Prints are one of the most common ways for artists to monetize their work. But is selling art prints actually worth it? Or do prints just devalue your art? There are a lot of opinions about whether art prints are worth selling or whether they are just a waste of your time and effort. And, if you decide to offer your creations on prints—how much profit should you make on each art print? These are the questions I’m going to address in this post. So, stick around to find out more!
The first thought that comes to mind when thinking of earning money as an artist is selling your art—either your original pieces or prints of them.
As easy as it may sound, selling art prints begs a lot of questions: Where should you sell? How should you sell? What kind of prints should you sell? And most importantly, is selling art prints worth it?
If you’re wondering, like so many other artists, whether art prints hold any value or if you’re just wasting your time and effort—and maybe your reputation as an artist—I can assure you: prints can be a worthwhile investment for both artists and buyers. However, not every art print is as valuable.
That’s why I want to address the pros and cons of selling art prints in this post, and the question whether prints devalue your art or whether they are rather an underestimated source of profit for your small art business.
With that being said, let’s get into it:
Do prints devalue art?
When it comes to selling your art, you have basically two options: selling your originals and selling prints. However, in order to sell originals, you obviously have to be a traditional artist.
If you are a digital artist, photographer or illustrator, your only option is to sell your virtual creations in the form of prints.
When traditional artists sell their original art, they are offering a one-of-a-kind piece that is available only once. In most cases, this means that there are no replicas of the artwork, so the buyer has the exclusive version of that piece.
Because it’s unique, original art is typically valued higher than prints. Buyers are willing to pay a premium for the exclusivity of owning a singular piece.
While digital artists cannot sell originals, they can still offer limited edition prints. These are produced in small quantities only, which increases their value because there are only a few copies around.
Just like original artworks, limited edition prints can sell for several hundred to thousands of dollars, depending on the artist’s acclaim and the number of copies available. They may also go up in value over time and be resold with profit.
That being said, there’s one thing you need to consider, regardless of whether you are a traditional or digital artist:
Your offerings will inevitably influence your audience, your profit margin, and maybe your acclaim as an artist.
Original art and limited print editions will appeal to collectors, galleries, and museums that value having one-of-a-kind works in their collections.
On the other hand, selling prints is a better fit if you want to reach a broader audience, if you want to sell to fans and followers, especially in larger volumes and through online platforms.
Learn more: 7 Best Platforms To Sell Your Own Art Prints Online
To sum up, is selling art prints worth it for artists?
Ultimately, every artist must decide for themselves whether or not selling art prints is worth it for them.
First and foremost, the decision depends at what stage you are in your artistic career. Are you a new, aspiring artist that is still working on building an audience? Or are you an established figure in the art world with a large base of followers and collectors?
If you are an up and coming artist, it can be a good idea to start with selling regular prints, because this will allow you to reach a broader audience by offering your work at a more accessible price.
High pricing, such as thousands of dollars per piece, usually isn’t viable, because you simply don’t have the customer base yet that is willing to buy high-priced prints from you.
However, by selling many prints, your earnings can rival or even exceed the sales price of an original piece.
Once artists reach significant fame, it’s commonplace to offer regular prints in addition to originals and limited edition prints. The originals and limited editions are so highly valued that not everyone can afford to buy them and owning one becomes a mark of prestige.
The regular prints don’t deprecate the value of the original pieces and limited print editions; on the contrary, selling their work in form of “mass” prints in those cases is a win-win for both artists and buyers.
Because even art lovers with a lower budget will be able afford to have a piece of their favorite artist in their homes, and the artist opens up an additional income stream through selling prints.
Related: How To Identify Your Target Market As An Artist In 4 Steps
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To help you make the best decision to monetize your work, here are the pros and cons of selling art prints in a nutshell:
Pros of selling art prints:
- Prints offer fans and customers a more affordable way to own a copy of their favorite artwork.
- Prints are very versatile; they can be made on various mediums, styles, and sizes to suit the customer’s preferences and budget.
- Prints are scalable; selling more copies increases profitability, and you can control the quantity produced, unlike original art, which can only be sold once.
- Selling art prints is time-efficient, especially when you are selling over print-on-demand platforms or online printing services that drop-ship your prints. You’ll only need to create a printable file of your artwork once and then you can sell it over and over again, without having to invest time into production, packaging and shipping.
Cons of selling art prints:
- Prints can reduce the perceived value of your original artworks or limited edition prints.
- Low production volumes won’t yield much profit; high sales volumes are necessary to make selling art prints worth it.
- The initial investment in equipment may be excessively expensive if you want to produce and ship high-quality prints yourself.
If you have come to the conclusion that selling art prints is worth it for you, it’s time to look closer into pricing your prints, which we’re going to do in the next paragraph. (>ᴗ<)
How much profit should you make on an art print?
When pricing your artwork, it’s essential to find the sweet spot between profit and salability. Underpricing your work can reduce its perceived worth and harm your long-term career.
On the other hand, setting prices too high can deter buyers—and prevent you from making any significant profit from selling art prints.
Generally speaking, you should aim to make a profit after covering all costs, including materials and time. Here’s what I suggest doing:
Research for how much other artists in your niche are selling their prints. Consider your artistic experience and your “acclaim in the art world,” and then set a price that you find adequate for your work and that is in line with the market.
Keep in mind that art sales never happen overnight. Selling your art takes time. If sales are slow, it might be tempting to jump on current trends and change your style to make your art “more popular.”
Unfortunately, this happens all too often among artists. Don’t despair when it seems like no one likes your art. It’s important to stay true to your creative vision rather than compromising for the sake of profit. That’s the only genuine way to artistic success.
Instead of altering your art to fit a certain market, focus on promoting it to attract the audience that appreciates your unique style!
Here are some more tips for you to help you achieve that:
How to make selling art prints worth it
When it comes to selling art prints, you basically have two options: either, you can produce prints at home with the right equipment, or you outsource production and shipping to a printing service.
Making your own prints is the most costly way to create prints—and the less profitable for the artist. Because, in order to produce high-quality Giclée prints, you’ll need a lot of expensive equipment, from a 12-color inkjet printer over pigment-based inks to photographic printing paper.
The more cost-effective way of selling art prints is handing the order over to either a drop-shipping fine art printing service or to a print-on-demand provider. These services are popular for artists because they help them avoid the high costs of equipment and production.
Print-on-demand platforms allow customers to buy your art directly from a third-party company that handles both printing and shipping. Many PoD services also allow you to offer your designs on various products—not only wall art and poster prints, but also items like tote bags, mugs, and t-shirts.
Popular print-on-demand providers for artists include RedBubble, Fine Art America and Society6.
Those platforms offer an easy and convenient way for artists to start earning a passive income without managing production and shipping themselves. However, they will also take a considerable chunk of your earnings.
Personally, I sell most of my digital artwork through my own web store. Once someone purchases a print, I send the order to a fine art printing service that produces and drop-ships the print directly to the customer.
Having an online shop is an excellent way to showcase and sell your art, including originals, prints, and other products with your designs.
A professional-looking website can enhance your sales, and promoting your shop on social media and other online channels increases visibility.
Plus, it is a sure-fire way to make selling art prints worth it, because you can set your own prices without having to share your profit with a third-party provider.
The only thing that will be deducted from your profit is the actual print production and shipping costs.
→ Best Paid & Free Website Builders For Artists
I’m using Finerworks, Giclée Today and The Stackhouse to print and drop-ship the art prints that I’m selling through my online shop. All three companies are professional fine art printing services that specialize in high-quality Giclée prints and drop-ship internationally.
Best for Fine Art Prints
Giclee Today
Here’s a larger selection of printing services: Best Online Printing Services For Artists
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I hope this post helped you decide whether selling art prints is worth it for you, and—if you decide to sell your work in print—how to get the most out of it. Because, after all, you are the maker of all of your beautiful creations; you should get the most value out of your art!
To help you do that, I have a couple of more posts on how to make selling art prints profitable:
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