Etsy Seller Interview with Rosi of TheBlackCatPrints

How BlackCatPrints got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

My name is Rosi Raicheva, the owner of TheBlackCat Prints on Etsy. I’m a self-taught graphic designer and I sell digital goods such as SVG/DXF cutting files, stickers, printables, sublimation designs for t-shirts, mugs, etc., wall art prints, and social media content.

My previous job had nothing to do with graphic design.

I owned a small customs brokerage business. This job is interesting but very stressful. I was so tired after 10 years of working under pressure, so I made the decision to take a break. I worked at various jobs for five years before finding one that made me happy and satisfied.

I started learning graphic design in 2015 using mostly online courses.

Soon, I realized that I was addicted to word art. This became my favorite part of graphic design—mixing fonts and colors to create beautiful pieces of art. Working with words and text is a great way to communicate with others and express yourself.

I opened my Etsy shop in 2016 with printable quote wall art. I kept learning and building my skills and style. Soon, I expanded my work with different design types.

I design all my products myself, working from my home office. This is a very small space with a desk and a computer. I also have a printer, which I use to see how the design will look when printed. I want to be sure my customers will get what they see on the screen.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?‍

Basically, I like all of my items, but my favorites are my newest because I’m constantly upgrading my skills and style.

I recently started making stickers. They can be used both digitally and physically for planners, water bottles, cars, laptops, etc.

My Small Business Packaging stickers are often used by other Etsy sellers to print on their packages.

One of my best sellers is the Positive Inspirational Motivational Sticker Bundle, and my newest is the Christmas Stickers.

I also love Bible Verse Stickers Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. I have a special respect for the Bible, and I think we should often read and think about God's word.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?  

My first sale came within 2 or 3 weeks of opening my shop. This is not very quickly, but I didn’t give up. More sales came after I started designing the SVG files, which were very popular at the time.

Trends are changing year after year, so to attract my customers, I try to figure out what’s popular and what people like this season. I find it very useful for me too, because I want to improve my skills in graphic design and learn how to make new types of designs.

Managing TheBlackCatsPrints 

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

My shop is a one-man show :) I mean, it’s only me. To promote, I use Pinterest and Instagram. I also have a Facebook page.

To create my designs, I use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

As most of my designs are text-based, I need lots of fonts. I already have over 3000 fonts. To organize them, I use the Main Type Font Manager. I have tried other font organizers but I found that the main type works best for me.

The future of BlackCatsPrints 

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

In the future, I wish to grow up in business, but it’s hard to do that if I’m on my own. Maybe I'll think about hiring someone to take care of promoting and advertising.

I will also work on the development of my own website along with my Etsy shop.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Perfect quality items, well presented products with eye-catching listing images, correctly filled titles and tags—these are among the most important things you should do on Etsy.

Try to follow the trends but do not copy others. Build your own style so your products are recognizable and you stand out from the crowd. Do not be afraid to be different.