5 Tips to Make Art Prints - How to Print Your Artwork The Easy Way
These are the best 5 tips to help you while getting art prints going for your art business. The better art prints you make, the more art prints you will sell.
Once you dive in to the world of selling your artwork you will want to start selling prints. It’s like a musician selling Albums. A musician doesn’t want to perform live overnight, they want to see a recording of their best work. This is the same for an artist. You want to make artwork that is awesome, then sell prints of that artwork so you can continue to get financial gains from that artwork. If you are going to start doing prints of your artwork, here are a few tips I have from my experience selling prints of my artwork
Welzie is a Maui art and the Artist in Residence at the Andaz Resort Wailea Maui. Specializing in surfboard foam, fiberglass and resin, Welzie creates fun and whimsical art inspired by the Hawaiian Islands. Welzie creates his artwork in his South Maui Art Studio and his Maui art gallery is located on the 5th floor of the Andaz Resort Wailea, Maui. Welzie has art collectors from all over the worlds and has had hi work shown in art galleries throughout Hawaii, as well as the US mainland and Japan.
Welzie enjoys the art coaching and art tips for beginning artist because he knows what its like to be an artists trying to make it in the art world. Welzie was fortunate to get some guidance from a fellow artist which helped get Welzie on a positive projection. Welzie Hopes to inspire and help the next generation of artist who just need a little help and guidance to learn the trade of being a professional artist.
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5 Tips for Your Art Prints
Tip #1
Get high quality Images of your artwork. You’re looking for the highest resolution possible without breaking the bank. Can use a professional, or rent a camera, or try your phone depending on budget. Use natural light if doing it yourself, best on a lightly overcast day.
Tip #2
Plan on using standard sizing, 5x7, 8x10 and 11x14 for your artwork. Not only will this make your prices for making prints the most affordable, they will fit in standard frames, matts and bags etc. Start making your originals the sizes that can scale down to these sizes. Remember that 5x7 is actually an 8x10 Matt and bagged. And 8x10 is 11x14 and a 11x14 is 16x20
Also stick to one size at first. Variety is great, but it is a total hassle. I basically just do 11x14 to keep it simple. Id not have to have excessive inventory, or too many variants on pricing.
Tip#3
Choose your prints based on what has sold or got the most attention. By doing this you can narrow down what you need to get printed. It is really frustrating having 400$ in prints that are not selling. Order or print 2-3 prints of a new piece if you’re unsure what the print response will be.
Tip#4
Put a bio sticker on the back of your print with a brief bio, picture of you the artist. Your website, email, and social media, so the collector can easily contact you if needed. My stickers are black and white 4’x4” and placed in the center of the back. No need for title etc on back of matted print.
Also Sign your prints. I sign mine on front right corner in black Posca pen. Sign your prints how you want but make sure that the artist name is visible to the person viewing the artwork.
Tip #5
Paper prints have a lower price point than originals. Generally between 20-55$ for an 11x14 matted paper print. If your retail for 20$ that means you will only get 10$ wholesale if you sell to a gallery or boutique. Be conscience of your price. Also this is an affordable product so don’t give away too much value. For these small prints you don’t need to do a limited edition. Save those for the canvas or aluminum reproductions.
Bonus Tip: Print your own prints. This will cost you some money in the beginning but you will save so much more by doing it yourself. You can do smaller print runs, try get the colors right before printing hundreds of dollars only to find out the colors are off. You can sell online and print to order. You can have a stack of paper ready to print. Its so much cheaper to do it yourself.
If you’re wondering what printer I recommend this one
The ink is the same quality ink used on the commercial printers, but it's a desktop. You only need to print 8x10 anyway so don’t pay for your prints to be done on a big expensive printer when you can get the same quality for cheaper. A printer won’t fix a bad scan or bad art, so make good art, get good scans, print it write, package it right and then get out there and start to show your work. Stay inspired. Aloha
Пікірлер: 22
Hi Welzie... thank you for your informative videos. I too plan to get commercial by wanting to sell my art work as prints.
@WelzieArt
8 ай бұрын
There is nothing wrong with selling art prints. Every artist you look up to sells art prints. Yes there is a commercial aspect to selling prints but the goal is just to share your art with a wider audience and create some financial stability for you as an artist to be able to create more artwork. Any artist who says don’t do prints probably is just a hobbyist and not a professional. Don’t take advise from hobbyist. Get after it. Stay inspired. I’m here if you need me. Aloha 🤙🏼
Great tips Welzie, thanks! I have a love/hate with prints not having sold many yet. I do have a ton of new originals I need to have pictures taken of too. They could be a little bit of a game changer if I can gain some traction with them.
@WelzieArt
8 ай бұрын
I know how the love hate feels. I felt that way for years. It gets better. If you have a ton of originals try and scan only the best ones as to not get overwhelmed. Just cause you have lots doesn’t mean they are all good. Are you printing yourself? Scanning yourself?
@tonysfluidart
8 ай бұрын
@@WelzieArt I hired out for the pictures and prints the first time around, and even had three of my ‘best ones’ made into a raised acrylic print for giggles. I’ve been researching a little on softbox lighting so I don’t have to spend the photography money again if I can get a good image myself. I hired out for the prints too wanting as good of a quality as I could get, but the lack of sales may be showing me I need to pick and choose which ones I do to begin with.
@WelzieArt
8 ай бұрын
@tonysfluidart yeah be careful about spending too much money on quality and quantity. It’s tempting to try and get a few nice prints and even big ones because you’re excited but then you’ll get let down. Start small. Start cheap. 100$ for 1 print could have afforded you renting a pro camera and tripod for a week and shooting all your images. Hope this is helping and not discouraging. How are you selling and or showing your work?
@tonysfluidart
8 ай бұрын
@@WelzieArt Great point on the cost savings to rent! Yeah, I was pretty excited when I had them done, but pricey too. Ok think I need to sell them for about $40 to break even. I was in a couple of festivals in the summer this year and am trying to find the right one for a Fall show, and have now shifted to a website that’s been up for not quite two months. I also only have my originals up there so far as it’s a work in progress. Any other tips I should consider?
@WelzieArt
8 ай бұрын
@tonysfluidart you don’t have to have prints in stock to offer them on your website. Also the slow season October-November is a great time to work on website and prep for the holiday season. It will slow down again in February-may so that’s another time you can work on the backend of the business. Also your art scans give you images for your website so it’s a 2 for 1
Hi thanks so much. Currently trying to find a good paint pen that I can write with over a painted background, the Klink is too messy (big bottles) and the one you use I feel doesn't feel 'paint brush' enough, so trying a few... Also have to ask, what printer to do you recommend? Oh and I plan to resin over my art, so thinking must spray with something that doesn't affect the acrylic paint (Yes beginner :)
@WelzieArt
2 ай бұрын
Posca makes a new paint brush tip pen. I haven’t used it but it’s worth looking into. I use a canon pixima pro 1000 which uses the same ink as commercial high end printers.
Great info. I have done about 8 art festivals and currently dont offer prints but get asked at every show. i sell in the 600 to 1000 range. But held off As it seemed overwhelming but i like your diy suggestion in one size and doing the most popular piece. Do judge popularlity on what sold or gets most comments? Also what is the best printer fpr 8 x10?
@WelzieArt
7 ай бұрын
That’s awesome! You’re doing great! You will probably double your sales adding prints and you’re making enough money to invest in your own printer. I recommend the canon pixima pro 100 for starters. Print both the most popular and the most comments. You can print on demand so you don’t have to spend to much money to test out different pieces. You’re going to really start to increasing sales adding prints. Stoked for you. Have fun. Stay inspired, aloha 🤙🏼
Hey Welzie! Im thinking of creating some tarot cards. Do you have any tips for how to properly scale and print card size pieces?
@WelzieArt
8 ай бұрын
I would find out the size of card you will have printed then do your artwork on something larger that can scale down the the card size. You can scale down your art scan in photoshop or even the company that will print the cards can do. Hopefully this helps. Stay inspired! Aloha 🤙🏼
Do you trim your prints down or leave with a border? Like do you trim an 8.5x11 to a 8x10? Thank you!
@WelzieArt
5 ай бұрын
I print on 8x10 paper. No trimming needed. It’s best to keep your prints as simple and easy to make as possible. The harder they are to make the less you will want to make prints. It’s also cuts into the cost/time factor. The easier and more affordable they are to make the more competitive of a price point you can have. Have fun and stay inspired 🤙🏼
Please give more information on the type of printer.
@WelzieArt
2 ай бұрын
Canon pixima pro 1000
Are you paper prints archival?
@WelzieArt
2 ай бұрын
Yes they are archival inks. Archival basically means it last up to 100 years. I don’t know how they came up with that data. Most high end printers are all archival inks