As a small business consultant who has guided dozens of entrepreneurs in launching successful printable shops, I‘ve seen this industry explode in recent years.
The global printed and digital educational products market alone is set to grow by $90.29 billion between 2022-2026, according to Technavio reports. With customizable invitations, planners, wall art and so much more in demand, it‘s truly an exciting time to unleash your creativity through a printable business!
Whether you want to design as a side hustle or are ready to jump into entrepreneurship full-time, follow this comprehensive guide to get started. I‘ll cover everything from identifying your niche to marketing to fulfillment, infusing advice from my experience empowering small business owners to thrive.
Let‘s dive in!
Choose a Profitable Niche Aligned with Your Talents
In the printables world, niche is everything. The more targeted your products and marketing, the more likely you are to attract the perfect customers who resonate with your designs.
I recommend first checking out best-selling categories on platforms like Etsy to analyze demand:
- Planners and organizing printables
- Frame-worthy wall art
- Party invitations and decor
- Educational materials for kids
- Papercraft templates like stickers, tags and labels
Make a list of your creative strengths and interests so you can identify aligned niches to pursue. If you love styling gorgeous graphics but don‘t enjoy handling tiny details, intricate paper flower cut files may not be the best fit.
Evaluate the competition within your potential niche as well. Use Etsy‘s search filters to get a sense of how many other sellers there are, their product range and customer feedback. Aim for a niche with substantial buyer interest but not so crowded that it‘ll be hard to stand out.
For instance, if you plan to design Bachelorette Party printables, search:
*"Bachelorette printables" under Art & Collectibles category
Filter by 5-star sellers
Browse top product images and reviews
Identify unmet needs to target
This market exploration sets you up for success in presenting unique, on-trend designs that fill a need.
Stay on Top of the Latest Trends and Techniques
The difference between good printable products and phenomenal ones always boils down to their visual appeal and quality.
That means following styles and design elements your customers are loving right now – like earthy color schemes, hand lettering fonts, watercolor floral backgrounds – and even forecasting what‘s next on the horizon.
Sign up for email newsletters from top players like Etsy, Canva and Creative Market to stay on top of trends. Study designs from competitors you admire and follow printable artisans on Instagram for a daily dose of inspiration to fuel your creative projects.
Speaking of projects, actively work to level up your skills through practice and courses. Want to take your digital illustrations or hand-drawn images to the next level? Try the Adobe Illustrator Graphic Design Bootcamp on Udemy or Skillshare classes on Procreate.
The more you immerse yourself in this community of creators, continue growing your expertise, and experiment with new styles, the more your work will captivate customers.
Select Products with Customization at Their Core
Now it‘s time to determine the printable products you‘ll offer buyers hungry for your creations. While best-sellers provide a good starting point, also consider items with maximum personalization potential.
For instance, custom planners allow customers to organize their lives in a stylish, meaningful way. Floor plans make unique housewarming gifts when customized with a couple‘s last name and wedding date.
Think through specialty use cases like anniversaries, birthdays, graduations and brainstorm totally customizable prints.
Here are factors I advise printpreneurs to consider when selecting products:
- Profit Margin: What‘s the markup potential based on production costs?
- Personalization: Can colors, names, dates be customized? More options increase perceived value
- Production Complexity: Will it require lots of challenging manual work or take advantage of smart scaling through automation?
- Competition: Is there proven buyer demand but not an overly saturated market?
- Skills Alignment: Does it align with your creative talents and interests?
Find your sweet spot based on these elements of printable items with long-term viability. Don‘t feel limited to just one type either – having a diverse product mix gives you multiple revenue streams while testing new offerings.
Develop Striking Visuals Aligned with Your Brand Identity
Leading with exquisite visuals is how printable products capture attention – and drive desire for what you sell.
But don‘t get overwhelmed trying to master every design program and technique right away. Start by practicing with Canva to create social media posts, printable quotes and more with its drag-and-drop tools and massive template library. It empowers visually compelling projects even as a beginner.
Over time, advance to Adobe Creative Cloud apps like Illustrator and Photoshop for greater versatility in illustrations, photo enhancements, logo creation and so much more.
Udemy‘s The Complete 2023 Adobe Illustrator Course provides tremendous value here as well – you get lifetime access to 79 lectures teaching graphic design principles, trends and Adobe mastery from one of their highest-rated instructors.
Apply what you learn to craft visually striking printable templates and mockups that captivate in line with your brand style.
Photography can significantly enhance products too – explore purchasing affordable stock images from Shutterstock or getting rights to unique illustrations on Creative Market.
Just ensure any external assets you incorporate adhere to proper licensing terms for your commercial use.
Choose the Best E-Commerce Platform for Selling Printables
Your online shop needs to make browsing prints and completing checkout seamless for customers.
I recommend exploring either Shopify or Etsy for e-commerce functionality tailored to creatives selling digital products:
Shopify
- Sleek store design – customize layouts and themes
- Built-in payment processing
- Marketing tools like email campaigns, promotions
- Affordable plans start at $29/month
Etsy
- Established community with built-in buyer traffic
- Product listings get visibility in marketplace search
- Only 5% transaction fee vs. Shopify‘s 2.4% + 30 cent fee
- Can also drive external traffic to store
Evaluate everything from fees to platform experience when selecting your e-commerce solution.
On whichever you choose, ensure your store provides:
- Easy navigating between categories
- Engaging product descriptions
- Customer reviews and FAQs
- Prominent search bar
- Simple checkout process
- Multiple payment options
- Automatic order confirmation
Amazon and Squarespace offer print-on-demand integration too if you want to outsource production. But higher margins come from DIY digital delivery I recommend instead.
Optimize Listing Copy to Spark Sales Conversations
The words potential customers read as they evaluate your creations must coax them to purchase by communicating value.
Follow principles of sterling copywriting and marketing when naming and describing printable products:
Listings
- Short, benefit-focused headlines – "Floral Photo Invitation Suite – Perfect for Garden Weddings!"
- Key details like dimensions, format and package contents
Descriptions
- Storytelling introducing the customer to possibilites
- Address buyer emotions and identity tied to using this product
- Highlight customization options
- Provide styling ideas and examples
- Close with clear call-to-action
Support copy with product photos from multiple angles and mockups depicting real-world uses – say, your planner print on a desk alongside a mug and laptop.
Through compelling descriptions and lifestyle images, you spark a sales conversation around the purpose and value of your creation in your customer‘s life.
Spread the Word Through Smart Social Promotions
While your e-commerce store fronts the business, marketing and partnerships expand your audience.
Driving traffic through social channels starts with stunning profile aesthetics reflecting your brand across Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and more.
Promoted ads allow targeting ideal buyer demographics through interests like DIY crafting, party planning and home decor.
Hashtag campaigns spotlight your designs and store, while strategic business page partnerships open access to aligned audiences.
For example, if you sell classroom printables, running a custom hashtag promotion with a teacher blogger hits teachers already excited to decorate for a new year.
Speaking of influencers, consider sending free designs to categories of micro influencers aligned with your products and brand. A mommy blogger may happily feature your back-to-school printable bookmarks.
The key is getting creations in front of people already enthusiastic about your niche rather than trying to convert the masses. Warm traffic converts, scaling your business through authentic word of mouth and referral marketing.
Fulfill Orders Accurately and Efficiently
Seamless fulfillment keeps happy customers coming back while preventing issues that undermine your business.
After confirming payment of a customer‘s order, assemble necessary files right away. Package prints in a brightly designed email including links for downloading, printing and contact info if any questions come up in the process.
Automate recurring steps in your workflow using Zapier integrations between your e-commerce platform, email marketing platform, accounting software and more.
If order volume exceeds what you can handle solo, explore contracting quality control and fulfillment assistants. Top Etsy sellers even utilize third-party order processing services like Printify for complete peace of mind.
Just ensure whoever handles getting customer orders from pending to delivered maintains your brand experience through excellent communication, accuracy and speed.
Make Customer Satisfaction Your True North
Even with smoothly run operations, brand perception often comes down to customer service during problems – how sellers respond when an order issue arises or products don‘t quite meet expectations.
Empathize first. An angry or disappointed customer reaching out feels they have not gotten what was promised or described.
Next, solve then explain. Present swift resolutions first before elaborating on what may have gone wrong. Offer replacement prints or generous refunds to show how much you value each buyer.
Follow up. Check in to ensure your customer feels fairly compensated and cared for since even a single bad review can significantly sway public sentiment.
Proactively, keep communication channels open through email sign-up popups and prominently displayed contact forms inviting product feedback and ideas for your growing shop.
Building relationships with clientele through phenomenal service earns referrals and repeat sales money can‘t buy nearly as effectively as goodwill.
Starting a profitable printable business aligns creativity with serving buyer needs through purposeful designs and conscientious commerce.
- Identify your niche based on market demand, your skills, and production preferences
- Master high-value design techniques through continuous learning
- Strategically showcase products through striking branding and optimized listings
- Promote on social and through partnerships with aligned influencers/brands
- Deliver exceptional service by resolving issues promptly and compassionately
- Automate order processing while still providing personal customer experiences
I hope this advice from my experience empowering printable startups helps you thrive in this blossoming industry. Printpreneurs: now take your talents and run with them!
