The Art Business — Part 03: How to Sell Prints and Editions

Selling an original artwork is not the only way to make money from your art. In fact, for many artists, prints can become one of the most practical ways to build a sustainable art business. Not everyone who loves your work can afford an original, but that does not mean they do not want something made by you hanging on their wall.

A $50 print can introduce someone to your work. A signed limited edition can give a collector a more affordable way to own something special. And an original can remain the highest-priced piece in that same collection.

The important thing is to think of prints as a proper part of your art business rather than something you casually add to your website. Here is how to build that side of your business thoughtfully.

Decide What Kind of Prints You Want to Sell

Start by understanding the difference between open editions and limited editions.

An open edition has no fixed number. You can continue producing and selling it as long as you want. This makes open editions useful for popular pieces that you want to keep available at an accessible price.

A limited edition has a fixed number. If you decide to make 30 prints, there should only ever be 30 in that edition. They are usually signed and numbered, such as 7/30, so the buyer knows exactly where their print sits within the edition.

Limited editions need more planning because the scarcity is part of what makes them valuable. Platforms such as Artfinder currently allow limited-edition fine art prints with edition sizes up to 250, while recommending smaller editions. You do not have to choose one or the other for everything.

You could sell popular works as open editions while reserving smaller, signed editions for pieces that feel particularly important to your practice.

Choose the Right Work

You do not need to turn your entire portfolio into prints. Start with a small selection of perhaps five to ten works. Look at the pieces people already respond to. Which ones get saved, shared or commented on? Which paintings do people regularly ask about? Which images would look good in different types of homes?

Also think about your existing body of work. If you have a series of paintings that belong together, consider selling them as individual prints as well as a small collection. A person might buy one today and return for another later. Your print catalogue should feel curated, not like you simply uploaded everything sitting in your studio.

Make Your Website the Home Base

If you have a website, your own shop should be one of the first places people can buy your prints. Create a clear Prints or Shop section instead of making visitors search through your portfolio to figure out what is available.

Every product page should answer the questions a buyer is likely to have:

• What is the print size?
• What paper or material is it printed on?
• Is it open or limited edition?
• Is it signed?
• What is the edition size?
• Is framing included?
• How long will it take to ship?
• Where do you ship?
• What will shipping cost?

Good photographs matter too. Show the print clearly, but also show it in a room or beside something familiar so the buyer can understand its actual size. And most importantly, make the purchasing process simple. A visitor should not have to email you, wait three days and ask how much the print costs. If you want people to buy, make it easy for them to buy.

You Can Sell Through Marketplaces Too

Your website does not have to do all the work. Art marketplaces can put your work in front of people who are already looking for art, which makes them useful alongside your own shop.

Saatchi Art, for example, offers artists open-edition prints through its own print-on-demand service. Artists can choose available sizes and materials and set their print prices, while Saatchi handles printing and shipping for these open-edition products.

Artfinder currently offers limited-edition fine art prints, but the artist remains responsible for producing and shipping them.

There are also platforms such as INPRNT, which focuses heavily on artist-made prints and offers different print formats and limited editions.

The point is not to join every platform you can find.

Before signing up, check:

• What commission or fees does the platform take?
• Who prints the work?
• Who handles shipping?
• Who deals with customer service?
• Is the platform available in your country?
• Do you control your prices?
• What happens if something arrives damaged?

A marketplace should make your business easier or bring you a valuable audience. If it does neither, you do not need it.

Think Carefully About Print Production

There are two main routes. You can work with a professional printer yourself, or you can use a print-on-demand service.

Working with a local or specialist printer gives you much more control. You can choose your paper, test colours, check the quality yourself and package every order personally. This can be especially useful for limited editions.

Print-on-demand is different. The print is produced when someone orders it, so you do not have to invest in a large stock of prints beforehand. That can be incredibly useful when you are starting.

However, always order a sample before putting a print on sale. Your screen and the final printed piece may look very different, especially with colours, dark areas and subtle textures. Your print needs to look good in real life, not just on Instagram.

Price Your Prints Smartly

One of the easiest mistakes artists make is pricing a print based only on how much it costs to produce. If a print costs you $10 to make, that does not automatically mean you should sell it for $15.

Your price needs to account for:

Printing + packaging + payment/platform fees + shipping costs + your time + profit If a marketplace takes commission, include that in your calculations too. At the same time, prints should generally provide a more accessible entry point into your work than your originals.

Your pricing will depend on your audience, medium, production costs and reputation. The important thing is to create a clear difference between your products so customers can choose what makes sense for them.

Make Limited Editions Feel Like Limited Editions

If you are selling a limited edition, take the process seriously. Decide the edition size before you begin selling it. If you create an edition of 25, keep a record of all 25. Number the prints consistently and make sure you do not later produce another batch of the same image and call it the same edition.

A limited edition can also include a Certificate of Authenticity with details such as the artist, title, medium, dimensions and edition number. Platforms such as Artfinder specifically require either signed and numbered prints or signed and numbered certificates for qualifying limited editions. You can also sign the print itself.

These details might seem small, but they help the buyer understand that they are purchasing a properly documented edition rather than simply a decorative reproduction.

If art contracts and consignments keep you confused, read our feature on How Contracts and Consignments Work, Part 2 of our Art Business Series.

Create Different Ways to Buy Your Work

Once you have prints, think beyond one standard size and one product.

You could offer:

• Small prints for people with a smaller budget or limited wall space.
• Larger prints for collectors who want something more substantial.
• Signed limited editions for buyers looking for something more exclusive.
• Print bundles featuring three works from the same collection.
• Framed options if shipping and production make sense for you.

You can also connect prints with your other services. For example, a portrait artist might sell prints of existing work while offering custom portrait commissions separately. An illustrator could sell prints while also accepting editorial or commercial illustration projects. A photographer might sell open prints while offering commissioned shoots.

Your products do not have to exist separately from the rest of your career. They can lead people towards it.

Sell in Physical Spaces Too

Prints are particularly useful because they are much easier to transport and display than large originals. Look beyond traditional galleries.

Try approaching:

• Independent bookstores
• Concept stores
• Cafés
• Boutique hotels
• Interior designers
• Art fairs
• Museum or gallery shops
• Design and lifestyle stores

Think about where people already shop for things they want to put in their homes. A café might not have room to display your large paintings, but it may happily stock a small collection of prints. An interior designer may not buy your original work but could become interested in using your prints in client projects. The right opportunity does not always look like a traditional art sale.

Use Social Media to Show the Product Properly

When you release a print, do more than post the artwork with “prints available.”

Show people what they are actually buying. Photograph the printed piece. Show the paper. Show yourself signing it. Film yourself packing an order. Place it inside a frame. Show the original beside the print. If it is a limited edition, explain the edition size and show the numbering.

This kind of content also gives people a reason to care about the product. They are seeing the process behind it rather than simply being shown another sales post. And always give them a direct route to purchase. If someone sees a print they love, they should not have to go searching through your website to find it.

Do Not Forget Commissions and Licensing

Selling prints can also reveal other opportunities. Someone may love one of your portraits and ask you to make a custom version. A company may want an illustration for its packaging. A hotel may want several prints for its rooms. A publisher may want to use one of your images in a book.

These are different from ordinary print sales, so make sure you understand what the client is actually asking for.

If a business wants to use your artwork commercially, discuss how and where it will be used, for how long and whether they are buying specific usage rights or exclusive rights. It can be helpful to have a Commissions & Licensing page on your website so people know that these opportunities are available.

Make the Buying Experience Part of Your Business

The artwork is obviously the most important part, but the experience around it matters too.

Package prints carefully. Protect the corners. Use sturdy materials. Tell the customer when their order has shipped. Include a small thank-you note if it feels natural to your brand. For limited editions, include the relevant edition information or Certificate of Authenticity.

You do not need expensive packaging. You need packaging that makes the customer feel that their purchase was handled with care. That is what turns a simple print into a thoughtful buying experience.

Start Small and Learn

You do not need a hundred products to start selling prints. Choose a few strong works. Decide which will be open editions and which, if any, deserve limited editions. Find a reliable printer. Calculate your actual costs. Set prices that leave you with profit. Put them on your website and begin showing people how they look.

Then pay attention. Which piece sells first? Which size do people prefer? Are customers asking for frames? Are people buying bundles? Are they asking about commissions? Your first collection is allowed to teach you something.

The goal is not to turn every painting into merchandise. It is to create another thoughtful way for people to become part of your artistic world. Someone may not be able to spend $1,000 on your original, but they may happily spend $50 on a print they will see every morning.

Someone else may start with that $50 print and, a year later, become the person who buys your original. That is the real opportunity in prints and editions. You are not simply selling reproductions of your art. You are creating different entry points into your practice, allowing more people to live with your work while creating another income stream for yourself.

And when approached with care, that can become a very valuable part of an artist’s business.