How To Start A Print-On-Demand Business On Etsy In 2026: A Beginner’s Guide

1. Create an Etsy seller account

The first step in learning how to set up a print-on-demand Etsy store is creating a seller account. To begin, open your desktop browser and visit Etsy.com/sell. Then, click Get started and answer a few quick questions about your business goals.

2. Complete your Etsy shop setup

Next, let’s set up your Etsy POD shop. Our guide on how to sell on Etsy can walk you through the details, but here are the essential steps to get your online business off the ground:

• Choose your shop preferences. Select your store’s default language, country, and currency. This determines how you’ll list your Etsy products and how you’ll get paid. 
• Name your shop. Choose an Etsy shop name between four and 20 characters. Aim for something memorable that reflects your brand’s values.
• Set up payments. Connect your bank account to receive your earnings. Many US-based Etsy sellers use a secure service like Plaid to instantly verify their bank details.
• Add billing details. You’ll need a card on file to pay Etsy fees, including the one-time shop setup fee. 
• Verify your identity. Upload a government-issued ID and a selfie.
• Secure your Etsy account. Enable two-factor authentication to strengthen your Etsy shop security and protect your business data. 

3. Connect Etsy to a print-on-demand service

Now, sign up on a print-on-demand platform and connect it to your Etsy account. 

For this guide, we’ll use Printify – it integrates with the marketplace in seconds and offers more than 1,300 high-quality products to choose from. From soft cotton t-shirts and eco-friendly tote bags to custom pint glasses, we’ve got you covered. 

Sign up for a free Printify account and navigate to your dashboard. Then, click your store name in the sidebar and select Manage my stores. 

After that, click Connect, then choose Etsy from the list of available eCommerce platforms and marketplaces. 

Now, simply sign in to your Etsy account and click Grant access to allow Printify to manage your listings and automatically sync orders.

4. Create your custom products

This step is all about creating products that Etsy buyers can’t resist. 

Start by browsing the Product Catalog, which offers a wide range of product categories across many niches. 

Explore everything from custom-printed backpacks and framed wall art to even print-on-demand cosmetics. To find your next bestseller, use our Product Catalog filters to sort by brand, material, print area, or price and narrow down exactly what suits your target market.

Need some inspiration? Check out our list of the best things to sell on Etsy. 

After choosing an item, click Start designing to open our beginner-friendly Product Creator. 

This is where you:

• Drag and drop your artwork directly onto the product or use our AI Image Generator to create something from scratch with a simple text prompt.
• Add custom messages using our creative fonts, choose from a library of free graphics, and remove messy backgrounds in a single click. 
• Switch to the Preview tab to see your creation in lifelike mockups. Feel free to use them in your Etsy listing later on. 

Once done, click Save product. 

5. Publish products to your Etsy store

On the next page, finalize the details that help Etsy customers find your products and ensure your online business is actually profitable.

Here is how to optimize your listing before it goes live:

• Select your mockups. Choose a high-quality main image and various mockup views to showcase your product in real-world settings. Keep in mind that Etsy allows up to 20 images per listing. 
• Optimize with Smart Suggest. This AI tool can instantly generate SEO-friendly titles, detailed descriptions, and tags to help your online store rank higher in Etsy search results. 
• Set competitive pricing. Use our calculator to break down Etsy fees – including the $0.20 listing fee and the 6.5% transaction fee – to maintain a healthy Etsy POD profit margin. 
• Automate your shipping. Use our shipping profiles to automatically assign the correct rates to your products. Consider enabling the free shipping toggle to include the shipping costs in your retail price and boost your listing’s visibility and appeal.
• Manage out-of-stock variants. Choose how Etsy should handle items that are temporarily unavailable – hide them or keep them visible to maintain your SEO ranking.

Finally, click Publish to list your products.

6. Add Printify as a production partner on Etsy

To stay compliant with marketplace policies, it’s important to let Etsy shoppers know you work with a professional team to handle the printing and shipping. By doing this, your listings will automatically display a “Designed by [YourShopName]” note.

Follow these steps to add a production partner to Etsy:

1. Sign in to your account and open the Etsy Shop Manager. Select Settings, then click Partners you work with.
2. Click the Add a new production partner button to open the setup form.
3. Enter Printify as the production partner name. Choose whether to show this name to Etsy store shoppers or use a descriptive title like “Print-on-demand partner” if you prefer to keep it private.
4. Enter “Wilmington, DE” in the location field. 
5. Use the About production partner field to explain how you work together, such as how they help bring your unique designs to life on high-quality products.
6. There will be more questions to answer about your partnership. These details are for Etsy’s internal use and won’t be visible to your customers.
7. Review how the partnership information will appear in your shop’s About section and click Save partner.

7. Customize your Etsy storefront

Stand out among other Etsy sellers by creating a professional-looking storefront. Complete the following steps when customizing your Etsy shop:

• Create a shop icon that represents your online business. Use a simple logo that’s easy to recognize even when viewed as a tiny thumbnail on the Etsy app.
• Upload a high-impact banner image to showcase your brand’s vibe, a lifestyle shot of your best-selling POD products, or to announce a seasonal sale.
• Use a clear headshot of yourself for your Shop Owner photo to make your online store feel more personal and approachable.
• Tell your brand story in the About section. Share how your shop started, what inspires your designs, and add a few behind-the-scenes photos to show Etsy buyers there’s a real person behind the shop.
• Drag and drop your listings into a cohesive grid with the Rearrange items tool. Much like a physical store window, your most eye-catching designs should be the first things people see.

Set clear shop policies. Outline your delivery times, return and exchange rules, and privacy policies. This is essential for protecting your shop and setting clear expectations.

8. Promote your Etsy products

When learning how to start an Etsy print-on-demand shop, you’ll quickly find that building it is only half the battle – the other half is marketing. 

Our Etsy marketing guide covers all the essentials beginners should know. For a quick head start, here are a few tips to promote your shop and connect with your target audience:

• Use relevant keywords in your titles and tags to describe exactly what you’re selling and match buyers’ search intent. 
• Join the Share & Save program to receive a 4% refund on your Etsy fees by driving your own traffic to your shop via social media marketing links. 
• Encourage larger orders by setting up bundle discounts through the Offer listings together for less feature.
• Set up automated thank-you coupons to encourage repeat purchases from past customers. 
• Access the Marketplace Insights tool to view real-time data on trending keywords and buyer search volumes.
• Follow the Etsy Seller Handbook to stay updated on seasonal trends and the latest strategies to win over potential customers.  
• Launch Etsy Ads to boost the visibility of your new listings at the top of search results.
• Use Offsite Ads to have Etsy promote your print-on-demand products on sites like Google and Facebook, where you only pay a fee if the ad results in a sale.

Choose a profitable niche

A niche is a distinct target audience defined by a shared hobby or identity. Instead of trying to sell to everyone, you’re picking a small corner of the market where you can be the expert. 

While not strictly required, a niche can help build a loyal following of repeat buyers. Etsy shoppers often look for items that feel personal and unique. Once they find a shop that “gets” their specific hobby or style, they are much more likely to bookmark it for the future.

To find a top-selling niche, use the interest x aesthetic matrix. This simply means combining a specific hobby with a particular design style – for example, “90s retro t-shirts” (aesthetic) + “chess players” (interest). 

By combining a theme people love with a trending look, your print-on-demand store will appear in specific search results where the competition is much lower.

Use Etsy keyword tools

Use keyword tools like eRank and EverBee to find high-demand search terms and trending products. These tools let you see exactly how many sales a specific design makes per month and which keywords are driving the most traffic to your competitors. 

Other than that, free platforms like Google Trends can also help spot broader market shifts and seasonal peaks before they even hit Etsy.

Master Etsy SEO

Etsy SEO is what connects your products to the right shoppers. Once you’ve identified relevant keywords to describe your products, place them strategically to help the search algorithm understand what you’re selling.

• Place your most important long-tail keyword at the beginning of the product title. This front-loading helps both Etsy and shoppers immediately identify what you’re selling.
• Naturally weave the primary keywords into the first two sentences of your product description. These early lines often show up in Google search snippets.
• Use all 13 Etsy tags to boost your shop’s visibility. Instead of generic single words like “t-shirt,” focus on multi-word phrases such as “vintage botanical t-shirt” to increase your chances of appearing in niche results.

Price your print-on-demand items strategically

One of the most common POD mistakes is underpricing to compete solely on cost. In reality, it’s essential to price print-on-demand products to cover Etsy fees, production costs, operational overhead, and labor for managing the store. 

Setting a healthy margin – ideally 40-50% – lets you meet customer expectations for quality while still being profitable.

To estimate how much you can make on Etsy, check out our guide. 

List only a few variants per listing

Variants are a combination of options for the main product, such as colors and materials. While it’s tempting to offer every style available, it’s best to limit your listing to five variants or fewer. 

When shoppers face dozens of product variants, they often get overwhelmed and leave without buying anything. Curating your options ensures customers can make a confident choice in seconds.

Take lifestyle product photos

While our mockup generator produces highly realistic images, customers sometimes want to see a product from different angles. 

Ordering samples is the best way to bridge this gap – you can verify the print quality firsthand and take authentic Etsy listing photos to build trust.

Run sales and promotions

Boost your Etsy sales with these tactics:

• Run a percentage-off discount to attract potential customers. 
• Automatically email shoppers who favorited your items or left them in their carts.
• Create unique codes to share via social media, shop announcements, or direct messages to reward loyal buyers.

Provide excellent customer service

Having exceptional customer service can get active buyers to leave positive reviews and make repeat purchases. It is also the primary requirement for the Star Seller badge, a digital seal of approval that tells shoppers your store is professional, reliable, and highly responsive.

• Aim to respond to first messages within 24 hours to keep your response rate high.
• Create auto-replies and saved templates for common questions to maintain a polite, inviting tone while saving time.
• Be honest about shipping and production times so there are no surprises for the buyer.

Join relevant online communities

Finally, join seller groups like Printify POD Rockstars and the Printify Sellers Club to accelerate your growth. These hubs provide access to expert mentorship and troubleshooting tips from successful sellers who have solved the challenges you may face.

Consider also joining forums or communities aligned with your store’s niche to gain inspiration for new products and design ideas.