How to sell prints of your art?

Now, we hear more and more about art prints. At first, most people are skeptical about this — according to tradition. But over time, we are increasingly beginning to see the advantages of art prints. Next, let's talk about:

📌 artistic prints and their types;

📌 creating prints of your works;

📌 sale of art prints ⬇️

Let's start with the definition. A printed version of a picture is called an art print. This is an exact copy of the image, which can be made in different scales. Art prints are popular because they reduce the cost of the artwork. But you have to keep in mind: print and reproduction are different things. Let's clarify the terms:

📌 An original — a work of art created by an artist; exists in only one instance.

📌 A copy — a hand-made work of art that exactly repeats the original; a copy can be created both by the author himself and by other artists.

📌 A reproduction — a photograph of the original; there can be an infinite number of reproductions.

📌 A print — a copy of the original that has one hundred percent mechanical similarity with it; is signed by the artist, and exists in a limited edition.

Art prints are gaining more and more popularity among artists. And there are several reasons for this:

The print has several advantages, the main one being budgetability. It is worth saying that it is sometimes very difficult to distinguish a high-quality print from the original. We know that originals are an investment. They are bought by museums, galleries, and private collectors. But today, many artists do not want to sell originals. Instead, they sell prints, which are nothing more than printed works of art. At the same time, the value and significance of the original do not decrease. Prints are cheaper than originals, so novice collectors prefer them. This is one of the main reasons for buying art prints. In addition, many people choose prints as a gift, souvenir or interior item.

Among the most common types of prints, we can single out two main ones:

📌 artistic prints: this option of creating prints is characterized by high quality using a large-format inkjet printer and various types of surfaces (canvas, paper, etc.);

📌 traditional prints: this is the oldest, classic way of making copies; in this case, photosensitive photo paper is used for the chemical development of the image.

In addition, prints can be matte and glossy — it all depends on the type of paper on which printing is carried out. Although most artists prefer matte versions, as it makes the copy more identical to the original. Printing on canvas allows, in turn, to achieve a relief effect, which gives the work texture. If you have doubts about printing prints, then you can be helped in typography: give advice about the surface, printing features, etc.

If you decide to create your own art prints, here are the steps you should follow:

1. Choose a printer and typography for printing.

2. Take a high-quality photo of your work.

3. Select the surface on which you will print and the type of printing.

4. Select the scale of the print.

5. Order printing.

6. Take the print from the typography.

You can get detailed instructions about this process in our guide How to create prints of your works?.

Currently, the sale of prints is not the main activity of the artist, but an additional one. The role of prints today is related to this: to expand the recognition of the artist and to attract new buyers and collectors. But the ideal option is to create a separate site for selling your prints or use ready-made art platforms. Your print shop needs to be constantly available to increase your customer base.

The first thing you should do if you want to sell your prints is to learn more about marketing and the art business. Second, you need to make your business plan. In our article How to write a business plan for an artist? you can learn more about it. In the past, artists sold their work using galleries, specialty shops, and openings. One of the best ways is to create your own website or use the services of a virtual gallery. In addition, it is worth developing your social networks, which facilitates contact with the audience.

A separate issue is the packaging and delivery of prints to your buyer. If you are dealing with a gallery, you still do the packing and shipping yourself. Prints are usually packed in tubes. In this form, they are also taken from the printing house. However, it happens that artists sell a print with an author's design (for example, in a frame). In this case, packaging should be done so that your print is not damaged during delivery. Some artists add their own touches, such as a thank-you note or postcard.

In addition, you can offer your customers additional services, for example, printing on postcards, T-shirts, mugs, magnets, bags, etc. Such things are popular as souvenirs. You can increase interest in your work by limiting the number of printed copies, i. e. circulation.