Now that the majority of shopping is done online, it is no surprise that the world of digital products and printables has become so huge. In fact, printables are such a lucrative market that anyone can now make a full-time income selling printables online! In this post we will explore the world of printables, delving into what they are, how to sell them, and then present a curated list of 10 Profitable Printables that you can create and sell!
Don’t worry! You don’t have to be a graphic designer or even be very artistic to create and sell best selling printables! With these profitable printable ideas you will have everything you need to start making passive income selling printables online.
What is a Printable?
Printables are digital files that the customer can buy from your online shop and then download and print at home. Ranging from planners to artwork, these versatile digital products can fit into every niche and can solve an incredible number of life’s little problems!
You may be wondering…if anyone can make them, why doesn’t the customer just make it themselves instead of buying it?
Most of the time, the answer to this is simply TIME. Modern life keeps everyone so busy that it is very hard to find the time to create your own planner or tracker. And as the majority of printables are very affordable, many people prefer to buy them than try to create them themselves.
Depending on the type of printable, the customer may choose to buy it because it is something they feel like they couldn’t make. Perhaps they don’t think they are artistic enough to create wall art, or maybe they don’t have access to the online tools to make a digital file.
The important thing is printables are selling like hotcakes! So don’t miss out on this lucrative passive income stream!
Why you should Sell Printables
If you’re still not convinced that you need to start selling printables online then here are my top 3 reasons why selling printables is one of the best start up businesses you can choose.
- Create it once and sell it as many times as you want– providing infinite earning potential!
- Don’t have to worry about shipping– Once set up this is one of the most truly passive businesses I have tried.
- Low/No Start up cost– Beginner friendly and very low risk for a potentially high reward!
How to Sell Printables
Now you have decided to sell printables you have to start making them! And as I have said, this doesn’t have to be a very complicated process.
If you are wanting to make a planner, tracker or other text-based design then I would highly recommend using Canva. It is really easy to use and has some great tools for printables. The free version is more than enough to make some great printables, but if you want even more options you could always upgrade to the pro version.
Alternatively, if you are wanting to make some creative printables like wall art then you could use Procreate which is amazing for digital art, or even go old school and use pen and paper and then scan your design to make it into a digital file.
Explore platforms like Etsy, create a dedicated website, or integrate them into your blog to reach a wider audience.
Once you have created your printables, you need to decide where to sell them. There are many great platforms where you can sell digital files, but for now I am just going to discuss the top 3, which I believe would give you the best chance of making good money.
Etsy
First, we have to start with Etsy. Etsy is a huge marketplace which has one of the biggest collections of printables online. The great thing about selling on Etsy is that you can leverage the massive customer base of an already established, and more importantly already trusted marketplace.
With the incredible volume of traffic that Etsy has, you could upload a product and sell it within hours! All without outside marketing!
Etsy is where I set up my very first business which actually sold printables! It was incredible! The only thing to be aware of is the listing and selling fees. As printables are low cost you will have to make sure you account for the fees before you start selling.
If you want to find out everything you need to know to be successful on Etsy, don’t miss out on my no nonsense beginner’s guide to making money on Etsy.
Website and social Media
If you want to avoid established platforms and trailblaze on your own then you could create your very own printable website. In theory, this would give you much more freedom to create a brand and you wouldn’t have to worry about any selling fees.
However, you would be starting with no traffic, so marketing and social media would be a must. Social media can be an amazing tool to create a long-lasting and trusted relationship with your customers, but it is a lot of work!
So although it may create a bigger business with arguably more longevity, this route will be much less passive than using an established marketplace.
Blog
Finally, if you are looking to create a life-changing business with mind-blowing earning potential then you could sell printables as part of a blog.
Don’t get me wrong, starting a blog is a big feat to start, and it certainly will not be passive to start with. From experience I can tell you it takes A LOT of work at the beginning.
But once you’re established with some high quality posts, you can continue to earn money from those posts for years to come and maintain your blog with just a few hours of work per week. And you would have built a loyal group of readers who you can convert into potential customers for your printables!
Creating printables based on the niche of your blog could be the perfect way of selling printables to your target audience and making money online.
If you want to start your own blog but don’t know where to start I would highly recommend The Treasure Map to Blogging Success in 30 Days. This is the e-book I bought before launching my blog and I don’t think I could have launched without it!
It is PACKED with so much valuable information and will guide you step-by-step through creating, launching and growing your very own successful blog that will make you passive income for years to come.
You can learn more about this affordable blogging e-book here and even read reviews from many other customers who have now found blogging success.
What I love most about blogging is that you can build multiple streams of income from your one blog, including a printable shop! Once you have consistent traffic the sky really is the limit!
Profitable Printable Ideas
At long last, we have come to the main event!
It is time for us to discuss 10 Profitable Printables to Create and Sell Online.
Although anyone could do any of these ideas, I would encourage you to choose the one that most resonates with you. If you are very organised or logical, perhaps start with a planner or tracker. And if you a particularly artistic, maybe you should try wall art.
If you can, incorporating your existing hobbies and interests into the printables you create will make the process much more enjoyable for you and could help you to create a standout, best-selling printable in your niche!
1. Weekly Planner
2. Health Trackers
3. Budget Planner
4. Gift Tags
5. Wall Art
6. Bookmarks
7. Digital Stickers
8. Greetings Cards
9. Colouring Pages
10. Sewing Patterns
I am hoping this post will serve as inspiration for you to enter the world of selling printables online. This is why we are simply sharing ideas at this stage.
Please let me know if you would want to see a more in depth post or tutorial for how to make one or more of these printables! As I said, I actually started with an online printable shop, and it was one of the best learning experiences of my whole self-employed journey!
I am always happy to receive any ideas, as I always want to talk about topics that will be interesting and useful to you.
Conclusion
As online shopping continues to grow, the demand for printables continues to increase. If you are a beginner, these 10 printable ideas will offer you a diverse range of opportunities to unleash your creativity and build a successful online venture in 2024.
Choose which printable you want to sell, get creating and then start selling on your chosen platform! It really is that easy!
Don’t forget, when done right, selling printables online can easily become a passive income stream that will rival any 9-5 pay packet!
- 6 Etsy Shop Mistakes EVERY New Seller Makes
- 10 Crucial Steps to take During your 1st Year Selling on Etsy
- Boost your Income with these Lucrative Side Hustles
- 19 Passive Income Stream Ideas for Beginners
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