So you’ve got amazing art, and now you’re thinking… “How do I sell this on hoodies, posters, or mugs without turning my house into a shipping center?” Good news: you don’t need inventory, a warehouse, or a label printer.
In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to launch your own online shop using Shopify + Printful—a match made in ecommerce heaven for artists and creators.
Let’s get into it.
Step 1: Sign Up for Shopify (Your Online Storefront)
Shopify is where your store lives. It’s the website your customers visit, browse, and buy from.
- Go to shopify.com
- Click “Start Free Trial” (usually 3 days free, then $39/month for the Basic plan)
- Name your store (don’t worry—you can change it later!)
- Answer a few quick setup questions
- Boom—you’re in!
Now you’ve got a blank canvas to build your online shop.
Step 2: Create a Printful Account (Your Print-on-Demand Partner)
Printful is where the magic happens behind the scenes. When someone buys a product from your store, Printful prints it on demand and ships it directly to your customer.
No inventory, no shipping labels, no stress.
- Go to printful.com
- Create a free account
- Head to “Stores” and click “Choose Platform”
- Select Shopify and connect your store (you’ll log into Shopify to approve the connection)
Now Shopify and Printful are linked and ready to work together.
Step 3: Design & Add Your Products
Here’s the fun part: turning your art into real products.
In Printful:
- Click “Add Product”
- Choose your item—T-shirt, hoodie, poster, tote bag, etc.
- Upload your artwork (JPG, PNG, 300 DPI works best)
- Place the design using their mockup tool
- Pick your colors and sizes
- Set your retail price (Printful shows your base cost and profit)
- Click “Submit to Store”
Your product now appears in Shopify with images, pricing, and descriptions ready to go.
Step 4: Customize Your Store
Now it’s time to make your shop you.
In Shopify:
- Choose a theme (the Dawn theme is clean and free)
- Upload your logo and banner
- Set up pages: Home, Shop, About, Contact
- Edit your navigation bar so it’s easy to explore
No need to overthink it—just keep it clean and creative. You can always evolve later.
Step 5: Set Up Payments & Shipping
In Shopify:
- Go to Settings > Payments
- Activate Shopify Payments (so you can accept credit cards, Apple Pay, etc.)
- You can also turn on PayPal
In Printful:
- Set your default shipping options
- You don’t have to do much—Printful handles shipping rates automatically
Step 6: Test Everything Before You Launch
Before telling the world:
- Do a test order (Shopify has a test mode)
- Make sure products appear correctly
- Check your mobile version
- Proofread your product descriptions
You want everything to feel polished and easy.
Step 7: Launch and Start Selling
Now the fun begins:
- Publish your store
- Share it on social
- Tell your friends
- Collect emails
- Start posting about your work, process, and products
Remember: your store is alive—you can tweak, add new products, and refine your branding as you grow.
Bonus Tips
- Offer a small launch discount or free shipping for your first week
- Add a review app like Loox or Judge.me for social proof
- Use email marketing (like Klaviyo or Shopify Email) to keep fans coming back
Final Thoughts
Selling your art online doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Shopify gives you the storefront, and Printful does the heavy lifting. You focus on your creativity—they handle the logistics.
With just a few clicks, your designs can be on shirts, posters, and products around the world.
Now go turn your art into income—you’ve got this.