How To Start Selling Prints On Etsy: A 2023 Guide

In this article, we will be exploring:

• What Etsy is all about in the first place
• What exactly prints are for the purposes of selling them on Etsy
• Whether you can make money from selling prints on Etsy
• Whether it is worth it to sell prints on Etsy
• How to sell art prints

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Selling Prints On Etsy: A 2023 Guide

While selling digital prints is relatively straightforward, not all customers may want to go through the trouble of printing and framing them on their own. 

As such, you can also offer the option of physical prints to your customers. This does mean a little more work and effort on your part. 

You may have to invest in a good printer, different sizes of good quality paper, professional paper cutters, and all other tools that are relevant to producing physical prints. 

However, if these are things that you are not ready to invest in just yet, you can consider outsourcing the printing process to a third party or a manufacturing partner.

These manufacturing partners will essentially take care of all the printing, packing, and shipping of any orders of physical prints that you get on your Etsy store. 

Some of the more well-established manufacturing partners (also referred to as print-on-demand partners) for prints are:

• Printful 
• Printify
• Gooten
• Teelaunch
• CustomCat
• Lulu xPress (This company specializes in stationery, books, magazines and calendars)

Here’s a general quick and easy guide to get you started on selling physical prints on Etsy. Do note that your print-on-demand partner may have additional requirements so you will need to confirm this with them as well. 

Step 1

Set up your Etsy store

Step 2

Sign up for an account with your print-on-demand partner of choice (Printful, Printify, and Gooten are well-experienced in working with Etsy sellers and using them can be more seamless as they will allow you to link your Etsy store with their account)

Step 3

Have your prints or digital artwork ready and posted up as listings on your Etsy store. Make sure your listing’s price includes the printing, packing, and shipping charges that you would have obtained from your print-on-demand partner

Step 4

Promote your Etsy store and your listings

Step 5

When a sale comes in on your Etsy store, pay your print-on-demand partner (your Etsy customer would have already made payment via your Etsy store). Most partners will allow you to set up a one off automated payment system so you don’t have to log in and make a payment each time there is an order

Step 6

Track the process on your print-on-demand account

Step 7

Sit back and relax, your print-on-demand partner will take care of the rest!

FAQs On Selling Prints On Etsy

What Is Etsy All About?

Etsy is essentially an eCommerce platform. However, it is not a place where you can sell just anything. 

Etsy operates as a global marketplace for creative minds. It only allows the sale of handmade, unique, and vintage items. This means that reselling wholesale items is not allowed, with the exception of craft supplies. 

The beautiful thing about Etsy is that it focuses on the human connection and the concept of community. One of its main objectives is to provide an outlet for small businesses to sell their items on their platform with little to no difficulty. 

With Etsy, you don’t have to worry about having to build a website or deal with complicated payment gateways if you want to sell your products. 

You just need to open your Etsy shop, stock it up, and you are ready for your first sale! 

What Are Prints For Selling on Etsy?

Prints are one of the best-selling digital products on Etsy.

Generally speaking, prints are digital downloads. This means you do not provide a physical product to your customer. 

When you sell prints, you simply post a digital file as an item for sale on your Etsy store. When your customer purchases it, they are able to download it.

Whether the customer then wants to use it as a digital file or whether they want to print it out is entirely up to them. The point here is, if you were to sell prints on Etsy, you would effectively be selling only a digital product. 

The term “prints” on Etsy can broadly refer to 2 things. These are:

• Art prints

Art prints are effectively digital art. These are high in demand on Etsy for customers who prefer to download the artwork and get them printed and framed in a manner that they prefer. 

One of the advantages of selling digital art prints is that you will never run out of stock and you don’t have to worry about restocking your products as you would need to do with physical items!

Alternatively, you can also sell physical art prints on Etsy.

 However, do note that this means that you will have to keep stock of your physical products. It also takes a little bit more investment because you will need good quality printing and framing equipment as well.

• Printables

Printables are another way to get started on selling digital products on Etsy. The world of printables is one that is bright, colorful, and more importantly, useful!

Essentially, these are also digital downloads. Unlike art prints, however, these are focused on items that customers can use. 

Once again, these digital products are immediately downloadable by the customer. 

They can choose to use them on their devices such as an iPad, or they can print it out on their home  and use them accordingly. 

Popular printables on Etsy include:

• Planners – these include daily and budget planners
• Journals
• Meal plan templates
• Checklists
• Calendars
• Habit trackers
• Children’s coloring sheets
• Children’s homeschooling guides and materials

The sky is the limit for selling printables on Etsy, to be honest!

You can design them from scratch and you can even offer personalization or customization of the printables to add a little more value to  your digital product and make a little extra money in the process!

Top Tips For Selling Prints On Etsy

Now that you have an idea of what prints on Etsy are all about, let’s take a look at how to sell prints on Etsy. 

It cannot be denied that selling prints or printables is one of the best ways to get started on selling digital products on Etsy. 

That being said, it is also important to note at this point that the world of prints on Etsy is extremely competitive. 

As such, there are certain things that you can do to make your prints stand out from the many Etsy stores that are selling digital products online. 

Some of the top tips for selling prints on Etsy include:

1. Optimizing The Listings On Your Etsy Store

This is one of the first things that you must set about doing when you want to start selling prints on Etsy. 

Essentially, optimizing your Etsy store or your Etsy listings requires you to do something called keyword research.

To put it simply, keyword research is the processing of finding out what words potential customers may use to search for your product. Armed with these, you would use these words in your Etsy digital product tags and descriptions. 

This means when people insert these words in the Etsy search bar, they will likely be directed to your product!

You are probably wondering at this point where on earth to get started with Etsy keyword research! Don’t worry, I’ve got your back!

One of the best and most affordable Etsy keyword research tools on the market right now is Sale Samurai.

All you need to do is enter the main keyword that you would use to describe, for example, your art prints on Etsy, and Sale Samurai will give you a whole list of all the other related keywords you can use in your product description to attract potential customers to your Etsy store! 

NOTE- As my reader, you get a discount coupon that has to be used in the sign up page. The code is outandbeyond (all in lowercase). This will give you 20% OFF for life.

You can find out more about the details of Etsy keyword research and the best Etsy keyword tools on the market here!

2. Attending An Etsy Course

If you are just getting started on selling prints on Etsy, then you may want to consider taking an Etsy course. 

There are plenty of useful Etsy courses out there that will teach you everything you need to know to make your prints the best-selling digital downloads on Etsy.

Find out more about Etsy courses here!

Additionally, there are also courses that teach you exactly how to get started in the world of prints and printables!

If you feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of designing printables from scratch to sell them on Etsy, then one of the best things you can do is get your hands on the Printables by Number course from Suzi Whitford.

This is one of the best-selling courses out there that will teach you how to create beautiful printables that you can customize for sale as digital downloads on your Etsy store. 

When you purchase her course, Suzi also gives you tons of stunning templates to work with until you gain the confidence to start designing your own template. 

It literally is like painting by numbers – but for creating printables! 

Suzi’s step-by-step guide provides you with every detail you need to know to get started on selling your own digital products on Etsy. 

Alternatively, you can download this FREE Etsy Ebook that will share a list of best-selling products by month and teach you how to capitalize on seasonal trends to make sales.

Before you know it, your store will have the best-selling printables on Etsy! 

3. Building Your Brand

This probably goes without saying but when you are looking to provide the top-selling downloads on Etsy, branding is everything. 

Whether you are selling art prints or printables, your Etsy store needs to have a consistent brand identity. 

To give you an idea, check out the following Etsy stores that have a strong brand identity in relation to their prints business:

• Prints Villa
• Letty Art Prints
• The Curious Print Studio

Whether it is in the theme of your store or the way in which you display your digital products, it cannot be denied that shoppers shop with their eyes. 

As such, it is important to associate your digital product brand with an Etsy store that is aesthetically pleasing and visually appealing. 

The more beautiful and unique your prints are, the higher the chances of them being sold on Etsy. 

4. Using Social Media

This is another great way to direct potential buyers to purchase your prints on Etsy. 

The Instagram and Facebook platforms are wonderful for marketing and enhancing the brand of your digital print store on Etsy. 

However, there is one particular social media platform that is effectively best friends with Etsy. And that platform is Pinterest! 

Once you open your Etsy store with your prints all ready for sale, do ensure that you open a Pinterest account that links to your Etsy store. 

You can then create boards on Pinterest and pin your products and link them directly to the product page on Etsy. 

The wonderful thing about Pinterest is that other people can also pin your items and you effectively get exposure to a whole new audience for absolutely free!

Find out all the ways in which you can use Pinterest for Etsy here! 

5. Enhancing The Customer Experience

Now, this may be something that is a little challenging for those who are selling prints on Etsy. 

When you are selling a physical product, you can easily provide a beautiful experience for the customer in terms of your packaging, providing free gifts, as well as a hand-written thank you note to the customer for supporting your small business. 

With digital downloadable products, however, you may not have such an opportunity. This is because the moment a customer purchases your digital product, they download it and that is the end of the customer experience. 

That being said, it is not entirely impossible to provide your customer with a unique experience when they purchase your prints. 

Some ways to do so can include:

• Offering customization or personalization services of the digital product in question
• Sending a personal thank you email to your customer once the purchase has been complete
• Following up with the customer about a week after the purchase just to check if they are happy with their product

While these tips will undoubtedly take up a substantial amount of your time, building relationships in business is the key to ensuring that your customers return to your Etsy store and purchase from it whenever they are on the lookout for a digital product!

As a bonus, if you ever decide to expand to physical products, you know for sure that you have a guaranteed customer base who are ready and waiting to purchase them! 

Can You Make Money Selling Prints on Etsy?

This is probably the first question that is on your mind when you are looking to delve into the world of selling prints on Etsy. 

The answer to this question is most certainly yes. 

As mentioned above, while the digital download market is a competitive one on Etsy, you can indeed make money from selling prints on Etsy. 

Generally speaking, you can sell prints or printables for between USD 5 and USD 6 per download.

While it may not seem like much at the outset, how much money you actually make from selling your prints on Etsy will very much depend on the quality of your product and what you price them at. 

For example, to provide more value, you could bundle up various printables and sell them as a package so that you can price your products higher or alternatively, offer each component as a single download. 

Some Etsy store owners who have made a substantial amount of money selling prints on Etsy are:

• Julie Berninger from Millennial Boss has made more than $7000 selling digital downloads and print on Etsy

• The owner of Fuzzy & Birch made $4000 in just one month selling prints on various objects

How To Sell Art Prints On Etsy?

There are two ways to go about this

• Use a third-party manufacturing partner to print and deliver any Etsy print on demand to your clients
• Sell digital art print downloads instead

The more lucrative of the two options is selling digital prints on Etsy because you can do it without printing or shipping anything. You will have to split the sales revenue with a third-party company because the business will be managing everything on your behalf.

Here is a brief look into these two options. 

Third-Party Company

There are more and more businesses offering print-on-demand services, which is not surprising as it is one of the best way to sell prints. It’s a simple method to get your artwork and designs printed and sell them without having to do the grunt work yourself.

There are no upfront charges other than receiving a high-resolution version of your artwork and a listing fee or two because all the shipping and packing issues are taken care of. As a result of the almost free setup, many artists choose this path.

You may now connect your goods to the Etsy store if you use print-on-demand with Etsy. When a buyer makes a purchase from your Etsy store, an order is generated, the product is developed, and once it is finished, it is shipped to your new customer.

You will not have to be on the receiving end of many technical problems if you select a business that works well with Etsy. These are some companies to consider:

• Printify
• Printful
• Print Aura
• Printed Mint
• Art Of Where

Sell Digital Etsy Art Prints

If you want to start selling art print on Etsy, trying out the printable or downloadable version may be a good place to start. 

A significant portion of the market for art prints is made up of digital downloads.  The majority of Etsy artists, even those who also sell physical copies, provide downloadable versions of their prints.

If you would like to learn how to make art prints on Etsy, this guide on Selling Printables On Etsy covers all you need to know to get started.

You must specify in your listing that you will not be sending the buyer a physical copy of the print.

You don’t want your products to receive a tonne of bad reviews as a result of a simple misinterpretation from clients who purchase downloadables under the impression that they are ordering a physical copy.

Does Etsy Print For You?

Yes, thanks to the Etsy Print service, Etsy does Etsy make prints for you!

With the help of this service, Etsy sellers may provide copies of their artwork without worrying about buying and storing big numbers of prints.

Etsy sell prints and when a buyer orders a print, Etsy Print receives the order, creates the print, and then ships it right to the customer. Each print sold via Etsy Print will earn you a commission as the vendor.

How To Sell Posters On Etsy?

• Poster Descriptions And Photos
• Ensure The Posters Can Be Searched Easily
• Offer Free Shipping

Poster Descriptions And Photos

As an online seller, you need photographs that appear professional and convey to your customers exactly what they need to know.

The poster images are what customers see initially when searching for products on Etsy. Using photographs that stand out is essential when selling posters on Etsy.

Although good product images are crucial, that is only half of the equation. A strong product summary is the other component that’ll make consumers fall in love with your posters.

Proper product descriptions can make it easier for buyers to find your products on Etsy and can help you control their expectations, which will improve their buying experience.

Think about keywords when writing product descriptions. Make a list of keywords you want to be connected with by considering the phrases your buyers will probably use to search for products similar to yours.

Ensure The Posters Can Be Searched Easily

You can increase the product visibility of your posters on Etsy through SEO. 

The technique of increasing your store’s visibility on Etsy and on top search engines such as Google is known as SEO.

You will be needed to include specific details about the good or service to explain to them when you publish a listing for whatever you are selling on Etsy.

You can start enhancing your store with these 11 Etsy SEO Tips That Will Skyrocket Your Sales.

Offer Free Shipping

Free shipping is another technique to increase sales and attract new clients.

There are numerous free shipping tactics you can use. Using the free shipping promise that Etsy provides to US customers is one option.

This function automatically offers free shipping to US customers for every single item costing $35 or more as well as any order that comes to $35 or more from your business.

How To Sell Canvas Prints On Etsy?

• Decide On Your Unique Skill
• Use Keywords And Tags
• Master Customer Service

Decide On Your Unique Skill

One of the most crucial elements of operating a successful art business is standing out in terms of what you offer. It will be more challenging to stand out if your work is remarkably identical to the output of hundreds of other artists wondering how to sell art on Etsy.

Aside from asking yourself how to make prints to sell on Etsy, ask these questions as well

• What makes my canvas special?
• What makes my work unique?

Don’t try to blend in with the crowd and instead, focus your efforts on making the most of the responses to those queries.

Use Keywords And Tags

Include keywords while creating tags and item descriptions. Analyze what your ideal buyer would search for to find what you’re selling and come up with a list of keywords.

Utilize the search box on Etsy to look for popular terms that actual customers are entering into the website. Write down and include in your listings any related terms that are listed in the auto-suggested list.

This tip is important regardless of what you sell on Etsy, even if you are wondering how to sell photography prints on this platform!

These resources can help you figure out to sell any canvas print on demand Etsy

• The Best Keywords For Etsy To Make A Profit In 2023
• 101 Most Popular Keywords On Etsy To Drive Traffic
• 11 Etsy SEO Tips That Will Skyrocket Your Sales

Master Customer Service

Making your clients pleased will entice them to return and tell their friends about your store. You have a fantastic opportunity to develop a close relationship with customers as a small business owner. 

One way to go about this is by quickly responding to customer service emails with a kind, upbeat attitude demonstrating your understanding and concern. 

Your clients will be pleasantly surprised when you individually react to an email, as opposed to the robotic responses they’re used to from corporations. Also, it may encourage positive consumer feedback, which raises the prestige of your business.

It may take some time, experience, and effort in selling canvas prints on Etsy. The good news is that you may easily sell your artwork and associated products if you have a few simple tools and skills.

How Much Money Can You Make Selling Prints On Etsy?

At the initial stage, you may be making between $10 to $100 per week. A store that is properly set up with high-quality goods in a suitable niche can typically make 1 sale per day very quickly.

A shop with consistent sales can make up to $1,000 which is pretty profitable. Your earning potential is influenced by your specialty, price point, product ranking, and other factors.

Are Digital Prints Profitable On Etsy?

Selling art on Etsy is a lucrative and largely passive source of money. Even if you only need to develop digital goods once, you can sell hundreds or even thousands of them on your own Etsy store.

You are permitted to submit up to five digital files to your product listings on Etsy, each with a 20MB size restriction. For instance, the file could be a downloadable calendar, a digital card for a celebration, or a curriculum for kids. 

Once they have purchased the product listing, Etsy will subsequently assist in delivering your file to your consumers.

Customers receive the files right away after making a purchase. Also, they will be able to download the file on their own without consulting you by going to their purchases afterward. As a result, you will need to do much less work.

Finding things that truly sell is the key to success to sell prints online for passive income.

Is It Worth It To Sell Prints On Etsy?

When selling digital products such as prints and printables on Etsy, or selling art prints on Etsy, it is most certainly going to be worth it. 

This is because the cost of starting and maintaining your digital product business is likely going to be extremely low than if you were selling physical products. 

The following may be just some of the common costs that you have to deal with when selling prints on Etsy:

• Software for creating prints and printables (Canva is a great free option and comes with tons of templates!)

• Setting up your Etsy store – free

• Posting a listing for a digital product – USD 0.20 per listing

• Transaction fees chargeable by Etsy – 5% of the total price of the product

As an Etsy store that sells only digital downloads, you don’t have to worry about taking into account the cost of raw materials or shipping costs. 

This also means that you don’t have to stress about putting in time and effort towards purchasing packaging materials, packing the items to ensure that they are safe, and taking them to the post office or courier company for shipping!

Honestly, it is absolutely worth it to sell prints on Etsy. You can’t find a better win-win business model than this! 

With all the details and tips on selling prints on Etsy, you can see that if you wanted, you can very well learn how to make art prints for Etsy, and start your digital product business on Etsy right this minute! 

Selling prints on Etsy is the perfect beginner side hustle business. The costs of starting out are low, and more importantly, you get to keep all your profits for yourself. 

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and dip your toes into the creative world of Etsy, take your knowledge on how to sell digital prints on Etsy and start making your money!

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Selling Prints On Etsy: All You Need To Know About The Easiest Way To Make Passive Income!