PlanktonPunkt Designs print on demand wares from Etsy

Category: Jigsaw Puzzles

  • PlanktonPunkt Designs

    I have been busy recently trying to get my jigsaw puzzle business going. First, browsing Print On Demand suppliers for dropshipping partners, I realized that I could sell my designs printed also in other items. Then, I realized that I might need a seller’s permit, especially if I also sell physical goods to local stores for resale.

    I got a seller’s permit for State of California but in the office I had a brain freeze and had to use a placeholder name for my print-on-demand business. I needed to later change that to PlanktonPunkt Designs. I also learned that I should get a city business license. The permitting office was next open on Monday morning.

    On Saturday, I took a long trip (for me) driving over 100 miles to each direction to a comic book garage sale to connect with comic book crowd and to ask advise in on-line sales. On my way back, I stopped into a comics & games shop to ask if they were interested in buying my jigsaw puzzles. In principle, yes, in practice, let’s wait until I get my business going.

    On Monday morning, I walked to a copy shop to print my applications for business license and fictional name registration, then to city permitting office, where I was told I would need to register my fictional business name before I could apply, but if I made it back before 2pm, I could submit my application in the same day.

    I walked back near my rental place, where I had parked my car and drove to county registrar where I could register my fictional business name. Otherwise good, except the office was next to county court house and registrar of voters and there was a special election going April 15th, so it took some searching to find a parking spot. The registration itself went smoothly, relatively short waits and minimally complex bureaucracy, only cost me 40 dollars.

    After finishing my business registration application while drinking Vietnamese coffee, I drove to city permitting offices again and this time, after some wait, I managed to submit my application (80 dollars) but was directed to zoning board. Nonplussed, I meandered upstairs and got to fill a zoning application. I think it was approved, but that took a 250 dollar fee, paid in the spot. After which my business application will travel through a few more desks (I don’t know how much those are going to cost and what more forms or other actions will be required.) Meanwhile, I will need to within next 45 days post four times at minimum 5 day intervals an announcement of PlanktonPunkt Designs (I’ll need to find details, exactly what) in some newspaper circulating in the county…

    While I waited to become commercial, I edited some of my older posts, mainly replacing a couple of jigsaw puzzles and other images that are OK in non-commercial blog sites but not in commercial environments with more acceptable content.

    About a week later, I went back to City Permitting Offices to ask about my business license. I was told it will still need to be seen by two more desks and it could take up to two weeks. I was horrified. I asked if it could be expedited. They promised nothing, since that is not a service the offices do. However, on Sunday when I unusually opened my email I discovered that my business license has been approved. Plot spoiler, I am still in process of testing my samples, not going to open a Print On Demand store by the Mother’s Day rush, though that was what I had originally aimed for.

    Getting licenses and ordering samples was more expensive than I thought, so I had to put some samples on hold until I got some money from my other business. Today, as I finally could afford this, I bought an upgrade from WordPress and a business email contact@planktonpunkt.com from Titan Mail.

    Now I’m busy doing designs and ordering samples (the supply chain is still undecided), but at least I have upgraded this blog site for monetization and got a domain name, planktonpunkt.com for development of actual ecommerce. I’ll keep you posted as I continue my business attempts.

    Once I get my print-on -demand shop(s) open, I’ll link to those. Other medium to intermediate projects I have planned include making little videos and / or podcasts to Instagram, YouTube and / or TikTok to advertise PlanktonPunkt Designs.

  • PSA

    While waiting to become commercial, I have edited some of my older posts, mainly removing a couple of jigsaw puzzles and other images that are OK in non-commercial blog sites but not in commercial environments with more acceptable content.

  • Jigsaw Puzzles – 4

    I noticed there were too few pictures in my recent posts, so here are three free jigsaw puzzles, thanks to https://www.jigsawexplorer.com.

    Speed

    Taken from my uncle’s car in Finland, February 2025. (The default 108 pieces can be changed from the jigsaw puzzle settings.)

    Bark

    Older trees have interesting textures. Photo taken in Berkeley. (The default 48 pieces can be changed from the jigsaw puzzle settings.)

    California poppies

    California poppies in bloom (March 2025, probably cultivated). The poppies’ flowers are open during sunny days, but close for night or bad weather. (The default 80 pieces can be changed from the jigsaw puzzle settings.)

  • Slight Delay in My Plans

    I had planned on designing physical jigsaw puzzles for sale. I had been selecting pictures and making test designs and was preparing to order some samples, when the new tariffs came in power. The print-on-demand company I had been planning to use is based in Hong Kong. While we need to in-shore industries, finding a place that prints double-sided postcard jigsaw puzzles and is located in US will take a bit time. Looks like I’ll need to look a bit more and think about my options, maybe rethink my strategy.

    Meanwhile, I have been looking for interesting things to post and writing fiction. The current job market is a horror show, but unfortunately that is not fiction.

  • Jigsaw Puzzles – 3

    Finland in February

    Birch trees can have surprisingly colorful bark.

    Otherwise the color scale tends to be a bit narrow, unless sun shines and gives hue to the frost, landscape and sky.

  • Jigsaw Puzzles – 2

    Edit 2025, July 21:

    Unfortunately, I have decided to delete the puzzles in this post – jut to be on the safe side. There will be more jigsaw puzzles.

    Some more digital jigsaw puzzles for your enjoyment.

    Three ferns

    Tree ferns can be seen in Berkeley yards. Here are three tree ferns. And a tree.

    Little Fruits

    These little ones are likely to be unripe and still growing.

    San Francisco

    Unfortunately, the San Francisco skyline seen from the East Bay (Berkeley Marina), even on a sunny day, is not allowed in commercial purposes, so I deleted this jigsaw puzzle in preparation of starting my business.

  • Jigsaw puzzles – the beginning

    I enjoy jigsaw puzzles, so I have begun to submit my pictures for new puzzles.

    My plan is to have two types of jigsaw puzzles: a sample of free online puzzles on jigsawexplorer.com (made with their software), and (hopefully soon) for sale, a selection of solid jigsaw puzzles, which can be ordered from a print-on-demand shop.  Both online and hard copy puzzles can be accessed by clicking their images, which will take you to their respective websites. The first puzzles here are based on photos, but I may also experiment with drawings, AI, collages and other sources of imagery.

    Digital jigsaw puzzles have the convenience for being portable, never losing a piece, and pets or clumsy stumbles never messing with the nearly assembled game. You can adjust the number of pieces depending on mood and available time.

    However, traditionalists and people without reliable Internet, especially those in a remote cabin in the woods (even before an EMP strike or Carrington Event 2.0 wipes out the Internet) may prefer a solid, real-world jigsaw puzzle. There is the enjoyment brought by handling puzzle pieces without the help of electronic shortcuts, and the resulting concrete object can be framed into a piece of art. Or tossed back in pieces into its container, never to be touched again.

    But imagine this picture: ten years After the Event, a lonely hermit is getting ready to finish his 10 000-piece, bright blue sky -puzzle. A reminder of the sky, like it was before the Event, even before the Chemtrails, when he realizes that he is missing one of the pieces. That would not be a good day.

    Lemons

    It is unclear if this picture contains free-range lemons foraged from the streets of Bay City Northeast, or commercially factory-farmed lemons bought from a grocery.

    Eucalyptuses

    Unfortunately, the eucalyptus photo was taken from a place that does not allow commercial photography, so I have deleted this jigsaw puzzle in preparation of becoming commercial.

    Eucalyptuses are the tallest weeds of California. They are covered in sheets of multihued peeling bark, which accumulates onto ground.

    Rose

    I like the pink and yellow petals.

    (Magnolia in the neighborhood)

    (Deleted to avoid conflict)

    (Spring blooms before the leaves.)