How To Sell Printables on Etsy: Step-by-Step Guide

An Etsy printables business has the potential for high profit margins. You create items once—like works of digital art, digital planners, sewing patterns, or DIY project guides—and then sell them as many times as possible.

Of course, there’s more to it than just listing your digital products and watching the money roll in. If you’re looking to make passive income as a freelance creative or an independent design studio, here’s what you need to know about launching a successful Etsy printables business.

What are printables?

Printables are a type of digital product: sellers create an asset or product once and then sell it repeatedly in a digital format. Unlike physical products—for example, framed art prints shipped to customers—digital printables don’t require the seller to pay shipping or fulfillment fees. Products are delivered digitally and often automatically. Each product listing has the potential to generate unlimited value.

Depending on the style of printable, customers can reference or print it themselves at home moments after their purchase. They may also submit the digital file to a third-party printing service (for example, in the case of oversized or high-quality products, like full-color art prints).

Types of printables

• Organizational tools
• Professional templates
• Stickers
• Tutorials
• Coloring pages
• Home décor
• Needlecraft patterns
• Event invitations and decorations

There are many different types of printables you can sell on Etsy—although you don’t have to choose just one. Here are some of the most popular printables:

Organizational tools

Organizational and productivity tools, like planners, calendar templates, to-do lists, and chore chart checklists, are some of the most popular printables on Etsy. Offer products like these as simple, single-file downloads or create curated bundles of tools to capture a higher price point. 

For example, you could design and sell a financial budget tracker by itself, as well as bundle it with a weekly habit tracker, fitness tracker, and meal planner. Blossom Bujo, for example, offers whimsical iterations on organizational tools, many adorned with seasonal illustrations.  

Professional templates

Proper formatting is key to so many professional moments, be it job seeking, sending your first freelance contracts, or learning the art of in-person networking. Creating printable templates for professionals—like résumés, business cards, invoices, statements of work, printable design portfolio templates, and even guides for successfully selling on Etsy—can be a lucrative niche.

Stickers

Consider starting your own printable sticker business if you want to showcase your creativity without partnering with a third-party printer or having to meet minimum order quantities (MOQs).

Some sellers offer printable stickers as a way to enhance their premium products. For example, Bloom Planners sells physical planners through its Shopify-powered ecommerce site, but also sells stickers and a number of digital products through both its website and its Etsy storefront.

Tutorials

One of the most valuable assets you can offer is your expertise. If you have an in-demand skill (or are gifted at getting others to explain theirs), printable tutorials or educational printables might be a good niche. Whether you want to teach your customers how to draw, perform woodworking, or care for houseplants, printables can turn hard-won wisdom into evergreen income. The Craft Train Store, for example, offers printable materials paired with step-by-step tutorials for unique paper creations.

Coloring pages

Parents of children who love to color know the true value of a good coloring page, coloring book, or jumbo coloring wall print. Whether customers are in search of an activity that will generate a few hours of calm, want to save their walls from doodles, or instill a love of DIY play, printable coloring pages are a timeless solution.

Caravan Shoppe’s Etsy store offers every format of color-ready printable, from tools for educators to activity books and unique placemats. There’s a whole market out there dedicated to adult coloring pages, too.

Home décor

If you have an eye for curation—and for surfacing gems from public domain images—you might consider selling wall art. Just note that, depending on the artwork you plan to list, you may need to negotiate licensing agreements with artists or copyright holders beforehand.

You can offer prints or posters as individual files or as gallery wall bundles, which are themed digital downloads for customers looking to spruce up an empty wall in one go. Like JJ Design House, you might consider listing your products by theme, such as the specific room (kitchen, kid’s room, bathroom, etc.) or style (abstract, florals, maximalist colors, etc.). And don’t forget about seasonal printables—you can list your items according to the holiday, too.

Needlecraft patterns

Take advantage of the popularity of hobbies like knitting, crocheting, sewing, and needlepoint by offering printable patterns and tutorials. For example, Frocks and Frolics sells kid-friendly sewing patterns through both its website and Etsy store.

Event invitations and decorations

For customers planning a wedding, birthday, or festive brunch, printable event décor can make throwing a great party easier than ever—not to mention potentially budget-friendly. As a seller, your options include customizable wedding invitations and greeting cards, printed banners, cupcake toppers, candy bar wrappers, table centerpieces, gift tags, and more. A brand like Sunshine Parties might offer everything from invitations to clever decorations and digital paper patterns you can use for unique gift wrapping or crafts.

How to sell printables on Etsy

1. Find a niche
2. Design your printables
3. Set up an Etsy seller account
4. Open an Etsy store
5. Create listings
6. Promote your store

Once you’ve set up your Etsy storefront, selling printables can be a relatively low-effort way to generate steady, passive income. Here’s how to build a successful printables shop on Etsy in just six steps.

1. Find a niche

Identifying a strong niche will let you pinpoint the target audience with whom your products are most likely to resonate. Start by browsing the Etsy printables marketplace to get a sense of what’s out there and how other sellers are presenting their wares.

You may already have an idea for what kind of printables you’d most like to sell—maybe you’re a wiz at creating calendars and have an eye for color coordination. But if you’re undecided, here are a few steps to take:

• Conduct market research. Determine the demand and audience for a given product or business. If you’re hoping to enter an already-popular niche, like life planners, what opportunities are there to stand out among the competition?
• Peruse Etsy trends. One of the easiest weathervanes to use is Etsy’s own search bar, which will autopopulate with commonly searched phrases or keywords. Many of these findings are further distilled on the platform’s “Trending” page and annual trend reports.
• Do a keyword search. If you want to go the extra mile, there are various Etsy-specific analytics tools, like eRank, Alura, EtsyHunt, and Marmalead, you can use to better understand what customers are looking for.

2. Design your printables

Once you’ve decided on the type of printables you want to sell, it’s time to build out your product portfolio. You don’t have to be a professional graphic designer to create unique printables. Here are a few best practices, whether you’re the designer or plan on seeking outside assistance.

If you’re the designer, you can design your printables with a variety of creative tools and professional graphic design software applications, like Adobe Creative Cloud, GIMP (the free photo editing alternative to Adobe Photoshop), or Canva. Source public domain and royalty-free stock images through Unsplash, Shutterstock, and Pexels, many of which offer premade graphic elements.

If you’re planning on selling printable wall art, be aware of licensing, royalties, and copyright information for any images you feature. Use easy-to-read typography and complementary font combinations for any text on your printables, especially planners, to-do lists, and professional templates.

If you plan to outsource the design work and have a low budget, look for a freelance artist or designer on a platform like Upwork or Fiverr. Get a sense of an individual’s reliability, skills, and pricing by first checking out any available reviews or testimonials. Once you decide to proceed with a designer, clearly explain what you’re hoping to make, both in terms of its function and style, and provide examples.

3. Set up an Etsy seller account

To sell on Etsy, you’ll need to first sign into your account; click the Sign In button on the top right-hand side of the navigation bar. Or, if you’re not already a member, fill out the site’s pop-up form and click Register.

4. Open an Etsy store

If you don’t already have an Etsy store, it’s easy to set one up. Click the “Sell on Etsy” link under the “Your account” dropdown on the top right-hand menu, then follow the prompts. Set your shop preferences for language, country, and currency, and then provide your Etsy shop name. When choosing your name, take important keywords into account and choose something that customers will be able to remember and spell correctly.

Add a payment card to your file for any relevant Etsy seller fees (a one-time setup fee applies to some new sellers). If you’d like customer payments to feed directly into a bank account, you can also provide your banking information.

5. Create listings

Once your shop is live, it’s time to create your listings and set your pricing. Optimize three main components to help your listings stand out from the noise:

The photos

High-quality product photography can be a major differentiator. Situate your product in a lifestyle photo, like a printable sticker on a water bottle, or a stack of bridal shower games arranged on an event table. This can break up the homogeneity of search results and help customers better envision your printable in their own lives.

Some sellers prefer to emphasize the bargain of their listing by showing the value—for example, by displaying an image that shows hundreds of art pieces.

Use lower-resolution images for your shop listing images to protect your products. This lets potential customers see what’s included, but no one can simply screenshot your templates without paying.

The title and description

According to the Etsy Seller Handbook, Etsy product titles have a 140-character limit and should consist of clear, easy-to-scan, keyword-rich phrases.

The product description section is where you have more creative license. Infuse it with personality where you can, highlighting your unique value proposition while clearly setting expectations. Many sellers, especially those selling printable wall art, include ratio and resolution explanations, downloading instructions, and printing recommendations.

It’s a good idea to also include a disclaimer reminding buyers they won’t receive a physical item after purchase. This can be important for customers who may not be tech-savvy or are new to the printables process.

The price

To identify the standard market pricing for your product, identify the top sellers in your category to see how much they charge, both on the high and low end. Take stock of your own costs of creation and find the sweet spot serving your personal goals. Are you looking to outsell your competition by being the most affordable? Or will you court customers willing to pay for high-quality, unique items? Remember: Since printables sell for a few dollars each, your focus should remain on making a high volume of sales.

It’s also important to remember, Etsy charges 20¢ per listing, as well as a 6.5% transaction fee on purchases. Listings remain active for four months, after which you’ll need to pay the listing fee again if you want it to remain live. If you’d prefer not to have to repost individual listings each time they expire, you can use the auto-renew feature, which automatically charges you the 20¢ listing fee and ensures your listing remains active.

6. Promote your store

Etsy Ads offers sellers paid tools to guarantee premium placement in search results. You can also use your presence on social media to attract business to both your Shopify and Etsy sites, like crocheter Genna Tatu does on her Instagram and YouTube channels.

When starting out, consider offering discount packages or free printables as a gift with purchase to begin accumulating reviews. Shopper reviews are one of the most powerful tools for generating new business on Etsy, as they can give other shoppers the confidence to complete a purchase.

Linking your Etsy and Shopify store

Many sellers get started on Etsy, where they test their wares and find their target audience. You can then take your business to the next level by opening up a store on Shopify. The Shopify platform allows a seller to drill down deeper into their consumer data and, therefore, potentially make more informed business decisions.

Because a Shopify store is more customizable than an Etsy shop, some sellers like to build a presence on both platforms: with Etsy, you can prioritize discovery, while with Shopify, you can showcase your full product portfolio and design a more comprehensive branded experience. Shopify Marketplace Connect lets you manage listings on both your Etsy store and website from one central location.

Connecting your Shopify store to your Etsy shop can add legitimacy to your Etsy storefront. It can also create a revenue stream that’s free from listing and transaction fees, as Shopify doesn’t charge either type of fee (as long as you use Shopify Payments over a third-party payment provider).

For some sellers, building a following on Etsy first is part of their long-term business strategy. They use Etsy to build a customer base that can then support their move or expansion to an independent store on Shopify. Printables studio Little Sizzle, for example, offers party games and ice breakers via its Etsy store and a wider selection of event decorations through its Shopify site.