How to Make Money Selling Printables on Etsy: Make $1000 Per Week

If you're on the hunt for a fresh, enjoyable way to earn extra income, selling printables might be just what you need.

Surprisingly, even if you're not particularly creative or artistic, selling printables can still be a viable option.

Let me tell you a quick story: back in early 2019, a friend of mine, Joseph, casually shared that they had made over $5,000 in just 40 hours of work by selling printables on Etsy.

That caught my attention—earning $100 per hour from a side hustle seemed almost too good to be true! I decided to give it a go, and the rest is history.

The income potential of selling printables can vary, especially with seasonal products.

For example, during holidays like Valentine’s Day or Christmas, you might see your sales surge, but quieter times of the year could result in lower weekly earnings.

It’s not uncommon to see significant fluctuations, with some weeks bringing in $800, while other weeks might bring in as little as $500.

The key is to build a diverse product range that caters to multiple niches and seasons to create a more consistent income stream.

In case you’re wondering, printables are digital files that customers can download and print at home.

They range from checklists for groceries, labels for jars, and gift tags to wall art, greeting cards, and templates for planning events.

The beauty of printables is that you only need to create the design once, and then you can sell it over and over again.

There’s no need to worry about shipping, inventory, or packaging. Plus, selling printables requires minimal overhead, which makes it an appealing business model.

One of the best advantages of selling printables is that once the design is complete and listed in your Etsy shop, it can generate income without any additional effort from you.

For instance, one of my best weeks of sales happened while I was on vacation. I didn’t touch my Etsy shop for a week, but my printables still brought in nearly $900!

With physical products, you need to create, package, and ship each item.

With printables, you can sell one design to hundreds or even thousands of customers without any extra work, which makes it an incredibly efficient way to earn passive income.

While some sellers have earned millions of dollars through printable sales, these results aren't typical.

However, it’s entirely possible to build a business that generates a comfortable income.

For example, students who have taken Etsy Launch Lab have earned more than $10,000 in revenue within 5 months of starting their Etsy shop.

While that might not be "quit your job" money, keep in mind that once you list a printable, it can continue generating sales indefinitely.

Some sellers have grown their income to $2,000–$3,000 a month by consistently adding new listings and creating a broad range of products.

You might think that you need a large social media following to succeed in selling printables, but that’s not true at all.

In fact, some of the most effective strategies for driving traffic to your Etsy shop—like SEO (search engine optimization) and Pinterest marketing—don’t require any existing audience.

Many successful Etsy sellers started without a following, relying on these techniques to build traffic and grow their shops.

Generating new ideas for printables can be one of the more challenging aspects of the business.

In the Etsy Launch Lab, you will gain access to 150 profitable and unsaturated product ideas plus high-demand Notion templates to customize and resell as your own.

You can also find inspiration by browsing Pinterest and Etsy. For example, if you’re interested in creating planners, you can search for "planner" on either platform to see what types of designs are trending.

From there, you can create your own unique printable product that fits within popular niches.

Even if you don't consider yourself particularly tech-savvy or artistic, you can still learn how to create printables.

The primary skill you’ll need is a basic understanding of a design program such as Canva or Adobe Illustrator.

I started with almost no graphic design experience, but after a little bit of practice, I became proficient at making printables.

Once you get the hang of the process, it becomes second nature, and you’ll be able to create new designs quickly.

Getting started with selling printables on Etsy involves a few straightforward steps:

Generate an Idea: Before you open your Etsy shop, you need a product idea. Whether it’s a planner, gift tag, or party invitation, choose a niche that interests you.

Create Your Printable: Use a design program like Canva or Adobe Illustrator to bring your idea to life.

List Your Printable on Etsy: When creating your Etsy listing, pay attention to search engine optimization (SEO) factors like tags, keywords, and product descriptions to increase your visibility.

Promote Your Products: Beyond Etsy’s built-in search engine, you can drive traffic to your shop through platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook. The more you promote, the more potential customers you’ll reach.

Don’t let self-doubt stop you from getting started.

If you’re concerned about your tech skills, creativity, or available time, try dedicating just 30 minutes a day to building your printable shop.

Over time, this small daily investment can grow into a reliable income stream.

By consistently working on your Etsy shop, you'll also gain valuable skills such as design, marketing, and SEO, which can help you in other areas of your career or business ventures