Why You Should Sell Your Art Prints Online
Selling art online has become easy for artists over the past few years. There are multiple website builders for creative people to sell products and services to people worldwide.
Even though it is easy and affordable to start selling your art online, you still need to focus on building name recognition if you are interested in generating income online.
There will be times when you sell high-ticketed original artwork, and there will be times when your original art sales will be flat.
How can you build name recognition quickly to start selling more products online?
One way is to offer quality prints of your originals. People search online for wall art daily but can not afford an original painting. Offering high-quality giclee prints at an affordable price can turn potential buyers into raven fans of your work.
Not only will you reach a broader audience, but you will also be able to supplement your income while you are waiting for an original painting to sell. It is possible to take your art business to a new level by learning how to print your artwork on a variety of products.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking on an affiliate link, Nevue Fine Art Marketing may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships include, but are not limited to, Bluehost, Tailwind, Skimlinks, SareASale and StudioPress. To learn more visit Affiliate Link Disclosure Policy
Passive Income
Another benefit of offering prints of your artwork is that you will also be earning passive income from a painting or drawing you have already spent time creating.
Passive income is when you can continue to earn income from something you have already spent time creating with little or no extra effort.
For example, you can sell your art online on merchandise with print-on-demand services like Zazzle, Printful, and Fine Art America.
Every day people are searching for wall art, home décor, and even art on merchandise like phone cases, canvas totes, and facemasks.
Selling art does not mean just selling original work. Selling art online could also mean selling reproductions or copies of your work on other products.
Print-on-demand services allow artists or photographers to sell their work on merchandise, canvases, and fine art papers with no upfront costs. All you have to do is create a free account on a POD site, upload an image of your work, and they will do the rest. When someone purchases a product with your art, the POD site will fulfill the order and ship it to the customer. After the transaction has been completed, you will receive royalties.
Read the terms and conditions of each POD site to determine what POD website is best for you. Some services only payout after you have generated a specific amount. Other sites like Printful will pay you immediately for each sale.
Who Should Sell Art Prints Online
Some creators feel selling giclee prints of their originals will lower their work’s value.
Other people feel that generating extra income from selling prints will generate additional income when original art sales are slow.
There is no right or wrong answer to who should be selling prints of their art. The answer all depends on your unique art business goals.
An artist might decide to sell their original art part-time at craft shows or fairs.
Others will want to earn some extra money so you can afford vacations every year.
Maybe you will only want to offer high-quality limited edition prints after selling your original art to increase sales.
You might want to offer prints so people who can’t afford your originals can still enjoy your work.
There are many different reasons why someone might decide to sell art prints online or not sell art prints.
Take some time and think about your objectives.
- Where would you like to be in five or ten years from now?
- Ask yourself, “Is selling prints right for me?“
- Are you interested in selling art online?
There is no right or wrong answer. You can always change your mind in the future.
If you already sell art online and decide in five years, it will be better for your career if you don’t sell copies; all you have to do is stop offering them.
As your art business grows, your objectives will change. Your art career’s success will depend on your ability to make changes and discover new revenue streams.
Is Selling Reproductions Profitable
Before the internet, artists would outsource their printing jobs. Most printing services only print in bulk, making this a considerable investment for the artist. Purchasing copies in bulk was a gamble an artist would have to make if they wanted to sell reproductions of their original paintings.
If the prints didn’t sell, they would lose money.
Today artists can print wall art at home when an item sells or use a print-on-demand service with no upfront costs.
Losing money on prints was a thing in the past, and today’s artists can profit significantly by selling prints.
Sell Prints On An Artist Website
There are a few different ways to sell your work online. One way is to promote your products on social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Another way is to use a print-on-demand service to sell your reproductions.
As your business grows, you might consider selling reproductions on your online gallery.
WooCommerce makes it easy to get started if you own a WordPress website.
WooCommerce allows you to sell tangible and digital products and link to a third-party site like Printful.
As your business grows, you might find it more profitable to make prints at home rather than using a POD service.
Final Thoughts On Why Artists Should Sell Art Prints Online
Relying on a local gallery or galleries to build your name recognition and increase sales puts faith in others to effectively market your work.
Some artists feel that they have succeeded when their work is hanging on a gallery’s wall, while others feel success is when they generate a specific amount of money.
If one of your objectives is to increase your income, selling your art online and at local craft fairs is a good start, but you will also want to diversify your income streams. Selling reproductions is one way to give your art career a boost. Before selling prints locally, do some research to see what size art prints sell the best so you do not invest in products you can’t sell.
If you are interested in earning more money from work that has already been sold, you will want to learn more about selling art prints online.
Related Posts
17 Creative Art Business Ideas To Supplement Your Income
7 Best Watercolor Printing Services
