Etsy Packaging Insert Maker

What to put on a packaging insert

A packaging insert is a small printed card you tuck into every order. For an Etsy shop it is usually a thank you card: the first thing a buyer sees when they open the box, and the only part of your shop they keep. A good one is short and has one job for each side.

• A thank-you message. One or two sentences in your own voice. Say what the order means to you, not what it cost.
• Your shop name and logo, so the buyer remembers where it came from when they want another.
• A photo, if you like. Your best product, or you at work. A face or a product makes a printed card feel personal.
• A coupon for the next order, with the code printed large enough to type and a line that says what it gives.
• A QR code to your shop. One scan takes the buyer back to your Etsy shop, with no typing.

Etsy suggests the same mix for packing slips: you can add a promo code for a future purchase or a personal note when you print one (Etsy's guide to packing slips). A separate card just looks more personal and leaves room for your brand.

Make the card look like your shop

Type your Etsy shop name and click Fill from my Etsy shop. The maker asks Etsy for your shop icon, your shop's title line and a few listing photos. Your icon becomes the logo, the title line becomes the tagline under your shop name, and the colors come from your photos, kept dark enough to read. Each one can be changed or removed after.

Then pick a layout. Each one is drawn with your own card:

A photo across a 4 x 6 card needs a picture about 1,300 pixels wide to print sharp. The maker uses Etsy's full-size copy of your listing photo, and tells you when a photo is too small. Etsy doesn't share your profile photo with other apps without you signing in, so for the From the maker layout, upload a photo of yourself. It stays in your browser.

Thank you card messages for Etsy orders

Not sure what to write? The maker has 10 messages by tone. Pick one and edit it so it sounds like you. A few of them:

Keep it personal and short. A buyer reads the card in a few seconds, so one warm sentence beats a paragraph. Sign it with your first name if you are a one-person shop.

Packaging insert sizes and paper

The maker prints three common sizes. The sheet count is for US Letter with room for crop marks.

Print on matte card stock, not printer paper. It feels like a card, survives the trip, and a matte finish keeps the QR code easy to scan. Cards with a lot of color look best from a print shop, which can print to the edge.

How to print thank you cards at home

1. Download PDF to print at home and pick US Letter or A4. It fills the sheet with copies of your card.
2. Print at 100% or Actual size. "Fit to page" shrinks the cards and the crop marks move.
3. For a two-sided card, print on both sides and choose flip on long edge. The back page is laid out mirrored, so each back lands behind its front.
4. Print one test sheet, hold it up to a window, and check that the sides line up before you print a stack.
5. Cut along the crop marks with a paper trimmer or a craft knife and a ruler. Each card's color runs a little past its edge, so a slightly crooked cut doesn't leave a white line.

If your printer can't print on both sides, print the front page, put the sheet back in the tray face down, and print the back page. Test which way your printer feeds with one sheet first.

How to print packaging inserts at a print shop

Download PDF for a print shop. It has one card per page, front then back, at the exact card size plus 0.125 in (3 mm) of bleed on every side. Bleed is extra background past the cut line, so the color reaches the edge after trimming. Text, the logo and the QR code stay well inside the card, clear of the trim.

Upload it to an online printer or take it to a local shop, and ask for double-sided cards trimmed to size. The file marks where the card is cut (its trim box), which most print software reads. Order a proof or a small run first, and scan the QR code on the printed card before you order more.

How to set up a next-order coupon on Etsy

The card only prints the code. You create the coupon on Etsy, and it must exist before the first card goes out:

1. In Shop Manager, open Marketing, then Sales and Discounts.
2. Choose Create a promo code and pick the discount. Percent off is a whole number from 5% to 75%.
3. Enter the code exactly as it is on your card. Keep it to 5 to 20 capital letters and numbers, like THANKYOU15.
4. Set an end date if you want one, and print it in the small print on the card. Etsy also lets you limit a code to one use per buyer.

Etsy says you can share promo codes anywhere you talk to your buyers (Etsy's guide to sales and discounts). Need a name for the code? The Etsy coupon code generator makes a batch that follows the rules.

Etsy's rules for packaging inserts

A card in the box is still part of selling on Etsy. Three rules matter most:

• No reward for a review. Etsy's House Rules don't allow offering anything, like a discount or a free gift, in exchange for a positive review (Etsy's shilling policy). So keep your coupon a plain thank-you, and don't put a review request on the same card. None of the maker's messages mention reviews, and it warns you if your own text ties one to a reward.
• Keep buyers on Etsy. Etsy says it doesn't allow sellers to use QR codes to send buyers off Etsy (Etsy's guide to off-platform scams). The maker's QR code only ever opens your Etsy shop.
• No Etsy logo. Etsy's trademark policy doesn't allow its official logos on promotional items such as business cards without written approval (Etsy's trademark policy). Printing your shop address, like yourshopname.etsy.com, is fine. The maker never adds an Etsy logo.

Why packaging inserts help repeat purchases

On Etsy, a buyer often remembers the item and forgets the shop. The order arrives, the box goes in the recycling, and the next time they want something similar they search Etsy again and find someone else. A card in the box is how you stay in the picture.

• It puts your name in their hands. A card is kept on a desk or a fridge long after the packing slip is thrown away.
• It gives them a reason to come back now. A coupon for the next order turns a good feeling into a plan, especially with an end date.
• It makes coming back easy. The QR code opens your shop in one scan, so the buyer doesn't have to remember how to spell your name.
• It reaches gift recipients. When an order is a gift, the card introduces your shop to someone who has never heard of it.

A repeat sale costs you no ad, so a card that brings back even a few buyers can pay for a whole box of them.

Go further with Alura

A card brings buyers back. Alura brings in your Etsy orders automatically, so you can see your buyers and what they order in one place.

Start for free or see pricing.