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How to price art prints

An art print's price has to cover the print itself and a share of the original artwork's value and time. Print and packaging costs also go up quickly with size.

1. Print cost by size

Lab printed: use your lab's current price for each size and paper. Printing at home: add paper, ink per print (estimate from cartridge or tank yield at that size) and test prints. Price each size from its own cost. Don't just scale your smallest size.

2. Artwork and scanning

Scanning or photographing the original, color correction and test proofs are one-time costs. Spread them over the number of prints you expect to sell. Limited editions sell a fixed number of copies, so each copy carries more of that cost, and buyers usually expect a higher price per copy.

3. Packaging

Clear sleeves, backing board, rigid mailers or tubes, and a certificate or signature if you offer one. Larger prints need tubes or flat boxes that cost more and weigh more.

4. Framing

If you offer framing, price it as a separate add-on from its own costs and time. Frames add weight, glass breakage risk and shipping costs.

Platform and payment fees

Marketplaces usually take a percentage of each sale plus fixed per-order or per-listing charges, and payment processing is often separate. Fee schedules change, so read your platform's current fee page rather than trusting a number you saw once. Remember that fees are charged on the price the customer pays, so they grow as your price grows. Calculate them on your final price, not on your cost.

Choosing a markup

Once you know your true cost (materials + labor + overhead), multiply it to get a price. A common maker rule of thumb is wholesale at about 2× true cost and retail at about 2× wholesale, but that is a starting point, not a law. Check the result against what comparable products actually sell for, then decide whether your quality, story or speed justifies sitting above or below that range. If the price you need is far above what buyers pay, the fix is usually cost or time, not a smaller margin.

Keep your size pricing consistent. Buyers comparing sizes should see clear steps, and every size should still make a profit after fees.

Worked example

Notice that the profit line comes after you've paid yourself for your time. That's the number that tells you whether this product is a business or a hobby.

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