How to Sell Art on Shopify: Originals, Prints, Digital

To sell art on Shopify, pick the format first, because each one runs on a different tool: originals are products with a stock of one, prints are made by a print-on-demand app after each order, and digital art is delivered by the free Digital Products app. You can run all three from one store, and made-to-order work adds a fourth case covered below.

Three ways to sell art

Set up each format

Originals. Following Shopify’s page on out-of-stock selling, create a product with the title, medium and size in the description, and in the Inventory section turn on Inventory tracked with a quantity of 1. Leave Continue selling when out of stock off; the setting has an effect only when inventory is tracked. The product then shows as sold out after the first order, so you cannot sell the same canvas twice. For works that come in editions, use variants with a quantity per edition. If the same original is also listed on another marketplace, mark it sold in both places the moment it sells, or connect the two through a sales channel that syncs stock.

Prints. Shopify’s Help Center lists Printful and Gelato among its recommended print on demand apps. Printful prints, packages and ships your products; Gelato produces locally and delivers nearby. In both, you upload the artwork, choose the product types, and the product appears in your store; the app handles fulfillment after each order. Order a sample of each print type first, since you cannot judge colors from a mockup. Print on demand means you carry no stock, and you fix prices after subtracting the app’s cost.

Digital files. Install the free Digital Products app, described on Shopify’s digital downloads page. You can upload a file, such as a graphic, or add a link from a supported provider, such as Dropbox, Google Drive or Canva. Each variant can hold up to 50 files with a combined size of 5 GB, and a .zip archive works for bundles. By default, products are sent automatically with no access limit. If you set one, it is counted per download link, not per customer: all files in a variant share one count, resending the download email keeps it, and an update email or a share link starts a new one. If you set a variant’s delivery to Send manually, the download link does not show on the Thank you or Order status page. Only links from the providers listed in the app are accepted.

Product pages for art

Show the work at full size with a zoom, a close-up of the texture and a photo in a room for scale. Shopify’s product media page says all themes support images, and that video, 3D models and augmented reality need a theme that supports them; a 3D model suits sculpture, as covered in AR for Shopify. Square images at 2048 × 2048 px usually display best. Shopify accepts 3D models in GLB or USDZ up to 500 MB, converts each upload so both formats exist for iPhone and Android, and optimizes files over 15 MB automatically.

For prints, use variants for the choices a buyer makes. A typical setup has three options: size (8 × 10, 11 × 14 and 16 × 20 inches, or A4, A3 and A2 for European buyers), paper (matte, fine art) and framing (unframed, black frame, oak frame). That is 18 combinations from one product, each with its own price and SKU, so check that the print-on-demand app supports every combination before you publish them.

Write alt text for every image, describing what the work shows (“Watercolor of a red fishing boat at low tide, 30 × 40 cm”). Screen readers read it to customers who cannot see the image, and the media editor can suggest alt text that you then correct. Photographs carry the sale for artwork; see product photography.

Made to order and commissions

Work you make after the order, such as a commission or a ceramic piece fired in batches, needs two things on the product page: the lead time in plain words (“ships 3 to 4 weeks after your order”) and a way to take the order before the item exists. Shopify supports this as a pre-order through an app from the App Store; pre-orders work only for stores using Shopify Payments or PayPal Express, and can take the full price, part of it or nothing at checkout. Take at least a deposit for commissions, so a canceled order does not leave you with materials paid for.

Shipping originals

Save each box you use as a package under Settings > Shipping and delivery > Packages > Add package, with the outside dimensions and weight, because Shopify uses the outside size to calculate the shipping cost, and assign the package to the products that ship in it. Pack the work with a stiff board, corner protection and a waterproof outer layer. Shopify offers shipping insurance of up to $5,000 USD of coverage when you buy shipping labels for shipments from the United States, with insurance against loss, theft or damage; Grow, Advanced and Plus stores using Shopify Payments or Managed Markets get up to $200 USD included on eligible shipments, and Basic stores get none included but can buy it. Check whether your region qualifies, and for an original worth more than the coverage, ask the carrier. The wider setup topics are in the running a store hub.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell digital art on Shopify? The free Digital Products app handles it: upload a file or add a link, and the customer receives it after purchase. You can set an access limit, which counts opens per download link.

Do I need print-on-demand? You need it only for prints you do not want to stock and ship yourself. If you print and ship your own, add the prints as normal products with tracked inventory.

How do I sell one-of-a-kind pieces? Create the product with Inventory tracked on and a quantity of 1, and leave Continue selling when out of stock off, so it shows as sold out after the first order.