Print-on-Demand Coloring Book Using AI
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my crafting adventures! Read my site policies here.
Why I Tried This Project
For as long as I can remember, my boys have been obsessed with vehicles. At first, they were convinced long-distance trucking was their life’s calling. Now? They’ve moved on to piloting (obviously a natural career pivot 🙃).
I’m always poking around Pinterest for printable coloring pages, but one morning my youngest and I started experimenting with ChatGPT. We prompted it for things like “motorcycles driving next to water” and “sea planes towing a person in a tube.” The results? Totally unique and surprisingly adorable.
That’s when it hit me: between my son’s very specific vehicle requests, my curiosity about what ChatGPT could actually do, and my interest in testing out print-on-demand publishing… why not make a full coloring book?
Difficulty, Time & Cost
Difficulty: Medium (there’s a little tech + setup curve)
Time: 4–6 hours total (2–3 hours generating art with ChatGPT, 2–3 hours formatting + publishing)
Cost: $20/month ChatGPT subscription (otherwise just my time)
Verdict: Success! I’m officially a “published author” 🎉
The Process 🛠️
Generate coloring pages in ChatGPT.
Be as specific as possible in your prompts: instead of “car,” try “sports car driving across a bridge with mountains in the background.” The more detail, the better!Save + organize your images.
Download your finished designs and keep them organized by theme (mine was vehicles).Format in Canva.
Open an 8.5x11” template in Canva.
Drop in your pages to create your book interior.
Design a cover that matches Amazon’s KDP size requirements.
Set up on Kindle Direct Publishing.
Create a free KDP account.
Start a new paperback project.
Upload your PDF file (interior + cover).
Preview everything carefully.
Order a proof copy.
Nothing beats seeing your book in hand to catch weird print issues.Publish!
Once approved, your coloring book is live on Amazon. Instant author status unlocked.
Supply List (with links!)
ChatGPT Plus subscription (for higher-quality images + access)
Canva (design + layout)
Kindle Direct Publishing account
Coloring book theme idea (mine: Vehicles)
A little patience + coffee ☕
Finished Project ✨
📚 My coloring books are now live on Amazon!
👉 Check them out here
Prefer digital? I’ve also made my coloring book pages available as instant downloads (perfect for apps like Goodnotes or printing at home).
👉 Get the digital files here
Want to Try It Yourself?
This is one of those projects that feels intimidating at first but is actually doable with the right steps. Plus, it’s kind of magical watching your kid’s random vehicle ideas transform into real pages you can publish.
