Setting a price on your photographs and artwork prints can be a challenging exercise. The price you set will define the perception of value of both the quality of your print and the value you personally place on your work.
Undervaluing your creative talent is detrimental to the creative industry and perpetuates the general perception that art isn’t valuable.
Ultimately, the goal is to cover the cost of material, your time and any commissions + make some extra to continue investing in your art practice.
There are many ways to price your printed works, we cover a simple way to get started in this article using the multiplier technique.
We’ve written this article for emerging creatives that are getting started and have no idea where to start.
Using a multiplier to price your prints
Using a multiplier to price your prints is one of the simplest ways to price your work and gives you a clear idea of how much you will make on each sale.
There’s a lot of flexibility to adapt your pricing using the examples below as a starting point.
Acommodating shipping in your pricing
If you’re shipping prints, it’s worth thinking about including shipping in the cost of your print sale. We all appreciate Free Express Shipping when we see it.
You might choose to include shipping in your multiplier based calculations or add extra to each print to cover shipping costs.
Shipping your prints also saves time, storage space and allows you to focus on your creative practice instead of organising collections or drop-offs.
Accomodating commissions in your pricing
If you’re planning to exhibit your work or sell your work through others, you will likely be paying a commission of between 10-50%. Pricing your printed works with this in mind means that you won’t be taken by surprise when these additional costs come up.
If you’re not selling works through galleries or other options, consider this commission as your own for the work you’ve done to sell your work.
Example: Using a 3x multiplier for selling prints
Many creatives start around these price points. It’s not the ideal option if you’re paying commissions on sales but works for prints you are selling direct to clients.
| Size | Print Cost | 3 x Print | Surplus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | $16.00 | $48 | $32 | ||
| A3 | $32.00 | $96 | $64 | ||
| A2 | $63.00 | $189 | $126 | ||
| A1 | $125.00 | $375 | $250 | ||
| A0 | $250.00 | $750 | $500 | ||
Example: Using a 4x multiplier on prints for selling prints
Starting your pricing journey with a 4x multiplier is a much better option if you’re considering the impact of commissions on your income.
| Size | Print Cost | 4 x Print | Surplus |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | $16.00 | $64.00 | $48.00 |
| A3 | $32.00 | $128.00 | $96.00 |
| A2 | $63.00 | $252.00 | $189.00 |
| A1 | $125.00 | $500.00 | $375.00 |
| A0 | $250.00 | $1,000.00 | $750.00 |
Limited and open edition prints
Consider open and limited editions to make some of your works available at a more accessible price point.
Sell hand-signed and numbered prints at a higher price.
This can be based on sizes (Larger sizes are limited edition or on collection (You might have a set of open edition prints for a set collection of works).
I'm just getting started, are these prices too high?
We meet a lot of emerging creatives that are concerned that their existing networks might not be willing to pay the prices above for their art prints.
Often our circles are in the same life stage, making it difficult to see those in different circles. Part of selling your work is researching the bigger picture of who might buy your work.
It’s important to place value on your work. You can then work from there to set pricing that acknowledges and thanks those close to you.
You can set up a pricing structure for friends and family where there’s a set discount for those that have created value for your art practice (Say 10-30%).
Set this in advance so you have a framework to stick to.
Final Throughts
These prices are based on fixed calculations and they might not work for what you’re trying to achieve. Use them as a guide and consider who you’re expecting to buy your work.
We believe that investing in high-quality prints is one of the best ways to build your reputation as a quality-focused creative.
