Etsy Glossary for Digital Paper and Junk Journal Sellers: 30 Terms

Selling printable paper on Etsy asks you to speak two languages at once: the craft vocabulary of junk journaling and the shop vocabulary of listings, search and digital files. We covered the first in our [junk journaling glossary](/blog/junk-journaling-glossary/). This is the second: thirty terms that come up again and again when you run a digital paper shop, explained in plain English. ## Shop & listings * **Listing** — a single product page on Etsy: title, photos, description, price, files and tags. One product can theoretically be one listing; a colour variation is usually built into it rather than multiplied into separate pages. * **Digital download** — a listing type where the buyer receives files to download rather than a shipped item. Nothing is posted, so the listing has no shipping profile. * **Instant download** — the promise that files are available immediately after payment. Buyers filter for it, so it belongs in the title and description when accurate. * **Bundle** — several products grouped and sold together at a combined price. A bundle is a packaging decision, not a guarantee of visual cohesion — see [the vocabulary guide](/blog/cohesive-collection-vocabulary/). * **Shop section** — a category inside your shop that groups similar listings, such as "Junk Journal Kits" or "Fussy Cuts". Sections make a growing shop navigable and give you a place to explain a collection. * **Draft** — an unpublished listing. Useful for preparing a collection before launch day so the whole set goes live together. ## Search & visibility * **SEO** — search engine optimisation: the practice of making your listings easy to find through relevant titles, tags and attributes. On Etsy it is mostly about saying clearly what the product is. * **Keyword** — a word or phrase buyers type into search. In this niche, product phrases ("junk journal kit") usually outperform mood words ("beautiful paper"). * **Long-tail keyword** — a longer, more specific phrase with less competition and clearer intent: "printable French ephemera tags" rather than "paper". Most sales in small shops come from long-tail searches. * **Tag** — one of the search phrases attached to a listing; Etsy currently allows up to 13 per listing. Multi-word tags work best because they match how shoppers phrase searches. * **Attribute** — structured product details Etsy asks for (style, occasion, holiday and similar). Filling them improves filtering and discoverability without costing title space. * **Thumbnail** — the first photo, shown in search results and grids. It decides whether a shopper stops, so it must communicate the product and the style instantly. * **Conversion** — the share of visitors who buy. Traffic with weak photos or vague titles converts poorly; improving conversion is usually cheaper than chasing more views. ## Files, print & presentation * **PDF** — a fixed-layout document that prints identically everywhere. The safest format for multi-page kits, especially when page size and scale must be preserved. * **PNG** — a lossless image format with transparency support. Ideal for fussy cuts, overlays and individual elements on a clean background. * **JPG (JPEG)** — a compressed image format, fine for photographic previews and full-page backgrounds, less suitable for crisp line art and cut-outs. * **300 DPI** — the resolution standard for print-quality files at their intended size. It is the number craft buyers look for, and it must be true of the actual files, not just the marketing. * **US Letter** — the 8.5 × 11 inch paper size common in the United States. Many buyers will assume it unless told otherwise. * **A4** — the 210 × 297 mm international paper size. Offering both sizes prevents the most common pre-purchase question from international buyers. * **ZIP file** — a compressed archive containing multiple files. Standard for kits; name folders clearly inside it so buyers know what to print first. * **Bleed** — extra artwork beyond the trim line, so a printed page can be cut to size without a white border. Mentioning bleed tells experienced buyers you know print. * **Mockup** — a staged image showing the design in context (on a journal page, under a tag, in a frame). Mockups sell the result, not just the file. * **Preview sheet** — an image (often included in the download) that shows all pages or elements at once. It helps buyers understand the full contents and reduces surprises. * **Watermark** — a visible mark on preview images that discourages unauthorised use of your photos. Keep it subtle enough not to ruin the product view. * **Flat lay** — a photo taken from directly above, with items arranged on a surface. The workhorse style for paper products because it shows the whole set at once. * **Prop styling** — the objects arranged around the product in a photo: scissors, twine, dried flowers, an open journal. Props set the mood but must not hide what is being sold. ## Licensing & use * **Personal use** — the buyer may print and use the files for their own crafting, but may not sell the results or share the files. The default assumption for most digital paper listings. * **Commercial use** — permission to use the designs in products the buyer sells, usually within limits (handmade items, small business quantities). If you offer it, state the limits explicitly. * **License** — the terms attached to a digital purchase: what the buyer may do with the files, and what remains prohibited (reselling files, mass production, sharing). A clear licence prevents disputes and builds trust. * **Print-on-demand (POD)** — manufacturing where items are printed only after an order, often through a third-party service. Most craft licences exclude POD or require a separate arrangement, so say so plainly. ## Two notes before you rely on any number First, platform limits change: Etsy's title length, tag count and photo allowance are worth re-checking in the Seller Handbook before you build a workflow around them. Second, vocabulary is not a substitute for truth — a listing that claims "commercial use" or "cohesive collection" must actually offer it. The words are there to describe the product accurately, not to decorate it. Learn these thirty terms and the shop side of selling becomes much less mysterious: you can read a policy page, audit your own listing, brief a designer or explain your licence without guessing. The craft you already know; this is just the paperwork. --- *Continue the series: <a href="/blog/cohesive-collection-vocabulary/">cohesive collection vocabulary</a> · <a href="/blog/etsy-listing-titles-junk-journal/">Etsy title formula</a> · <a href="/blog/build-cohesive-junk-journal-kit/">building a cohesive kit</a>.*