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Have you ever thought to yourself what are printables? When I tell people I sell printables, a lot of times it takes some further explaining. In this post I’ll explain printables and how you can use them in all kinds of ways and why you wish you knew about them way sooner than now!
My hopes are that this ultimate guide will walk you through everything you need to know about digital printables and clear up any misconceptions.
In this digital age, you probably have heard terms like PDF, digital printable, digital download, and instant download-all of which get tossed around quite often. If you’ve spent any time on Pinterest, Etsy, or blogs lately albeit you have encountered some of those. We’ll get into why printables are becoming so popular but first let’s clear up what they are.
What is a Printable Exactly?
To put it in super simple terms, it is just a digital file that can be downloaded to your computer. Then once downloaded you can hit that print button. Now you have yourself a printable.
Files can be PDF, JPEG, or even a PNG. The most common format is a PDF (Portable Document Format) because it maintains the layout and formatting regardless of whatever computer or printer it is you are using. Another file type is a ZIP file which contains multiple items.
You can either download and print your file at home, or you could use a professional printing service. I myself have used a local print shop but almost always print at home. I’ll talk more about it as we get into it.
When it comes to printables, you are essentially purchasing the “license” for a digital printable to be able to use the design and print it out.
Where to Find Printables?
Blogs
You can find printables for free, sometimes in exchange for signing up for a newsletter on a blog or you can purchase printables for a small cost. I offer several printables on my blog like this last-minute gift idea-Beef Jerky Bouquet of Roses!
Etsy
Etsy is an awesome place to find these goodies or even sell them if you are creative in that way. I have several new customers in my Etsy shop who are purchasing printables for the very first time.
Creative Market
This option is better for professional assets and fonts.
Canva
Say you cannot find what you are looking for or you are interested in printing your own templates, Canva has a massive library of templates you can print directly. This is a fantastic tool if you are exploring making your own to sell.
Popular Uses & Types of Printables
Home Decor:
You can find all kinds of affordable and printable digital art that you can put in your own frame. It’s a great option especially if you like to do Gallery walls or you’re looking to decorate a nursery. A budget friendly way to go about it would be to buy cheap wall art prints then stop in your local thrift store or dollar store for budget–friendly frames. You could always spray paint them if they are not the right finish. Want another super cheap way to hang your prints, see what we did here.
Holiday Decor
Same with seasonal wall art too. I purchased a ghost Halloween printable on Etsy to layer against my mirror to decorate my entryway for Halloween. It turned out so cute (I mean that in a spooky sorta way). See for yourself.
I ended up downloading the file and having it printed at my local photo center in the size I wanted. Now my entryway looks more festive for the season!
Because I mentioned how I went about printing my home decor, that brings me to talk a bit more about printing locally. So maybe you don’t have a home printer, possibly out of ink, or you haven’t messed with the thing in ten years and you’re not even sure if it still works. That’s totally okay! You can still take advantage of using Printables.
You can use local print shops like Walgreens, CVS, Wal-Mart photo or even an office supply store like Staples, Office Max or FedEx Kinkos. All of these locations have print shops in them. For Walgreens, CVS, or Wal-Mart you can easily go to their website. Under the services they offer select the photo center. You can order and upload the digital file right on their website and put in for a pickup time. You could also do it at the store in-person. To do it in-person, simply pop your PDF download onto a thumb drive, and drive over to your nearest print shop.
Printable Crafts & Kids Activities:
Moving along to our next Printable category, printable crafts! Printable craft and activities are a super fun and awesome way to engage the little ones. Make a keepsake with their handprint or footprint. Kids enjoy fingerprint crafts too. They can also be educational or faith -based. Activities like these can keep children entertained without a screen.
Organization & Planning:
Find Useful types of printables to help organize your life like daily planners, meal planners, financial budgeting sheets. If you are expecting a baby girl or in need of a baby shower gift, I created the cutest floral DIY closet dividers to hang in baby’s closet to keep clothes organized by size.
A few other ideas are unique coloring sheets, calendars, pantry labels, or wedding/birthday invitations.
Why are Printables So Popular?
The popularity of printables has exploded here recently, catering to a vast range of internet needs. Here are some of the major benefits to choosing printables.
Instant Delivery
The amazing thing about printables is they are instant; there is no need wait for a physical product to be shipped to you.
Infinite Copies
Another benefit, as soon as you retrieve the download you can print as many times needed for infinite copies. If you mess up a coloring page or need another “grocery list” to print for next week, you simply print the file again. This is a game changer, especially when utilizing the file for a daycare craft, classroom or Sunday school preparation where several kids will need the printable.
Cost Effective
Between infinite copies, opting out of store overhead for products, and the gratification of no shipping cost makes printables extremely cost effective for the buyer.
How to Use Printables Effectively?
To get started with the best results, you’ll need a reliable printer. Inkjet is ideal for colorful art, and a laser printer is more cost effective for high-volume text (think worksheets for example).
For printer settings always select “actual size” or “100% scale” in your print menu, printers sometimes default to “fit to page” which can shrink your designs or distort the margins.
Depending on the type of Printable you are attempting to print, you may want to upgrade the standard flimsy printer paper for cardstock. For a temporary grocery list standard paper would work fine, but for certain printables such as crafts or planners, you’ll want something thicker to work with and also prevents ink from bleeding through. For wall art you may choose matte photo paper or even glossy photo paper depending on the look you’re going for.
Most printables come in a PDF form, requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader for the best formatting. For Images like wall art, standard viewers will work well. If you are having to edit a file, tools like Canva or Templett are industry standards.
How to Print Printables from Etsy?
If you’ve never done it before you might not know what to expect. Okay, let’s say you found a printable you want. I’ll walk you through the basics of how to print printable. There’s really not much to it. It’s so easy!
- First things first, you’ll need to purchase the digital file (If you are not using Etsy & you’re using a freebie printable, then you will skip the purchasing and just do what is required to receive the free file, for example sign up for a newsletter etc..)
2. Next Etsy will send you an email with your purchased digital download(s) or you can find them in your “purchases” portal. You can then download the file(s) to your computer.
3. At this point you can verify your printing settings, your paper medium and quality, that way printing comes out smoothly.
4. Select your file and click print.
5. You did it! Enjoy your new Printable.
Property & Licensing
Most printables are purchased for Personal Use Only. This means that you are not allowed to resell the digital file or the physical prints made from that file. If you intend to sell any items made with a printable, ensure that you have a Commercial License.
Conclusion
I hope this blog post guide was helpful in some ways, went over everything you need to know, and answered the question “what is a printable?”.
Digital Printables can surely simplify your life!