If you’re looking to create passive income then there are a number of online options that can be profitable. However, you need to be prepared to put in the initial hard work.
One of these is selling printables
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While you do need some basic tech knowledge to get started, this is relatively easy to learn. Although, if you are a complete beginner there are plenty of tutorials and courses online.
One of the best courses is Jessica Bellman’s Template Creators Society. It is a fun and accessible way to learn how to design and sell digital templates. One of the best parts of the course is how easy it is to follow — whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, the step-by-step tutorials make everything feel doable. The community aspect is also a huge bonus, with a friendly Facebook group where members share ideas, get feedback, and support each other. Plus, Jessica’s live coaching sessions help answer questions and keep everyone motivated. It’s a great mix of creativity, learning, and encouragement, making it an enjoyable way to build a digital income.
Here are just a few that you might like to consider:
What Are Printables and Templates?
Printables are purely digital products that you create and which people can then download for a certain price. They can include artwork, graphics and even documents.
All you need to do is create the printables and then find somewhere to sell them.
The good news is there are some well-established marketplaces online that you can easily sign up for.
Some areas you might want to explore include:
Artwork
Artwork: This can include downloads of famous works that are out of copyright as well as your own designs, paintings, drawings and photographs.
Graphics packages
These can include things like fonts, emojis, banners, social media posts and clipart.
Business Forms and Templates
Business forms that will help new businesses save time and money such as my photographer’s wedding shot list that I purchased from one of Jessa Bellman’s courses and made it my own. If you want to get a head start then check out the template society.
Planners and Calendars
There are plenty of examples out there of these, everything from study planner printables and daily planners to diet journals and the like. Check out Jess Bellman’s 100 templates to fast track your planner creation.
What is the Best Software for Creating Printables and Templates?
If you are creating printables, then you will need some software.
Again, the good news is that you can find this online.
Furthermore, most are relatively easy to learn and they don’t cost too much.
Here are just a few that you might like to consider:
Canva
Canva allows you to create everything from short videos and calendars to posters and logos and it has a very easy to use interface. There is a wide range of resources including graphics, videos and images as well as fonts and layouts.
The free version gives you access to a small number of resources but you can use this to get started and sell canva templates. If you want everything, it costs £11 a month.
However, it is important that you check the licensing carefully. Just because you have the paid version doesn’t mean that you can sell printables with elements. You would be best sticking to the free elements.
PicMonkey
Similar to Canva, PicMonkey has a few more tools for those who want to create things like graphic downloads or edit photos and other images. They offer a free trial so you can try out most of the features first. A pro account will cost you about £14 a month.
PowerPoint & Word
Many people who work in an office will be familiar with PowerPoint and Word which are useful if simple, tools for creating a range of graphics, documents and other printables. For those with limited software and design skills, this can be a great starter option for creating content.
As part of the Microsoft Office 365 package, you can download it for about £7 a month.
InDesign
If you are searching for a more high tech solution with greater options, InDesign is probably the industry standard. It gives you all the tools you need to make high-quality graphics, digital books and magazines, interactive PDFs and a whole host of other digital products.
InDesign is available as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud which starts at £19.97 per month.
How Much Can I Make Selling Printables?
The income potential from selling printables online can vary widely and depends on several factors, including the quality of your products, your marketing efforts, the demand for your printables, and the platforms you use.
For full disclosure I am doing it on a part time basis, have about 160 forms and haven’t added any in a few weeks and earn between £300-£400 per month passive income.
Here are some key factors that can influence your earnings:
Product Quality and Appeal: High-quality and unique printables that resonate with your target audience are more likely to attract customers and generate sales.
Niche and Market Demand: Entering a niche with high demand and limited competition can lead to more sales and higher profits.
Pricing Strategy: Finding the right balance between pricing competitively and valuing your work appropriately can impact your revenue.
Marketing and Promotion: Effective marketing efforts, such as social media promotion, email marketing, collaborations, and SEO, can drive more traffic and sales to your online store.
Customer Base: Building a loyal customer base and repeat buyers can lead to consistent sales and long-term success.
Sales Platforms: Selling on established marketplaces like Etsy or using your e-commerce website can impact your visibility and potential sales.
Diversification: Expanding your product range, offering bundles, or creating seasonal collections can help increase your revenue.
It’s important to note that success in selling printables, like any online business, may take time. Initially, it may take time to build your brand, gain visibility, and attract a loyal customer base. As you gain experience, optimise your products and marketing strategies, your earnings have the potential to grow.
To get a sense of potential earnings, you can research other sellers in your niche, read success stories, and calculate potential profits based on your pricing and estimated sales volume. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to how much you can make selling printables online, dedication, continuous improvement, and understanding your target audience are key factors in maximizing your income potential.
What Printables Can I Sell on Etsy?
Firstly, you should concentrate on your software experience. In my case, it is using Word but you may be better with other software.
Secondly, concentrate on popular printables on Etsy that can help make a person’s life easier.
Such printables include printables to keep a child busy either at home or during holidays. If you’ve been thinking about selling printables don’t delay it any longer, as you could be earning passive income in your sleep.
Best Selling Printables on Etsy
Printable colouring pages
We know that most kids love to color in and that’s why colouring pages / sheets are extremely popular. Whether it’s their favourite animal or dinosaur, colouring pages can keep a child amused for hours.
Popular colouring sheets
Popular colouring sheets include Christmas colouring pages, character colouring pages, cute colouring pages, pony colouring pages, mermaid colouring pages and Disney colouring sheets.
It is important to note that you cannot sell any colouring sheets using trademarked characters such as Disney characters although some people do!
However, creating colouring pages may not be an easy option but you could always hire a designer to do these for you. Alternatively, a lot of people are now using AI software such as Midjourney.
Printable cute colouring pages by YourPrintWisdom at Etsy.
These are actually a great idea – Christmas tags to colour in.
Chore and Reward Cards
Encouraging kids to do chores is great for helping them with responsibility. Combine that with rewards and then you have a winning combination.
These are easy to create in PowerPoint and Printables by Numbers will show you exactly how to create printables using PowerPoint.
One important tip is to ensure they look good in Google Slides as not everyone will have access to PowerPoint.
Printable Chore Chart from BlossomhousePress
Printable Activity Books
Activities to do whilst in the car or away camping are a great idea. Keeping kids amused in the car on a long car journey can be hard work. To make life easier printable activity books can be a last minute addition to a journey and makes it a more enjoyable experience. Having both solo activities and group games such as car bingo are so much fun.
To make life easier printable activity books can be a last minute addition to a journey.
Reading Log Printable
Encouraging kids to read is great for development. Fun, personalised reading logs make it more exciting for a child to read.
Reading Log Printable from Studionene
Math Worksheets
Maths can be a subject that a child struggles with. Math worksheets such as addition, subtraction worksheets, fraction worksheets and long division worksheets, can be great to print off and take out to restaurants to keep the kids occupied. And at the same time helping with their maths. I used to do this with my daughter and she loved them (maybe not now she’s a teenager!).
Great to keep a toddler busy on road journeys or in a restaurant.
Other popular printables on Etsy are planners. Hey, who doesn’t love being organised to give them more time in their busy schedules?
So let’s look at popular planners.
Work Day Organiser
A planner for the day will make a busy mom super organised and stay focussed. This could be a daily planner for the office or for home.
Work Day Organizer from BlessedDayPaper
Goal Planner Printable
A goal setting planner gives a person purpose and goals to aim for. It could be a weekly, monthly or yearly goal planner. The one below includes a vision board, quarterly goals, goal reviews, bucket list and reflections.
Goal Planner Printable from CreativeJamCo
Study Planner Printables
A study planner could help to ease stress for students.
It can be very stressful, especially in the final year, when a student has to do their dissertation or thesis. A study planner can help to plan the academic year ahead.
In addition, it can help a student plan for their exams. One such student tracker is below:
Exam Tracker Printable from PuffinPagesCo
Meal Planner
It can be very frustrating each week thinking of meals to make for a family. I know, I’ve been there! It can be left to one person (me!) in the household to do and that is fine if they enjoy doing it.
But what if they don’t?
A meal planner could help to get all the family involved to come up with ideas. Plus having a shopping list section is a great addition to a meal planner.
Meal Planner and Grocery List Printable from OVCreativeStudio
Wedding Planner
Wedding planning is a huge topic and definitely a popular subject. And as you can imagine there are so many wedding planning products you could create from a wedding checklist template to wedding invites.
Wedding Planner Printable from BeautifullyLostShop
100+ Printable Ideas
If you still haven’t got a clue what to create here are 100+ ideas for you:
Catering
Menus
Catering Business Cards
Catering Leaflets
Catering Starter Bundle
Catering Quotations
Catering Invoices
Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant Starter Bundle
Virtual Assistant Client Intake Form
Virtual Assistant Portfolio example
Virtual Assistant Start-up Checklist
Virtual Assistant List of Services
Virtual Assistant Contract
Beauty Industry
Basic Aesthetician Consent Form
Lash Extension Consent Form
Facial Treatment Templates
Makeup Artist Wedding Contracts
Booking Forms
Employment
CV’s – Academic CVs
Job Interview Checklist
Job Posting Template
Job Specification Template
Job Interview Form
Student Academic Report
Meeting Agenda
Meeting Notes
Babies
Baby First Foods Tracker
Baby Tracker
Child Care
Emergency Information Sheet
Day Care Registration Forms
Day Care Incident Report
Babysitting Forms
Nursery Registration Forms
Preschool Registration Forms
Childcare Incident Reports
Book Report Form
Childcare Flyers
Childcare Information Sheet
Childcare Tuition Agreement
Child worksheets
Colouring worksheets
Day care Naptime Signs
Day Care menu
Day Care Payment Log
Day Care Report Template
Discipline Report
Clients
Client Intake Forms
Client Feedback Forms
Wedding Industry
Wedding Planning Bundles
Save the date cards
Wedding Invitations
Wedding budget worksheet
Wedding table plan template
Table Numbers
Seat Arrangements
Planners
House income / expenditure tracker
Productivity planners
Study Planners
Kid’s Chores Planner
Monthly Calendars
Weekly Calendars
Meal Planners
Teaching
Lesson Planners
Weekly Teacher Scheduling Planner
Hourly Timetables
To do Lists
Responsibility Lists
Meet the Teacher Flyer
Finance Tracking Printable
Wedding Budget Tracker
Household Finance Tracker
Holiday Finance Planner
Spend Challenges
Baby Fund Tracker
Savings Tracker
Health and Fitness Printables
Mental Health Tracker
Habits Tracker
Anxiety Workbooks
Bipolar Therapy Journal
Weight Loss Tracker
CBT Worksheets
Self Care Planners
Wellness Journals
Anger Management Printable
Depression Journal
Prescription Trackers
Therapy Notes
Mindfulness Prompts
Pet Business
Dog Walking Registration Forms
Dog Walking Invoices
Dog Boarding Forms
Dog Walking Agreements
Dog Boarding Agreements / Contracts
Dog Grooming Forms
Dog Report Forms
Dog Wall Art Printables
Dog Walking Leaflets
Dog Walking Leaflets with tear off contacts
Dog Walking Business Cards
Dog Walking Schedule Planner
Dog Boarding Calendar
Dog Boarding Report Card
Dog Breeder Contract
Dog Trainer Contract
Dog Training Form
Key Release / Key Return Form
Farewell Thoughts: If you need help getting started why not check out my Executive Virtual Assistant services that include helping with SEO and product descriptions. A lot of us procrastinate in life and lack confidence in what we do. I know because I was that person. I have been focussing on the pet industry and business templates due to my past experience. But there are so many digital products you can sell on Etsy. So whether you are an expert in Word, Excel, InDesign you can find something to create. Just go for it, improve on it and make passive income, while you sleep, selling printables and digital products.
Courses that have helped me on my printables journey are:
Passive Income Society
Etsy Superstar
Template Society
The Journal and Planner Creator