How To Launch Your NFT Collection

First, let’s get to know what NFTs are.

You must be asking this question yourself.

“What exactly are NFTs?” 🤔

NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are unique digital assets stored on blockchain, representing digital content ownership. They gained popularity in 2021 and have a significant tech-world impact, allowing creators to monetize digital assets and collectors to own unique digital items. Cardano, a scalable and eco-friendly blockchain, has become a popular platform for minting and trading NFTs.

PFP Collection

There’s this one type of NFT collection that is very popular — PFP. A PFP (Profile Picture) collection in the NFT space refers to a collection of unique digital art pieces, typically in the form of cartoon-style profile pictures, that are tokenized as NFTs.

These collections usually consist of around 10,000 different PFPs, each with its own distinct traits and characteristics. The PFP NFTs are often used as avatars or profile pictures on social media platforms, and owning a PFP from a popular collection can be seen as a status symbol within the NFT community.

Example of a PFP Collection — Unbothered Wolves

Follow along as we walk you through the process of creating and launching a successful PFP NFT collection, step-by-step. For the launch of your NFTs, you can choose from several other blockchains; however, Cardano offers the highest level of security and all the other desirable features of a decentralized chain.

Step 1: Create a Concept 📝

Creating a concept is a major first step in launching an NFT collection. It’s the foundation upon which the entire project will be built.

• Define the Theme and Purpose: The concept should clearly define the theme and purpose of your NFT collection. What is the main idea or message you want to convey through your collection? This could be anything from a specific art style to a social cause or even a fictional universe you’ve created.
• Determine What Character: You also need to determine the character for your NFT. It could be a human, an animal, or any other type of character. One of the most well-known NFT characters is an ape.
• Identify Your Target Audience: Who is your collection aimed at? Are you targeting art collectors, gamers, or perhaps a specific community interested in a particular topic? Understanding your audience will help you tailor your concept to their interests and preferences.
• Develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP): What makes your collection unique and different? This could be the art style, the story behind the collection, or the utility of the NFTs. Your USP will be a key factor in attracting attention and interest in your project.
• Create a Roadmap: While the concept is the starting point, it’s also important to have a plan for the future. What do you envision for your collection? Will you release more collections in the future? Will you offer additional utility or benefits to holders? A roadmap can help you communicate your long-term vision to potential buyers.
• Consider the Market: While originality is important, it’s also beneficial to consider the current trends and popular themes in the NFT market. This can help you create a concept that resonates with a larger audience. However, remember that trends can change quickly, so it’s important to balance market trends with your unique vision.
• Brainstorm and Refine: Creating a concept is a creative process. Don’t be afraid to brainstorm multiple ideas and refine them. You can also seek feedback from others to get a fresh perspective on your ideas.

Remember this: “Don’t create an NFT project just for the sake of it or to make money. If you decide to launch an NFT project, it should be your long-term goal to make it successful in every way possible.”

Step 2: Form a Capable Team ✅

Establishing a credible team is a critical step when launching an NFT collection, especially for PFP projects. Recruiting an artist who can effectively transform your concept and vision into the PFP collection is vital. A robust and credible team significantly enhances the likelihood of success for your NFT collection.

• Identify Key Roles: Determine the roles you need to fill in your team. These might include an artist or designer, a developer, a marketer, a community manager, and discord moderators.
• Find the Right People: Look for individuals with the skills and experience necessary for each role. They should also be passionate about the project and committed to its success.
• Check Their Track Record: Review the past work of potential team members. This can give you an idea of their skills, style, and reliability.
• Consider Their Network: Look for team members who have a strong network in the NFT space. This can be beneficial for marketing and community building.
• Set Clear Expectations: Communicate your expectations and goals to each team member. This can help ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same objectives.
• Establish a Team Culture: Foster a positive and collaborative team culture. This can help keep morale high and encourage creativity and innovation.
• Regular Communication: Maintain regular communication with your team. This can help keep everyone updated on the project’s progress and address any issues or concerns promptly.
• Be Flexible: Be open to feedback and suggestions from your team members. They may have insights or ideas that can improve the project.

Step 3: Draw the Traits 🧑‍🎨

Once you’ve developed a concept and assembled a capable team, the next step is to discuss the visualization of your PFP collection with your artist(s). Drawing the traits and their layering are crucial steps in creating an NFT collection, especially for PFP projects.

• Conceptualize the Traits: Based on your concept, decide what traits your characters will have. These could include various types of clothing, accessories, facial features, backgrounds, and more.
• Create a List of Traits: Compile a comprehensive list of all the traits you wish to incorporate into your NFT collection. This list will serve as a helpful reference for your artist, ensuring that all necessary elements are included and drawn accurately.
• Decide the Image Dimension: We suggest using a 3000 x 3000 pixel image, which is high quality and suitable for PFPs. This should be consistent with all the artwork your artist will create.
• Define Trait Layering: Trait layering involves the strategic stacking of various layers of artwork to create a cohesive image. The sequence in which these traits are layered and how they are combined significantly influences the final look of each NFT or image within the collection. It is essential to communicate with your artist about the order of the traits, such as arranging them from back to front (for example): background, body, clothing, mouth, eyes, and headwear.
• Create the Artwork/Traits: Draw each trait as a separate piece of artwork or image. Make sure the artwork is of high quality and consistent in style.
• Traits Naming: When naming each trait, ensure that the filenames match the final trait names, as these will be reflected in the metadata.
• Organize the Files: Organize your trait artwork files in a way that makes sense for your project by separating them into folders. This could be by category (e.g., clothing, accessories, or facial features).
• Consider Variations: Create variations of each trait to add diversity to your collection. This could include different colors, styles, or designs.
• Ensure Consistency: Make sure all your trait artwork is consistent in style, size, and quality. This will help create a cohesive collection.
• Review and Refine: Review your trait artwork and make any necessary refinements. This could include adjusting colors, fixing errors, or making changes based on feedback.
• 1 of 1s: Producing 1 of 1 NFTs for your collection is not mandatory, but many PFP projects include them. These unique NFTs have traits that appear only once throughout the entire collection. They are unique, and that’s why they are typically high in value.

Take a look at the video below, which provides a quick demonstration of various traits, their layering techniques, and examples of 1 of 1 NFTs. This video will give you an understanding of how these elements come together to create unique and distinct digital assets. 👇

Step 4: Execute Genius Marketing 🧠

While your artist is finalizing the creation of all the traits for your NFT collection, you can initiate a marketing campaign on X. X, previously known as Twitter, is the most widely used social media platform for NFTs, providing an ideal environment for projects to market directly to their target audience.

This involves implementing innovative and impactful marketing strategies to promote your NFTs. Engage with the Cardano NFT community, collaborate with other projects, and distribute a whitelist to generate interest and excitement around your collection.

The most successful approach to capturing attention involves connecting with your target audience, which could involve highlighting the benefits of owning your NFTs and discussing the technical developments you are building.

Step 5: Choose a Mint Provider/Partner 🤝

This involves selecting a platform or partner to help with the minting process of your NFT collection. This step is crucial, as it determines the success and efficiency of your NFT launch. The chosen provider or partner will help with the technical aspects of minting, such as creating the mint page and ensuring a smooth minting experience for your users.

XFORGE stands out as the most advantageous mint provider due to its exceptional features. Adequate funding is important for the success of a project, and XFORGE’s cost-effectiveness allows creators to allocate more ADA toward implementing their project roadmap effectively. Our platform is designed to be user-friendly, affordable, secure, multi-signature, and no-code, catering to creators, brands, and anyone interested in minting, selling, and managing digital assets.

Check out our pricing, which is the most affordable on Cardano.

Step 6: Generate Your Collection 🖼️

Example of a PFP Generative Collection — Unbothered Lycans

Once your artist has completed the drawing and finalized the traits, it’s time to generate the collection. Generating an NFT collection involves a developer utilizing a set of code along with the collection’s traits to generate a large number of images, each with its own corresponding metadata files. The typical supply of such collections is around 10,000 NFTs, but the code can theoretically produce millions of images depending on the total number of traits incorporated.

But before proceeding, you need to determine each trait's potential rarity, which will not be the same as the final output but close to it. This can be done by inputting the rarity information on a spreadsheet or Excel. Moreover, you can designate certain traits to avoid others, typically due to incompatibility in their layering.

The rarity subtotal of each trait category must be 100%. For a clearer understanding, refer to the video below, which provides an example. 👇

Generating your collection must come after you’ve decided which mint provider you’re going with—in your case, most likely XFORGE. As our Minting Package 5 includes the generation of your collection, you have the option to choose that instead of generating the collection on your own or with the assistance of a developer. You just have to provide us with the trait images organized in folders and the spreadsheet for their potential rarity.

Important: Filenames Format
XFORGE follows a strict file naming format that you must follow, as detailed below. 👇 If you don’t adhere to the specified format, your files won’t be uploaded successfully.

Metadata:
Before we move on to the next step, let’s clarify what NFT metadata is. NFT metadata on Cardano refers to the additional information attached to an NFT. This metadata includes details like the token’s name, description, and image. It’s a crucial part of the NFT as it provides essential information about the digital asset.

One of the standards for NFT metadata on Cardano is CIP-25 (Cardano Improvement Proposal 25). CIP-25 defines a standard format for storing metadata on Cardano’s blockchain, making it easier for users to understand and interact with NFTs. This includes details like the token’s name, description, and image. The CIP-25 standard also supports additional fields like the token’s creator, the date it was minted, and more.

Click 👉 here to see a side-by-side sample comparison of metadata input and output of a Cardano NFT. (the link leads to the pool.pm metadata test)

Step 7: Create Your Project or Policy ℹ️

Policy ID serves as a way to uniquely identify and verify the policy associated with a specific native token or set of native tokens. This fingerprint allows users to validate that the policy for a token adheres to the predefined rules.

You have the option to upload and configure your NFT collection using XFORGE on your own. We offer a comprehensive guide to assist you in this process. Follow the steps below to generate a policy ID and establish your royalty percentage and wallet address.

1. Go to app.xforge.studio and connect your Cardano wallet to log in.
2. On the top left, there is a [menu] button, then go to [My Projects]. You can also access the [My Projects] button on the Home page.
3. Click [Create New Project]
4. Input your project name, and select either New or Existing Policy. If it’s a new project, checkmark [New Policy]. You will then input the date of when the policy will lock, typically three years after the creation of the project. A locked policy means you can’t add more NFTs in that collection, edit metadata, or burn. You can ignore the metadata format option and click [Create].
5. Once the policy is created, proceed to mint the royalty token. Access the My Projects page, locate the project you created, and click on the [Royalty Token] button. Enter the wallet address where you wish the royalty to be directed and specify the percentage, usually between 5 and 10%. Moreover, it is important to remember that the royalty token must be the first minted token or NFT, within the policy.

Watch the tutorial for more clarity.

Step 8: Bulk Upload Your NFTs ⬆️

NFTs consist of two files: the images and the metadata (subfiles are optional only). As mentioned in step 6, you must follow the strict file naming format on XFORGE. Simply uploading the images and metadata to the platform does not transform them into NFTs; they must be minted onto the blockchain to become official NFTs. Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide on how to efficiently upload your NFTs and metadata in bulk.

1. Ensure that your files follow strictly the XFORGE naming format. Additionally, it’s important to note that media file sizes should not exceed 25 MB.
2. Go to the My Projects page and locate the project or policy to which you want your NFTs to be uploaded, then click [Manage Tokens]
3. Click [Bulk Upload]
4. Once you’re on the Bulk Upload page, you can read the rules or filename format and then click [Browse].
5. For optimal results, we advise uploading the metadata files first, followed by their corresponding images. To prevent errors or disruptions in the upload process, it’s recommended to upload no more than 500 files at a time.
6. After successfully uploading both the images and metadata, click [Confirm Upload]. It’s essential to verify by scrolling down the page that each image has its corresponding metadata uploaded before proceeding with this action.
7. If your collection has a huge supply, simply repeat the same process until all NFT files are uploaded successfully.

Watch the tutorial for more clarity.

Reserved NFTs (optional):
When allocating NFTs for giveaways, treasury, or team members, consider uploading them under a new project while maintaining the same policy. To do this, export the policy from your primary project and import it into a new project by choosing the [Existing Policy] and mnemonic phrases options and then input the seed and policy script. Refer to the video tutorial provided below for detailed guidance.

Important:
Keep the policy-key information confidential. By possessing these files, you can manage and change the supply of the NFT collection.

Step 9: Create a Whitelist 📝

An NFT whitelist is a list of pre-approved wallet addresses that are granted early access to mint or purchase non-fungible tokens (NFTs) at a specific date and time before the general public sale.

This step is optional, but many projects are incorporating whitelists in their minting as it serves as an effective marketing strategy. Whitelists not only reward early supporters and manage demand but also help in building anticipation and interest in the project.

There are two ways to create a whitelist:

• Collecting Addresses: You can collect them manually by asking the whitelisted to provide their wallet address, or you can set up a Discord bot to automate this process. The bot can be configured to collect wallet addresses on your behalf, streamlining the process and ensuring accuracy.
• Snapshot: If you have an existing collection and wish to whitelist it for a new mint, you can take a snapshot either with the assistance of a developer or directly through XFORGE. To take a snapshot, you will be required to deposit 3 ADA and 20 AWOO prior. Take note that the exported file from the XFORGE snapshot still needs to be reformatted by a developer or you can ask ChatGPT how to. The format must be one address per line, so you can easily copy and paste it to the XFORGE whitelist. Please refer to the tutorial video below for a step-by-step guide on how to take a snapshot.

To import a whitelist on XFORGE, follow these simple steps:

1. Go to the [Whitelist] page, and click [Create New Whitelist].
2. A popup field will appear; input the name and description (optional), then click [Create].
3. After creating the whitelist, click [Manage Whitelist]. You have the option to [Bulk Import] the address or add it one by one.
4. Since we have several wallet addresses to import, we’ll click [Bulk Import]. Another popup field will appear.
5. You can copy and paste multiple addresses at once as long as it’s one address per line. What separates the addresses is the return key and no other character or text. We suggest limiting the importing to 100 addresses per batch. Note that a wallet address can be entered more than once.
6. After importing the wallet addresses, you can specify the number of NFTs each address is allowed to mint during the whitelist sale. Once you have defined the minting limits, click [Create]. Repeat this process until you have added all the addresses for that specific whitelist. Please note that a whitelist can only be used once and not for multiple mint phases.

Watch the tutorial for more clarity.

Step 10: Create Your Mint Page 🏷️

A mint page enables you to sell your NFTs directly to your community by allowing them to mint the tokens. Once you have uploaded your NFT files to XFORGE, you are almost ready to create your mint page. However, there are a few preliminary steps to complete beforehand.

1. Prepare a logo sized at 1000 x 1000 pixels and a background image at 1920 x 1080 pixels. Additionally, ensure you have finalized all mint details, including the mint price, date, etc. before proceeding to set up your mint page. However, it is worth noting that you can make edits to these details later if necessary.
2. To successfully create a mint page on XFORGE, deposit AWOO tokens based on the number of NFTs in your collection. Currently, the requirement is 20 AWOO per NFT. For example, if you have 1000 NFTs, you need to deposit 20,000 AWOO. These tokens will be deducted only when an NFT is minted. If your collection does not sell out and you stop the mint, you can withdraw your AWOO after deleting the mint page. A video guide below is available to assist you with the deposit process.

Now that you have completed the initial steps above, you can proceed to create your mint page on XFORGE. This process involves inputting specific details listed below:

• Logo and Background
• Project Name and Description: We recommend providing a description that is at least three sentences long. This will enhance the visual appeal of your mint page and provide a more comprehensive overview of your NFT collection to potential buyers.
• Project links which include your website, X, and discord invite.
• Select the project that you’ve uploaded on the My Projects tab.
• Earning Wallet: Input your project’s wallet address where all the earnings from the mint will be sent.
• Specify the number of mint phases you will have. For instance, you may choose to have two phases: a whitelist phase and a public mint phase. The default setting is one phase, but you can add more by clicking the [+ Add mint Phase] button.
• You will then need to input the mint details for each mint phase. Those are mint phase name, mint starts and ends (date and time in UTC), selecting a whitelist if applicable, ADA price per NFT (token is possible), and the number of NFTs that can be minted per TX (up to 10).
• Once you verify all the info is correct, click [Create Sale]. Click [View Sales Page] to be redirected to your actual mint page.

Watch this tutorial on how to create your mint page.

Add Token Mint Price:
XFORGE integrated a feature where you can optionally add any token as an additional price for your collection sale. If you’re mint price is only in ADA, just leave the Token Unit blanked.

Note: Adding a token mint price introduces an additional fee during the minting process, which is not displayed on the mint price UI. This fee, known as the UTXO fee, is typically around 1.2 ADA (subject to variation) and is required to send a token to a wallet. Both the UTXO fee and the token are sent directly to the project creator, not to XFORGE.

Here’s an example: ($AWOO)
Policy ID + Asset Name:
09f5f55fcad17503e6b7acc81de7c80f84b76e76d17085f0e32f1ce2 + 41574f4f

The input for the Token Unit field should be:
09f5f55fcad17503e6b7acc81de7c80f84b76e76d17085f0e32f1ce241574f4f

For token unit field — cardanoscan.io

Congratulations! 🎉 You have now launched your NFT collection.

Click 👉 here to access a mint page for real-time experience.

📖 Bonus Guides or Features:

➡ Personal Mint: XFORGE offers a convenient feature that allows you to mint an NFT directly from your project’s dashboard. You can only mint one NFT at a time. And it’s FREE for eligible holders. Watch the quick video tutorial to learn more.

➡ Burning: Burning an NFT refers to the process of permanently removing an NFT from circulation by sending it to a special address on the blockchain that is inaccessible to anyone. This is often done to reduce the supply of an NFT collection, which can increase its value and scarcity. XFORGE offers a specific burning address for each policy created. To burn an NFT, simply send the token or NFT you wish to remove from circulation to the designated Burner Wallet associated with that policy.

➡ Update Image or Metadata: This is possible when the policy is still open or not locked. It involves minting the same NFT and burning it after. Since you know how to do Personal Mint and Burning, this is easier for you to digest. How does it work, tho?

Each NFT within a policy has a unique Asset Name, which ensures its non-fungibility. To update an NFT’s metadata and image, for example, UnbotheredLycan0001, you must mint a new NFT with the same Asset Name but with updated metadata and image.

The blockchain will then reflect the new details, effectively updating the old NFT. However, this process temporarily makes the token fungible. To restore non-fungibility, you must burn the excess supply or the newly minted NFT.

Here’s how you can do it on XFORGE:

1. Prepare the revised image and metadata files for the NFT you wish to update. Ensure that they follow the Bulk Upload filename format.
2. Go to the My Projects tab and select the project with the same policy as the NFT you want to revise, then bulk upload the new image and metadata files.
3. Do a Personal Mint of the newly uploaded NFT. This will update the image and/or metadata of the old NFT.
4. Burn the newly minted NFT by sending it to the Burner Wallet provided for that policy to restore the token’s non-fungibility.

The burning process wasn’t included in this video.

NFT image and/or metadata updating process.

➡ Create a Single NFT: XFORGE simplifies the process of creating an NFT by allowing you to input the desired details directly, without the need to upload a separate metadata file. Simply input the information you wish to include and click [Create].

➡ Create Multiple NFTs: XFORGE provides a feature that allows you to create multiple NFTs with the same image and metadata at once. This functionality is particularly beneficial when you’re aiming to create an NFT pass collection with consistent media and details.

➡ Create a Memecoin: XFORGE offers more than just NFT creation capabilities. You can also use the platform to create and mint a fungible token (FT), or if you want to create a memecoin.

➡ Buy/Sell Tokens: We have collaborated with DexHunter to incorporate their swap feature into XFORGE. The default swap is from ADA to AWOO, but you can exchange any token you prefer. This feature is particularly beneficial when you need to quickly acquire AWOO for depositing in a collection or for a snapshot.

That’s it! Thank you for completing this comprehensive guide with us. 🤝 We look forward and are excited to witness the success of your NFT launch.

Don’t forget to follow us:

• Unbothered Wolves — NFT Project
• XFORGE — NFT Minting Platform
• Midas — Founder and Writer of this article