# Pricing Landscape Prints



## Destin (Dec 23, 2017)

Hey guys; I've gotten pretty good at pricing my portrait and wedding work as there is a very concrete formula to figure out how much I need to charge to turn a profit. 

I'm going to start venturing into selling more of my landscape work at local art shows and such. How do you even begin to price them? If I run the same formulas as I would for my other work, the overhead would include travel expenses and the prints would become unbelievably expensive. 

How much markup should I be applying? 100%? More? Less?

*Examples based on things I currently have hanging on my own walls:*

Example 1: A 12x24 piece of wall art (photo printed on aluminum) costs me roughly $70 at cost. 

Example 2: A Framed, double matted 10x15 metallic print costs me $45 at cost. 

Where would you price these? How would you arrive at those numbers?


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## john.margetts (Dec 24, 2017)

The market price for such pictures (basically fine art photos) depends on where you are selling them. You cannot price them on a mark-up basis. 

Selling in Lincoln's Usher gallery I charge c. £100 for an A3 print while in Barton that would go for £120. In a smaller local gallery I would be down to £80. The difference is a mixture of commission I need to pay and customer expectation.

The only real guide to price us to see what level others are selling at. No need to be cheaper as art is not that sort of product - being more expensive will price you out of your local market.


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## smoke665 (Dec 24, 2017)

@john.margetts You referenced an A3 print as opposed to say an 11x14 here. Is this a difference in region, or a gallery requirement. Also you didn't specify if the print is mounted, matted, framed or all of the above.


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## john.margetts (Dec 24, 2017)

smoke665 said:


> @john.margetts You referenced an A3 print as opposed to say an 11x14 here. Is this a difference in region, or a gallery requirement. Also you didn't specify if the print is mounted, matted, framed or all of the above.


'A' size paper is an international standard for paper sizes. As far as I know, it is the only paper available here (UK). I could cut it down to other sizes but I don't see the point. 'A' size papers are close to the sensor size of most DSLR cameras so require minimal cropping and, once cropped, will fit A5, A4, A3 or A2 (or any other A size) without further adjustment.

The prices I quoted would be mounted in a window mount and in a cheap frame. I do not use expensive frames as I would expect the buyer to want a frame to suit their decor.


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## BoldArtist (Dec 24, 2017)

Why do you have to use metallic inks?
Can't you just buy a relatively large giclee printing machine for print creation?


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## Destin (Dec 24, 2017)

BoldArtist said:


> Why do you have to use metallic inks?
> Can't you just buy a relatively large giclee printing machine for print creation?



Not metallic ink; metallic paper. Gives a really cool look with colorful night shots. 

I don’t do this with all my photos; just the listed example. It’s only a few dollars more than a normal print though.


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## vintagesnaps (Dec 27, 2017)

If price was marked up based on actual cost of materials, I'd be pricing based on the cost of the portion of ink in the tanks and the piece of paper it's squirted on,  a mat and hinging tape. Pricing is for your ability and expertise, the time spent learning and practicing, etc. leading to the quality of the work you create. That's why I think it can be challenging pricing creative work. 

I started out going to art shows, craft fairs, etc. to see how photographs were being priced. In my area it varies somewhat in a more urban area compared to out in the country. More established or well known artists/photographers price higher than unknown types like me. When I started doing submissions to juried exhibits I looked up pricing at those shows online. Not that anything sells! lol yet anyway, but I learned how to price in an appropriate range.

PPA and American Society of Media Photographers - Homepage have links to the same pricing guide but I don't know if it prices for artwork or for other contracted work. Might be worth a look.


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## BoldArtist (Jan 4, 2018)

Destin said:


> BoldArtist said:
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> > Why do you have to use metallic inks?
> ...


I looked online but I'm confused about which is which? I haven't found clear examples on metallic paper, so I can see the difference from reg. paper type printing.


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## Destin (Jan 4, 2018)

BoldArtist said:


> Destin said:
> 
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> > BoldArtist said:
> ...



Professional Photo Printing & Photo Gifts | Nations Photo Lab

Here’s the type of paper I’m speaking of.


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## smoke665 (Jan 5, 2018)

I use Nations and have never been disappointed. I haven't tried the metallic yet, might need to.


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## jcdeboever (Jan 5, 2018)

I recently had a 36 x 36 silver geletin print done from the actual negative. Cost was $1200 (rounded down)to print, mat, and frame by a professional lab.


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## petrochemist (Jan 5, 2018)

john.margetts said:


> 'A' size paper is an international standard for paper sizes. As far as I know, it is the only paper available here (UK). I could cut it down to other sizes but I don't see the point. 'A' size papers are close to the sensor size of most DSLR cameras so require minimal cropping and, once cropped, will fit A5, A4, A3 or A2 (or any other A size) without further adjustment.


A series paper is the most common in most of the world, but there is also B series as part of the same international standard.
Of course this is another place where the US is not part of the world at large (despite their 'world series' sports events).

If buying prints via an on-line printing service the sizes often do not actually include any A series options, likewise pre made mounts frequently aren't quite right for A4 or the sizes available as standard from my photo printing sites...


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## BoldArtist (Jan 8, 2018)

Destin said:


> BoldArtist said:
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> > Destin said:
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I guess I need to see them in person. I will ask aroumd atphoto stores,etc...
What I see is really light images here that are less readable.


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## DannyK (Jun 12, 2018)

smoke665 said:


> I use Nations and have never been disappointed. I haven't tried the metallic yet, might need to.


I've had metallic prints down at Nations and love the results.


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## zombiesniper (Jun 12, 2018)

Use an 18mm lens + get up on a hill + take landscape photo + charge $5 an acre + road sign advertising $5 an acre = (said while placing pinky aside his mouth)1 MILLION DOLLARS!

Really the pricing strategy suggested by john.margetts seems like a good way to go.


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## OldManJim (Jun 13, 2018)

Many years ago, we lived in upstate NY. My wife made some dolls from clothespins and material scraps that everyone thought were really cute. A local shop (tourist trap) wanted to sell them for her and she agreed. She priced them at $1.50 each, figuring they would be a low cost alternative. After 2 months, none had sold. The shop owner suggested a price change to $9.95 each - all of them sold in a week!

Shows that the selling price of something is relative to it's perceived value.

Suggest you see what other landscape prints are selling for in your area and price accordingly. If you can't make a profit at that price, don't sell them - or look at how to reduce your costs.


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## Sarah Allyn Photo (Jan 19, 2019)

What an exciting step in your photography career to have artwork that you're proud to sell!
I think availability of your prints should be taken into account when marking up, perhaps -- how many prints do you plan on producing from one photograph? If you plan on setting up shop in farmers markets and sell unlimited amounts of the same photo (medium aside) then I would go towards a 50% markup. If the prints are being shown in local galleries and you limit the amount that are printed (ever), a markup can be over 500%. Just depends on which route you go!
Best of luck


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## Rinderart (Mar 20, 2019)

Been around a very Long time Location,Location. I do 2 Shows a Year In My town Of Beverly Hills, I also do large scale painting 8ft x 8ft O/C One show is B&W prints. www.rinderart.com Traditionally Done  No Metallic stuff. thats More for art Fairs and such I think. My 16 x 20 prints are On wht 20x24 matts with a Thin Black frame. Graham Nash does all My Archival Printing...Nash Editions. From Crosby,Stills and Nash. I frame Myself as I buy at wholesale where frame shops Buy. I stay consistent with sizes and I use Museum Grade Plexi. My Paintings are 90% abstract and do No Frame those. Because It's a waste. abstract is never framed usually. The work is usually street or hard hitting Emotion. It sells the best.....For me. You can see a Lot on my site. Rinderart.COM  and heres a Bit of advice for everyone. Raise your prices. People don't want cheap. It's called perceived Value.Galleries get 40%. thats standard.Any questions. Glad to help. rinderart@aol.com


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