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If you’ve ever downloaded a planner, worksheet, or printable wall art, you’ve already seen how powerful (and addictive!) the printable world can be.
Over the years, I’ve created, sold, and even bought hundreds of printables (from journals and business planners to kids’ activity sheets) and it still amazes me how something so simple can turn into a real, sustainable income stream.
The best part? There are creators right now earning thousands of dollars each month selling simple printables. Things like planners, colouring pages, budgeting sheets, and wall art, all from the comfort of home.
And I can tell you from experience, you don’t need to be a designer or marketing expert to make it work. You just need a bit of creativity, a plan, and the willingness to learn and experiment as you go.
In this post, I’ll walk you step-by-step through how to start your own printable side hustle, from finding your niche and designing your first product to listing it for sale and turning it into something much bigger.
Step 1: Choose a Niche You’ll Actually Enjoy
The truth is, you can make printables for almost anything, but the ones that sell the most consistently tend to solve a problem or make life easier for someone.
That’s why it’s worth starting with a niche you actually enjoy creating for. You’ll be more likely to stick with it, stay creative, and build a shop that reflects your personality.
When I first started selling printables, I created brand board templates and planners… things I personally used in my business. Later, I added nursery wall art, kids’ activity sheets, and journal pages (inspired by my daughters, Aria and Mika). The more I leaned into what I loved, the more my sales grew naturally.
Here are a few popular printable ideas to get you inspired:
- Planners and goal trackers: daily, weekly, or yearly layouts for productivity lovers.
- Wall art and affirmation prints: motivational quotes, aesthetic designs, or themed art.
- Party games and invitations: birthday games, bridal or baby shower templates.
- Budget and finance trackers: cash envelopes, debt payoff trackers, budget sheets.
- Business and marketing templates: social media planners, content calendars, brand kits.
- Journals and workbooks: mindfulness journals, gratitude trackers, self-reflection prompts.
- Kids’ educational printables: alphabet sheets, counting mats, reward charts, colouring pages.
💡 Tip: The easiest way to find your niche is to ask yourself:
“What do I already use, love, or teach that could be turned into a printable?”
Step 2: Research What’s Selling (and Why)
Before you start designing, it’s smart to spend time researching what people are already buying.
When I first started out, I’d spend hours scrolling through Etsy, not to copy anyone, but to learn. I’d look at which listings had the most sales, what colours or designs stood out, and how sellers structured their listings and bundles.
Here’s how to do it strategically:
- Use Etsy search to your advantage.
Type in “planner printable” or “budget tracker” and see what auto-suggestions appear (these are keywords real customers are typing in). - Check out top-performing listings.
Look for those little “Bestseller” tags or shops with thousands of sales. What patterns do you notice? - Use EverBee for deeper insight.
EverBee is a Chrome extension that shows real sales data from Etsy listings. You can see how many times a product has sold, estimated monthly revenue, and even pricing trends. - Pay attention to design trends.
Use Pinterest and Instagram to see what styles are currently popular, minimal neutrals, boho colours, playful fonts, etc. - Read customer reviews.
You’ll learn a lot from what buyers love, and what frustrates them (like hard-to-edit files or complicated downloads).
📊 Your goal: find a balance between demand and uniqueness. Don’t chase what everyone else is doing, use your creativity to make it your own.
Step 3: Design Your Printables
This is the fun part and where your ideas start coming to life!
And the best news? You don’t need expensive design software to get started. Some of my best-selling printables were made entirely in Canva, using free elements and fonts.
Here are some of my go-to design tools:
- Canva: Easy and beginner-friendly. Perfect for planners, checklists, and workbooks.
- Kittl: My current favourite for anything visual or decorative. It’s amazing for creating wall art, posters, and printables with custom typography or illustrations.
- Procreate or Affinity Designer: Great for hand-drawn illustrations, colouring pages, or pattern design.
- Adobe Illustrator or InDesign: Professional-grade software if you want precise layouts.
🖨️ Pro tips for designing printables:
- Set your document to 300 DPI (print-quality resolution).
- Use A4 or US Letter sizes — these are the most commonly requested.
- Keep margins consistent and avoid clutter.
- Always test print before listing to make sure everything looks good on paper.
✨ Bonus tip: Create templates you can reuse, this saves so much time when you’re expanding your product range.
Step 4: Decide Where to Sell Your Printables
There are so many ways to sell printables online, and the best part is, you can choose the setup that fits your goals.
Here’s a breakdown of your main options:
Marketplace Platforms
- Etsy: The easiest place to start. It already has millions of active buyers searching for printables every day.
- Creative Market, Gumroad, or Payhip: Great for reaching a creative audience or offering instant downloads.
I started with Etsy because it gave me visibility straight away. Later, I moved into selling directly through my website, that’s when my business really started to grow.
Your Own Platform
If you want more flexibility, you can create your own shop or digital home.
- Shopify or ThriveCart: Perfect if you want your own storefront and branding.
- Teachery: Great for bundling your printables into digital courses, workshops, or trainings.
- Skool: This is one of my favourite ways to expand a printable business… turning it into a community or membership. You could create a printable subscription club, journaling group, or resource hub, all hosted on Skool.
When I shifted from just selling printables to creating communities and courses around them, it completely changed my business model, it went from one-off sales to recurring, sustainable income.
Step 5: Optimise with Keywords & SEO
This is the part most creators skip, but it makes all the difference.
To sell printables successfully, your listings need to be searchable. That means understanding a bit about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Here’s a simple process that works:
- Start with EverBee.
Type in a keyword like “budget planner” or “wedding invitation printable” and see which listings are performing best. - Note the best-performing keywords.
Look for those that are specific but not overly competitive, like “self-care journal printable” or “minimal wall art set.” - Add them naturally.
Include your keywords in:- The title (especially the first few words)
- The product description (write like you’re talking to a real person)
- The tags or categories
- Use good visuals.
Your product photos and mockups should be bright, clear, and styled in a way that helps people imagine it in their lives.
I love using Canva and Kittl mockups for this part, showing your printable in use makes it instantly more appealing.
Step 6: Promote Your Printables
If you want consistent sales, you’ll need to actively share your printables with the world.
Thankfully, promoting your printables can be fun, and it doesn’t have to feel “salesy.”
Here are a few ways to get your products seen:
- Pinterest: This is where most printable shoppers hang out! Create multiple Pins for each product using Canva, and link them to your listing.
- Email marketing: Offer a free printable to grow your list. Then, use email to share new products, tips, or exclusive bundles.
- YouTube or TikTok: Show how your printable works or how you designed it. People love behind-the-scenes content.
- Collaborations & bundles: Partner with other creators or join printable bundles to reach new audiences (I’ve gained thousands of subscribers this way).
Consistency is key here, even if you just spend 30 minutes a week promoting, it compounds over time.
Step 7: Scale & Automate
Once you’ve created a few successful printables, it’s time to build systems that help you grow without working more hours.
Here’s what that can look like:
- Batch your designs. Create 5–10 products at a time while you’re in the creative flow.
- Repurpose and bundle. Combine related printables into sets or themed collections.
- Automate marketing. Use tools like ConvertKit or Flodesk to set up automated email sequences.
- Track performance. Use EverBee or Etsy Stats to see which products sell best, then make more of those!
When I started batching and automating, everything changed. Instead of creating something new every week, I could focus on improving my bestsellers and building bigger offers around them.
And that’s the beauty of printables, they sell over and over again without needing inventory, shipping, or constant updates.
Step 8: Keep Learning & Growing
The printable world is always evolving, and the more you learn, the faster you’ll grow.
That’s why I always recommend joining Julie and Cody’s E-Printables Course, it’s hands down one of the best programs for learning how to turn your ideas into consistent printable income.
They’ve helped thousands of students go from zero to their first sale, and many now earn thousands each month from printables alone.
👉 Click here to join E-Printables and start your journey today.
Time to Start
Starting a printable side hustle is one of the most rewarding creative ventures you can begin. You can work at your own pace, express your creativity, and build something that grows with you over time.
Whether you’re creating your first planner, launching a printable membership on Skool, or designing beautiful wall art in Kittl, remember… you don’t have to get it perfect to get started.
Just take the first step, make your first product, and see where it leads. You might be surprised at just how much “passive” income can come from something you created on your laptop in an afternoon.
💬 Join The Digital Creator’s Collective
If you’re ready to dive deeper into the world of digital products and surround yourself with supportive, like-minded creators, come join my free community, The Digital Creator’s Collective.
It’s where I share weekly digital product ideas, free resources, and behind-the-scenes insights to help you create and grow your own printable or template-based business.
👉 Join The Digital Creator’s Collective here and start connecting with other heart-led creators who are building their dream online income… one printable at a time.
