How to Sell Your Digital Art | Definitive Guide

Comprehensive guide on how to sell your digital art and make money today!

how to sell digital art

You have spent all of your time creating beautiful art, honing your craft, and building your confidence, but unfortunately, your bank balance is starting to suffer.

It’s true that the creative industry can be both the toughest and the most lucrative at times, but learning how to master the art of making money can be difficult. In the modern world, gone are the days when we rely solely on the local gallery to flog our artwork.

Learning how to sell digital art online is one of the best and most efficient ways to start making some money and building your audience.

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Selling Prints and other Cool Items

The struggle of admin used to be what deterred me from putting a real effort into selling my art, as an artist, I just wanted to concentrate on what I do best, creating art!

The great thing about selling online now is that there are many websites that deal with all of the laborious stuff for you, like shipping, customer service, and printing. If you are wondering how to sell digital art you are in luck! A lot of sites available to you will already have an existing audience, as well as an easy-to-use or learn platform. This makes them great options if you are just starting to venture into the world of selling art online. 

Here are some of the best print-on-demand sites for selling your art online;

Society6

how to sell digital art

Society6 is a great place to start if you are a beginner looking to make an extra buck from your artwork without paying any start-up costs.

As one of the leading print-on-demand websites, their system allows illustrators to upload their work which can then be selected by customers and printed onto various clothing items, prints, and accessories.

Another important factor is that you still retain the rights to any illustrations uploaded on Society6’s site. 

Caseable

how to sell digital art

As you can probably tell by its name, Caseable produces a variety of cases for your items, from iPhone cases to laptop bags. Each month, Caseable adds new artists to their site, spotlighting them both in their newsletter and on their social media.

Although Caseable is also a great place to start for beginners, there is a little more work to do as any items would need to be sold through your own website, and then you need to go ahead and order from Caseable (at a discounted rate) for it to be shipped directly to your customer.

This does of course have its benefits such as your full control over prices and profit margins. 

This is a Limited Edition

how to sell digital art

Bringing a little more exclusivity to the party is “This is a Limited Edition”. This platform is really for those already working hard with enough of a fanbase and online presence to have caught the eye of someone recruiting for the site.

Whilst the invitation-only policy may make it difficult to join this exclusive club of artists, if you can get in there are some major benefits to be had. This is a Limited Edition work hard to actually put the art in front of people, organizing exhibitions and art trade shows. The quality of the products produced on the site is also of a much higher level with attention to detail being key.

Be warned though, having your art be a part of a limited edition collection also means you are unable to sell it anywhere else unlike some of the other platforms we have mentioned. Make sure to always read the small print. Although the website is really invite-only, you can shoot your shot and apply here anyway. 

Design by Humans

how to sell digital art

Design by Humans allows illustrators to essentially open their own store on the Design by Humans platform. You can create your own branded storefront showcasing some of your best works to be printed on t-shirts, hoodies, art prints, mugs, and more.

They look after all of the processing, shipping, and customer service while you retain the rights to your work and make a bit of extra cash. The only downside to Design by Humans is the sheer size of its artist roster. Unlike “This is a Limited Edition”, standing out and actually getting your work seen could be hard as you would be one of 15,000 artists on the platform. 

RedBubble

how to sell digital art

One of the better-known print-on-demand platforms, RedBubble has proven to be a favorite amongst artists new to the online sales world. Working similarly to Design by Humans, RedBubble allows artists to upload their artwork and apply it to items in their shop for customers to purchase.

It is simple to use and free to join, however, there are lots of artists and even more, art to compete with. The more self-promotion work you put in, the better your results will be.

Threadless

how to sell digital art

Similar to Design by Humans, Threadless is another fantastic platform that allows you to customize and design your own storefront. You can simply upload your artwork, and easily apply it to clothing, home decor, and accessories.

Whilst they handle the customer care, inventory, manufacturing, and shipping, you can sign up for free, set your own pricing, and even retain your customer’s info for future marketing purposes. 

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Selling On Etsy

Esty is probably one of the first websites you think of when it comes to creative, arty, and unique products from independent sellers. Esty allows illustrators to upload and sell their artwork to customers who can then print it at home. Essentially a customer will pay for a link to download your digital file, giving them the right to print it for personal use as many times as they like.

how to sell digital art

It does not however give them any right to resell or print the digital image for commercial use. You can also sell physical prints and products on Etsy but you will have to manufacture and post these out yourself. Whilst sign-up costs nothing and listing your items is free, Etsy does take a commission of sales and will also charge some quite hefty advertising costs if you choose to use their advertising function to promote your work. 

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Shopify Store or Your Own Website

When deciding how to sell digital art, you may find that the best option for you is something fully customizable to fit your brand. In this case, you might want to create your own website.

Although this might sound a little daunting at first, there are many websites with templates that make basic site building much easier. You should, however, be prepared to invest a little money into things like hosting and domain registration. 

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Using Instagram to Sell Art and Digital Art

Think of your Instagram page as somewhat of a virtual gallery. With great photographs of your work or uploads of your digital art, a striking and visually impactful page can be curated.

how to sell digital art

Instagram also has both a ‘business account’ and shop function which allows you to see specific insights and helps you to analyze your reach and performance on the platform as well as allowing followers to click through to purchase your work on another platform. 

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Patreon

Patreon is one of the most successful crowdfunding platforms out there. If you have a fan base already or perhaps a social media following, you may find that Patreon is a great option for your to sell your artwork. Patreon focuses less on how to gain fans and more on how to turn fans into Patrons.

Although we would say that Patreon is not specifically designed with digital artists in mind, it is a pretty flexible platform, allowing fans to pay a monthly fee to creators who can offer exclusive access to content, products, or artwork. 

sell digital art online

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Final Thoughts

When selling online it is always important to remember who you are selling to. Take a look at the work that is already on the platform and think about how you can stand out from the crowd. Keep an eye on current trends and if you are pitching to a particular brand or website it is incredibly important to do some extensive research on them first. 

Always make sure that you read the small print on any contracts you sign with websites, brands, or manufacturers. You might find that you have signed the rights away to your own work which is a big no-no! You should very rarely, almost never have to sign the rights away to your artwork completely. If a website, brand, or manufacturer does not offer a royalties option, consider licensing the usage of your work for a limited amount of time or for a certain amount of products. 

You should also try to avoid putting any money down, giving out your credit card information, or entering any “art competitions” that require you to do so. There will always be people out there who unfortunately take advantage of artists, it’s just important to do your homework. 

Check out some more of our content:

| Colors & Emotions |

| Negative Space in Art & Design |

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Andrew Grant

Andrew Grant

Hey there, I'm an artist, writer and creative in the fields of digital art and graphic design with 11 years industry experience. I love what I do & hope to pass on anything I can.