You can sell Canva designs on Etsy, but they must be your own work. Remember that it is better to only use free Canva elements in your designs and templates, as this makes them more saleable.

How great would it be if you could generate a couple of thousand dollars a month by doing something fun and relaxing? You can sell Canva templates and make thousands of dollars per month. Not bad, huh?

Starting a new business using Canva and Etsy is challenging. There is the designing of the templates, figuring out what sells, pricing the products correctly, and so on. But, from beginners to experts, Canva is a platform where digital creators can create beautiful designs relatively easily, regardless of their abilities.

You can do this on a phone, laptop, sitting at a desk, a couch, or even on the move. Canva gives you so many opportunities to create unique designs. The designs you create can even be sold.

Is there a place where you sell these designs? You should check out Etsy. This article will help you find out how to use Canva to sell on Etsy. 

Can you Sell Canva Designs on Etsy?

You can indeed sell Canva designs that you create on Etsy, with Canva designs selling really well since the site has a large user base and a huge interest in handmade and bespoke products. Using Etsy to sell digital products like Canva templates is a great way to earn passive income as templates are digital files that don’t require shipping.

Note that Canva Pro is required to create templates for Etsy, and that Canva does not allow you to sell their pre-made templates, as these products remain the intellectual property of Canva.

With Canva, you should create your own original designs, which you can then use for resale, even if you use Canva’s elements and free content. This content covers a wide range of free photos, music, fonts, colors that can be used both commercially and non commercially.

The key is that any design you create is unique to you, and not a copy of an existing design.

To create a new end product, you will need to take the free elements, fonts, etc., from the website and create a brand new template using them from scratch.

Overall though, selling your Canva designs on Etsy is a great way to make money, with designs created on Canva being extremely popular for digital downloads on Etsy.

There are a few more terms and conditions that it is worthwhile understanding before you start selling though, which I cover below.

Can you use Canva for Commercial Purposes?

Canva images can be used for commercial purposes, but there is a lot of confusion, as you can only use them commercially under certain conditions.

There are no restrictions on commercial use of images in the free library, but if you want to use an image that was shared by a third party, like Pixabay or Pixels, check the individual license agreement to ensure it’s okay before using it.

In most cases, it’s alright, but there are a few exceptions. You can always contact the creator of the image if you have any questions about whether an image can be used commercially.

Canva offers two types of licenses: the free content and premium content license , covering everything from photos, icons, and illustrations to video, audio, and fonts.

Users of Canva Free will see watermarked content. The watermark in the design can be removed by purchasing a license to use the content for $1, or you can also subscribe to Canva Pro or Canva for Enterprise – where there is then no additional cost to get a license to use the content.

Can I use Canva Elements in my Logo?

You can use elements in your logo designs including photos, graphics, videos, fonts, and music, all of which are available as non-exclusive licenses through Canva.

If you use Canva, you will not own your logo (it will be owned by Canva), and you will not be able to trademark it because you must first own it. It is recommended that you hire a professional to design a logo for your brand and take full ownership. To create social media posts, you can always upload a professionally designed logo in Canva.

Essentially, a trademark consists of a symbol that is only used by the brand owner. Thus, you are not allowed to use any Free or Pro content from Canva’s media library in your trademark (except in the case of fonts, basic shapes, and lines).

It is important to remember that other Canva users can also use the same Free or Pro content in any branded materials, including logos, so you cannot claim exclusive rights.

When it comes to designing a unique logo for a trademark, you can: 

• Use simple shapes and lines
• Choose any font from Canva’s collection
• You could upload a graphic you have designed yourself, or one you commissioned from a graphic designer.

If you do not require exclusive rights, the logo templates can be helpful for small projects or personal use. In addition, you can use them as inspiration to come up with your own unique design. To create a trademarked logo on Canva, you have two options: 

• Use Canva to create your own original logo from scratch 
• Upload your already designed logo to Canva, and use it for social posts.

Canva Licenses and Ownership Rights

You are granted a license to use what you design or create on Canva when you design or create a logo or any other design.

The type of license you receive is determined by the type of account you have and the type of media incorporated into your design.

In general, if you use any of the Canva stock media – that is, graphics and designs provided by the platform – then you will need to sign one of its license agreements. There are four types of Canva licenses:

• License agreement for free images
• License agreement for one design
• License agreement for multiple uses
• An extended license agreement

So, let’s see what the four Canva Licenses allow you to do.

License Agreement for Free Images

For designs where you have used any of the free media on Canva (e.g. free media includes any specific types of graphics, fonts, images, etc., for which you do not need a membership), you will be required to adhere to the free images license agreement.

By downloading your Canva design, you accept a license agreement. That means that you automatically consent to Canva monitoring any content you download, export, or upload to the service, retaining details of your exported Canva designs, and tracking any misuses of your login information.

You are also limited in how you can use the free media Canva design. Your Canva design can be used for invitations and advertising, social media, school projects, online publications, and other uses that Canva has approved in writing. However, the following uses are restricted:

• Canva does not let you transfer your design to anyone else. You may not resell, rent, assign, sub-license, or otherwise transfer it.
• You may not include the design in a trademark or other identifier.
• Canva designs cannot be redistributed or reused in any products.
• It cannot be used for commercial or advertising purposes.

In practice, this means that you cannot create a design to sell on Etsy or elsewhere, if you use the free version of Canva.

License Agreement for One Design

Canva account holders who buy a One Design Use License or Canva Pro subscription account holders are covered by the One Design Use License agreement for using Pro Stock Media. Canva’s Pro Stock Media is identified by a crown icon and the word PRO when hovered over.

You will only be able to use this particular Pro Stock Media if you have paid for a One Design Use license. Canva Pro account holders, however, may access and use Pro Stock Media unlimitedly.

This license has usage rights similar to those of the free media license. 

Pro Stock Media, on the other hand, includes downloadable music and video along with free media. Additionally, there are limitations to where you can use music or media – for example, you cannot use Pro music for traditional media ads (e.g. TV ads) and can only use it in online ads (e.g. YouTube Video ads).

Essentially, this license allows you to use the Pro Stock Media only within your Canva design – you cannot download the original Pro Stock Media file and use it independently as free clip art or as free clip art in another program.

License Agreement for Multiple Uses

By allowing your team to download and use the same Canva design, this license agreement distinguishes itself from the other two license types by allowing you to transfer your Canva designs to others within your brand or business. Canva allows you to use your designs for invitations / advertising / promotional projects for up to 250,000 prints, among other things. You can use it for print and poster productions for personal and promotional use (but not for resale or other distribution). 

An Extended License Agreement

Canva Extended License grants you additional rights with your design, removing the limit of 250,000 prints and enabling you to use stock media in multiple locations or upload it to a web server to be accessed by your team/business. It is an extension of the Canva Multi-Use License Agreement.

How to Sell Canva Templates on Etsy?

Now that you are familiar with the terms and conditions of Canva, I will briefly cover how to sell Canva creations and designs on Etsy. 

Identify Your Market and Niche

In order to sell an item on the internet, you must do your research and locate a market that is interested in your product.

So, if you want to find your target market, do some research on other designers on Etsy, looking at those shops that have a good number (idealy >100) verified sales.

Then, check out what kinds of templates these shops sell. Is it blogging media kits, greetings cards, or wedding invitations, for example.

Make sure to design templates that match your target market once you have an idea of how your target market operates. By doing this, prospective buyers will be able to find your product on Etsy. Additionally, if you keep an eye on what is popular on Etsy, you’ll be able to stay on top of what people are looking for.

Create a Canva Template

To avoid designer burnout or overwhelming yourself when designing your first Canva template, I suggest making a list of everything you would like to have in your design.

Check out some of the other templates that are available on Canva so you get an idea about what you might want to include in your template and what’s popular with Canva users right now.

Bear in mind that you can use this only as inspiration. Editing or modifying Canva designs, then selling them as your own is actually against Canva’s terms of service. Starting from a blank template and designing your product from scratch is the best way to avoid this problem.

Create an Etsy shop

Set up your Etsy Shop once you have selected a niche and some products to sell on the platform. Just create an Etsy account, and you are ready to go. Add your designs to your shop and watch them sell one by one!

Don’t forget to include high-quality images along with a clear and concise description when listing your items. If your customers buy multiple products at once, you may also want to offer them discounts.

Be sure to share your Etsy shop with your friends and followers on social media to help promote it. As well as participating in discussions and communities, you can join the online communities of Etsy Sellers.

Make your Etsy listings SEO-friendly

Make sure that your listings on Etsy are optimized for search engine results when selling customizable templates. Your listing should include keywords in its title, description, and images. Specific keywords can also be included in the tags associated with your listing, but you must remember that not all keywords will be appropriate for every template.

Also, make sure that the keywords you use in your listing are relevant to the template you’re selling, because you should target keywords that potential buyers might use to find templates on Etsy.

Your listing will perform better if you include images and videos. Videos are extremely helpful in attracting buyers who may not have time to review all of your listings but are interested in purchasing templates.

And, you should never forget to keep an eye on the competition and try to create something unique that sets your template apart from others on Etsy.

Lastly, when submitting your templates and ratings, remember to follow all Etsy Guidelines carefully – if you break any rules, your listing may be deleted or penalized. 

Final thoughts on Selling Canva Designs on Etsy

Canva templates can only be sold if they were specifically designed by you. They ideally should only use free elements, as this makes them easier for your customers to use if they only have a Canva free account, and should therefore reduce complaints.

Note that the content from Canva Pro can’t be used to sell templates for use on third-party platforms, including websites or documents – all Canva designs should be for use on Canva by the buyer. Essentially, this means that you can’t create a template to sell that is applied to Microsoft Word only for example, or if you do, then this is against Canva’s terms and conditions.

So, consequently, if you want to sell templates created on Canva, you have to direct customers back to Canva.

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