questions about selling hardcopy digital art

July 13, 2010 12:13 PM

Selling hardcopies of digital art: how do artists do it?

I am looking for examples of artists who sell their digital work in large hardcopies (but not photography - either vector art, or 3D etc). I am interested in the spectrum of hardcopy media these types of artists print on (posters/nice types of paper) and how this relates to the range of prices that they charge.

What is the most expensive digital art piece you have seen and what was the media? Do such artists mark on there that is 1 out of only X that will ever be printed then erase the original computer copy? Any type of info that is useful and specific to digital artists and their practices/rules of thumb would be appreciated!

thanks mf.

posted by figTree to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

Giclée
posted by Thorzdad at 1:17 PM on July 13, 2010

I have made prints of digital art, including one giclee. I found the giclee process to be extremely overpriced. If you're not trying to print on a special material like canvas, then a good color laser print (from a place like Kinko's) can be just as good, at a fraction of the cost.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 1:23 PM on July 13, 2010

Yes, but you can also sell a Giclee for a premium price. It's a magic word in some hipster circles. I agree that, for personal prints, a good color laser is great. But, for retail, that G word has a cachet, however undeserved.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:29 PM on July 13, 2010

There is the issue of longevity. A laser print on regular bond paper isn't going to hold up the way an archival print on rag paper precoated for digital printing. Epson's current inkset paired with the correct paper produces prints is said to last 200+ years, HP's vivera line is rated for 82 years with the right papers. One also goes through a fair amount of effort to calibrate monitor and printer to produce accurate color. Most digital artists producing prints do signed and numbered limited editions just like traditional print media - lithographs, woodcut, etc. Edition size may range from single digits up depending on likely demand and whether the artist is printing herself or using an atalier.
posted by leslies at 2:56 PM on July 13, 2010

(on preview, some repeated information from above).

Bear in mind that "giclée" is just Douchebag for "inkjet print." For a not-altogether-vast sum of money, you can get a larger-format inkjet printer that uses archival (read: pigment- rather than dye-based) inks and can handle specialty papers, such as cotton or linen rag paper (Rives BFK is my standby, though bear in mind that you'll need a coated paper designed for photos if you want anything other than a matte surface).

You will save boatloads in the long run using your own equipment. The prices that print shops specializing in "gicleé" are absolutely criminal unless you're after something like Piezo printing (ultra-high-quality black-and-white inkjet printing) which might be impractical to do at home.

This post at Drawn! from last September suggests the Epson R1900.

Keep in mind also that you can have "museum-quality" color photographic prints made on actual light-sensitive photo papers from digital files. I use West Coast Imaging, personally, and I've been uniformly pleased with the results.

As for sale prices: yes, you'll sway a lot of people by tacking on the "giclée" handle. Yes, artists working in digital media do make limited editions of prints. You can choose to follow printmaking labeling conventions (leave a white border around the image, it's usually #/# in the left, title in the center, signature on the right, in pencil, not pen) or not (I personally find it tacky, but people do like it).

The maximum price is determined more by the demand for one's work than anything, so I don't know that there's a helpful ballpark except something like material cost × 3 (or 2 or whatever) + whatever markup you feel like adding.
posted by wreckingball at 3:00 PM on July 13, 2010 [3 favorites]

I have considered using some of the canvas/Giclee options, but the digital artwork I've sold so far have just been on good quality archival paper. The considerations you're questioning—as far as restrictions, number of copies, etc.—vary from artist to artist, and I think most buyers aren't as concerned about it (unless the artist is famous, then it would be more of a consideration- can't say I've had that problem).

Frankly, I think pricing is going to depend more on the content and perceived quality to the buyer, than the medium it's printed on. That's certainly been my experience anyway!
posted by Eicats at 3:04 PM on July 13, 2010

Here is a brief thread on CGTalk that might have some helpful links.

With regards to traditional print series practices (making a limited run of prints, marking each one x/100, destroying the original source, etc.) I'd say that digital print making is a bit of a wild west. Some artists might adhere to this, others might not.

You should attend a good sci-fi or comic book convention to get an idea of what formats digital artists are printing in. Just hit Artist's Alley, you'll see all sorts of stuff. I've seen fine art prints, posters, and in some cases books being sold. There are a lot of high-quality inkjet printers out there these days, which makes home printing of these types of items much easier for the artist. You'll also see lots of postcards being doled out.
posted by cleverevans at 5:34 PM on July 13, 2010

Maybe not what you were looking for, but have you considered a service like Imagekind? I remembered checking out Christoph Niemann's work and thinking that might not be a bad way to go...I mean, do you really want to be in the printing business?
posted by Bron at 5:51 PM on July 13, 2010

If you're looking for lots of examples of folk selling digital art, check out etsy.
posted by primer_dimer at 2:21 AM on July 14, 2010