The Ultimate

Guide To Digital
Planner Design!

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 Hey, I’m Shay!
Founder of The Pink Ink®, Digital Planner Design Mastery & Digital Planner
Academy®. I'm also a graphic designer and marketing graduate!

I help aspiring designers and entrepreneurs create, launch and market a digital
planner business so that they can transform their knowledge into income and
design a life they love.

I created this free PDF guide to help you package everything you know, organize
your thoughts, and start your passive income planner shop with a step-by-step
system and clear strategy

I know you're excited to start this journey, and I can't wait to support you along
the way!

Let's design the life of you love - Today!

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 Best program to use create digital planners & stationeries!

Let's break down four of the most popular design programs to create digital planners and stationery products... Read these blogs!

Affinity 8 Reasons why Affinity Publisher is the Best Design

Features Keynote Adobe InDesign PowerPoint Canva Program for Digital Planner Designers & Creators
Publisher

$20.99/month $6.99/month Why Affinity Publisher is the Ultimate Tool for

$0 $69.99 $9.95/month Digital Planner Design
Price with Adobe Creative with Microsoft 365
(comes with Macs) (one-time purchase) (Canva Pro)
Cloud subscription subscription

Moderate learning Moderate learning

Easy to use, curve for beginners curve for beginners Easy to use for most Canva is very easy to
Ease of use especially for Mac but is intuitive for but is intuitive for users with familiarity use, with pre-made
users those familiar with those familiar with with Office Suite templates available
design software design software

Hyperlink process is Hyperlink process is Hyperlink process is Hyperlink process is

Hyperlink Hyperlink process is
advanced with more advanced with more basic, with limited basic, with limited
process simple and easy
customization options customization options customization options customization options

Short learning curve

Time to learn for Mac users, but May take a few weeks May take a few weeks Short learning curve Short learning curve
program may take longer for to learn for beginners to learn for beginners for most users for most users
Windows users

Ideal for creating

Ideal for creating ideal for creating print
Ideal for creating Ideal for creating simple digital
interactive digital and digital planners,
Type of complex digital simple digital planners and social
planners, eBooks, interactive
projects planners, eBooks, and planners and media graphics
presentations, and PDFs, and other
interactive PDFs presentations (limited to 200 a
slideshows complex designs
project)

Web based
Device You’ll need Internet
Mac Mac or Microsoft Mac or Microsoft Mac or Microsoft
required access and web
browser

Works on the
Yes Yes No Yes Yes
iPad

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 What type of digital stationey can you create with each
program?

Affinity
Features Keynote Adobe InDesign PowerPoint Canva
Publisher

Planners / + + + + +
Journals Limited functionality Limited functionality 200 pages limit

Notebooks + + + + +

Planner
+ +
Stickers Limited functionality & + + Limited functionality &
only based on shapes only based on shapes

Flash Cards + + + + +

Illustrations
& elements +

Mockups + +

physical book
/ e-book
+ +

poster / + + + + +
banner Limited functionality Limited functionality

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 Final thoughs on design programs
What to look for in a design program?
Ease of use — depending on how much time you have to
spend designing, you may want to choose a program
that is easier to get used to so you can focus on bringing
your ideas to life instead of adjusting to the learning
curve of a new program.
Works with your device — some programs (like Apple
Keynote) are optimized for specific operating systems
and devices. Make sure you look at what devices are
compatible with the program you select so that you can
choose the one that works best for your products.
Master pages — to save time designing, master slides
and master pages allow you to create templated layouts
or pull from pre-made design options so you don’t have
to create every slide from scratch. If you can create
master slides or pages, then you can easily create each
page for your planner without worrying about little
things like alignment, consistency, and margins.
Hyperlinks — this can be a super tedious task if there isn’t
an easy method to add hyperlinks to your planner in the
program you choose. Hyperlinks allow you to click within
your planner and be taken to different sections without
having to scroll for what feels like forever. Certain design
programs make this process super easy and efficient,
whereas with others it can take a long time, so make sure
you pick a program that works with how much time you
have to spend hyperlinking.
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Our all time favorite Design program!
Affinity Publisher is a comprehensive tool that provides a
range of features for creating and designing digital
planners, eBooks, interactive PDFs, planner stickers and
other complex designs.
Some reasons why Affinity Publisher might be a great
choice for digital planner designers include:
• Affordability: Affinity Publisher is available as a one-
time purchase, which makes it a more affordable
option compared to other software that requires a
monthly subscription.
• Versatility: Affinity Publisher is a versatile tool that
can handle a range of projects. It offers a variety of
features such as advanced typography, basic photo
editing, vector graphics, and more.
• Ease of use: Affinity Publisher has a moderate
learning curve for beginners, but it is intuitive for
those familiar with design software. Its user-friendly
interface and layout make it easy to use for digital
planner designers.
• Interactive Features: Affinity Publisher allows for
creating interactive PDFs and eBooks with
advanced features such as hyperlinks, embedded
video, and audio.
• Compatibility: Affinity Publisher is compatible with
both Windows and Mac, and it offers seamless
integration with other Affinity products like Affinity
Designer and Affinity Photo.
Overall, Affinity Publisher is a powerful and versatile tool
that offers a range of features that make it an excellent
choice for digital planner designers.
 The Planner Design Process!

Once you've picked the perfect program, it's time to get to work designing your planner! This means
it's time to decide what pages you want to include and how you want to organize them in your planner. You
can follow five simple steps to make this process flow effortlessly...

1. Start by listing the pages you'll need

— nothing is off-limits here! List out each page that's essential to your signature planning process. These
pages can be anything from habit trackers and goal-setting worksheets to monthly and weekly calendar
spreads.

2. Refine your page selection

— now that you have all your page ideas outlined in front of you, it's time to separate them into "needs"
and "wants". These are pages that are essential to teaching your signature process and pages that
would just be a nice bonus to users. We want to keep this planner simple so users can easily see the
benefits of it and to keep you from feeling overwhelmed since it's your first planner! You can always
include your "want" pages in a future planner or sell them as an add-on once you launch your
first product.

3. Sketch your pages

— set a timer for 10 minutes and sketch out each page from the "needs" list you've put together. Let
your imagination run wild! We want this planner to turn heads, so don't be afraid to come up with all-
new layouts that have never been seen before. Come up with a few layout variations for your pages so
that you can pick the one that works best with the rest of your planner once you've designed
everything.

4. Digitize your pages

— one of the most important digital planning features of your pages is the tabs! These are where your
hyperlinks will be located so users can flip easily from one section to another. Decide where you want
your tabs to be located and want you to want them to look like. Make sure they fit in well with the style
of the rest of your planner. If you haven't decided on an overall theme, now is the perfect time to do so.

Don't forget, you have complete creative freedom to make your planner look however you want! Just
remember to keep your target market in mind and design your planner in a way that will catch their eye.

Resources to get started!

Design related blogs from ThePinkInk® Editable planner templates with commercial license to sell!

Digital planner kits in 10 Add-on planner template

3 Steps to map out your digital planner in a day
niches packs

Digital planner & notebooks Graphic, stickers and widgets

How to turn your system and ideas into a planner
base templates packs

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 How to organize your planner pages?

Now that you have your planner pages created, it's time to organize them in a way that makes sense to
Write down your
users and flows effortlessly. When it comes to creating a layout you and your target market love, we suggest planner page order here:
using the sticky note method.

The sticky note method allows you to move around and test
out different layouts without it taking up too much of your
energy or making any official decisions. To do so, start listing
out each page idea on a sticky note, then group them
together in a way that makes sense for you. Try to think about
the problems your audience is going to encounter and the
order in which they're going to solve them. Your audience
shouldn't have to skip over sections to come to the next page
layout that they need as they work towards their goals. Since
you're using sticky notes, you'll be able to move pages
around and try out different layouts until you find one that
really sticks!

As for the rest of your planner content that doesn't focus on

your signature process, we usually recommend having the
following pages:

1. A front and back cover 5. A page for each month of the year included
in your planner
2. Welcome page
6. One page for each week of the month or 7
3. Index page daily pages for each week

4. Yearly page 7. Other planner pages and sections

Side note!

There are a few big design choices that are going to influence your planner page layout heavily –
make sure you've decided if you're going to have a dated or undated digital planner. This can help
you decide how many months you're going to include in your planner.

You'll also want to decide whether or not you want to set your planner up horizontally or vertically. If
you're using a horizontal layout, you may be able to fit a yearly or weekly spread on just one page,
whereas, with a vertical layout, you may need to use up two pages.

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 How to hyperlink your planner with ease!

Hyperlinking is what makes a digital planner work. Without hyperlinks, your users aren't going to be able to
Write down page title or
switch from one section to another without having to scroll page by page, which can get old quickly. tabs and which page you
To ensure that your hyperlinking strategy will work, we recommend listing out all the pages on a piece of want to link it to…
paper, then outlining what elements you want to be linked on each page. You can then create a mind map
of sorts that helps you visually identify what pages, tabs, text boxes, or shapes you want to have linked to
other places in your planner. PAGE / TAB TITLE DESTINATION PAGE #

Let’s go over the steps for adding links in Affinity Publisher.

1. Select the shape, image, or text that you want to add the link to.

2. Right-click and go to “Interactive”, and then choose “Insert Link”.

3. In the “Insert Link” menu, select "Page" under "Type", and then use the drop-down menu or type in the
page number that you want to link to.

4. When you're finished, click "OK".

A tip to speed up your process when adding links throughout your document is to set up a shortcut. We like
to use “Command + K” to match Keynote shortcut!

This process may sound intimidating, but don't worry!

My "Digital Planner Design Mastery with Affinity Publisher"

course includes a comprehensive module that teaches the
process of hyperlinking digital planners. From basic daily
and monthly planners to complex all-in-one designs to
app-like planner, my course covers it all.

With our step-by-step guidance and tutorials, you can master

the process of hyperlinking your digital planner with ease.

Click here to learn more >>

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 How do I export a planner to GoodNotes?

Once you've created all your hyperlinks inside your planner, it's time to move on to the final list of tasks before getting
Resources to you get
your planner ready to sell! started!
First things first, you'll want to export your planner so you can try it out for yourself.
Design related blogs
Put yourself in the shoes of your potential customers and try to use your planner in the same way they'll be doing. You
can start by exporting it into GoodNotes! To do this follow these steps: 3 Steps to map out your digital planner in a day

1. Export the file as PDF

How to Find Inspiration for Your Next Digital
Planner Collection
2. Send your planner file to you iPad or tablet (through email, airdrop, dropbox or google dive)

3. Open the file on your iPad and share it to Goodnotes app (or any other note-taking app) as a new notebook. Pre-made template vs starting from scratch –
which is right for you? A complete guide

Now you can spend a few days, a week, or even a month using the planner!
Online store related blogs
As you use your planner, make note of the features you love and ones that you could improve. If there are no glitches,
broken links, or issues you need to fix, then you can move on to launching your planner so you can start making passive Should I open an Etsy shop or my own website
to sell digital planners?
income!

There will always be things that you want to improve in your planner, so it's important to remember that done is better 3 Mistakes that Digital Stationery Businesses
are Making
than perfect and you can always collect your ideas to use for your next product.

3 Tips to set up your digital planner shop on

Squarespace

Learn how to work smarter + faster in Affinity Publisher! Marketing related blogs

Ultimate Roadmap to Launching Your Planner

Shop in Just 4 Weeks
I have so much to teach you, in my "Digital Planner Design
Mastery with Affinity Publisher" course, you will learn
everything you need to know about creating professional and How You Can Start An Online Business While
Working Full Time
high-quality digital planners. You will gain a deep
understanding of how to organize your ideas, design
stunning layouts, and create interactive features that make How to find the best Etsy keywords for your
digital planner shop
your planners stand out. With my step-by-step guidance
and expert tips, you can take your digital planner designs
to the next level.
Read more in our blog here >>
Click here to learn more >>

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 Checklist

Next Step…
1 Brain dump your ideas - use our free digital planner and workbook

Join my online course

“ Digital Planner Design Mastery
2 Gather images, fonts, and colors - check out our favorite resources here
with Affinity Publisher”

3 Gather inspira�on images for your planner pages

4 Set-up your planner template in your design program

5 Import your colors and fonts into your planner template

6 Design all your planner pages in the Master slide / pages

Ready to create professional digital
planners, but you have no idea where to
7 Organize your planner pages outside the Master slide or slide layout area start... or how to think like an *actual*
designer (even without a degree)?

8 Add dates (op�onal) This self-paced online course to get you

designing digital planners and stationery
products like an expert so you can design
more confidently and intuitively without ever
9 Add hyperlinks to all tabs, text, and numbers that need to be linked
questioning your designs or processes
again.

10 Export the planner as PDF

Click here to learn more >>

11 Test your planner in a Note-taking app or with Adobe Acrobats

12 Check out “Digital Planner Design Mastery with Affinity Publisher” course

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 Notes

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 Notes

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