What to charge for printed digital art?

July 7, 2021 12:13 PM

I'm taking part in a group art show, all media, of about 20 people, being held by a local (non-art) business. I have never shown publicly. At all. I draw on an iPad and will need to print out pieces for sale. Aside from the running internal debate I'm having on the size I should print these pieces, the other big question is: What do I charge for them?

These will be 12"x18" or 2'x3'. I'll most likely have them printed at a local commercial printing place on good-quality stock, but I'll be speaking with a fine-art printer as well. I will show six-to-10 different pieces and have multiple copies of each for sale. But, ultimately, these are not "originals." I've seen other Asks regarding oil paintings and the like, but what to charge for a print, even a nice one? Materials + ??

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. The crowd will likely have disposable income (the business is high-end-ish), but, even so, do I charge $50 per print? $100? Less? More? I, literally, have no clue as to how to valuate my art and am already nervous enough about showing my art in public. Thank you.

posted by the sobsister to Media & Arts (10 answers total)

What will be the per-print cost (including any pre-press setup fees, materials, etc.) Framing? Will you have the prints mounted on an acid-free board and wrapped? Hang on a sec, and I'll text a friend who sells prints of his paintings and see what he charges.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:32 PM on July 7, 2021

Customers will be confused and, I think, less likely to purchase if your prices are significantly different from similar works by other artists in the group. That's true whether you price it higher or lower. Can you find out the typical price range for prints, either from the organizer or directly from other participants? Even if the other art is different, knowing their prices would help. If you are next to someone selling oil paintings for $10,000, it would be strange to sell $50 prints. Similarly, if they are selling $300 paintings, you probably don't want to price a print at $200.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 12:57 PM on July 7, 2021

Response by poster: Thanks for your replies. I'm still sorting out the per-print cost, but these will not be framed. And the organizer says sales range from $15 to $1,000, so I'm not sure that'll be a guide for me.
posted by the sobsister at 1:32 PM on July 7, 2021

I love the pen plotter artist Rev Dan Catt and he has been good enough to blog a whole bunch about the making of his art, including this piece on pricing: https://revdancatt.com/2021/02/05/a-short-essay-on-pricing-pen-plotter-art .

I know it’s not quite the same, but maybe close enough to give you some ideas on how to think about it for yourself.
posted by conkystconk at 1:37 PM on July 7, 2021 [4 favorites]

I sell my photography at shows & galleries, but do extremely limited print runs. I'm switching over to a process where I won't produce "prints" anymore at all (not that you have to- I'm getting to the point:) How limited are you planning the print runs? Are you signing and numbering them? All of this will make a difference in your pricing structure.

If you advertise them as a signed, limited run, you can sell fine art prints, bagged and boarded, for more than just loose, unsigned prints. You can even do both since you're a digital artist. Have some signed and numbered limited editions and also cheaper, unsigned ones.

Can you visit some galleries/similar events in your town to see what others are selling for? That will be the pricing visitors expect, which will be a good foundation you can then build up from as you do more events/gain visibility. You don't want to undervalue your work or overprice yourself out of the water for a first show. There is also a formula that I am sure has as many detractors as fans.

Also: it will be worth building a website and getting some business cards made so if they don't buy right then, they can find you and buy in the future :)
posted by haplesschild at 1:45 PM on July 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

I follow a few digital artists on youtube and instagram, and they all have shops. Print prices range anywhere from 5 bucks for a postcard size print to I think I've seen around $100 for poster size depending on the print type. These folks have internet followings and are typically using print on demand services instead of building up a stock to sell.

You can search on instagram or browse through postings on r/art to find artists doing digital work you feel is like yours. They will all typically have a link to their store either on their profile page or in the comments, and you can get a good idea of the range from there.
posted by phunniemee at 1:47 PM on July 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

I've been to various local outdoor art festivals (and anime conventions) where most people have a 10x10 foot stall, and there are often prints for sale by digital-first artists. I would expect to pay between $30 and $50 for an unframed print of those sizes. I'm in the US South, I'm sure it's higher in NY or LA. It depends on the type of art, but the key for me is that it not look "like a copy", it should look like the print is the intended format, so commercial printing may not be good enough unless they have really good color reproduction. I've bought art postcards on cheaper stock, but would not buy a print.
posted by JZig at 2:33 PM on July 7, 2021 [3 favorites]

The fine art printer is the way to go. They’ll have the correct papers and inks to ensure long lasting prints, will color match your art, may have local pricing suggestions, and may provide a certificate of authenticity that you sign w each print. As a first-time showing artist w no following, I’d suggest you double the print cost for sale price.
Good luck to you.
posted by artdrectr at 11:01 PM on July 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

Seconding Rev Dan Catt’s writing.

Also, these about numbering, editions, etc might be useful. Are you selling people one print of an unknown large number? One of 100? One of 10? Signed or not? Etc.

* Handprinted: Editioning Prints
* A Guide to Editioning and Signing Fine Art Prints
posted by fabius at 5:24 AM on July 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks to all for your advice and thoughts. I contacted a local fine-art printer. Fingers crossed, but you all have made it easier.
posted by the sobsister at 2:57 PM on July 8, 2021