If you want to turn your indie game characters into merchandise, the order that keeps both upfront costs and inventory risk as low as possible is this: start with flat merch made to order so you never hold stock, watch how people respond, and only then move on to 3D goods. When you do move to 3D, keep in mind that the 3D assets inside your game will not work as print-ready data on their own, so you will need to prepare separate data for the physical version. When players start asking for merch and you look into how to make it, most of what you find is aimed at companies and assumes orders in the hundreds of units. That assumption rarely fits a solo developer or a small team. This article focuses on the order that lets you get started without holding inventory and with the smallest possible upfront spend, and lays out the path to 3D goods in five steps.
Note: Figmee currently lets you upload a drawing or illustration and generate and download a figurine-style image and 3D model data (GLB / 3MF). Sales of physical 3D-printed items are in preparation (Coming Soon).
Decide how to sell before deciding what to make
Many people start by thinking about the type of item, but it is safer to settle the sales method first. The reason is simple: the sales method changes the upfront cost and inventory risk by orders of magnitude.
A solo developer has roughly three options.
| Sales method | Upfront cost | Inventory risk | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made to order (on demand) | Small | Almost none | A first run when demand is unpredictable and you do not know how many fans you have |
| Small batch order → online shop | Medium | Yes (unsold stock) | When you already see a certain level of demand |
| Selling at events | Medium to large | Yes (plus booth fees) | When you want to build direct contact with your community |
For your first run, starting with made-to-order is the realistic choice. For example, "BOOTH On-Demand Sales", which links pixivFACTORY with the BOOTH marketplace, works like this: you register your print data, and each time an order comes in, the item is manufactured from a single unit and shipped directly to the buyer. The shop owner does not need to hold any inventory in advance, and listing items costs nothing (sources: pixivFACTORY, "What is BOOTH On-Demand Sales?", pixivFACTORY Help Center, both as of July 2026).
At this stage, you do not need to predict how many units you will sell. With made-to-order production, there is effectively no loss if nothing sells. Focus on a single goal: finding out whether even one order comes in.
Step 1: Measure demand with flat merch
It is understandable to want to jump straight to 3D, but flat merch should come first. Items such as acrylic stands, pin badges, and stickers only need 2D illustrations as print data, so they cost almost nothing extra to produce. Their biggest advantage is that you can use the character illustrations you already have as they are.
What you should watch here is not the sales figures themselves but which characters attract the most interest. It is not unusual for the character you thought was popular in the game to differ from the one people actually choose as merch. That information will guide you when you narrow things down to a single character to turn into 3D in the next steps. For a comparison of flat merch and 3D goods, see how to turn your own illustrations into 3D goods.
Step 2: In-game 3D assets cannot be used for merch as they are
This is the wall solo developers most often overlook. The more someone works on 3D games, the more likely they are to think, "I already have the in-game model data, so I can just print that." In reality, however, models built for real-time rendering and models built for physical output follow different design philosophies.
Specifically, they differ in the following ways.
- The polygon count is deliberately reduced. Games render the scene dozens of times per second, so the number of faces is kept low to keep performance smooth. If you scale such a model up, curved surfaces look visibly angular (What is polygon count?).
- Surface detail is expressed as a "picture". A common technique is to apply an image with painted shading to what is actually a flat surface, so it looks bumpy (What is a texture?). Because this detail only works through how light falls on it, it does not show up in the shape when you output the model as a solid object.
- Parts that are never seen are not built. The back side the camera never shows, or areas hidden behind other parts, may simply have no faces at all.
- Parts are separate. In some cases, the weapon, hair, and body are separate objects that merely overlap, rather than forming one closed solid.
For when to use low-poly versus high-poly, see the difference between low-poly and high-poly. In short, think of game assets as a starting point for a physical version, but not print-ready data on their own.
And if you are making a 2D game, there is no 3D data in the first place. In that case, you start from the next step.
Step 3: Three ways to prepare 3D data
If you want to move on to 3D goods, you need 3D data that can be output. There are three ways to get it, and they differ greatly in cost and how involved you need to be.
1. Model it yourself With free software such as Blender, you pay nothing for the software. However, character modeling is one of the hardest areas of 3D, and learning it alongside game development is a heavy burden.
2. Outsource it The going rate for outsourcing 3D modeling of a humanoid character spans a very wide range, from relatively affordable to very expensive. By type of provider, production companies sit at the top end and can run to a very large budget, individual creators range from moderate to high, and crowdsourcing platforms are the lowest of the three (source: CrowdSourcing Times, "Typical costs of 3D modeling", updated June 2, 2025). Quality is the most consistent of the three options, but the price often exceeds what an indie budget can spend on a single type of merch.
3. Generate a 3D model from an illustration with AI This method creates 3D model data from a single illustration. Figmee works this way: upload a drawing in your browser, and it generates a figurine-style image and 3D model data (GLB / 3MF) that you can download. On pricing, figurine-style image generation is free for your first 5 generations as a sign-up bonus (valid for 3 months from registration), and after that you buy 5 tokens for $5.99. Generating a 3D model costs 5 tokens per model (that is, one model equals 5 tokens, or $5.99, with GLB and 3MF downloads included), and your first 3D model is free for each account.
Option 3 also has honest limitations. The generated shape is determined by how the original drawing is interpreted, so you cannot fine-tune details exactly as intended down to the millimeter. It also has no rig, so it is not suited to changing poses. It is a method suited to the stage of "first seeing what the character looks like in 3D", and if you need the quality of a final product prototype, moving on to option 2 is the realistic split. For an overview of costs by method, see the original figurine cost guide.
Step 4: Leave the physical production to external services
Once your 3D data is ready, the usual way to produce a physical item is to submit the data to a 3D printing service. Many services quote based on material and size, so check the exact price with each service's quote tool. The data requirements to check before submitting (such as minimum wall thickness) are covered in the guide to creating 3D print data from illustrations.
Note that Figmee's own sales of physical 3D-printed items are in preparation (Coming Soon) and are not offered at this time. The workflow is to take the data you generate to an external service. For a comparison of routes when you only want to make one piece, see how to make a single figurine.
Step 5: 3D data is useful even if you never produce a physical item
It is easy to overlook, but 3D data becomes an asset for development and promotion even if you never turn it into a physical product.
- As material for store pages and trailers, you can create videos that rotate the character 360°
- As content for social media posts, you can share the creation process itself (watching a 2D character gradually take 3D form is a subject that tends to get good reactions as a devlog)
- When considering crowdfunding reward ideas, you can decide while looking at the actual shape
- As reference material for fan art, you can share three-dimensional information about the character
In other words, the 3D data already delivers value the moment you create it. The decision to manufacture physical merch can come later. If you follow the order create the data → see the response → decide on manufacturing, you take on risk in gradual stages.
Also keep in mind that making merch does not necessarily boost your sales. The response may be smaller than you expected. That is exactly why it makes sense to proceed in an order that keeps upfront costs and inventory risk low.
Do not forget to check the rights
If it is an original character you created entirely in-house, you are in principle free to make 3D versions and merch of it. However, you should check in advance in the following cases.
- If you commissioned the character design from an outside illustrator, the general rule is that the copyright stays with the person who drew it, even after you pay the fee. Check whether your contract covers 3D adaptation and commercial use.
- If you use 3D models or textures purchased from an asset store, check whether their terms of use allow merchandising (modification and redistribution). Some licenses permit use inside a game but exclude physical merchandise.
- For characters from a collaboration project, check the scope of what you agreed with the other party.
Contracts and rights are covered case by case in Can you sell original character figurines?.
A plan by budget
Here are realistic options for each level of upfront budget.
| Upfront budget available | Realistic approach |
|---|---|
| Almost zero | List flat merch made to order and watch the response |
| A small budget | In addition to flat merch, create 3D data for one character with AI generation and use it for videos and social media material |
| A moderate budget | Print one piece of the 3D data through an external service and check how the physical result turns out |
| A substantial budget | Outsource the modeling of one character to secure product-prototype quality |
Moving from top to bottom is the order that keeps the cost of failure smallest. If you jump straight to the bottom row, you end up making the largest expenditure without knowing what demand looks like.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send my in-game 3D model to a 3D printer?
Often it is difficult as is. Models built for real-time rendering may have a reduced polygon count, express surface detail with textures, and omit faces in areas that are never seen. To print one, you need adjustments such as closing the faces and giving them thickness. If you cannot see a clear way through those adjustments, it may be faster to prepare separate data for the physical version.
Can I make 3D merch for a 2D game too?
Yes. Since you start without any 3D data, you will prepare it with one of the methods in Step 3 (modeling it yourself, outsourcing, or AI generation). A single illustration that clearly shows the character from the front can be the starting point for any of these methods.
Which character should I choose first?
Choose a character that did well as flat merch and has a simple shape. Elements such as thin antennae, translucent hair, or intricately tangled accessories make both the 3D conversion and physical production more difficult. It makes sense to treat your first piece as a test and pick a character with favorable conditions.
Should I start with events or online sales?
From the standpoint of inventory risk, online sales (made to order) come first. Events require booth fees and on-site stock up front, which is a heavy burden when you cannot yet read demand. That said, if your goal is to build direct contact with your community, choosing events first is also a valid decision. Choose based on your goal.
Is it better to make merch before or after the game's release?
There is no single right answer. Before release, your characters are less well known, but merch works well as material for sharing your development progress. After release, it becomes easier to predict how people will respond. Either way, if you start with a method that requires no inventory, you can push the decision back.
Summary
When you turn your indie game characters into merchandise, the most important thing is the order. Decide on the sales method first to eliminate inventory risk, measure the response with flat merch, and then move on to 3D. In this order, you avoid making a large expenditure while demand is still unclear.
And when you move to 3D, make sure you understand from the start that in-game assets cannot be used as they are. You need to prepare separate data for the physical version, and there are three ways to do it: making it yourself, outsourcing, or AI generation. Choose according to your budget and goals, and the realistic way to begin is to try just one character first.
