6 Ways to Make Extra Money as a Graphic Designer

If you are a graphic designer who wishes to improve your income, you should not be too worried as there are multiple different methods.

Sure, for some, extra income might be a bit harder to achieve because they already have full-time jobs and commitments in real life. Nevertheless, if you can dedicate as little as one or two hours per day, the potential is there.

Below, you will find how you can translate your graphic design skills into money. And keep in mind that even if things are slow, you can work toward improving and polishing the method or move to the next one if you wish.

Custom Merchandise

Print on demand is quite popular these days. Well-established businesses are regularly looking for graphic designers who can bring new ideas.

Even some not-so-obvious products like vacuum-insulated bottles, backpacks, and rugs come with custom designs these days, which is great for designers who want to explore available options.

In case you are willing to start a merchandise store yourself, you can do it. However, keep in mind that it will be much slower than joining a business that already has everything in order and is looking to hire designers who can come up with design ideas.

Photo Editing

Professional photographers are not that keen to take on the task of editing photos. Some say that it is tedious work, and they would much rather leave it in the hands of someone else.

As a graphic designer, you should be more than capable of taking care of the basics of editing photos. Removing and adding new elements is what the job mostly consists of. And sure, it can be boring, but an hour every now and then should not be too bothersome, especially when you are making money.

Create Educational Content

The graphic design industry might feel like it is too saturated, but there are still plenty of people who want to become graphic designers themselves.

And it is no secret that seeking higher education in a university or college is not a path that many want to take.

Instead, they seek tutorials online. There are quite a few guides available already, but if you feel like you can add something unique to it, then why not try it?

Online course platforms let you create a profile and publish content that you can then monetize. Or, if you prefer, you can also record videos and publish them on a YouTube channel, though considering how difficult it is to monetize YouTube these days, sticking to actual online course platforms is a better approach.

Design Websites

Creating a website does not require that much coding knowledge these days. If anything, content management systems like WordPress have made things a lot easier. You also have a CMS that uses the drop-and-drag feature, and it does not get simpler than this.

Now, while creating a website is easy, you also have to consider its visual aspects. Logos, favicons, banners, themes, and other brand elements are part of the website, and it is not like someone with no design experience can ensure that they can create high-quality elements.

You, on the other hand, can, because graphic design is what you know best, right? Some graphic designers go as far as getting in touch with website owners directly after they stumble upon a site that looks visually outdated.

A proactive approach is bound to get you more opportunities, but you can also browse through various forums, social media groups, and freelancer sites to see available gigs.

Stream on Twitch TV

Entertainment on Twitch TV is relatively new, but there is no denying that the platform has grown a lot in recent years.

Of course, a lot of this growth had to do with the pandemic, but even before covid-19, the projections of Twitch were going up.

It is true that the majority of streamers on Twitch TV stick to video games as a primary content type, but there is room for other types as well. Graphic design is a good example of a different content type.

Growing a Twitch TV channel might take a while, but if you are in it for the long con, you can get started right away. Money comes from subscriptions, donations, and sponsorship deals.

Create Comics

Comics are a popular form of media. As a graphic designer, you could partner up with a writer and create your own comic series.

Many artists take this route and build enough following that they can monetize the comics via Patreon or other crowdfunding platforms.

Sure, it is a bit of a gamble, considering how much you would need to commit to starting comics, but so long as you have the talent, it should be doable.

Read more business articles from our guest authors at SugerMint. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn