Hand-printed city maze posters sold at markets and online

The idea

A designer in the US combined two passions, maps and art, to make hand-printed mazes that zig-zag through the centres of well-known cities. Each poster is part map, part puzzle: the route winds past recognisable landmarks, so people can trace a city they love, or one they visited, with a finger. According to the show that featured it, the work runs as a side hustle alongside a job.

The product makes money in three ways: selling prints at markets, selling online, and supplying local shops such as gift stores, bookshops and museum or tourist stores. The appeal is that it is decorative, personal and a little playful, which makes it an easy gift.

Who it fits

This suits someone with a feel for drawing or graphic design and patience for detail. You need a table or corner at home for printing and storage, and evenings or weekends. It works beside a job because you can make prints in batches and sell on market days.

It would work anywhere with tourists, students or people proud of their home town: Lisbon, Istanbul, Edinburgh, Kyoto. Start with your own city, because locals buy it as a souvenir and a gift.

Costs and revenue

The source gives no figures, so these are rough editorial estimates. Expect around $300 to $900 to start: paper, block-printing or screen-printing supplies, a basic design tool, packaging tubes or sleeves, a market table and fees for the first stalls.

Typically small prints sell for about $15 to $30 and larger ones for $40 to $80, depending on size and paper. Wholesale to shops is usually about half the retail price. A realistic part-time result is perhaps $200 to $1,000 a month, more in the gift season.

Risks and pitfalls

• Slow production: hand printing limits output. Offer a few sizes, and consider a digital print run for cheaper versions.
• Copyright: do not copy existing maps or logos. Draw your own routes from public information and check local rules on landmark images.
• Seasonality: sales peak around holidays and tourist months. Plan stock early and sell cards or small prints off-peak.
• Low market footfall: test a few markets and keep those with art-minded buyers.
• Shipping damage: use rigid tubes or flat mailers.