How to Sell Prints of Your Artwork: A Complete Guide for Artists

Selling prints of your artwork is one of the best ways for artists to generate income, reach a wider audience, and share their creative work with the world. Whether you're a painter, illustrator, photographer, or digital artist, this guide covers everything you need to know — from scanning your work to pricing, packaging, and marketing your prints.

Step 1: Digitize Your Artwork Professionally

The quality of your print starts with the quality of your scan or photograph. For paintings and drawings, use a professional flatbed scanner at 600–1200 DPI, or hire a photographer to shoot your work under studio lighting. For digital artwork, export at the highest possible resolution in TIFF format. A clean, accurate digital file is the foundation of every great print.

Step 2: Choose Your Print Medium

Different art styles suit different print mediums. Oil paintings and watercolors look stunning reproduced on fine art paper or canvas. Photography looks best on fine art baryta paper or premium photo paper. Illustrations and digital art have the most flexibility — try both canvas and fine art paper to see which renders your style best.

Step 3: Price Your Prints Strategically

Pricing art prints can feel intimidating, but a simple formula helps: calculate your print cost plus your time, then apply a 3–5x markup for retail. A print that costs $25 to produce can comfortably retail for $75–$125 for open editions. Limited editions of 25–50 prints command significantly higher prices due to scarcity and collectibility.

Step 4: Create Limited Editions

Limited edition prints are more valuable to collectors. Decide on an edition size (10, 25, 50, or 100 are common), number and sign each print by hand (e.g., 7/50), and include a certificate of authenticity. Once the edition is sold out, the prints gain secondary market value.

Step 5: Market Your Prints Online

Sell prints on your own website, Etsy, Saatchi Art, or Society6. Use Instagram and Pinterest heavily — both platforms drive significant art print sales. Document your printing process in behind-the-scenes content, show your prints in real home environments, and build an email list of collectors for early access to new editions.