How to sell clip art in 2024 (+ expert tips & mistakes to avoid)

Clip art is in high demand in various industries such as graphic design, advertising, education, and more. And, with the rise of eCommerce platforms and online marketplaces, it has never been easier to showcase your digital art.

But, the benefits of selling clip art online go beyond just increased exposure.

Here are 5 reasons why you should sell clip art:

1. A passive income stream. Once you upload your clip art, it can generate sales repeatedly without requiring any additional digital art from you.
2. Reach a global audience. Selling digital goods allows you to reach potential customers from all over the world, which can expand your customer base.
3. Flexible selling options. You can set your own prices and work on your own schedule, allowing you to fit selling into your existing routine.
4. Exhibit your talent. Selling online provides an opportunity for others to appreciate and use your creative designs.
5. Low overhead costs. Selling online typically involves minimal overhead costs, allowing you to keep more of the profits.

In our blog post, we provide pricing tips, popular clip art ideas, and discuss the option of selling your clip art on marketplaces while also outlining common mistakes to avoid.

If you have already created your clip art, we will jump right into guiding you on how to start selling it online.

How to sell your clip art?

To sell clip art, you will need a reliable eCommerce platform that offers a user-friendly interface, automated file delivery, secure payment processing, and an easy way to track sales performance.

One such platform that provides all of the above is Sellfy.

Sellfy also comes with marketing tools such as email campaigns and discounts to help you reach more customers. Furthermore, you can customize your storefront to match your brand and showcase your clip art in the best possible way.

And, the best part is that you can set your own prices, receive instant payouts, and keep 100% of your earnings. So, if Sellfy sounds like a good fit for you, then read on to learn more about how to sell clip art.

1. Open an online store with Sellfy

To begin, sign up for a 14-day free trial or select a subscription plan. The free trial allows you to test all of the features before committing to a paid subscription. However, please note that you won’t be able to sell clip art online and accept payments unless you upgrade to a paid plan.

Sell your clip art with Sellfy

Start free trial

We offer the following subscription plans:

• Starter—for creators who wish to sell an unlimited number of clip art products, get access to 2000 email credits, and use a custom domain.
• Business—for creators with high font sales volumes who want a white-label store, store design migration, cart abandonment, product upselling, and 10,000 email credits.
• Premium—for creators with the highest clip art sales volumes who want product migration, priority support, 50,000 email credits, and additional tools to promote their clip art.

To start a trial, you will need to enter your first name, a valid email address, and create a password. Once you’ve started your trial, it is important to verify your email address to ensure that you receive Sellfy updates, account information, and more.

Next, you can choose a pre-made Sellfy theme, which is the easiest option, or design your store from scratch using the Store Customizer tool.

Of the two, the Sellfy theme is by far the easiest and quickest way to create a beautiful store page with minimal effort. Then, you customize the theme using the Store Customizer tool to change colors, buttons, text, font, images, etc.

2. Add your clip art images

To upload your clip art images, locate the option under the PRODUCTS section in your dashboard. Then, click Add new product and begin uploading your digital files.

You can prepare up to 50 clip art files per product. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to offer your product as single or multiple clip art images, you can create compressed .zip file folders. Sellfy provides unlimited bandwidth and storage, and your file size can be up to 10 GB per product.

3. Link payment methods to start making money

Sellfy supports a wide range of payment options, so your customers can pay in their preferred currency and method. Moreover, you won’t have to wait for payouts as Sellfy transfers your earnings to your account immediately after a purchase is made.

We offer integrations with two major payment processors to collect payments for digital downloads:

• Stripe—allows customers to pay with any major credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
• PayPal—allows customers to pay with a PayPal account, major credit card, or local European payment options.

To add payment methods to your store, navigate to STORE SETTINGS > Payment settings. From there, you can link your PayPal or Stripe account.

4. Your customer will receive an email with a download link

One of the benefits of using Sellfy is the automated file delivery that saves you time and effort. After the payment is made, your customers will be automatically redirected to the Order confirmation page where they can download the clip art.

Simultaneously, Sellfy will send a purchase email with the download link immediately after the payment is confirmed. Your customers can download the clip art in-store or through the download link in their email.

Read more about how to customize your Purchase Email here.

Sellfy generates unique download links for each purchased clip art product, which limits each customer to a maximum of five download attempts. Automated downloads ensure that your customers can quickly and easily receive their digital products.

Here’s a summary of the process:

1. Your customer makes a purchase;
2. Sellfy sends a confirmation email and redirects them to the purchase confirmation page;
3. The customer downloads the clip art (in-store or via the email link).

Expert tips for pricing your clip art 

Pricing your clip art can be challenging, but considering factors such as quality, style, target audience, and market trends can help. Researching similar clip art can also help determine fair and competitive prices.

Additionally, offering different pricing tiers or bundles for commercial and personal use can appeal to a wider range of customers.

For instance, the Sellfy store Anything Cartoon sells high-quality cartoon clip art for up to $15 and uses the the pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing model for some of its products, contributing to its success.

So, to maximize revenue, you can consider using the same pricing model to let customers decide how much they are willing to pay. Many Sellfy sellers have found that PWYW increases sales and customer loyalty.

To get the most out of PWYW pricing, consider using it to launch new clip art or to donate a portion of your income to a charity. Setting a minimum or suggested price can also motivate customers to pay more.

Applying PWYW pricing to your Sellfy store is easy—just enable the feature on the Edit product page.

In summary, some tips for pricing your clip art include researching the market, considering the complexity and usage rights of your digital art, and not undervaluing your efforts. By utilizing creative pricing models like PWYW, you can increase sales and customer loyalty while still valuing your work.

However, in the end, it’s important to remember that pricing is subjective, and you should have confidence in the value of your clip art regardless of the pricing model you choose.

3 biggest mistakes to avoid when selling clip art

To be a successful clip art seller, it’s crucial to steer clear of common mistakes that new sellers often make. These mistakes can prevent you from reaching your desired audience and can negatively impact your sales. Avoiding these mistakes is essential to ensure your success in the clip art market.

So, here are the three biggest mistakes to avoid when selling clip art:

1. Underpricing your clip art. One of the biggest mistakes that new graphic designers make is undervaluing their clip art. Some may not price their clip art high enough to reflect the time, effort, and skill required to create it. It’s important to consider the time and effort it took to create your clip art, and price it accordingly. So, don’t be afraid to charge what your work is worth!
2. Neglecting licensing terms and conditions. It’s important to have clear licensing terms and conditions for your clip art, especially if you’re selling it for commercial use. Neglecting to provide licensing information could lead to confusion and legal issues down the road.
3. Not choosing a platform with built-in marketing tools. Simply creating and uploading your clip art to a website or marketplace is not enough to ensure success. To stand out from the competition, you need to actively promote your products with marketing tools. While promoting on social media is helpful, don’t forget about other marketing channels such as email and using promotional tactics like discount codes. To achieve this, you need to opt for a platform that provides marketing tools.

In-demand clip art ideas for your online business

The demand for visually appealing and high-quality clip art is on the rise!

Some popular clip art ideas include abstract designs (e.g. botanical illustrations and lettering), animals and pets, and then food and drink. Seasonal clip art such as holiday-themed graphics are also in demand during certain times of the year.

Let’s explore some of these clip art ideas in detail.

Floral and botanical

Floral and botanical illustrations have a universal appeal! And, they’re always in demand because they’re versatile and can be used in various contexts—from wedding invitations to branding and packaging.

These illustrations are usually intricate and detailed, featuring different types of flowers, plants, and foliage, which is why so many people love them.

Target audience(s): plant lovers, wedding planners, flower sellers.

Hand-drawn elements and lettering

Hand-drawn clip art is in high demand because it adds a unique, personal touch to designs. Hand-drawn elements can include anything from animals and food to patterns and icons.

Hand-drawn lettering can also be used in various designs such as logos, branding, and social media posts. Plus, it can add visual appeal to presentations and websites.

Target audience(s): content creators or businesses looking for logos and/or unique lettering for social media.

Seasonal and holiday themes

During certain times of the year, people look for ways to add a festive touch to their designs, which is why seasonal and holiday clip art is always in demand.

This type of clip art includes illustrations ranging from Christmas trees and Santa Claus to pumpkins and Halloween ghosts. They can be created in various styles—from cute and cartoonish to elegant and sophisticated.

Target audience(s): content creators or businesses looking for ways to add a festive touch to their products, social media, or online store.

Animals and pets

Who doesn’t love animals and pets?! Clip art featuring animals and pets is popular because they are cute and can be used in various contexts—from children’s book illustrations to social media posts and websites.

These illustrations can include anything from dogs and cats to birds and insects.

Target audience(s): animal lovers, pet owners, pet stores.

Food and drink

Clip art related to food and drink is a universal and relatable category, much like animals and pets. This makes it widely applicable and useful in various clip art projects.

These illustractions can be used in many different contexts such as recipes, cookbooks, and food menus. And, they can include anything from fruits and vegetables to desserts and beverages.

Target audience(s): foodies, restaurants, chefs, food bloggers and vloggers, nutritionists.

Should you consider Etsy and other marketplaces?

​​If you have a vast clip art collections, it may be tempting to sell clip art on marketplaces as an easy way to get started. However, it’s crucial to carefully evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of selling clip art on popular marketplaces like Etsy and Creative Market.

For one, marketplaces are highly saturated with numerous products, making it difficult for your own clip art to stand out. In addition, marketplaces typically charge a commission on sales, reducing your profit margins.

Selling on marketplaces may also limit your control over the distribution and use of your clip art, potentially leading to unauthorized use or misuse. It may be more beneficial to sell your clip art through your own website or a reliable eCommerce platform like Sellfy.

To summarize, selling on marketplaces can provide a broader audience exposure and pre-existing sales and distribution infrastructure.

However, there are also drawbacks like marketplace fees that can decrease profits, the need for lower pricing to compete with other sellers, and limited control over branding.

Ultimately, graphic designers should weigh these factors and consider their goals when deciding whether to sell on a marketplace.

FAQs about selling clip art online

Can I make money selling clip art?

Yes, it’s definitely possible to make money selling clip art! There is a demand for high-quality clip art in various industries like graphic design, publishing, and web design.

You can sell your art on online marketplaces or create your own store with Sellfy to sell your creations. However, it’s important to ensure that your clip art is original and does not infringe on copyrights.

How do I make my own clip art?

To create clip art, you can use graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape.

Start by sketching out your design on paper, then transfer it to the software and use the drawing tools to create your image. Save your image in a common file format like PNG or SVG, and you’ll have your own custom clip art.

There are also online tools and resources like Canva, PicMonkey, Gravit Designer, and Vectr available that can help you create clip art. Then, there are free clip art resources such as Openclipart and Freepik that may serve as inspiration or as a starting point for your own designs.

Is it worth selling clip art on Etsy?

Selling clip art on Etsy can be a profitable venture, but there are some potential cons to consider. These may include increased competition in the marketplace and the risk of others stealing or copying your designs.

Additionally, there are various fees associated with listing and selling your products on the platform, making it difficult to have full control over your business.

How can I sell clip art online?

It is advisable to sell your clip art through your own website or an online store like Sellfy as it provides full control over your business (marketplaces like Etsy tend to be oversaturated with competitors, making it hard for your work to be noticed).

By selling through an online store like Sellfy, you can customize your site and choose a store design that aligns with your own style and brand.

Sellfy, a platform designed for creators who want to avoid complexity while achieving results, is an excellent option. So, if you’re looking for a simple and effective way to sell clip art online, then Sellfy might be the perfect fit for you.

What type of clip art sells best?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question as it largely depends on the current trends and demand in the clip art market. However, popular categories of clip art include seasonal/holiday themes, animals, and abstract designs.

We suggest browsing marketplaces like Etsy or Creative Market to see what’s trending. Most sites will let you browse by popularity.

Should I make my clip art license-free?

It depends on your business needs and goals. Selling digital art that is license-free can make it easier for customers to use and distribute your products, but it also means you may have less control over how your content is used.

On the other hand, choosing to sell clip art with a license can give you more control over how it’s used and potentially generate more revenue for your business. Consider your priorities and do some research on the pros and cons of each option to make the best decision for your business.

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