Before you begin¶
Your goal: know what you are selling and have the details ready to open your shop.
Choose a starting point¶
Pick a subject and a customer you can picture. For example, colourful coastal prints for relaxed living rooms, playful animal art for nurseries, or travel posters for people who love a particular place. These are starting ideas, not claims about what will sell.
Aim for a collection that looks related: a consistent palette, illustration style or subject. Make a few original designs before expanding into dozens of unrelated themes.
Decide how the customer receives it¶
| Product | What the buyer receives | What you need to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Physical print | A printed item delivered to their address | Print-ready artwork, product choices, fulfilment, packaging and delivery details |
| Digital download | Files they download and print themselves | Final files, accurate dimensions, download instructions and usage terms |
| Both | A choice between separately described products | A clear listing for each product type and a reliable way to avoid confusion |
For your first collection, separate physical and digital listings are easier to explain. A digital-labelled variation on a physical listing does not by itself turn it into an Etsy instant download.
Gather your essentials¶
Have an email address you can access, a shop-name shortlist, your identity details, payment and bank information, and your first product ready. Etsy's exact verification requirements depend on your location and account. Enter sensitive information directly on Etsy, never in a guide or a message to another seller.
Keep your artwork organised: one folder per design, with the master artwork, export files, listing images and product notes. Use filenames you can recognise a month later.
Know what you have permission to sell¶
Use original work and check the commercial terms for any fonts, photographs or design elements you use. Do not assume that a popular character, logo or image found online is available for resale.
If you use AI to create artwork, check Etsy's current Creativity Standards. Etsy requires disclosure in the listing description for seller-prompted AI creations. Inspect the artwork closely before selling it.
Your next step¶
- I can describe my shop's first collection in one sentence.
- I have chosen physical prints, digital downloads or both.
- My first artwork is ready and I have checked the relevant usage rights.
- I have my account and verification details ready.
Reviewed 14 October 2026 · Suggest a correction