The Complete Guide to Selling Star Map Products on Shopify

Why star maps sell

Star maps — custom prints of the night sky at a specific date and location — are one of the highest-margin personalised products on the market.

High perceived value. A star map feels deeply personal and emotionally resonant. It is the sky on the night we met, the night our baby was born, the night we got engaged.

Low production cost. The product is a digital file printed on quality paper. Materials cost $3–8. Retail price is typically $30–80.

Margin of 80–95%. Few physical products achieve this.

Year-round demand. Peaks at Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, and graduation season. Never truly quiet.

Setting up star map options in Customiras

Customiras includes a built-in Star Map option type — no external API required. The renderer uses a 50-star catalog and accurate sidereal time calculations to generate the correct sky for any date and location.

To add star maps to your Shopify store, create an option set with:

Date picker (required) — for the customer's special date
Location search (text field) — for the place
Star map preview (interactive) — auto-generates from date and location
Style selector (dropdown) — black sky / white sky / navy / custom color
Title text (short text) — e.g., "The night we met"
Subtitle text (short text) — e.g., "London, June 14, 2019"

Setting up the live preview canvas

Upload a product mockup — a framed print on a wall works well. Define zones for:

The star map itself (links to the Star Map interactive zone)
Title text below the map
Subtitle text below the title

Customers see their star map update in real-time as they enter their date and location.

Print fulfillment options

Option A: Local printer — Customiras sends the print file to your email or a webhook endpoint. Good for stores with established print lab relationships.

Option B: Printful or Printify — Customiras integrates directly. When an order comes in, the print file is sent to your POD partner automatically.

Option C: Gelato — Recommended for international orders. Gelato has print nodes in 33 countries, meaning your star map ships locally to the customer. Faster delivery, lower shipping cost, lower carbon footprint.

For star maps, configure print files at:

Size: 3000×4000px at 300 DPI (10"×13.3" print)
Format: PNG with transparent background
Bleed: 3mm on each side

Pricing strategy

Star maps sell well at these price points:

Digital download only: $15–25
A4/A3 print, no frame: $30–50
Framed print: $55–90
Canvas print: $70–120

Offer a choice of sizes at the option-set level. Each size variant can have its own price modifier (+$10 for A3, +$20 for canvas, etc.).

Marketing star maps

Star maps sell well through:

Instagram and Pinterest (visual product, aspirational content)
Facebook ads targeting relationship milestones (engagement, anniversary)
Gift guide SEO ("gifts for wife", "anniversary gift ideas")
TikTok product demos showing the interactive preview

The live preview is your best marketing asset. Record a screen capture of someone entering a real date and location, watching the star map appear. That 15-second video converts better than any static image.