Online artist selling prints and digital art

Online shoppers looking for wall art and gifts, plus small businesses and interior stylists wanting prints.

You earn the margin between the sale price and the cost of printing and postage. Digital downloads cost almost nothing to supply once made.

• Digital or scanned artwork preparation
• Basic online shop setup
• Social media or email marketing
• Product photography and mock-ups

• Register as a sole trader with HMRC if you are trading regularly and check the rules on trading income
• Marketplaces and print services charge fees, so work these into your prices
• Check consumer rules on returns and distance selling for online sales
• Make sure you own the rights to everything you sell, including any fonts, images or characters
• Competition is strong, so a clear style matters

Startup costs are typically around £100 to £800, depending on how you produce prints, your shop setup and how much you spend on mock-ups and marketing. Marketplace and print service fees also need to be built into your prices.

Monthly revenue is typically around £50 to £1,000, depending on your style, how many products you offer and how well you market your shop. These are estimates, and fees from marketplaces and print services come out of that.

Check whether you should register as a sole trader with HMRC if you trade regularly, and the rules on trading income. Also check consumer rules on returns and distance selling, and make sure you own the rights to everything you sell.