How to start a poster business online
You do not need a printer, a studio or stock to sell posters. You need designs people want, files that print well, and a printer that posts for you.
Your designs, printed and posted for you.
Get started1. Pick a niche
General posters are crowded. Specific ones sell: a city, a hobby, a sport, a style, a gift occasion. Search Etsy for your idea and look at what sells and what is missing.
2. Make print-ready files
Design at the final size at 300 DPI. Make one file per shape: A sizes share a shape, inch sizes do not.
3. Choose where to sell
Etsy brings buyers who are already searching; Shopify gives you your own brand. Many sellers start on Etsy and add Shopify later.
4. Connect a print partner
Link your shop to a print-on-demand partner so every sale prints and posts by itself. Order a sample of your own design first, so your photos and descriptions match what buyers get.
5. Price properly
Price = print + postage + platform fees + ads + profit. Check each size on its own; small sizes often make the least.
Questions
How much does it cost to start?
With print on demand you pay for each poster only when it sells, so the main costs are your shop fees and a sample.
Do I need to register a business?
Check HMRC’s rules on trading income in the UK; this guide is not tax advice.
Your designs, printed and posted for you.
Get startedRelated guides
- Selling posters on Etsy with print on demandSell posters and art prints on Etsy without printing, packing or posting. Connect your Etsy shop and each order is printed in the UK and posted to your buyer, tracking included.
- Standard poster sizes in cm and inchesEvery common poster size in one table: A sizes, US inch sizes like 8 × 10, 11 × 14, 18 × 24 and 24 × 36, and European frame sizes like 50 × 70 cm.
- What resolution does a poster need?How many pixels a poster needs: DPI explained simply, a quick formula, viewing distance, and pixel sizes for A4, A3, A2 and A1.