Selling Digital Art in 2023: A Comprehensive Step-by-Step Tutorial

Interested in mastering the art of Selling Digital Art online? Look no further.

The realm of digital art offers an expansive and thriving market. If you’re a gifted graphic designer, there’s an abundance of opportunities to earn a substantial income by showcasing and selling your digital masterpieces on the internet.

In this comprehensive guide, we’re about to unveil the secrets to your success.

To begin, we will delve into the art of crafting digital creations that captivate buyers. Then, we’ll equip you with the knowledge to effectively sell your artwork, both on your personal website and within popular online marketplaces.

Furthermore, we’ll share invaluable strategies on how to promote your digital art with finesse. Lastly, we’ll address the burning questions that often arise for newcomers to the world of online art sales.

Why Choose to Sell Digital Art?

Before we dive into the guide, let’s explore the compelling reasons every artist should consider selling digital art today:

• Booming Market: The digital art market is thriving. In the previous year, global online art sales soared to approximately $10.8 billion US dollars, and this figure has consistently risen year after year. Much of this growth can be attributed to the surging demand for innovative digital art formats like NFTs. Consequently, art has become one of the most lucrative digital products you can offer.
• Accessibility: You no longer need to be a globally renowned artist to find a market for your art. In today’s digital landscape, individuals with talent and a distinctive style can easily connect with potential buyers. Thanks to the power of social media, you can independently market your work and swiftly build a dedicated following.
• Passive Income Potential: Digital art offers the unique advantage of allowing you to sell the same design repeatedly, without limitations. As a result, a single piece of art has the potential to generate a substantial and enduring passive income stream for the entirety of your life.
• Enjoyment: Unlike many other online businesses, selling digital art is an immensely enjoyable endeavor. It provides creative fulfillment and allows you to earn a living by pursuing your passion.

Discover how to leverage these opportunities and navigate the digital art market successfully in the following guide.

Creating Marketable Digital Art: A Quick Guide

To establish a thriving online business centered around selling digital art, raw talent alone will only take you so far. You must also possess a degree of business acumen to ensure that your creations resonate with potential buyers. With this in mind, here’s a concise guide on crafting digital art that sells:

Step 1: Determine Your Digital Art Sales Strategy

The first crucial step is to define your approach to selling digital art. Broadly, you have three options to consider:

1. Digital Downloads: Selling your art as downloadable files is an excellent choice. This category includes various digital creations such as:

• Vector art
• 2D & 3D models
• NFTs (non-fungible tokens)
• Digital photography
• Digital paintings
• Stock images
• Social media branding kits
• Brand logos
• Fonts
• Printables

With this approach, customers can purchase and download your digital art directly from your online platform.

2. Print-on-Demand Products: Another option is to transform your digital artwork into custom-designed merchandise using print-on-demand services. Here’s how it works:

• You upload your digital artwork to a print-on-demand platform.
• Customers order products like posters, canvas prints, T-shirts, notebooks, cards, or mugs featuring your artwork.
• The print-on-demand company handles the printing and shipping, leaving you with the creative aspect and marketing.

3. Commissioned Pieces: While not covered extensively in this post, selling digital art as a service involves clients hiring you to create bespoke pieces to their specifications. To delve into commissioned work, consider:

• Promoting your services on platforms like Reddit’s r/forhire and r/hungryartists, local Facebook buy/sell groups, Craigslist, and social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, and DeviantArt.
• Exploring freelance marketplaces like Upwork, where clients often post art-related job listings that you can bid on to secure commission work.

For the purpose of this post, we’ll focus on selling art you’ve already created, but keep in mind that commission work can be a rewarding avenue to explore in the future. Your success in selling digital art hinges on effectively promoting your chosen approach and connecting with your target audience.

Step 2: Cultivate Your Unique Artistic Style

One of the hallmarks of highly successful digital artists is their distinctive and unique artistic style—their unique selling proposition (USP), if you will. Therefore, it’s crucial to avoid being a copy-paste artist and instead carve out your own niche in the market by creating something refreshingly original that sets you apart from the rest.

Here’s how to begin the journey of establishing your own distinctive style:

1. Self-Reflection: Start by exploring your own creative inclinations. Consider what type of digital art you genuinely enjoy creating. Reflect on your artistic inspirations and aspirations. If you already have a clear sense of your personal style, that’s fantastic.
2. Artistic Influences: If you’re still discovering your style, take inspiration from digital art you admire and artists you look up to. Analyze what draws you to their work and what elements resonate with you. This can serve as a foundation for developing your unique approach.
3. Market Research: Conduct market research to understand current trends and demands in the digital art world. Platforms like Etsy and Redbubble are valuable resources. Ask critical questions:
   • Is there a substantial audience seeking the type of digital art you want to create?
   • Is the market oversaturated, or is there room for you to compete effectively?

By answering these questions, you’ll gain valuable insights into the viability of your chosen art style and its potential to attract buyers.

4. Originality: Embrace originality as your guiding principle. Strive to create digital art that offers something fresh and distinctive. Your goal is to provide buyers with an experience they can’t find elsewhere.
5. Experiment and Evolve: Don’t be afraid to experiment and evolve your style over time. Artistic growth often comes through exploration and pushing boundaries. Your style may naturally evolve as you gain experience and explore new techniques.

Remember that your artistic style is an evolving aspect of your digital art journey. By honing a style that resonates with both you and your audience, you’ll be better positioned to capture the attention of buyers in a competitive market.

Step 3: Embark on the Creative Design Process

With a clear vision of the type of digital art you wish to create and a distinctive style in mind, it’s time to dive into the exciting process of designing your artwork. Keep in mind that each artist has a unique creative process, so choose the approach that suits your preferences and workflow. Here are some key considerations:

1. Sketching and Conceptualization: Begin by sketching out your design ideas. Some artists prefer to start on paper and then transfer their sketches to digital format, using scanning and graphic design software for outlining and coloring. Others opt for sketching directly within their chosen digital art software using a drawing tablet. Experiment with different techniques to find what works best for you.
2. Selecting Graphic Design Software: You’ll likely need graphic design software to bring your digital art to life. Your choice of software will depend on your specific art style and preferences. Here are a few options:
   • Adobe Illustrator: Ideal for creating vector scalable art, which is perfect for digital downloads like logos, icons, and illustrations.
   • Blender: If you plan to create 3D models, Blender is a powerful choice for modeling and rendering.
   • Procreate: If you prefer to create art on an iPad, Procreate is a popular and versatile tool for digital painting and illustration.
3. Experiment and Explore: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different techniques and tools within your chosen software. Explore various brushes, effects, and color palettes to refine your artwork and add unique touches.
4. Iterate and Refine: The creative process often involves multiple iterations and refinements. Don’t rush; take the time to fine-tune your design until it aligns perfectly with your vision.
5. Stay Inspired: Throughout the design process, stay inspired by referring to your established artistic style and the elements that make your work unique. Allow your passion and creativity to guide you.
6. Maintain Consistency: If you plan to create a series of digital art pieces for sale, strive for consistency in style and quality. This helps establish a recognizable brand and appeals to buyers who appreciate your work.

Remember that the design process is where your artistic vision comes to life, and it’s an integral part of creating digital art that resonates with your audience. Embrace your creativity, enjoy the journey, and craft art that reflects your unique style and passion.

Step 4: Format Your Digital Art

Once you’ve completed your digital artwork, it’s essential to save it in the appropriate file format to meet the requirements of your chosen sales platform. The best format to use depends on how and where you plan to sell your art. Here are some considerations:

1. Print-on-Demand Art Prints: If you intend to sell your art as physical prints through a print-on-demand service, carefully review the formatting guidelines provided by the fulfillment company you are working with. Different providers may have specific requirements regarding supported file types and recommended resolutions. Common formats for art prints include TIFF and high-quality PNG. Keep in mind that TIFF offers superior quality but results in larger file sizes.
2. Digital Downloads: For selling digital art downloads, consider using either PNG or TIFF file formats. TIFF generally offers superior image quality, while PNG is a widely accepted format for digital downloads. Both formats support transparency, which is crucial if your artwork includes transparent elements. It’s advisable to format your art at a minimum of 300 dots per inch (dpi), as this is typically the standard requirement for most commercial printing presses. Some artists opt for even higher resolutions, such as 400 dpi or more, to ensure exceptional quality.
3. Transparency: Ensure that your chosen file format supports transparency if your artwork contains elements that should appear as transparent when placed on different backgrounds. JPEG does not support transparency and should be avoided for such purposes.
4. Compression: Be mindful of compression settings when saving your files. For digital downloads, it’s usually best to save your artwork with minimal compression to preserve image quality. However, when working with large files, you may need to find a balance between file size and quality to optimize download speeds for buyers.

Remember that adhering to formatting guidelines is essential to ensure that your digital art meets industry standards and is ready for sale. Carefully review the requirements of your chosen sales platform and adjust your formatting accordingly to offer your customers the best possible product.

Step 5: Safeguard Your Digital Art

In the final step of preparing your digital art for sale, it’s crucial to take measures to protect your work from copyright infringement and unauthorized use. Here are some effective ways to safeguard your digital art:

1. Create Low-Quality Preview Versions: To deter potential thieves from easily copying and scaling up your artwork, generate downsampled, low-quality versions of your art for use in thumbnails and preview images. This makes it more challenging for others to reproduce your work without sacrificing quality.
2. Watermark Your Preview Images: Add a watermark to your preview images before displaying them online. Software like Photoshop or Illustrator can help you easily overlay a watermark with your name or copyright notice. Watermarks act as a visual deterrent to discourage unauthorized usage of your art.
3. Implement Licensing: Develop a clear and comprehensive licensing agreement for your digital art. Specify the terms and conditions under which buyers can use your artwork. Some factors to consider include whether the art is for personal or commercial use, reproduction rights, and usage limitations. Artists typically retain reproduction rights and grant buyers specific usage rights. You can find templates for various types of licenses online.
4. Copyright Notice: Include a copyright notice in your digital art files or on your sales platform. This notice serves as a reminder to potential buyers that your work is protected by copyright law, and unauthorized use may result in legal consequences.
5. Register Your Copyright: Consider registering your digital art with the copyright office in your country. While copyright is automatically granted upon the creation of your art, registration provides additional legal protection and the ability to pursue legal action against copyright infringement.
6. Digital Watermarking: Explore digital watermarking solutions that embed hidden information within your artwork. These watermarks can be detected and verified, providing evidence of ownership if disputes arise.
7. Regular Monitoring: Periodically conduct reverse image searches or use online tools to monitor the web for unauthorized use of your digital art. This proactive approach allows you to identify and address copyright violations promptly.

Protecting your digital art is essential to safeguard your creative work and ensure that you receive the recognition and compensation you deserve. By following these steps, you can minimize the risk of copyright theft and confidently bring your digital art to market.

How to Sell Digital Art on Your Website

Selling your digital art through your own ecommerce website is an excellent way to maintain control over pricing, branding, and design while avoiding substantial transaction fees associated with third-party marketplaces. Establishing your website can also enhance your credibility and presence as a legitimate artist online. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Step 1: Sign up for Sellfy

To build your digital art website using an e-commerce platform like Sellfy, follow these steps:

1. Sign Up for Sellfy:
   • Visit the Sellfy website (https://www.sellfy.com/).
   • Click on the “Get Started for Free” or “Start Your 14-Day Free Trial” button.
   • Fill in the required information to create your account. This typically includes your name, email address, and password.
2. Choose a Plan:
   • Sellfy offers different pricing plans. Review their plans to select the one that suits your needs, whether you’re just starting out or need more advanced features.
3. Set Up Your Store:
   • After signing up and selecting your plan, you’ll be guided through the initial setup process.
   • Customize your store’s name, URL, and other details.
   • Upload a profile picture and a cover image to personalize your store.
4. Add Your Digital Art:
   • Use Sellfy’s dashboard to add your digital art products.
   • For each product, upload your art files, set prices, and provide descriptions. You can also add tags and categories to make it easier for customers to find your work.
5. Design Your Website:
   • Customize the look and feel of your website using Sellfy’s design tools.
   • Choose from available themes or create a custom design to match your brand and art style.
6. Set Up Payment Processing:
   • Connect your preferred payment method (e.g., PayPal or Stripe) to start accepting payments.
   • Configure tax settings based on your location and applicable tax laws.
7. Configure Shipping (if applicable):
   • If you’re selling physical products, set up shipping options and rates.
   • For digital art, you can skip this step unless you offer printed versions.
8. Set Up Marketing and SEO:
   • Optimize your store for search engines by adding relevant keywords to product descriptions and meta tags.
   • Consider setting up email marketing or social media integration to promote your art.
9. Test Your Store:
   • Before launching, thoroughly test your website to ensure everything works as expected.
   • Make a few test purchases to check the checkout process and payment flow.
10. Launch Your Website:
    • Once you’re satisfied with your website and product listings, it’s time to launch!
    • Share your website on social media, through email, and with your existing audience to start attracting customers.
11. Monitor and Improve:
    • Regularly monitor your website’s analytics and sales performance through Sellfy’s dashboard.
    • Listen to customer feedback and make improvements to your store and art listings as needed.

Sellfy provides a user-friendly platform for artists to sell their digital art online. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to showcasing and selling your digital art to a global audience.

Step 2: Choose a store theme

Here’s a step-by-step guide using bullet points and numbers on how to customize your Sellfy store themes for a stunning digital art gallery:

1. Sign Up and Log In to Your Dashboard:
   • Before you begin, make sure you’ve signed up for Sellfy and logged in to your dashboard.
2. Access the Theme Customization Options:
   • Navigate to your dashboard and click on “Store” in the top menu.
   • Select “Customization” and then click on “Customize Store.”
3. Browsing and Selecting Themes:
   • Explore the pre-designed themes available in the customization panel.
4. Previewing Themes:
   • Use the preview feature to see how each theme will look on your website.
5. Customizing Chosen Themes:
   • Click on the theme you’ve selected to access customization options.
6. Adjusting Colors and Fonts:
   • Customize the colors and fonts to match your art style and brand.
7. Uploading Your Logo and Banner:
   • Personalize your gallery by uploading your unique logo and banner.
8. Configuring Navigation Menus:
   • Make navigation intuitive by configuring your menu items.
9. Adding Artistic Flourishes:
   • Consider adding artistic elements like background images to enhance your website’s aesthetic.
10. Ensuring Mobile Responsiveness:
    • Verify that your website looks great on mobile devices; Sellfy themes are mobile-responsive by default.
11. Saving Your Theme Customization:
    • Regularly save your progress to avoid losing any changes.
12. Publishing Your Art Gallery:
    • When satisfied with your customization, click “Publish” to make your digital art gallery live.
13. Optimizing SEO for Visibility:
    • Boost your website’s visibility by optimizing SEO with relevant keywords and meta tags.
14. Engaging Your Audience:
    • Keep your gallery fresh by updating it with new pieces and engaging with your audience through blog posts or social media.
15. Conclusion:
    • Customizing Sellfy store themes is essential for creating an engaging digital art gallery that reflects your artistic identity.

Follow these steps to create an impressive digital art gallery on Sellfy and captivate your audience with your creative work.

Step 3: Upload your digital art

Here are the steps to upload your digital files, set up a product, and connect a payment processor on your Sellfy website:

1. Upload Your Digital Files:
   • Log in to your Sellfy dashboard.
   • Click on “Products” in the menu.
2. Create a Digital Product:
   • Select “Digital product” and then click on “Add new product.”
3. Upload Your Digital Art File:
   • In the product creation page, you’ll see an upload box.
   • Simply drag and drop your digital art file into this box. Sellfy supports various file formats, including images, videos, and documents.
4. Set Product Details:
   • After uploading your file, provide the necessary product details:
     • Price: Set the price for your digital art.
     • Name: Give your product a descriptive name.
     • Description: Add a detailed description of your digital art, highlighting its unique features and any relevant information.
     • Preview Images: Upload preview images that showcase your art and entice potential buyers.
     • Product Categories and Tags: Organize your product by adding relevant categories and tags.
5. Save Your Product:
   • Once you’ve filled in all the product details, click “Save.” Sellfy will automatically create a product page for you.
6. Connect a Payment Processor:
   • To start accepting payments for your digital art, you need to connect a payment processor.
   • Go to your store’s “Settings” page.
7. Choose a Payment Processor:
   • On the Settings page, you’ll find options for payment processors. Sellfy supports Stripe and PayPal.
   • Click on your preferred payment processor to set it up.
8. Configure Payment Settings:
   • Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your Stripe or PayPal account.
   • You may need to provide necessary information, such as bank details, to receive payments.
9. Save Payment Settings:
   • Once you’ve configured your payment processor settings, be sure to save them.
10. Testing Your Setup:
    • Before going live, it’s a good practice to make a test purchase to ensure your payment processor is working correctly.
11. Finalize Your Setup:
    • After successful testing, you’re ready to go live and start selling your digital art online.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to upload your digital art files, create product listings, and connect a payment processor on your Sellfy website, enabling you to sell your digital art to customers easily and securely.

Step 4: Expand your catalog with print on demand

Expanding your online store to include physical products with your art is made easy with Sellfy’s built-in print-on-demand tool. Here’s how to get started:

1. Browse the Catalog:
   • Once logged into your Sellfy dashboard, explore the catalog of available physical products. Sellfy offers a range of items such as t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, bags, stickers, and more.
2. Select Products to Sell:
   • Choose the products you want to sell in your store. Consider which items align with your art and would appeal to your audience.
3. Customize with Your Art:
   • Use Sellfy’s design tools to personalize the selected products with your art or graphic designs. You can upload your artwork and position it on the products as you desire.
4. Add Products to Your Store:
   • Once you’ve customized the products to your liking, add them to your online store. This will create product listings that customers can view and purchase.
5. No Upfront Costs:
   • The beauty of Sellfy’s print-on-demand service is that there are no upfront costs for you. You don’t need to invest in stock or inventory.
6. On-Demand Printing and Shipping:
   • When a customer places an order for one of your custom-designed products, Sellfy takes care of the rest. They will print the product with your design and handle the shipping directly to the customer on your behalf.
7. Payment Process:
   • You’ll receive the full payment for the customer’s purchase. Sellfy will deduct the base product cost and shipping fees from your earnings. The remaining amount is your profit.
8. Sign Up for Sellfy:
   • If you haven’t already, sign up for Sellfy for free to access these print-on-demand features and expand your product offerings.

By following these steps, you can easily diversify your online store with physical products featuring your art, all without the hassle of managing inventory or upfront costs. Sellfy’s print-on-demand service simplifies the process and allows you to focus on creating and selling your art.

Exploring the Art of Marketing Digital Creations

Beyond the confines of your personal website, there exists a myriad of avenues to showcase and vend your digital artwork. These online marketplaces, offering diverse opportunities, include:

1. Etsy: Renowned for its artisanal charm.
2. Behance: A hub for creative minds.
3. Envato Elements: A treasure trove of resources.
4. Creative Market: A hub of artistic commerce.
5. Ko-Fi: A platform fostering community support.
6. Redbubble: A canvas for artistic expression.
7. Zazzle: An artisan’s marketplace.
8. Fine Art America: A realm of artistic excellence.
9. Design Cuts: A niche for design enthusiasts.
10. TurboSquid: A domain for 3D marvels.
11. OpenSea: The realm of NFT innovation.

These platforms cater to distinct categories of digital artistry, spanning NFTs, 3D modeling, prints, and printables, among others.

Yet, amidst this plethora of options, Etsy stands as a titan. It beckons a substantial audience, boasting over 90 million monthly visitors, rendering your art discoverable sans extensive marketing endeavors. However, it is not without its nuances. Etsy, much like its peers, exacts a commission from your sales—a 6.5% transaction fee, coupled with listing charges and more.

Moreover, Etsy’s bustling marketplace harbors a fierce competition. Numerous independent artisans and creators populate its virtual aisles, creating a cacophony that can obscure your offerings.

In addition to digital downloads, Etsy facilitates the sale of prints. To embark on this venture, you’ll need to integrate a Print on Demand (POD) service like Printify or Printful with your store. For a comprehensive exploration of your options, consider perusing our compilation of Etsy print on demand companies.

It’s worth noting that alternative marketplaces offer fulfillment services right out of the box. Redbubble, Zazzle, and Fine Art America, for instance, streamline the process, requiring you merely to enlist, select your merchandise, and upload your digital creations for immediate commerce.

Unlocking the Enigma of Promoting Your Digital Masterpieces

Merely showcasing your digital artworks for sale falls short of the mark. To captivate potential patrons, a deliberate marketing strategy must also be embraced to disseminate your identity and foster a dedicated following. Delve into the following counsel to navigate this terrain effectively.

Get active on social

In the contemporary realm, many artists opt to establish their artistic empires exclusively through the realm of social media. Commence your journey by crafting an Instagram profile, and embark on the endeavor of cultivating a devoted following by disseminating compelling visual renditions of your finest creations.

Consider fashioning succinct Reels clips to unveil the intricate intricacies of your artistic process. Harness the power of hashtags with precision to extend the outreach of your posts to a broader audience.

Forge connections with fellow artisans through active engagement. Bestow likes and articulate comments on their posts, extend your virtual camaraderie by following their profiles, and initiate meaningful conversations through direct messages. This concerted effort will facilitate the cultivation of a vibrant community around your artistic persona.

In addition to Instagram, it is prudent to explore other digital platforms such as Twitter, TikTok, and their ilk for the dissemination of your artistry. To expedite the growth of your audience, consider orchestrating a social media competition. Implement user-friendly social media giveaway tools such as SweepWidget to orchestrate this endeavor seamlessly.

Join Artstation & Behance

Artstation and Behance both serve as prominent platforms wherein artists and creative virtuosos can meticulously curate their portfolios and exhibit their artistic oeuvres.

Vigorously participating on both these platforms augments your visibility within the artistic community. Disseminate your creations on their forums and embed backlinks to your website and social media profiles within your posts. This strategic approach ensures that admirers of your work can seamlessly navigate back to your digital storefront.

Furthermore, if your digital abode is constructed upon the Sellfy framework, capitalize on the platform’s arsenal of in-built marketing instruments. Exploit these resources judiciously to magnify your artistic influence.

For instance, wield Upsells to fine-tune your checkout process and entice patrons to indulge in more extensive acquisitions from your emporium. Additionally, harness Sellfy’s email marketing capabilities to cultivate your subscriber list, nurture potential leads, and harvest a bountiful crop of sales opportunities.

Work on SEO

SEO, an acronym signifying Search Engine Optimization, embodies the intricate craft of refining your website and product pages, thereby simplifying the discovery process for individuals perusing search engine results pages (SERPs).

Embarking on this journey necessitates the initiation of comprehensive keyword research to decipher the specific search queries that resonate with your prospective clientele when they embark on their quest for artistic treasures within the labyrinthine corridors of Google’s expansive realm. Subsequently, you can orchestrate the harmonious optimization of your digital domain and product listings, meticulously aligning them with these chosen keywords.

It is imperative to acknowledge that SEO comprises a multifaceted discipline, too extensive to be fully explored within the confines of this discourse. For those seeking to delve deeper into this enigmatic realm, we encourage you to peruse our comprehensive SEO beginner’s guide for an exhaustive exploration of this dynamic landscape.

Run paid ads

For those inclined to invest in their trajectory towards success, contemplating the initiation of a paid advertising campaign could be a prudent move.

In the realm of paid advertisements, one typically incurs expenses on a per-click (PPC) or per-thousand-impressions (PPM) basis. To embark on this voyage, you can leverage renowned platforms such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads to meticulously configure your paid advertising endeavor, thus expeditiously channeling a steady stream of traffic towards your digital art emporium.

However, it’s crucial to be cognizant that this marketing channel operates on a paid basis. Consequently, it is incumbent upon you to ensure that your online store is meticulously fine-tuned to facilitate conversions. This strategic approach not only augments the efficacy of your paid advertising campaigns but also heightens the prospects of attaining a favorable return on investment (ROI).

Final thoughts

And thus, we draw the curtains on our comprehensive, step-by-step manual for venturing into the realm of online digital art sales. We earnestly aspire that you have found it to be a wellspring of enlightenment.

By this juncture, it is our fervent hope that you have amassed a treasure trove of knowledge requisite for your odyssey in the art vending sphere. However, it is of paramount importance to retain a singular focus on the cornerstone of your artistic journey—quality.

Amidst the fervor of sales pursuits, let not the essence of creating exceptional art elude your grasp. For, in the realm of creativity, it is the pursuit of excellence that truly resonates with discerning patrons.

As you embark on this artistic voyage, armed with your talent and newfound wisdom, we extend our heartfelt wishes for a prosperous journey ahead.

Best of luck!