The demand for graphic designers might seem like a good thing, but not every professional designer has the luck to find consistent work despite having great skills. In this article, you’ll learn how to make money, income and profit as a graphic designer.
If you find yourself in a similar position, you should consider exploring options other than working for a company that is on the verge of bankruptcy or the one that fails to pay your salary on time.
Thankfully, there are multiple opportunities to create yourself a source of income without relying on a corporate job. Here are some suggestions that you can take advantage of as a freelance graphic designer and find work.
Design Custom Merchandise
Custom merchandise could be a good opportunity to make money. T-shirts are probably the safest options when it comes to print on demand products. The advantage of print-on-demand is that you do not need order minimums, allowing you to create customized designs for a variety of products in little time. You will, however, have to invest in the proper equipment including a printer and supplies.
Do your research and compare the options, although for top-quality results, a great option is an Epson fabric printer as well as the Prestige DTF printer. And it is not just regular digital printing that is growing in popularity.
All over print t-shirts are an alternative to standard print sizes for people who want to wear something that stands out even more than your average t-shirt. Reading an all over print shirt guide should give you an understanding of what the idea is about. And income or profit as a graphic designer, you should have few problems carrying it out. As a result, you may not make money as a graphic designer.
If you do not wish to start a POD store from scratch yourself, join one that is hiring graphic designers. New merchandise is necessary to keep a business like this sustainable, and graphic designers are the ones who are responsible for coming up with new ideas.
Help Writers With Book Covers: Money Graphic Designer
Designing book covers for self-published authors is worth considering as well. 71% of shoppers believe they will get a better deal online than in stores. Combine this statistic with Amazon’s self-publishing program, and you have a solid reason why more people are buying books on the internet. And that applies to both physical and digital books.
Even if you hear the phrase “do not judge a book by its cover” thrown around, it does not hold much value when it comes to marketing. Book covers are the first thing people see when they are browsing through book lists. A catchy cover is bound to attract more attention than a mediocre book cover.
Graphic designers can make a living by working with a few writers who self-publish on Amazon regularly. A good book cover costs up to a couple of thousand dollars, even more. However, if such an investment means more book sales for the authors, they would not hesitate to spend money to hire a professional book cover to make money, income and profit as graphic designer.
Teach Online
Online education could also be one way to increase your income. Besides, there are a few approaches you can take. Creating tutorial video series and publishing them on platforms like Skillshare and Udemy is one of the options.
YouTube could work as well, but you may struggle to monetize the content if it does not get that many views. Thus, it may be better to create courses that you can sell directly.
One-on-one education might be difficult to pull off. However, if you can find someone who is willing to learn and pay you, then why not? So long as you get the money for teaching, it is a worthy pursuit.
Edit Photos To Make Money as Graphic Designer
Editing photos could work as a freelance gig. Not every professional photographer wishes to edit their photos. They would rather take care of other parts of their business and hire someone who can do the monotonous task of adding or removing elements and making other changes to the photos.
Sell Design Templates for Passive Income
Selling pre-made design templates can be a lucrative passive income stream. Many businesses and individuals are looking for customizable templates to save time and effort. You can sell templates for:
- Logos
- Business cards
- Social media graphics
- Presentations
- Flyers or brochures
Platforms like Creative Market, Etsy, and Envato Elements are ideal places to list your templates. With the right designs, a single template can generate sales long after it’s created to make money as a graphic designer.
Pro Tip: Consider creating templates with current trends in mind, such as Instagram Stories themes or event invitations. Offering a variety of styles increases your chances of appealing to more buyers.
Stream on Twitch TV or YouTube
Twitch TV is the most popular streaming platform at the moment, but you can also stream on YouTube. Regardless of the platform you choose, the goal is to find an audience that you can interact with and grow your community.
Most streamers show themselves playing video games, but the demand for other content is also rising. Talk shows, music, and cooking are a few examples.
It helps if you have an entertaining personality, but that is not mandatory if you can compensate for it with lots of talent. Viewers will tune in to watch you work, and they may donate and subscribe.
Donations and subscriptions are the primary sources of income for streamers. However, when your channel grows, you can look for sponsors you can advertise in exchange for payment.
Create Social Media Content To Make Money as Graphic Designer
Social media presence is one of the cornerstones for a brand’s success. If they want to stand out from competitors, organizing giveaways and having a few shoutouts from an influencer may not be enough.
Graphic designers can create engaging content. For instance, infographics that are both visually pleasing and informative. Social media profiles that invest in high-quality content will have an edge, and as someone with the right skill set, you can provide that content.
