How to Make Printables and Sell on Etsy – 6 Tips

How to Make Printables and Sell on Etsy – 6 Tips

Home » How to Make Printables and Sell on Etsy – 6 Tips

Do you want to know how to make printables to sell on Etsy? If so, then we have a full guide on making and selling printables on Etsy that we’re sure will interest you. Firstly, you should have an idea of what Etsy printables are by reading the definitions of printables and Etsy in the next subheading.

What Are Printables and What Is Etsy?

Printables such as educational materials, art, patterns, templates, graphic designs, and so on are virtual or digital products that are sold to customers via downloads. Etsy, on the other hand, is an e-commerce website where artists and collectors can sell their arts and crafts such as handmade, custom-made, or vintage pieces.

The two definitions above should give you a clear idea of what Etsy printables are, but we’ll help you understand with this example: You can make a printable sticker and sell copies of it on Etsy.

Examples of Printables

We have more examples of Etsy printables for you below.

  1. Calendars
  2. Coloring sheets
  3. Digital invitation cards
  4. Planners
  5. Social media filters
  6. Checks
  7. Wall art

Why You Would Be Interested in Selling Printables

Do you know that you can make hundreds to even millions of dollars selling printables? It depends on the product idea and marketing strategy you employ. The effort and time you put in are key factors. You just have to create the design or art, list it for sale, take care of marketing, check your account from time to time, and boom!

Just factor in expenses such as listing fees, marketing costs, and so on. That’s nothing compared to what you can earn after creating and putting up one piece for sale and then getting thousands of people to buy the item. See the points we’ve outlined below.

1. It Can Become Your Side Hustle

You don’t have to spend much time running the business. It’s as simple as setting up an account on an online store like Etsy, making pieces, and putting them on sale. You can decide not to monitor your progress for days or even weeks, only to check back later to discover that you’ve made a significant amount of money.

There’s also the option of dedicating a few hours weekly to the e-commerce site. You could do this while working your normal day job or be part of a combination of passive income streams.

2. You Could Make a Lot of Money Annually at Little Cost

There’s the potential to make hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars from the business yearly. And you can do so by spending little money on fees. Imagine adding your passive income to the money you earn from your full-time job/business. You may even decide to quit your job if this hustle pays enough in the future.

3. It’s Easy to be a Printables Seller with no Prior Skill.

You don’t have to be creative. You don’t have to be an artistic individual. Simply learn how to make printables to sell on Etsy with the books and online courses that will be recommended later in this guide. It can be fun to earn with little money, time, and effort. No worries about producing each copy of an item individually, packaging, and shipping.

Facts and Statistics on Selling Printables

Below are 7 statistics that may be relevant to you in learning how to make prints to sell on Etsy.

  1. A study showed that sellers who are engaged in selling on Etsy full-time make an average annual revenue (gross) of $44,000.
  2. There are about 82 million active buyers on Etsy.
  3. There are well over 4 million active Etsy sellers.
  4. 80% of Etsy sellers are one-man businesses.
  5. More than 95% of Etsy sellers run their businesses from home.

How to Make Printables to Sell

See some tips on making printables to sell on Etsy after knowing the best-selling printables on Etsy that you can specialize in designing and putting up for sale.

  1. You can design digital downloads by drawing and scanning them into digital forms.
  2. You can use Canva to design any type of printable.
  3. Photos can also be used in designing printables. However, make sure that there’s no copyright issue to worry about.
  4. Think of your idea(s) carefully before deciding what to make. Aim for uniqueness and do your research for the best possible idea. Use captivating fonts, colors, graphics, etc. Check for trademarks, uniqueness in product names, and so on.
  5. Keep researching new designs and ideas for digital downloads. You never know when you could stumble upon an idea that nobody has ever implemented. It could get you to that million-dollar mark we mentioned earlier.

Watch this YouTube video to learn more about how to make prints to sell on Etsy:

How To Create Printables To Sell On Etsy | Digital Products | Etsy Digital Products

Best-Selling Printables on Etsy

The following are the best-selling printables on Etsy:

1. Party Invitations

Party invitations would require customization services, making them more expensive than other types of printables. The good thing about specializing in this type of printable is that there’s always a market in any season. Besides, parties or events take place every day!

2. Gift Tags

Gift tags can be made for parties apart from invitations. For example, “Thank You” tags for party packs. And just like party invitations, there’s always a daily market for these.

3. Calendars

The key to selling digital calendars is in how unique your designs are or how you can capture the customer’s vision. These would typically be in high demand towards the start of a new year or the first month.

4. Meal Plan Templates

These are relevant to people who go on diets or who take their eating habits/schedules seriously. You’d want to know how to appeal to this market in the most captivating way—maybe by designing food-themed templates.

5. Coloring Pages

You can make them for kids as well as adults. Check out how to sell coloring pages on Etsy in the FAQs (frequently asked questions) section. You’ll find more information on coloring pages there.

How to Sell Printables on Etsy?

You know how to make prints to sell on Etsy. What’s next is to know how to put them up for sale.

  • You can decide to run multiple Etsy shops showcasing different types of printables. You can use one shop for digital downloads and another for a different product category, such as clothes, jewelry, etc.
  • Ensure that your digital pieces are properly resized and formatted for suitability when downloading.
  • Set a good price for your work. It should be favorable when the money you’ll have to pay for listing and other fees is considered. Try not to underprice or overprice your pieces.
  • Continue researching new ways to make your business better. Learn from the experience and put the lessons you learned to good use.
  • Have many items ready for sale before listing them in the store.
  • Utilize great-looking mockups.

Watch this YouTube video to learn how to make printables to sell on Etsy and then put them up for sale:

How to Sell Printables Digital Art Prints on Etsy – Tips for Beginners 2021 – Etsy Digital Products

Selling Printables on Etsy – Pros and Cons

We have presented the advantages and disadvantages of selling printables on Etsy here.

Pros

  1. Using Etsy means you don’t need to set up a website to put your pieces on sale.
  2. You’ll be utilizing a well-known site that has over 80 million active buyers to sell to.
  3. Opening and managing an account on Etsy is easy.

Cons

  1. There are limited shop customization features on the site.
  2. The fees that Etsy collects may not be satisfactory to you.
  3. Etsy can shut your account down at any point in time—mistakenly, accidentally, or with good reason. You may not be able to regain the shop depending on the circumstances.

Best Ways of Selling Printables on Etsy – 6 Tips

Here, we’ll present 10 pieces of advice you want to know as a seller learning how to sell printables on Etsy. We reiterate that it’s necessary to know this after learning how to make printables to sell on Etsy. We have tips, tricks, techniques, books, and online courses for selling printables on Etsy below.

  1. Research the demand for the types of printables you want to specialize in making and selling. You need to know if it is one of the best-selling printables on Etsy.
  2. Ensure that you give a clear, catchy, and comprehensive product description that would appeal to your potential buyers.
  3. Use the right marketing strategies such as SEO, SEM, social media promotions, and so on.
  4. Provide proof of customer satisfaction and service quality as part of your marketing strategy.
  5. Take the following Teachable courses:
    1. How to Optimize Your Etsy Shop and Listings for SEO: Students will learn how to sell printables on Etsy using SEO strategies.
    2. Art Printables for Passive Income: Students will learn how to make prints to sell on Etsy and build a successful art printable Etsy shop.
  6. Read these books:
    1. Start an Etsy Business: How to Become a Printable Seller and Make Money Selling Printables on Etsy: This book will show you how to sell printables on Etsy.
    2. Create an Etsy Printable Business: Learn how to Make & Sell Printable Products on Etsy: This book will show you how to make prints to sell on Etsy.

FAQs

We have provided answers to the following FAQs on how to make printables to sell on Etsy:

How to Sell Coloring Pages on Etsy?

How to sell coloring pages on Etsy? It’s as simple as following the tips we gave under this subheading: “How to Sell Printables on Etsy.” Other tips on how to sell coloring pages on Etsy include the following:
1. Ensure that you use unique designs.
2. Avoid using designs or photos that you don’t have a copyright too. This is to avoid legal problems.
3. As mentioned earlier, you can also design coloring pages for adults. 4. They’re utilized for meditative exercises and to relieve stress.
Use the right design tools, such as Canva, which we recommended earlier.

How to Create Invitations to Sell on Etsy?

Designing invitations is one of the business ideas in the printables industry that requires you to be a less passive seller. This is because you would have to customize the invitations with the customer’s information.

To learn how to create invitations to sell on Etsy, check the tips we gave under this subheading: “How to Make Printables to Sell”. You can offer various templates for each of the following ideas and more:
1. Anniversary parties
2. Baby showers
3. Birthday parties
4. Graduation parties
5. Halloween parties
6. Weddings

How to Print Printables from Etsy?

You may have postponed printing a printable later because you weren’t sure how to download the item. Well, we’ll describe how to do so here.

You should be able to access your Etsy digital download in a matter of minutes once it’s purchased. Purchased Etsy printables appear in the orders section of your account, from where they can be downloaded onto the file manager of your mobile device or PC. The site will also send an email to the email address linked to your Etsy account. A link to the file you bought will be included in the email.

You can also get previous digital downloads by logging into your Etsy account and clicking on “Purchases and Reviews.” You will be taken to a page that shows all your past purchases. Choose your desired file by clicking on the “Download Files” button next to it. This will redirect you to a page where the file can be downloaded. Your Etsy downloads can be printed from your device using a high-quality office or home printer.
Note: Digital downloads can’t be accessed via the Etsy mobile app. Also, Etsy supports many digital file types, but your device would need the right (compatible) software to open them. For example, Adobe Acrobat Reader for PDF downloads. Lastly, Etsy’s help page has useful information for those who have trouble downloading their files.

How Much Money Can You Make Selling Printables?

As stated earlier, you could make hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars annually. However, you may want to keep your expectations at a few thousand of dollars for the first year. Learn more profitable strategies and use your experience to make better decisions that will help you earn more in subsequent years. Refer to this subheading: “Why You Would Be Interested in Selling Printables.”

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Conclusion

Now that you know stuff like how to sell coloring pages on Etsy, you can easily make a simple one-page business plan to get started as soon as possible. Find out more ideas apart from the examples of Etsy printables that have been mentioned in this guide.

The best-selling printables on Etsy described in this post could be your focus, or you could choose to think of a new idea for a printable that no one has implemented. Try to be unique and stand out among the millions of sellers on Etsy if you want to beat the highly competitive printables market. Good luck with establishing your newfound passive income stream!

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