What character assets need to be prepared before collaboration?

Creating good characters and collaborating well are two different things.

Even if you have attractive characters, unexpected problems may arise during the design and collaboration process if the necessary assets are not prepared.

There may be cases where you have to start the work from scratch because the resolution does not match, or cases where you cannot sell the merchandise because the character and the image are too different.

Conversely, collaboration proceeds much more efficiently if you prepare the necessary assets in advance.

With a single asset, brands can quickly get started on the work they want, and IP holders can also significantly reduce unnecessary modifications or communication processes.

So today, I’d like to take a look at what kind of character assets you should prepare depending on the type of collaboration, focusing on files that are frequently used in the field.

1️⃣ Product Commercialization Collaboration— Licensing, short-term commercialization collaboration

This type refers to collaborations that involve making characters into merchandise or printing them on products.

In other words, since character assets are transferred from the IP holder to the manufacturer via brand partners, the format and color values ​​must be accurate.

If the format is converted and causes color distortion or a decrease in resolution, it can have a significant impact on both the character images and brand sales.

Therefore, if you are interested in product commercialization collaboration, it is highly recommended that you review the criteria below.

✔️ Character original sourceVector files suitable for printing and production (AI, PSD)

✔️ Reference image: Examples of product commercialization using characters, character mockup images, etc.

✔️ Character Style Guidebook: Character color values ​​(RGB, CMYK, Pantone colors, etc.), ratio regulations, prohibited usage examples (PDF recommended)

2️⃣ Space Utilization Collaboration— Events, exhibitions, pop-up stores

Space utilization collaboration is a method of using characters on large banners, photo zones, three-dimensional sculptures, etc., in pop-up stores, exhibitions, and event spaces.

Since the space is large, character images are often enlarged several times or more for use.

In this case, since using pixel-based image files (JPG, PNG) causes quality to degrade as you zoom in, vector files that maintain clarity even when enlarged are absolutely necessary.

✔️ Character original sourceAI files that do not lose pixelation when enlarged are recommended (PSD files can also be sent)

✔️ Character Turnaround: Files of characters drawn from various angles, helpful when creating 3D models

✔️ Character Style Guidebook: Color standards by material, ratio regulations, precautions for asset usage, etc. (PDF recommended)

3️⃣ Online Advertising and Promotion Collaboration

Online advertising and promotion collaboration refers to the method of utilizing characters in digital channels such as social media posts, banner ads, and video content.

Unlike print media, online channels use RGB color standards as the default, and recommended resolutions and aspect ratios vary by platform.

Even on Instagram, the representative social media channel, we can cite the fact that the size and aspect ratio differ depending on the content type, such as feeds and stories.

Therefore, it is best to identify which channels the brand partner will primarily use for advertising and promotions and deliver the content in an easy-to-edit format so that it can be adapted to suit each channel.

✔️ Character original source: Materials needed for content creation, such as PNG, AI, and PSD

✔️Character Style Guidebook: Digital color values ​​(RGB, HEX), ratio standards, usage restriction examples (PDF recommended)

✔️ motion·GIF sourceMaterials available for video content production

🗂️ Please make sure to check when sending PSD files.

It is best to send character assets as AI files, but if using AI is difficult or challenging, sending them as PSD files is also fine.

However, when delivering assets as PSD files, it is advisable to pay attention to the layer composition.

It is better to send the coloring layer and the line art layer separately rather than combining them.

Having them separated allows the brand partner to make modifications much more flexibly, and also makes it easier to trace the lines in Illustrator.

If you plan to deliver character assets as PSD files, please refer to the criteria below.

🗄️ If you organize your character assets well just once, future collaboration becomes easier.

There are files that are needed in common, even if the collaboration types are different.

It is the original character source files (AI, PSD) and the character style guidebook.

These two are essential basic assets for all types of collaboration.

You can proceed more smoothly by preparing additional resources such as turnarounds and motion sources depending on the collaboration method.

If you organize and store files properly from the start, for subsequent collaborations, you just need to retrieve and hand them over according to their type.

It goes without saying that the more systematically an IP holder manages their assets, the higher their partner's trustworthiness becomes and the faster the speed of collaboration.

At Inner Booth, we assist you with everything from preparing assets needed for character IP collaboration to contract matching and collaboration management.

If you are at a loss for asset preparation or need help with collaboration, please contact Inner Booth.