# Making and Selling Prints of my Work



## AmyGrace (Sep 25, 2015)

Hi everyone!

I've been painting all of my life, but just recently decided I'd like to try selling my work. I'm studying up to learn the best way to make prints, so that a piece can be worth more to me than just its initial sale value, BUT I feel like I'm in way over my head! So here are a few questions.

1) How important is it that I have giclee prints made from scanned original pieces? Would it be OK to just send in pictures of my work to have the prints made from? Or is that a no-no? 

2) Also, do you all know of any particularly reliable and affordable companies that make giclee prints (or other fine art prints like that)? 

3) This is probably a TOTAL taboo in the art world, but I'm wondering if it would "dumb down" my work to have canvas prints made. Like, the kind that people usually print HUGE photos of their kids on for their family room wall. That kind of print is WAY more affordable than fine art printing, but I don't want to do it if it'll just decrease the overall value of my work...you know? And make my work look like it COULD just have come from Hobby Lobby...Any thoughts?

Thank you all SO MUCH! I don't have any friends who are painters, so I'd really appreciate your thoughts!!

Amy


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## Susan Mulno (Apr 13, 2015)

Hello Amy! Welcome. 

As for your question, I have absolutely no idea! :biggrin: I am sure someone here will have better info. I am now also looking forward to their answers.


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## Asancta (Jul 28, 2015)

FineArtAmerica makes very good quality prints of any size...but I'd reccommend that site ONLY if you have clients beforehand otherwise you won't sell anything there.


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## Liz (Jan 10, 2015)

Two other sites where you can make and sell prints of you artwork are Zazzle and Imagekind. Zazzle also lets you sell your art on merchandise like mugs. By the way a lot of artists sell prints of their originals without any negative impact on their work.


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## Sorin (Jun 15, 2015)

I've experimented with quite a few of the cheaper means of printing since my experience tells me that prints don't sell well and only if they're cheap. By the time you factor in the time, effort & various costs prints can cost nearly as much as originals unless you've a fantastic market. Such is rare & takes time to create. I started with paying for "scanning" but found that they were actually photographing the paintings, not scanning. Really large scanners are expensive & rare. I was paying over $100 per pic. True, they were good but I always had to retouch colors & contrasts via Photoshop & even then, some were not great. So I researched & experimented with lights. ( I already had a top-notch digital camera.) Now, I either use the light set-up I made or photo under sunlight. Both work well and I can just walk in, download to my pooter & see if I got what I wanted. If not, just redo... No traveling. The prints I get are every bit as good as those from FAA but cost me from $6 to $25 each, depending upon size. No mailing or other fringe costs. This allows me to add fomecore backing & acetate wrap if needed or I can just mail in a tube/box. Still don't make much but at least my cost out of pocket is low. Shipping cost is further lessened by using a postal account & printing my own labels - saves a few bucks per print.


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

Welcome to the forum AmyGrace. I hope you enjoy it here.

I have never done any prints, for my level of work it just isn't cost effective. My originals sell for just about what most prints cost. Maybe someday when I become a better artist I will do a print to see what happens.


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## Art Doodles (Dec 6, 2015)

We do high quality giclee printing for other artist wishing to sell prints of their work. We would always recommend giclee prints on fine art paper such as Photo Rag as the quality is far superior. 

To capture the digital files we either scan the work or simply take a photo of it using a SLR camera. Sometimes the SLR camera creates a better quality copy. 

_Link and text removed by moderator. Advertising is not allowed by our members. Please contact the member direct by private message if you are interested in their website._


If we can help in any way or you'd like a sample print please let me know.


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## Liz (Jan 10, 2015)

I was wondering, could you give us any tips on photographing art?


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## Sorin (Jun 15, 2015)

Yup... What type work though? Something with a gloss surface is a booger to photo. And sizes...?


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## Art Doodles (Dec 6, 2015)

Hi Liz, why not check out our guide to photographing your art (http://artdoodles.co.uk/how-to-photograph-your-art-41-w.asp). It has some useful tips to get the best result.


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## Liz (Jan 10, 2015)

Thanks! I booked marked the page before your link gets deleted, lol.


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

I hate that I am expected (by the owners of the forum) to remove others links if I suspect it is advertising...but I do understand because there are paid advertisers. I checked the below link and could see where it gives helpful information and it is not attempting to promote any business so I consciously did not remove the link. 

It's this kind of thing that really makes me want to give up the moderator position but it seems I'm the only moderator left. If anyone else is interested in being a moderator please message me. How about you @Liz? I'll gladly give you or anyone else the moderator hat.


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## Liz (Jan 10, 2015)

Sorry Terry, didn't mean to make light of your moderating, I know it must be unpleasant to delete or edit others' posts, I use to run a Chihuahua forum and I quit.


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## Sorin (Jun 15, 2015)

Awww, T... Yer the only one with the energy & temperament to MOBERATE!


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## ChiKevin (Feb 23, 2016)

A couple of thoughts here. 
Photographing your artwork is one way to go. There are large flatbed scanners that can digitally reproduce your work better than any photo for good reproductions. The initial work is a bit pricey depending on the size of the work but you can't match the quality.
As far as trying to start a business that way, may I make another recommendation. Get quality paper for your printer and make postcard or greeting card sets and try to sell them in stores or online. Let the public get to see more of your work at a more affordable price before you go for posters, canvas reproductions or any other expensive method.
As far as printing goes, Lithography is a form of printing/reproduction that you can consider where your poster sized copies on decent paper can cost under $2.00 a copy and if you have to buy 200 to get that price because they only litho in quantity then heck consider how many copies you get for that money than with a canvas copies. The cheaper your cost the cheaper you can sell the piece and make more money in the long run and get more copies of your work out there.
Good luck. Post samples of your work.


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## bbbaldie (Feb 12, 2016)

I sold stuff from my Boomer nostalgia site with Zazzle. Then I started uploading my art images there. Turns out they are a paranoid bunch, and won't allow any likenesses of people who might possibly object. That goes to descendants of deceased individuals, as well! And since much of my art at the time was of pop culture figures, that meant most of it was disallowed. So I closed my account and suggested they seek medicine for acute paranoia.

I now use Red Bubble and Fine Art America. Red Bubble makes all sorts of t-shirts, perfect for my portraits. Fine Art America makes a basic tee shirt as well, but every sort of art print you can imagine, including printing on metal plating.


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