I’ve been in ecommerce for over a decade now. T-shirts, mugs, phone cases, you name it — I’ve sold it.

But let me tell you something.

Stickers are one of the most underrated products in the print-on-demand game. Low cost, high margins, and they sell fast — especially when you combine Printify with Shopify or Etsy.

If you’re thinking about starting a sticker business or you’re already in it but want to streamline things, I’ll break it down here step-by-step.

Let’s get to it.

Why Stickers Are a Smart POD Product (Even If You’re Just Starting)

There’s a reason so many Etsy shops are full of stickers. It’s one of the lowest-barrier products to get into, with a super low upfront cost — and yet the profit potential is real.

Here’s why I like selling stickers with Printify:

• Low production cost (typically under $2 per sticker)
• No sizing or inventory hassles
• Fast fulfilment options from multiple providers
• High demand on Etsy, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest
• Easy to bundle, upsell, and create repeat buyers

In short: stickers are small, profitable, and scalable.

If I were starting print-on-demand from scratch today, I’d probably start with stickers.

Here’s a simple table that shows you sticker product types inside Printify:

Sticker Type	Description	Best Use Case
Kiss-Cut	Easy-peel single sticker	Journals, laptops, phones
Die-Cut	Cut to shape	Custom shapes, premium feel
Sticker Sheets	Multiple stickers per sheet	Bundles, planners, bullet journaling
Holographic	Glossy with a shimmer effect	Aesthetic and fan-based niches
Matte Finish	No shine, more subtle look	Minimalist designs

Now let’s get into the actual process of selling these through Printify.

Step 1: Create Your Designs (Even If You’re Not a Designer)

The first thing people stress about is design.

You don’t need to be an artist. You don’t need to learn Illustrator. What you need are ideas that connect with a niche.

Here’s what I’ve seen sell really well over the years:

• Mental health reminders (“You’re doing enough”)
• Pop culture (TV quotes, movie memes, fan art — careful with copyright)
• Planner stickers (icons, days, checklists)
• Hobbies + lifestyle (plants, books, cats, coffee)
• Affirmations or quotes with clean fonts

I use a mix of tools like Canva, Procreate, and even Midjourney for generating concept art. Then I’ll refine it in Canva or Photoshop to make it sticker-ready.

Pro tip: keep your designs simple. Stickers are small. Intricate details get lost.

Design Tips That Sell:

• Use bold outlines and contrast
• Stick to 2–4 colours per design
• Export at 300 DPI PNG with transparent background
• Always test with a white and coloured background to check clarity

Don’t overthink it. You can always tweak designs later.

Step 2: Upload to Printify and Choose a Sticker Provider

Once your design is ready, open up Printify and upload it as a product.

Here’s how I usually go about it:

1. Create a Printify account
2. Go to your Printify Dashboard
3. Click “Add Product”
4. Search for “Stickers”
5. Pick your preferred product type (kiss-cut is the easiest to start with)
6. Upload your design
7. Preview it, choose sizes, and select your print provider

Top Printify Providers for Stickers:

Provider	Location	Base Cost	Shipping Time	Print Quality
Prodigi	UK	$1.52	2–5 days	Excellent
Print Geek	US	$2.00	3–6 days	Good
StickerApp	Europe/US	$2.20	4–7 days	Excellent

What I look for in a print provider:

• Good reviews
• Fast shipping to my main market (usually US)
• Samples available so I can check the print quality myself

Also — always order a few test stickers for yourself before going live. Don’t skip this step.

Step 3: Selling on Etsy — What Actually Works

Etsy is great because it already has traffic. People are searching for stickers every day — you just need to show up with the right product.

Here’s the basic setup:

1. Open an Etsy store
2. Connect Printify to Etsy
3. Publish your sticker products from Printify directly into your Etsy store
4. Optimise your titles, tags, mockups and descriptions for SEO

Etsy Listing Tips That Have Made Me Sales:

• Put keywords first in your title: “Kawaii Cat Sticker – Holographic Cat Vinyl Sticker”
• Use all 13 tags Etsy gives you
• Use SEO tools like eRank or Marmalead to research sticker keywords
• Upload at least 5 product photos, including close-ups and mockups
• Add a video preview (Etsy prioritises listings with video)

Example Etsy Keywords That Perform Well:

• “cute aesthetic stickers”
• “mental health sticker pack”
• “funny waterproof stickers”
• “vinyl planner stickers”

Also: bundle your stickers. Selling 3–5 in a pack massively increases your AOV and profit margins.

Step 4: Selling Stickers on Shopify — Your Own Brand, Your Rules

If you’re ready to build something bigger and own your customer list, Shopify is where I’d go.

With Shopify, you’re not relying on Etsy’s search traffic. You’re building your own brand.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1. Create your Shopify store
2. Install the Printify app
3. Add your sticker designs as products
4. Build out a home page, about page, contact page
5. Set up payment, taxes, and shipping rates
6. Start driving traffic through social, email, or paid ads

I like Shopify because I can:

• Run email marketing to my customers
• Build a real brand identity
• Run upsells and bundles
• Own my traffic

But it takes more work upfront.

Shopify Tips from My Own Store:

• Use clean mockups that match your brand
• Keep product pages simple and mobile-optimised
• Use reviews, even if they’re from Etsy screenshots at first
• Create a “Sticker Packs” page or collection
• Use abandoned cart emails to recover missed sales

Traffic-wise, what’s worked for me is mostly:

• Pinterest (pins of sticker mockups in use)
• TikTok (packaging orders, behind the scenes)
• Instagram Reels (time-lapse of sticker making or journaling)

Step 5: Pricing, Profit Margins, and Getting Repeat Buyers

Stickers are cheap to produce — but that doesn’t mean you should price low.

Here’s the pricing formula I usually use:

(Base Cost + Shipping + Fees) x 2.5 to 3 = Retail Price

So if a sticker costs me $1.80 and shipping is $1.20:

• Total cost = $3
• Sell for $7–$9
• Profit = $4–$6 per order

And that’s for just one sticker. If you bundle them or create packs, your profits jump fast.

Quantity	Base Cost	Retail Price	Est. Profit
1	$3.00	$7.00	$4.00
3-pack	$4.50	$14.00	$9.50
5-pack	$6.50	$18.00	$11.50

Want repeat buyers? Do this:

• Include a thank-you note with a discount code for next time
• Add seasonal or limited-time stickers
• Offer mystery packs or surprise bundles

Stickers are emotional purchases. If your designs make someone feel seen, you’ll get loyalty.

Common Mistakes I See (And How to Avoid Them)

Even seasoned sellers mess these up:

• Using low-res designs – Always export at 300 DPI
• Not testing Printify providers – Order samples from 2–3 providers to compare
• Forgetting shipping setup on Etsy – Printify auto-syncs, but always double-check
• Pricing too low – Don’t compete on price. Focus on brand and design
• Weak SEO – Etsy needs keyword-rich titles, tags, and categories

Scaling Up: How to Grow Beyond 10 Sales a Week

Once you’ve nailed the basics, it’s time to scale. Here’s what worked for me:

Add More Listings

The more listings you have, the more chances you have to get found.

• Aim for 50+ listings on Etsy
• Test new niches every month
• Create seasonal stickers (back to school, holidays, etc)

Launch a Sticker Subscription

People love surprises. A monthly sticker club can build recurring revenue.

• Use Shopify and apps like Recharge
• Send 3–5 exclusive stickers each month
• Add a freebie or note to keep it personal

Get Featured on Social

Send freebies to micro-influencers. Just 2–3 shoutouts can bring a surge in traffic.

• Focus on TikTok creators in your niche (journaling, stationery, studygram)
• Ask them to show your stickers in use or in a journaling setup
• Don’t pay for huge influencers — micro (1k–10k) is where the ROI is

Final Thoughts

Selling stickers with Printify is one of the easiest ways to start (or grow) a print-on-demand business.

You don’t need to be an artist. You don’t need a warehouse. You just need:

• Good ideas
• Simple, clean designs
• Consistent product launches
• A traffic source (Etsy, TikTok, Pinterest)

Once you’ve got a couple winners, you can scale, bundle, launch a Shopify store, or even grow a full-blown brand around your designs.

I’ve helped clients turn $100 sticker shops into $10K/month brands. But it all starts with getting your first few sales.

So get your designs uploaded, run a test order, and get your first sticker listed. Then improve as you go.