If you’ve ever dreamed of making passive income online but felt overwhelmed by the process, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re breaking down the exact steps Emily Odio Sutton used to go from an educator to a full-time entrepreneur making over $530,000 in just two years—selling print on demand and digital products on Etsy.
Print on Demand is my 2025 new income stream project, so this interview by The Doug Show appeared just in time! In this guide, you’ll learn the step-by-step process to launch your own print on demand Etsy shop, even if you have no prior experience in business or design.
Tools You’ll Need (With Links)
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Buy NowPrintify is a print-on-demand (POD) platform that enables designers, artists, entrepreneurs, and businesses to create and sell custom-designed products with their own branding. The platform acts as an intermediary between merchants and a wide range of print providers globally. This setup allows users to choose from an extensive product catalog, including apparel (like t-shirts and hoodies), accessories, home goods, and more, to add their own designs onto and sell.
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Kittl is a graphic design tool that is great for Print on Demand (POD) because it allows users to create high-quality, professional-looking designs with ease. It provides ready-made templates, AI-powered design tools, and an intuitive drag-and-drop editor to help designers and entrepreneurs create eye-catching artwork for products like t-shirts, mugs, posters, and more.
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Playground AI is an innovative platform that empowers users to create and customize unique designs using artificial intelligence. It's particularly useful for those interested in print-on-demand businesses, as it streamlines the design process.
With Playground AI, users can generate artwork by simply inputting text prompts or using various AI-driven tools to tweak designs. This makes it accessible even for those without advanced design skills. The platform enables users to produce high-quality graphics that can be printed on various products, such as T-shirts, mugs, and posters.
By using AI to optimize design creation, Playground AI helps reduce the time and effort typically required in the design process. This allows entrepreneurs to focus more on marketing and sales strategies, ultimately boosting their print-on-demand businesses.
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verBee is a valuable tool for individuals operating in the print-on-demand and e-commerce space, particularly those using platforms like Etsy. It provides analytical insights to help sellers make data-driven decisions about which products to offer.
The platform offers features such as product research, trend analysis, and sales estimations, allowing users to identify high-demand products and optimize their listings. By leveraging data analytics, EverBee helps sellers understand market dynamics and consumer preferences, enhancing the likelihood of success in their print-on-demand ventures.
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Check Out Ideogram
Got an idea in your head that you need to bring to life? Meet Ideogram, your ultimate image generation sidekick. Fast, reliable, and oh-so-simple, it transforms your concepts into eye-catching visuals in seconds. Whether you're whipping up a cool T-shirt design, crafting a striking poster, or sketching out that genius logo idea, Ideogram has your back. No fluff here—just straightforward, quality results that you can see and feel.
This intuitive tool is all about accessibility. You don't need a degree in graphic design to create something amazing. Just describe what you're imagining, and let Ideogram do the heavy lifting. With features like 'Explore' to spark creativity or 'Canvas' for your personalized projects, it's like having a virtual creative studio at your fingertips.
Say adios to endless revisions and hello to real, actionable results. It's your direct route to fast-paced, professional-grade design without the fuss. So whether you're a tech whiz or a creative rookie, jump into the future of image creation—where your ideas meet reality at lightning speed. Welcome to Ideogram: creativity, unleashed.
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How Emily Started Selling on Etsy (And Made Over $500K!)
Emily Odio Sutton started selling on Etsy in January 2023 while still working a full-time job in education. Like many, she stumbled upon print on demand through Instagram doom scrolling and decided to give it a shot.
Within three weeks, she made her first sale. Within two years, she hit over 27,000 sales across two Etsy shops, generating more than $530,000 in revenue. This allowed her to quit her job and gain complete financial and time freedom.
Why Etsy and Print on Demand?
Emily tested various online income streams before settling on print-on-demand (POD) for a few key reasons:
- No inventory to manage
- Etsy brings in organic traffic (so no need to run ads or use social media)
- Simple text-based designs sell well
- Great for selling giftable products (which sell year-round!)
Step 1: Finding Profitable Product Ideas on Etsy
The key to success on Etsy is understanding what buyers are already looking for. Instead of guessing, use EverBee to find trending products with high sales volume and low competition.
How to Find Winning Product Ideas:
- Search Etsy for niches like “personalized gifts” or “funny candles.”
- Use EverBee to analyze competitors’ best-selling products.
- Look for high-demand, low-competition opportunities.
- Think about giftability—products that people buy for others sell best!
Step 2: Designing Your Products (Even If You’re Not a Designer)
You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create best-selling Etsy products. Emily’s top-selling product has only three words on it!
How to Create Designs Easily:
- Use Canva Pro to design simple text-based products.
- Keep it minimal—black or white text on a candle, journal, or mug works well.
- Test different phrases based on what’s trending on Etsy.
Step 3: Uploading Your Designs to Printify & Connecting to Etsy
Printify is the easiest print-on-demand provider to use for Etsy sellers.
Steps to Upload & Sell:
- Sign up for Printify and connect it to your Etsy shop.
- Choose a high-margin product (candles, journals, tote bags, or mugs).
- Upload your design and create a mockup for your listing.
- Set competitive pricing—Emily suggests 30-50% margins.
- Write a keyword-rich product description and publish your listing.
Step 4: Optimizing Your Etsy Listings for Sales
Your listings should include:
- A compelling title with high-search keywords (use EverBee!)
- High-quality mockup images (Canva helps with this!)
- A detailed description answering common customer questions
- SEO-rich tags to help Etsy’s algorithm find your product
Step 5: Scaling Your Etsy Business to Full-Time Income
Once you start getting sales, it’s time to scale up.
Emily’s Scaling Strategy:
- Upload new products consistently (she has 800+ active listings!)
- Focus on giftable products (holidays, birthdays, anniversaries)
- Customize listings based on customer requests
- Test different price points to maximize profit margins
Step 6: Handling Customer Service & Shipping
Most Etsy customer service involves:
- Answering pre-sale questions (customization, bulk orders, etc.)
- Handling shipping delays (Printify manages replacements!)
- Responding to occasional damaged product complaints
The good news? Once you set up a system, customer service is minimal (Emily spends just 10 hours per week running her shop!).
Final Thoughts: Should You Start an Etsy Print-on-Demand Business?
If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly way to make passive income, Etsy print-on-demand is one of the best business models out there.
Emily went from zero experience to over $530,000 in two years, all while balancing a full-time job and parenting. If she can do it, so can you!
Get Started Today!
By following these steps, you can start your own profitable Etsy print-on-demand business today!
