You do not need to invest in software like Adobe InDesign, Affinity, or Photoshop in order to create printables. You can create printables to sell with just free tools. You don’t even need a lot of fancy design elements or graphic design skills.
I started creating printables with just Canva and free design elements. Since then I’ve made 260 sales in my Etsy shop. When I started I didn’t have any graphic design skills. So if I can do it you can too.
Keep reading to find out all the free tools you can use to make printables to sell.
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What do people use to make printables?
There are a variety of different programs you can use to create printables. You can use Adobe InDesign, Affinity, Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva, PicMonkey, etc. The program I use to make printables is Canva. I found it to be the easiest program.
Creating Printables that Sell
If you’re looking for an easy digital product to create to sell then I recommend selling printables. Printables are a very easy digital product to create. You don’t need to add tons of information to them. They’re a low-content digital product.
This means that people add their own content to them. But in order to create printables that sell you need to know who you’re target audience is. This is so important.
When you know who you’re target audience is you’ll know what type of printables to sell, what designs they’ll like, etc. It’s the most important step.
The tools I recommend are eRank and Sale Samurai. You can use them to see what is currently selling on Etsy.
17 Free Tools to Use to Create Printables
1) Creative Fabrica
I go to Creative Fabrica to get all of my clipart and other design elements for printables. They release tons of new free design elements all of the time. Yes, their clipart does come with commercial use. So you can use it to create printables to sell.
2) Creative Market
Creative Market has everything. I mean everything you need to create printables. They have:
- Fonts
- Photos
- Videos
- Mockups
- Templates
- Themes
- Illustrations
- Brushes
Every month they release four free downloads. It used to be weekly. But now it’s monthly. You can definitely use their free downloads when designing printables.
Check out their free goodies!
3) Etsy
While Etsy doesn’t give anything away for free. You can however use it to do research for printables.
I use it for research all of the time. I use it to see what people are listing. I use it to get design ideas for printables.
A lot of people get this wrong. While you can’t copy verbatim from someone else, you can use it as design inspiration.
Using someone else’s creation as inspiration isn’t a crime. Ideas themselves aren’t copyrighted.
4) Design Bundles
Design Bundles is one of my favorite sites! They have all kinds of clipart, digital patterns, SVG files, etc. They do have free design resources. They add to their page all the time. These design elements come with commercial use.
Check out Design Bundles!
Related: 75 Printables Ideas You Can Sell on Etsy
5) Font Bundles
One of the things that you’re going to need when creating printables is fonts. Fonts can elevate the design of your printable.
They can bring the design together. You can use fonts to create SVG files, PNG files, stickers, etc.
I use Font Bundles to get my fonts. I love them because their fonts come with commercial use.
Whereas other sites like DaFont don’t. You need a commercial use license in order to create items to sell using fonts.
Yes, they have tons and tons of free fonts!
Check out the free fonts at Font Bundles!
6) The Hungry Jpeg
I love the Hungry Jpeg! You’ll find all kinds of fonts, SVG files, clip art, digital patterns, etc. What makes the Hungry Jpeg different from its competitors is the quality.
I feel like the quality of the design elements is higher. So if I can’t find something at Design Bundles or Creative Fabrica I’ll go to them. Yes, they do have a freebies page.
Check out their freebies page!
7) Canva
This is the program I use to create my printables. Canva is very user-friendly. There isn’t a steep learning curve. What I love is that you don’t need Canva Pro to create printables.
You can use the free version to create printables. Canva makes it super easy. I use Canva to make all kinds of printables. I pretty much it use for any kind of graphic I need.
8) Free Printable Templates
If you want to create printables fast then I recommend PLR printable templates.
These templates are done for you. All you have to do is edit them. You get commercial rights with them. This means you can sell them as your own.
I recommend these free printable templates!
9) Simplifying DIY Design
Kara Fidd@Simplifying DIY design has so many free design resources. If you want to take your design skills up a notch I recommend signing up for her free design library.
She also has tons of free tutorials. If you would like to get better at Canva she even has a Canva course.
Sign up for her free design library!
10) Photopea
I recently started using Photopea. It isn’t as user-friendly as Canva. But it does have features that Canva doesn’t. I love that I can set my design to 300 DPI right off the bat.
Whereas with Canva you can’t. Photopea is free too.
But you must have a good computer to use it. If your computer is slow, Photopea will be too. But what I love is that it has similar features to Photoshop but it’s free.
Related: How to Make and Sell Printables on Etsy
11) IPiccy
Even though you can’t make PDF files with iPiccy, you can use it to make JPG and PNG files. I’ve been using it for a long time. While I do love Canva, iPiccy has free features that Canva doesn’t.
Like for example you can upload your own fonts for free. It has other design features that Canva doesn’t. It’s easy to use!
12) Be Funky
You can do more than just edit photos with Be Funky. You can make PDF files with Be Funky. You can even save them as templates! I love that you can upload up to 10 fonts for free!
If you’re looking for a Canva alternative this might be it. They don’t have as many free templates as Canva, you can still use Be Funky to make your own.
13) Design Cuts
Design cuts have so many different graphic design elements. They have fonts, templates, hand lettering courses, graphic design courses, illustrations, photos, etc.
What I love about Design Cuts is that they’re always running sales. Plus they host free virtual events.
Related: 20 Creative Side Hustles to Make Money Today
14) PowerPoint
You can use PowerPoint to create printables. In fact, there are a lot of people who recommend it. It does have some benefits over Canva. It’s not based on cloud storage.
So everything you make gets stored on your PC. Plus you can access all of your fonts on your PC. Whereas with Canva you have to upgrade to the pro version.
But there is a learning curve with PowerPoint. You can’t download it for free. If you don’t already have it you’ll have to pay for it.
15) PDF Escape
With PDF Escape you can add editable fields to your PDF files. So you can create a printable in Canva.
Then make it editable with PDF Escape. This means that people can add their information to the PDF online with PDF Escape.
They won’t have to download it and then print it. It’s free to use.
16) FreeDesignResources.Net
You’ll find free fonts, templates, free graphics, and more at freedesignresources.net. They have social media templates, mockups, etc. But the only drawback is that their design resources are only for personal use.
17) Microsoft Word
This is a program that just about everyone is familiar with. You can make all kinds of printables with Microsoft Word.
Personally, I think it’s easier to use than PowerPoint. I like that it has all kinds of free templates. You can make PDF files with it. You can add your own clipart.
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Conclusion
I hope that this list helps you to create printables that you can sell! Trust me that you don’t need to invest a lot of money to get started. You don’t need any money in order to make printables to sell on Etsy.
