Jan is never short of ideas for new puzzles. Brainstorm sessions with the Studio also bring plenty of concepts to the table.

“How do I start? Well, I always have some loose ideas. Little sketches of funny things that pop into my head every day. Jumbo also brings ideas, and we discuss those. But essentially, I’m completely free to choose a subject.”

Once an idea has been chosen, Jan starts developing it further.

“I turn an idea into a detailed pencil sketch. I also do the necessary research. For the Tour de France puzzle, for example, I picked up some brochures from the local bike shop. But most of it looked too modern. It’s much more fun to draw all the riders in those old-fashioned outfits. I try to capture the feeling from my childhood, when the Ronde van Schiedam was held.”

These days, he finds most of his references online — much more convenient.

After sketching, the drawing is inked using the finest Rotring pen and then copied at final size. The enlarged sketch is traced again in pencil, and this pencil drawing is then inked with Indian ink and a very fine dip pen.

During the pencil tracing, extra details and jokes are added. Once this stage is complete, the illustration is ready to be fully inked, when the very last details are added — a set of false teeth, little eyes, a dart, and so on. The creative part of the process is now finished, and the image can be coloured.

Colouring is done with brush and ecoline. Ecoline gives those beautiful, vibrant colours that Jan’s artwork is known and loved for.

Each puzzle illustration takes Jan about three months to complete. Once finished, he lets it rest for a week. There’s always a dot here or a line there that can still be added. After that, the drawing goes to Jumbo to be turned into a jigsaw puzzle.

When the artwork is ready, a graphic designer at Jumbo prepares the files for printing. The files are then sent to the factory so production can begin.

First, the puzzle image is mounted onto a large sheet of cardboard. This sheet goes through a die-cutting machine that cuts the puzzle pieces with tremendous force. The pieces still need to be separated. This is done by “the breaker” — a kind of conveyor belt with little studs that loosen the pieces as the puzzle passes over them. At the end of the breaker hangs a roll of paper that ensures each puzzle ends up in its own bag.

Next, box and lid are formed and glued by box-making machines. Robotic arms handle the efficient assembly of box, puzzle pieces and lid, after which sealing stickers are applied to keep everything closed. The puzzle — made from 100% recycled paper and FSC-certified — is now ready to be sold!

You can also watch the episode of Het Klokhuis from 2026, which shows how Jan van Haasteren puzzles are produced. The basic production process of the puzzle itself has remained largely the same over the years. However, innovative developments have influenced how the packaging is made. For a good look at the current sustainable production process, watch the NSF video as well.