How To Start A Print-On-Demand Business On Etsy In 2024: A Quick Guide

If you’re tired of the status quo of a 9-to-5, learning how to start a print-on-demand business on Etsy could be the perfect solution for you.

In the first quarter of 2023, Etsy had 89.9 million active buyers worldwide, which shows a promising opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs.

With Print on Demand, anyone can start their own business with ease and make money from the comfort of their home.

In this article, we show you how to start an Etsy print-on-demand business by covering all the bases – opening an Etsy store, signing up for a print-on-demand service, and selecting and designing products. We also provide useful tips for a successful start.

What Is Print on Demand?

Print on Demand is a convenient business model that anyone can use to start a business without upfront fees, inventory, or storage space.

Can you sell print-on-demand products on Etsy? Yes, absolutely. With Printify’s print-on-demand services, you can design, create, and sell custom products on Etsy without any worries.

A quick breakdown of how Print on Demand works.

• Step 1: Sign up for an account by filling out the requested information.
• Step 2: Select a product you’d like to sell. You can sell anything – apparel, accessories, stationery, home decor, and even pet products.
• Step 3: Add a design to the product. Typically, you get free design tools after signing up, making the whole process hassle-free.
• Step 4: Select a sales channel, either an eCommerce platform or a marketplace.
• Step 5: Publish products to your store, launch a marketing campaign, and start selling.

After a sale goes through, the print providers take care of the rest – printing, packaging, and shipping the final product directly to the customer.

Make It Happen Today!

How to Start Selling With Print on Demand on Etsy?

Starting selling on Etsy is easy. We’ll show you how to set up a print-on-demand Etsy store in a few easy steps.

1. Sign Up for an Etsy Account

First, create an Etsy seller account. If you already have an account, you can use it to set up your Etsy shop.

After you sign in or register, click on the gray circle in the top right corner and choose Sell on Etsy, which will take you to the Sell on Etsy page. Click Get started to begin.

2. Complete Your Etsy Shop Setup

Set up the following sections:

• Shop preferences. Tell Etsy about yourself and your business. Set shop language, country, and currency.

• Name your shop. Come up with and enter your shop name. Aim for 4-20 characters. Strive to create a shop name that’s memorable, conveys what you’ll sell, and reflects your brand’s values. You can change the name later.

• Stock your shop. Add details about your Etsy listing (photos, product description, pricing, shipping information).
  We’ll cover adding print-on-demand products later, so this can just be a draft. It’s only required to activate the shop. Don’t worry about the details. You can edit them later or delete the draft entirely.
• How you’ll get paid. Select your bank location and indicate whether you’re an Individual or a Business.
  Fill out personal information (country of residence, first and last name, date of birth, taxpayer address) and bank information (full name on account, bank name, IBAN, and SWIFT BIC).
• Set up billing. Enter credit card details to pay for your initial Etsy fees. Later, Etsy will primarily deduct fees from your Etsy balance. Learn how much Etsy takes per sale to avoid surprises.
• Your shop security. Set up two-factor authentication. Choose a method: an authenticator app, a text message, or a phone call.

3. Get a Printify Account

Sign up for an account. It’s 100% free, available everywhere, and easy to set up.

With Printify’s print-on-demand services, you get over 900 high-quality, customizable products you can design and sell on your Etsy shop.

4. Connect Etsy to Printify

In the Printify dashboard, click My new store, and then – Add a new store. Scroll down and click Connect to Etsy.

If you aren’t already, you’ll need to log in to your Etsy account. Then, you’ll be asked to grant access to Printify to continue with the integration.

5. Select and Design POD Products

Now, browse the Printify Catalog, select a product you’d like to sell on your Etsy shop, and click Start designing.

Then, our beginner-friendly design tool, the Mockup Generator, will open so you can start creating a product right away. The design process is easy – you can quickly upload graphics, illustrations, text, or a combination of elements to create a product Etsy customers will love.

Our Mockup Generator has various useful features, like an AI Image Generator to create designs from prompts, a Pattern Tool for creating all-over-print designs, and a Graphics Library with free, high-quality images.

6. Publish Products to Your Etsy Store

After designing a product, click Save product. Then, do the following:

• Select a title image and mockup views to display in your Etsy store.
• If available, choose a title image color. Some items may have only one variant.
• Edit the title.
• Write a description.
• Set or use a suggested price.

When all is ready, click Publish to make the product available to Etsy shoppers worldwide.

After you make a sale, our Print Providers will take care of the rest – printing, packaging, and shipping these custom products directly to your customer’s doorstep.

Quick Tip

Printify will automatically generate a profile showing shipping fees for each listing. If you want, you can update the shipping rates yourself.

7. Edit Product Details on Etsy

You can add or edit the listing’s details by going to the Listings section in the Shop Manager. 

Select a listing you’d like to adjust and add or edit the following:

• Video. Improve your ranking in Etsy search results by adding a video that showcases the product’s best features.
• Categories. Adding specific categories increases your listings’ visibility. They help Etsy shoppers to narrow their search.
• Attributes. Additional information about your product (color, material, height). When people search for products, attributes help them to find exactly what they’re looking for.
• Product tags. Add 13 tags that describe your product. They can be up to 20 characters long. Use relevant keywords, preferably multi-word phrases. Learn more about Etsy tags.

When selling print-on-demand products on Etsy, a seller has to disclose how their products are made.

Go to Shop Manager, click Settings, then Production partners, and finally, Add a new production partner.

Enter the following information:

• Production partner. Printify
• Location. United States of America
• About production partner. A production partner
• About your partnership. Select: I don’t have the technical ability to make it entirely by myself, I design everything myself, and They do everything for me.

Click Save partner. When done, this production partner will be available in your listing.

When editing a listing, in About this listing indicate that Another company or person made it. Scroll down to the Production partners section and check the box next to Printify. Adjust the settings for each product.

Quick Tip

Visit our Help Center to learn more about adjusting products to comply with Etsy’s policy.

8. Customize Your Etsy Storefront

Stand out among other sellers by creating a beautiful storefront that leaves a professional impression.

Here’s what you should pay attention to:

• Shop icon. An icon for your Etsy print-on-demand business, conveying what sets it apart from others. Use Canva to design an icon.
• Banner image. One of the first things customers see. Use the banner to showcase your brand’s value or advertise a sale. Take a look at Etsy’s requirements for images.
• Shop’s information. Tell a story, add a description, and create a profile photo to build trust.
• Shop policies. If you want to avoid confusing your customers, it’s a must-have. Add delivery, return, exchange, and privacy policies. Learn how to set up shop policies from Etsy.
• Add a Frequently Asked Questions section. Provide useful information to customers. What are the shipping costs, how long does shipping take, and do you accept returns?

Gain inspiration by exploring other Etsy stores. Use their publicly available data to learn from what they do well and improve your own store.

9. Market Your Products

When learning how to start a print-on-demand business on Etsy, learn a bit about marketing, too. You can use various methods to attract potential customers.

• Social media marketing. An easy way to find and engage with customers. Post appealing product photos, videos, and promote special deals.
• Etsy advertising. Etsy places ads inside the marketplace – search results, categories, and market pages. Learn how to set up and manage an Etsy Ads campaign.
• Influencer marketing. Reach a wider audience by collaborating with influencers who endorse your products.

Quick Tip

Learn more about Etsy marketing from our in-depth guide, covering how to determine a target audience, promote your shop, and other aspects vital to successful marketing and selling print-on-demand products on Etsy.

Make It Happen Today!

Getting Started On Etsy: Tips for Success

While Etsy offers everyone an opportunity to start a business quickly, selling print-on-demand products can be highly competitive. Stay ahead of your competition and attract more customers by following these simple tips.

Pick a Niche for Your Etsy Print-on-Demand Store

If you choose a niche with low competition, you can earn more money with less effort.

A niche refers to a specialized market segment that caters to a specific group of people with particular characteristics. For example, a niche can be anything – organic gardening, winter swimming, or exotic pets.

Try research tools, like Google Trends or Semrush, to analyze the search data and find a profitable niche.

Try Etsy Keyword Tools

With Etsy keyword tools, you can quickly find the most popular keywords, trending products, and gain insight into the competition.

• Alura. A useful tool that positions itself as an all-in-one platform that helps with every aspect of running an Etsy shop.
• EtsyHunt. Among other valuable features, this tool has the world’s largest database of Etsy products, so you can quickly identify popular items.
• Sale Samurai. If you need analytics and insights to increase your Etsy sales, it’s a great option.

Study Etsy SEO Best Practices and Optimize Listings

Etsy search engine optimization (SEO) improves the visibility of your Etsy store and your products.

Use the tools mentioned in the previous section to perform keyword research and optimize your store by incorporating them into your listings.

Use keywords in:

• Product titles. Incorporate relevant keywords at the beginning. Keep titles short and clear.
• Listing descriptions. Write product descriptions in a way that naturally incorporates the most relevant keywords in the first few sentences.
• Etsy tags. Add tags that describe your products with relevant keywords. If possible, use multi-word phrases.

Learn how to master Etsy SEO to drive customer traffic to your store.

Price Your Print-On-Demand Items Correctly

Before setting a price, analyze the competition to make sure your pricing model makes sense and aligns with customer expectations.

Check what other print-on-demand Etsy stores are charging and set your price accordingly. If possible, avoid a price war, which can result in paper-thin profit margins for everyone.

Learn how to price a product for success from our in-depth guide, covering the most common pricing strategies.

List Only a Few Variants Per Listing

Variants are a combination of options for the main product. They can include sizes, colors, materials, and so on.

When listing products on your Etsy shop, don’t overwhelm your customers with variant options, but offer enough so they have a choice.

As a beginner, aim for around five, and gradually increase as you grow your Etsy print-on-demand business.

Take Great Product Photos

While our Mockup Generator provides realistic mockups, sometimes customers want to see how the product looks in a real-life setting.

Run Sales and Promotions

Generate hype and spike interest in your store by offering discounts and promotional deals.

You can offer:

• Discounts, gift cards, giveaways
• Buy one, get one free deals
• Free shipping

If you’re just starting out, it’s a great way to attract new customers, potentially resulting in more money in the long run.

Provide Excellent Customer Service

If you deliver exceptional customer service, people will buy your POD products repeatedly, leave positive reviews, and recommend your store to their friends and family. Additionally, it’s one of the criteria for earning a Star Seller badge, which shows shoppers that you provide an excellent customer experience.

Whenever a customer has a question, quickly provide them with all the information they need.

Here are a few tips for better communication:

• Use an inviting and polite tone
• Address concerns clearly
• Set realistic expectations
• Set up auto-replies and saved replies for when you’re away

While it may seem small, it can make a world of difference and pay off nicely.

Join Facebook Groups and Subreddits

Find Facebook groups, Reddit communities, and forums that align with your store’s niche, or join POD seller groups, like Printify POD Rockstars.

You can use them to gain inspiration for new products, design ideas, and connect with people who share similar interests.

Don’t forget to build a professional profile so that whenever you engage in a discussion, people can find your Etsy print-on-demand business easily, potentially leading to sales.

What Products Can I Sell on Etsy?

With the print-on-demand business model, you can offer customers various products without holding any inventory yourself.

The Printify Catalog has more than 900 high-quality products you can customize however you like and add to your print-on-demand Etsy store with just a few clicks.

Here are just a few ideas.

• Apparel. T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, shoes, swimwear.
• Accessories. Stickers, phone cases, mouse pads, bags, hats.
• Stationery. Journals, postcards, calendars, clipboards, bookmarks.
• Home decor. Wall art, lamps, candles, window curtains.
• Pet products. Tags, bowls, feeding mats, beds, leashes.

How to Start a Print-On-Demand Business on Etsy: Closing Thoughts

As we conclude our guide on how to sell print-on-demand products on Etsy, we hope you found the information helpful.

A quick recap of the steps you should take:

• Sign up for an Etsy account
• Set up your Etsy shop
• Create a Printify account
• Connect Etsy to Printify
• Select and design products
• Publish products to your shop
• Edit product details
• Customize your Etsy shop
• Market your products

With the right approach and some patience, anyone can start a rewarding Etsy print-on-demand business.

Make It Happen Today!