How to sell photography prints?

How to sell photography prints? You intend to sell your images, then. Has the popularity of your hobby grown to the point where people would like to purchase prints from you? You can enter the market for photographic art prints with a few straightforward strategies.

You can put your camera to work and learn how to sell photography prints online, regardless of whether you have expertise in landscape photography, fine art photography, street photography, or any other kind.

How to make a photography portfolio?

It may be a thrilling and rewarding experience to sell photographs. Additionally, it’s one of the numerous ways that starting your own venture will allow you to increase your earnings. Look no further if you’ve been curious to know how to sell prints as a photographer.

For you to get a good start in professional landscape photography, we have some terrific advice and a list of outlets to offer your prints.

How to Sell Photography Prints?

Which marketplace will work best for your company will become clearer once you’ve decided what types of prints you would like to offer, how to charge them, and if you’ll handle everything yourself or outsource it.

Print-on-Demand Services

A print-on-demand service will produce your photos into prints based only on your requests. You can sell your photographs via various businesses online, including traditional prints and other unique products. Books, cards, postcards, clothing, mugs, and even domestic products like pillows or bags are among them.

Fine Art America is one of the more renowned ones. In addition to providing print-on-demand services, it serves as a marketplace where numerous photographers, artists, and companies can sell prints and other goods. It is the leading internet marketplace in the USA for purchasing and selling wall art. Uploading your images and choosing the prints or products you wish to sell are the only two things left to do. Your prints will be delivered to any country in the world through Fine Art America, which handles handling and shipping.

On your own Website

It would be wise to create your own website if you don’t already have one. An excellent approach to promoting your work to others is to have an online portfolio. However, remember that you’ll be responsible for handling print requests on your own and that most of the challenging tasks will probably require physical labor.

If your website offers eCommerce features, you’ve already got a successful method for earning money by selling images online. If not, you can use an eCommerce print-on-demand widget like Fotomoto. There are numerous print types from which you can choose. The remaining, including printing, packing, and shipping, will be handled by Fotomoto.

Local Businesses

Consider contacting a few of the shops in your neighborhood if you would rather sell “in real life” than online. Wall art is required by numerous art galleries, frame businesses, eateries, and coffee shops, whether to enhance their own offerings or to provide a particular ambiance. While some will buy your prints to display, others might be content to display your work and offer it for sale to the general public.

Selling Photo Prints at Markets, Art Fairs & Festivals

Anywhere in the world, there is probably a local market where you may rent a booth for a little charge and sell prints of your photographs. Festivals and art fairs are also awesome places to meet potential customers, including travelers who might already be looking for souvenirs.

It’s preferable to sell prints frameless when offering them at exhibitions so that customers may easily bring them home or to their following location. They will be more likely to buy if you do this.

Presentation to a Gallery

Propose a nearby gallery if you have a well-rounded and intelligent body of work. The best approach to get collectors to see your limited edition prints is through galleries. Curators of galleries frequently have a thorough understanding of the current market trends and an established clientele to draw from. If you’re lucky, they might decide to exhibit your photos, which would provide you access to a wide range of opportunities in the field of landscape photography.

Publicize Your Work on Social Media

Instagram and Facebook are two excellent social media platforms for promoting your work. All of your followers are potential clients.

Make a business page to display your photography prints rather than offering them through your personal profile. Utilize all the commercial tactics that these social media platforms have to offer. You can advertise to spread the word about your page. Find out more about the many advertising packages they provide to assist you to get more visibility.

Make sure to request likes, follows, and shares from your friends and family, as well as requests for them to share your page with their own connections. Word will spread quickly as more people know you are offering photography prints.

Learn how to grow your audience, then start communicating with those who are fond of your work. Write blog entries about photography-related topics, such as business news, photography advice, and quotes from other photographers. Also, be sure to let customers know when you publish new work. Make every effort to maintain your audience’s interest. Regular posting will assure exposure. Try to prepare and schedule written pieces in advance because this can take a lot of time.

Important Pointers for Selling Prints of your Photographs Online

We’ve compiled crucial suggestions because starting such a business might be overwhelming for many photographers.

A Quality Printer is a Must

Finding a high-quality printer is crucial if you plan to sell your prints online. Look around to ensure your choice produces a high-quality product whether you intend to print at home, at a nearby printer, or online. Many places sell cheap photo prints, but the quality may suffer if you save money. Look for archival papers of professional grade that can be displayed at home for up to 100 years. For conventional photo prints and a variety of papers for fine art prints, many printers use Kodak Endura papers.

Ask people in your local online photography group where they get their prints if you’re a member. Purchase sample packets of the endorsed papers once you’ve identified your options. Even test prints of your own photographs are often available from printers, usually for a little cost. This is a terrific approach to ensure you get the best printer to display your pictures, even though it is a minor expenditure.

Find Nearby Framing Resources

By framing your images, you can give your consumers a final product they can hang in their homes. Similar to printing, you can accomplish this yourself if you have the necessary tools, space, and resources. However, a lot of photographers prefer to have their framing done elsewhere.

Most online printers and picture labs offer frames so you can include them in a customer order. Additionally, some businesses, like Framebridge in the US or eFrame in the UK, accept online bespoke framing orders, simplifying the procedure. Some photographers favor developing a close bond with a nearby framer. Awareness and expertise from other photographers might be helpful, so ask for recommendations.

Select a Price and an Edition

Calculate your costs for paper, printing, and frame; pricing and editioning should also be considered. Open editions and limited editions are the two main formats in which photographers offer their works.

A photographer creates an open edition print when there is a high demand for the image.

In contrast, a limited edition print is one where the photographer determines that only a specific number of copies of a particular shot or photographs from a series will be sold. For instance, a limited edition run of 15 prints can be made from a series of ten photos.

Decide in advance over whether to sell your prints as an exclusive or open edition. Changing your mind and starting to sell limited edition prints as open edition prints is unethical. Similarly, persuading collectors to buy a limited edition print might be challenging when identical open edition prints have already been sold.

Choose how you want to display your prints

Photographers had to keep all their prints on hand to sell them. With so many print-on-demand websites currently available, you no longer need to maintain your inventory on hand. Large purchases can save you money, but there is also a chance that you will order too much and have an excess of the product on hand. You can monitor your inventory in the e-commerce back end of website builders like Squarespace and Shopify, as well as the Woocommerce plugin for WordPress.

Self-fulfillment versus drop shipping

Remember that several printers provide drop shipping when choosing whether to keep stock on hand or purchase during a deal. Drop shipping is when a printer ships items straight to the client without involving you. Even some framing and printing businesses will brand the packaging with your logo to make it seem like it originated from your studio.

However, have your prints mailed straight to you before they are distributed to a buyer if you are selling limited editions and wish to autograph your prints or provide a certificate of authenticity.

Drop shipping can be practical for many hectic photographers, but you can’t check every transaction before it leaves the building. Although quality control teams at printers guarantee high-quality prints, it’s crucial to ensure you trust their work sufficiently and place your name on it.

Take your marketing more seriously

You must promote your art regardless of where you offer your prints. It is insufficient to build a storefront and wait for customers. When creating a blogging and SEO plan, consider how your clients might look for art similar to yours. Utilize social media to publicize your photographs, advertise print sales, and encourage newsletter sign-ups.

Conduct research

Online photography print sales are not as difficult as they initially appear. Although you must make several crucial choices before starting your business venture, you must pick what is best for you and your photos. To find out what has worked for other photographers, visit sites like DPReview and The Photo Forum. Spend the time and money necessary to provide your customers with a high-quality product.

Are you prepared to compete in the marketplace and sell your photos? Even though it requires a lot of effort, the experience is worthwhile. You must manage your orders and customer communications effectively if you want to sell prints online.

Getting noticed and promoting your photos will undoubtedly require more work on your part. Concentrate on the inputs and channels you know can be controlled. To make a financially rewarding salary, you might wish to go all in and commit full-time. Alternatively, you might like to start off slowly and sell as a pastime to get a little more money.

FAQS on How to Sell Photography Prints

Originally posted on October 12, 2022 @ 10:33 pm