The Absolute Best Ways to Sell Printables on Etsy

Nowadays, more than ever, people are asking how to sell printables on Etsy. They know that digital downloads are more popular than ever and selling them is one of the easiest ways to start making passive income. Very little money is required to begin and there are no inventory or shipping issues to contend with. Sound too good to be true? Not really. Let’s learn how to sell printables on Etsy.

Learn how to open a printables business on Etsy. Start a business selling digital downloads that you can grow in the comfort of your own home. On your own schedule.

We’ll show you how to design, create, and market your products. You may be surprised how easy it really is.

In just 3 days you’ll learn everything you’ll need to know to get your Etsy shop up and running! Start putting extra money in your pocket as soon as this weekend with an Etsy shop. Sign up now for the Etsy Printables Workshop!   It’s FREE!

Can You Make Money Selling Printables on Etsy?

The very short answer is yes. But I didn’t always know that. I honestly didn’t know what I was doing when I first quit my full-time job to become an entrepreneur, but I learned along the way. 

To be honest, I’m still learning and there will always be something new to learn when you own a business. Believe me, I had no idea what I was doing when I opened my first Etsy store but I watched a did a lot of research and made a lot of mistakes. But learning how to successfully run my shops finally clicked for me one day and the process became crystal clear. If you want to make money selling printables you can do it. Just give yourself time to master it before giving up.

What is an Etsy Shop?

In case you’re not completely familiar with Etsy, let me first start by explaining what it is. Etsy.com is a marketplace for creators and e-commerce sellers. 

Most of the sellers with Etsy stores sell items that they have handcrafted. This has always been the unique appeal of Etsy. 

My first experience with Etsy was when I ordered customized birthday party invitations for my daughter. I was so impressed with the quality and unique opportunity to buy something so special and individualized that I continued to buy from different sellers on Etsy for different occasions.

Each seller is able to name and personalize their store, list their products, and set their own prices. Etsy charges a small percentage for each sale and it costs $.20 for each new listing. 

You can set your prices to make up for some of the transaction fees. The prices of printables vary greatly, depending on the type of item and its delivery method. 

If you’re selling a paper item you may ship the items to customers, framed for example, or you can offer it as a downloadable product. The best part is you get to choose!

What Printables Sell Best on Etsy?

So what exactly is sold on Etsy? Almost everything! You can find anything from t-shirts to carved wooded signs. Printables are a kind of product you can find on Etsy, but not the only one.

Digital Products to Sell on Etsy

(Just to Name a Few!):

1. Wall Art

Wall décor is very popular on Etsy. You can create any kind of sign from inspirational phrases to customized art with the customer’s initials.

2. Invitations

You can set yourself apart with birthday, engagement, holiday invitations. Add value and increase the price of your products by adding save-the-date cards, thank you cards, rsvp cards, etc. This is a competitive area on Etsy, but with great designs and an email marketing strategy you can set yourself apart.

3. Party/Wedding Signs

Signs for all occasions are popular on Etsy. The sign can simply say “welcome” or it can be designed with the host or bridal party’s names. These are usually large signs that are placed on easels at the front of a venue.

4. Stationery

Believe it or not there are people who still appreciate beautiful stationery. Answer their call by designing stationery paper in several sizes. You can either allow people to print it or offer to ship it, maybe with matching envelopes.

5. Cake Toppers and Party Favors

There are so many different party favors that this alone could be a great niche. Cake toppers, favors for showers, cool decorations for New Year’s Eve, Halloween. You can really let your imagination run wild. For items like this, you would leave cut marks on the paper or board so the customer knows where to cut.

6. Wedding Programs

Wedding programs are sometimes sold as a package with invitations but not everyone will want a program. Why not sell these separately? Programs can also be used for other occasions like funerals or baptisms.

7. Bridal Party Games

Party games are relatively easy to make. They can also be bundled as bridal party bachelorette party games. Bridal shower décor, games, and invitations can all be sold as a valuable, uniform package.

8. Templates

Templates for anything from resumes to cover letters can be created and sold on Etsy. They make peoples’ lives easier and are not difficult to make. There are even educational templates for students, and with a lot of children homeschooling, this is a great time to get into this area.

9. Journals

Diaries, prayer journals, gratitude journals, dot grid journals can all be sold on Etsy. These can all be sold as a paperback, hardcover, or as downloads.

10. Worksheets/Workbooks

Worksheets and workbooks that help people learn something or achieve a goal are very popular right now. If a workbook seems daunting, try a simple worksheet first. Can you think of something people need help getting through? How about help learning how to be more productive? Give it a shot! 

There are many other types of products on Etsy, these just scratch the surface. You just have to decide what type of products you would like to create. Will you serve one niche? Will you specialize in many types of products? It’s totally up to you!

If you want to create a text-based printable like wall art that says something like, “The Boss Lady” or “Hustlers Only”, websites like Canva.com, Paint.net, www.ipiccy.com are great. Canva in particular is very user-friendly and it allows you to save your work in multiple formats. 

This is beneficial because you may want to deliver your printable as a pdf but display the work on a website as a jpg. Also, if your customer plans to print out your design the pdf version will probably work best, but if you are sending your customer a file for them to use electronically, the jpg version may work best. Always send your customer’s files in multiple formats so they have options.

Similarly, always try to provide multiple sizes to customers. Whether it’s an invitation or a wall decoration, providing your customer with multiple sizes will help you stand out from sellers who only offer one. 

Whether you are an artist or not, there are many resources out there for you when you begin your printables business. Try some of them out and you’ll be surprised at the beautiful works of art you’ll be able to create. 

If you are not interested in designing your own products, try places like www.fiverr.com or www.99designs.com. You can find designers there who can create designs for you based on your instruction. Prices can run from $5 to $30+, depending on the work requested and the artist.

How Do I Sell My Digital Printables?

If you already have an audience of any kind, a social media following may be, friends, family, acquaintances, you have an audience. And that kind of audience is the best kind. It’s called a warm audience. 

People who already know something about you and are more than likely, willing to at least hear about what you have to offer. As opposed to cold traffic, where the people you are trying to reach are strangers who have never heard of you before. 

Next, create posts on social media with links to your shop, give out your products as birthday and holiday gifts, including a business card, or run inexpensive ads. You can also post pins on Pinterest and join relevant groups, forums, and online memberships with your target niche.

How Do I Sell Digital Prints on Etsy?

You can definitely sell digital prints that are used as wall decor on Etsy and they are very popular. From small prints to large posters, you can list them and let your customer print them out at home or with a local printer. It won’t matter what your style or niche is, there is probably an audience for it, even if it’s small, on Etsy.  You would market and sell them the same way as other printables.

When creating your Etsy listings be sure to optimize you shop to get as many eyeballs on your products as possible. 

One trick to creating gorgeous listings is to use great photos and professional-looking mockups. A mockup places your product on a wall or objects to let customers see how your product will look when they purchase it.

Vexels and Placeit both have great mockup generators for this.

How Much Money Can You Make Selling Printables?

There is literally no limit to the amount of money you can make on Etsy. Nothing can predict how much you will make because your products will be unique, your store will look different, your item description will be different, etc. You just have to start listing quality items that people are looking for, for a price people are willing to pay. Try to sell an item that doesn’t have so much competition to increase the chances you will make a sale. 

As I’m writing this the top seller on Etsy right now made 1,432 sales just yesterday! It just goes to show you the sky’s the limit!

What is My Etsy Shop URL and How Do I Find My Etsy Shop Link?

I wanted to address this because sometimes readers will open a shop and then not able to find it or share the link on another platform.  

The Etsy shop url is the web address assigned to your shop by Etsy based on the name of your shop, starting with www.etsy.com. 

Once you open your Etsy shop you will be able to find the Etsy shop in either of these ways:

https://shopname.etsy.com

https://www.etsy.com/shop/shopname

I hope that helps!

If you are still on the fence about starting an Etsy shop, why not give it a shot? It will cost .20 to upload your listing and you can create your product using a free Canva account.

If you need a little assistance with starting an Etsy shop, this step-by-step guide can help.

-Lisa Michele

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product I may receive a free commission at no cost to you. See my full affiliate disclosure.

So now that you know how to sell printables on Etsy, will you open a shop? Sign up for the FREE course above and comment below!