How to Sell Art on Amazon: A Guide for Artists Selling Online

If you’re an artist looking to sell your creations to a global audience, you’re in the right place. In this blog post, we’ll dive into strategies on how to sell art on Amazon.

Amazon, the world’s largest ecommerce platform, provides an excellent stage for artists to showcase their talent. We’ve previously covered how to sell art on Etsy, but if you’re eager to expand your audience and start selling art online with Amazon—we’re here to help.

From seller account tips to product selection, this how-to guide will lead you through the step-by-step process of selling art online.

Is Amazon a good place to sell art?

Yes, Amazon is a good place to sell art! The online art market is booming, offering independent artists exciting opportunities to connect with fans all over the world and boost sales. 

Selling art on Amazon relieves you of the need to set up your own website while giving you access to Amazon’s wide customer base, marketing tools, and order fulfillment services.

How much does it cost to sell art on Amazon?

To start selling on Amazon, you must pick between an Individual or a Professional selling plan. The Individual plan doesn’t have a subscription fee but charges a sales fee per item ($0.99). The Professional plan costs $39.99 per month, but it’s a better option for high-volume sellers.

However, the monthly subscription fee is waived if you get approved to sell on Amazon Handmade—a platform for selling original art and unique creations.

When an item is sold, Amazon charges a referral fee based on the item’s category. For example, if you sell a painting for under $100, the referral fee is 20%. This fee varies but is typically in the range of 5% to 20%.

Check out the Amazon pricing guide for a detailed fee breakdown for each product category.

How to sell art on Amazon in 8 steps

Below, we’ll guide you through 8 actionable steps to successfully sell your art on Amazon. Let’s dive in!

1. Create an Amazon seller’s account

To start, go to the Amazon Seller Central website. Click the “Sign up” button and then “Create your Amazon account”.

Next, you’ll need to register using your email address. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the email verification process.

Source: Amazon

Once you’ve created your account, log in and choose a selling plan. To connect Amazon to Printful, you’ll need the Amazon Professional plan.

Finally, complete the seller information. Add your business name, address, phone number, and bank account information for payments.

2. Select your niche and check the competition

Now that you’ve set up your account, you can start selling on Amazon! To increase your chances of standing out in this huge marketplace, it’s a good idea to pick a niche for your store. Look for gaps in the market. Is there something you can offer that others may have overlooked?

Start by identifying the themes, subjects, or styles that genuinely interest you. Developing a distinctive artistic style that sets you apart is equally important. This could be in the choice of medium, technique, or the subject of your artwork.

Finally, check out your competition to understand what other artists in your niche offer. Pick a few successful artists and consider what makes their work unique.

3. Decide on the products

One of the key decisions you’ll need to make as a business owner is product selection. From original artwork, prints, and home decor to custom clothing and accessories, here are some of the top products that attract the attention of online shoppers on Amazon.

a. Original artwork

When selling art, signing up to sell on Amazon Handmade is a good idea. It’s a program that’s dedicated to selling unique, handmade products on Amazon. You can sell your art in different media, including paintings, drawings, and photographs.

Amazon Handmade uses an application process to add new artisans to their platform to ensure that customers can shop with confidence. If your application to Amazon Handmade is approved, you get a waiver of the Professional selling fee of $480 per year.

Source: Amazon

b. Posters and canvas

If you’re skilled at graphic design, selling posters or canvas prints might be the perfect product fit for you. Many people look to decorate their interiors with visually appealing, personalized artwork, deeming wall art products in high demand.

Posters tend to be more affordable compared to selling originals or limited-edition prints. They’re lightweight and easy to ship, resulting in lower shipping costs for customers. Canvas prints are also less prone to damage during transit than fragile original artworks (like prints and drawings), making them a convenient choice for sellers and buyers.

Most importantly, there’s no need to sacrifice quality over convenience. When using print-on-demand services, you can take advantage of giclee printing—high-quality printing that’s perfect for reproducing an artwork or a photograph.

Source: Amazon

c. Home decor

Spending more time at home has shaped customer shopping habits, and many want to refresh their home decor. So, besides wall art, why not put your designs on interior items like pillows and blankets?

Pillows with all-over prints are practical items you can sell on their own or bundled with posters. Selling matching items can attract customers who love your style or gift shoppers looking for housewarming gifts.

b. Custom clothing

Custom t-shirts and custom hoodies are excellent products for artists to sell online. As everyday clothing items, customers can easily add t-shirts and hoodies to their daily wardrobe. In turn, your art gets a lot of exposure and becomes part of the wearer’s style.

Moreover, clothing offers a large print area, and your artwork will be front and center. It’s a great opportunity to experiment with different artistic styles and colors to create eye-catching designs.

Personalization is a feature that many buyers look for when shopping online, so consider offering personalized apparel items, different color choices, and a wide size range.

Source: Amazon

e. Stickers

Stickers are very affordable, making them an attractive impulse buy for customers. The lower price point can encourage more people to buy your art, even if they aren’t in the market for more expensive items like canvas prints or original artwork.

Plus, custom stickers are a fun way to add flair to personal items like water bottles, laptops, phone cases, and notebooks, showcasing your artwork on the go.

f. Postcards

Lean into holiday trends and sell postcards for winter holidays, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, weddings, and other occasions.

For design inspo, explore current trends to see what’s popular. You can find many postcards with pets, photography, and original artwork on Amazon. Once you’ve landed on a theme, go for designs that are funny, cute, retro, or something totally different!

Source: Amazon

4. Create a Printful account and connect it to Amazon

Once you’ve picked the products for your store, it’s time to handle your order fulfillment needs. If you opt for print-on-demand (POD) services, set up a Printful account and connect it to your Amazon store.

Sign up to Printful using your email address or log in with your Facebook, Apple, or Google account. Creating a Printful account is completely free. And you only pay when customers buy from you.

Next, log in to your Printful account. In the Dashboard, click Stores > Choose platform. Find Amazon and click Connect.

Source: Printful

To continue, log in to your Amazon seller account. In your Amazon Dashboard, choose the regions you want to sell on by going to Inventory > Selling Globally.

Then, return to your Printful Dashboard to authorize selling products in North America, Europe, or both. Other regions aren’t currently supported.

Source: Printful

If you sell under your own brand, Amazon requires you to submit real-life product photos to get your GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) exemption. Once Amazon grants you the GTIN exemption, you can add and sync Printful products to your Amazon store.

5. Design products

Your designs can engage, inspire, and ultimately drive sales. Whether you’re selling custom apparel, wall art items, or one of 300+ other Printful products, creating unique designs is essential to your success.

If you’re unsure where to start, try brainstorming initial ideas and visual elements to help shape your custom product designs. Create mood boards that visually represent the aesthetic of your art. Collect images, color swatches, and typography samples that match your ideas.

Before you start designing, find a tool you’d like to use. There are many free design tools like Canva or Printful’s own Design Maker. For extra features, try paid tools like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, which are well-established in the design community.

Before finishing your designs, check that they’re high-resolution and ready for printing, maintaining color vibrancy and accuracy.

6. Perfect your Amazon listings

The first step to help you write effective product listings is keyword research. Think about your products and put yourself in the customer’s shoes. What words or phrases would they type into the Amazon search box? 

To find the most fitting keywords,  type various words and phrases in the Amazon search box. Then, look at the drop-down suggestions and related items to discover additional keyword ideas. These can provide insights into how Amazon categorizes similar products and help you refine your keyword strategy.

When you’re done with keyword research, focus on writing product descriptions. Try to use clear, engaging language. Ensure the text is formatted in short paragraphs or bullet points to make it easy for customers to skim through important information.

Finally, pay attention to images. Are the visuals clear and informative? Even though you can upload a minimum of one image, Amazon recommends having at least 6 images per listing.

If you’re unsure about your photography skills, try out the Printful Mockup Generator and get free mockups of your custom products.

7. Master Amazon SEO

When potential buyers search on Amazon, you want your listings to be highly visible. Amazon SEO is a way of increasing traffic to your product listings through search results. It helps with product visibility and can boost your sales. To become a master of Amazon SEO, you should consider these 2 essential ranking factors: relevance and performance. 

Relevance describes the popularity of your product listing—how well it matches with keywords used to search on Amazon. Performance is all about the sales potential and conversion rate. If your listing is relevant and high-performing, it will appear on top of Amazon search results. 

Remember the keyword research? That’s the groundwork you need to do to help your listings be relevant. Keyword optimization is necessary for product descriptions, titles, image captions, file names, and alt text. 

Finally, how well your listing performs depends on many factors, including your pricing strategy. In addition to optimizing product descriptions, consider adjusting your product prices to be more competitive. For example, you could offer free shipping or run a split test to find the best price.

8. Promote your art on social media

Regardless of your social media platforms, share the story behind your art through visually appealing content. Think high-quality images, videos, and behind-the-scenes glimpses to engage your audience.

You could also collaborate with influencers who can help you reach a larger audience interested in art and design. Joint cross-promotion projects or featured artist series can also introduce your work to new audiences.

Social media is a great place for running promotions and special sales. Encourage your audience to take advantage of exclusive offers available for a limited time. In addition, try to generate excitement by teasing upcoming art releases and sharing sneak peeks.

A popular strategy is hosting giveaways and asking participants to follow your profile, like and share your post, or tag friends. This not only boosts visibility but also increases your social media following.

Finally, make it easy for your audience to shop for your products, so check if all your profiles have a clear link to your Amazon store.

Sell your art on Amazon and make money

We delved into the intricacies of selling art on Amazon and how Printful integration can help you sell products with your artwork front and center.

Whether you’re a painter or a graphic designer, we hope this how-to guide has encouraged you to sell art online and make money. Ecommerce platforms like Amazon can help you reach a global audience, connect with like-minded people, and build a successful business promoting your own art.

If you’re already selling art online, share your experience with us in the comments below. Happy selling!

Read next: How to Sell Print-On-Demand on Amazon: A Guide for Custom Apparel and More