If you are planning to make printables to sell, then you’ll need to have artwork you can legally use. ( (See more on this topic here). There are several ways to acquire art that you can use in items you want to sell; CreativeMarket is probably the easiest place to get quality art that can be used in printable projects. I am a big fan of this curated marketplace because you can find excellent quality, commercial use artwork really quickly.
This is my all time favorite purchase from Creativemarket! It is a collage maker (note the parrots in clothing, and you'll recognize the outfits from my haunted mansion freebie!) THis piece comes with commercial rights, so can be used to create pieces for sale, which is a must for me.
Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Is CreativeMarket Right for your Printables Business?
While the marketplace is diverse and thriving, and you’ll find some amazing collections, the drawback to using the site is that items are sold individually, not on a subscription plan, so it can get expensive. My current wishlist includes the fairy houses below!
CreativeMarket functions similarly to Etsy; different graphic designers and artists offer their items for sale, and you can purchase from within the CreativeMarket site. You’re buying from each individual artist, but can check out in one place, and only have to learn the terms of one license to use the art. I always recommend starting with free sites like Wikimedia Commons (see the full details on this huge collection of free images here).
This allows for a huge collection of quality assets for sale all in one place, but because they are for sale individually, CreativeMarket is one of the more expensive sources for art for printables you want to sell. Learning more about the way CreativeMarket works can help you decide if this choice is right for your business – below I’m going to go over the benefits of using this site for your printables business, a few of the potential drawbacks and let you know how we use CreativeMarket Assets for MagpiePrintables junk journal collections.
Here’s what you need to know before you buy art at CreativeMarket.
The good stuff: Why I love CreativeMarket
CreativeMarket is juried: This means that the CreativeMarket team decides who can and can’t offer artwork. It also keeps the quality of the site high. In contrast to Etsy, which allows anyone with a credit card to offer items for sale, CreativeMarket vets brands and individuals first, to determine if they are eligible for the site.
This is a good thing for you, because it means the work you have to choose from for your printables is of high quality, both artistically and technically. The prettiest images in the world won’t help you if they don’t print out at a high enough resolution or only show up well on screen.
CreativeMarket offers commercial use: The standard commercial license covers you for most printables, although you should always check before buying. In most cases, you are covered for up to 5,000 sales or units - -so until you sell 5001 junk journal kits with the designs you’ve purchased, you’re covered. When you buy from CreativeMarket you have legal use of the images, so you can proceed without worry.
CreativeMarket is pricey: Why is this a benefit? Because it keeps the user base small. The less expensive a graphic is, the more people will use it. So if you’ve seen the same three Regency/Jane Austen ladies in dozens of projects, you can be pretty sure that they were free (they are, find them here, at Wikimedia Commons).
In contrast, the designs below are just as lovely and far less used; since they have to be paid for. You can usually score a discount by buying in bulk (you can buy credits that allow you to save a little bit), but the fact that art has to be paid for means it will be less commonly used and your final printables will be more unique.
The Bad Stuff: Things I don’t Like About CreativeMarket
Cost: The big one for me is cost. I love sites like CreativeFabrica, which allow you to download anything for commercial use under one subscription. This way I can download whatever I like and play with it – in some cases the files I originally was sure I wanted end up cut entirely.
On a subscription basis, this doesn’t matter, since I am getting as many downloads as I want for a flat rate. When it comes to buying a la carte, though, it can add up fast. If you’re like me and like to see “everything” in a theme all laid out, CreativeMarket may be too expensive to use regularly.
Terms; I’m not a big fan of reading the legal terms for use – and you absolutely HAVE to if you buy from CreativeMarket! You need to know how the art you buy can legally be used – buy the wrong license and you won’t be able to use the art for your printables at all!
In contrast, sites like Crella and Creative Fabrica are pretty much one stop shopping – and everything has the same license.
Unlimited Sales: While the price of the art does limit use, it does not limit it entirely. In some cases, I have found it is better to use a designer in house or just make something myself than to try to find something exclusive on CreativeMarket. People will still buy the art you’ve chosen – the only way to be truly unique is to DIY or hire someone. (I do both).
This is true of free art as well, but since you’re paying to use the assets on CreativeMarket, it’s good to have them be as unique as possible.
I get aggravated (wrongly, as everyone is playing by the rules) when I see someone using the same art I have chosen to make a kit. Even though we likely have very different styles, I still hate seeing a competitor with the same stuff.
Creative Market Free Goods
One thing I like about Creative Market is the weekly free goods. Each Monday, the brand releases 6 new free goods. There’s usually a font or two, a Procreate asset of some sort and some graphics. See some past CreativeMarket freebies here.
While this is a great way to get to understand how these assets work and to discover how the sales and download process works for CreativeMarket, you should double check the licenses offered for freebies. In most cases, the license granted is for personal use only. Since these assets will go back for sale the following week, you can upgrade to a commercial license; if you find a font or graphic you really love, the freebie program allows you to design with it before you buy it.
How We Use Creative Market at Magpie
I use a variety of methods to find the art used in our Junk Journals and kits, including CreativeMarket. I do some sketches and designs myself (the new Toads and Mushrooms junk journal kit features original art) I hire someone through Upwork or Fiver with a specific portfolio or expertise to create a specific design set, and I buy art through sites like Creative Market.
For CreativeMarket, I am most likely to buy a specific design set with multiple components that can be used for Junk Journal printables or products. The last purchases I made were all holiday – Christmas and Halloween sets that had everything all ready to go; these were fast and easy to use and together the cost was less than I would spend having someone do original art. The style was different from mine, so I didn’t want to DIY in this case. My monthly spend is about $125 average, based on 2021 so far. In contrast, I download dozens of items from CreativeFabrica for $20 a month, so I’m still a bigger fan of the subscription model!
The Bottom Line on CreativeMarket for Printables
This is a site with juried, professional artwork that offers a relatively broad commercial license. There is a good selection of better quality clip art sets and other assets that can be used in a variety of ways. Costs can add up fast – if you find you are spending more than $200 a month here, you’ll likely do better hiring an artist or VA with graphic design chops instead.
I suggest using CreativeMarket for individual items you can’t source elsewhere and for Procreate assets you can’t find anywhere else. Watch out for BUNDLE sales, as these tend to offer the best ROI, provided the commercial licenses are included, here are some previous bundles that made sense to buy for us:
Looking for art for your printables?
Here are reviews of other sites we like:
· Crella
· British Library
· New York Public Library Online
· LOC- Library of Congress Online
· Hungry Jpeg
Graphics Fairy (the premium subscription offers commercial use)