# Standard fee to license a photo for print.



## kalgra (Jan 17, 2019)

Hello all,

Im not sure where to post this question but this seems as good as any. I'll try to keep my question brief. I was recently contacted by a firm wanting to purchase rights to print one of my photos. The summarized email communication is down below. My problem is I have no idea what I should ask or what is fair. Can anyone give me some advice given the information below?

"My name is Andy and I am an art administrator at NINE dot ARTS. We are a curatorial and art advisory firm.

Our client saw your work in the Westminster City Contest and would like to purchase it for their space. They are interested in purchasing artwork from local photographers and printing it on acrylic. Could we please purchase the rights to produce a single print of your image? In order to do so, we will provide you with a single use licence agreement where you and I would sign and agree on a purchase price and agree to access the digital file of the artwork to print a single copy. The image will be printed at 40" x 30".

Please respond with the following:

1. How much time from final approval will you need in order to provide us with the digital file?
2. What is the wholesale price for us to have a licence to reproduce this image one time? *We operate like a gallery in that we pay wholesale, which would be half of the retail price. For example, if you sold us a licence to print your image once for $200 then the retail cost of this image would be $400
"


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## Dave442 (Jan 17, 2019)

Sounds like a good opportunity to put your work in front of the curators at Nine dot Arts there in Denver. It would probably be like Getty images, but on a more personal level if you are able to get in direct with them on this project and not be sent to their dotfolio artist site.

What to ask or what is fair covers a vary wide range. I would ask $400 while my sister would ask for ten times that. Both would also look at this as a possible repeat customer - so if you are too low you will never raise the price and if too high you don't sell this time. I would also expect to negotiate the final terms.

You might want to see what Nine dot Arts has to say on their website about pricing ideas:
The Art of Pricing 101 | NINE dot ARTS | Denver Colorado


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## tirediron (Jan 17, 2019)

Just based on my standard pricing, that would run at least $750.


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## kalgra (Jan 18, 2019)

Dave442 said:


> Sounds like a good opportunity to put your work in front of the curators at Nine dot Arts there in Denver. It would probably be like Getty images, but on a more personal level if you are able to get in direct with them on this project and not be sent to their dotfolio artist site.
> 
> What to ask or what is fair covers a vary wide range. I would ask $400 while my sister would ask for ten times that. Both would also look at this as a possible repeat customer - so if you are too low you will never raise the price and if too high you don't sell this time. I would also expect to negotiate the final terms.
> 
> ...





tirediron said:


> Just based on my standard pricing, that would run at least $750.



Wow! That seems like a lot of money for a single print. So if say I were to ask $250 that would not be unreasonable?

The funny thing about the photo in question is I don’t even like it. Lol it was one of my earliest attempts with landscape photography and when I see it I feel it is very amateurish and the processing isn’t good yet it has one a contest that got me a new iPad and is displayed on the website for the City I live in and now someone wants to buy it??! I don’t get it, just goes to show I apparently have no idea what other people like.

Anyway thank you both so much for your input. I really appreciate it.


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## Designer (Jan 18, 2019)

1. "As soon as the check clears."
2. Substitute "retail" for "wholesale".  (wholesale implies a quantity discount)


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## kalgra (Jan 18, 2019)

Designer said:


> 1. "As soon as the check clears."
> 2. Substitute "retail" for "wholesale".  (wholesale implies a quantity discount)



Thanks for your reply, However not really sure what you are saying here. Are you suggesting they or I will/should break contract after the check clears? Seems like a bad Idea and certainly not something I would ever do. Im quite sure i'm just misunderstanding you please clarify



jeffW said:


> $250 for licensing a 40" print for a corporate interior space would be ridiculously low!!!  GEEZ don't you have any respect for yourself as an artist!?!
> 
> I've been asked this exact question and my response;  "I can sell you a 40" print for $1,200+" I don't really trust when people ask for a file big enough to make large prints (or any prints - that's my job) plus I have a relationship with lab.  If you want to double check numbers you can always go to Getty sign up as a buyer (just requires an email - we've all done it) and see how much it would cost to license a RM image for corporate art.  The other option before the internet was go to some local galleries and find out the range for 40" landscape photography cost. Good reason to go look at some art.
> 
> P.S.  just to let you know I have sold corporate art for well over $1,200 so don't be afraid to value your art, you're not Ikea selling thousands of 40" posters for $99 of the same boring stock image of NYC in B&W



I very much appreciate your input and find it quite helpful, but please don't mistake my ignorance with regards to licensing fees with lack of respect for myself in anyway. I simply have no experience in these matters and am looking for a fair outcome no more no less. Hence the reason I am here asking the question. I certainly don't want to short change myself but Im also no looking to squeeze every possible penny out this either.


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## 480sparky (Jan 18, 2019)

kalgra said:


> Wow! That seems like a lot of money for a single print. So if say I were to ask $250 that would not be unreasonable?
> 
> The funny thing about the photo in question is I don’t even like it.............



You gotta remember you're not selling whether YOU like the image or not.  It's whether the buyer likes it.  And it's obvious the buyer does.  If you are going to devalue your work just because it's not your best shot, you're not doing yourself any favors.  If you sell cheap, you end up representing yourself as a cheap photographer.

The vast majority of my shutter-clicking income is from what I would consider my 'less-than-prime' work.  Fact is, I've never sold _anything_ I've rated 2 stars or more (5-star scale).

Rest assured, the buying public will not make an effort to increase your pricing.  Now, or in the future.


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## Nwcid (Jan 18, 2019)

kalgra said:


> Designer said:
> 
> 
> > 1. "As soon as the check clears."
> ...



I think his intent was "if it sounds too good to be true......."

While I was not there and I do not know the whole situation, it feels a little like high class spam.  The wording in their bullet points reads funny to me.

I definitely research it more, but make sure what is in the email is legitimate.  Maybe call or stop by the place and talk to someone in person.

I get frequent calls from Google trying to "verify my business".  They go through all their normal stuff to verify.  Then at the end comes the "up sell" which is the entire point of the conversation.


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## kalgra (Jan 18, 2019)

480sparky said:


> kalgra said:
> 
> 
> > Wow! That seems like a lot of money for a single print. So if say I were to ask $250 that would not be unreasonable?
> ...



Fair point!


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## Designer (Jan 18, 2019)

kalgra said:


> Designer said:
> 
> 
> > 1. "As soon as the check clears."
> ...



Please note: (your quote) "*Please respond with the following:*"

(I was attempting to reply to your request (see above).)

(That is how I normally fail to communicate effectively.)  

*Point #1*: the agent asked how much time you required to provide the digital file.  Your answer (just a suggestion, mind you) might be something like: "As soon as the check clears.", or words to that effect.  Meaning; you can transmit the digital file upon receiving payment in full.  (you might not want to turn it over without first having been paid)

*Point #2*: He is asking for a "wholesale price", but why?  Normally wholesale pricing is discounted for quantities more than one, so I am suggesting that somebody (you or the agent) should re-word the contract to denote the price for one print, not more than one. 

I have no idea how you got to "breaking the contract". 

This is a good illustration of how bad I am at written communication.  Utter and complete failure. 

Which then further explains why many of my posts seem to fall on deaf ears or the OP has since passed away, and can no longer respond to my feeble attempts at communicating.


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## 480sparky (Jan 18, 2019)

"Wholesale pricing" may be a misnomer for "We want to use the image across a wide variety of uses.  Print and newspaper, billboards, magazines, television ad campaigns............"


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## kalgra (Jan 18, 2019)

Designer said:


> kalgra said:
> 
> 
> > Designer said:
> ...



Ah yes I understand now. My misunderstanding was that you were providing responses to each question respectively. For some reason I read it as "As soon as the check clears change the wording" For some reason my brain filtered out the numbering which would have been a great clue to the context of your post. Thanks so much for your input!


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## Designer (Jan 18, 2019)

480sparky said:


> "Wholesale pricing" may be a misnomer for "We want to use the image across a wide variety of uses.  Print and newspaper, billboards, magazines, television ad campaigns............"


Of course!  That's why I am cautious about the use of that term in any form of contract.  Even though the agent said repeatedly "one time", I am naturally suspect of sales people who use clever language to manipulate the mark into giving away the store.


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## Dave442 (Jan 18, 2019)

I think this is a good opportunity to further work with Nine dot Arts. They have their main location close to you, they can carry your work on their affiliate site dotfolio art | Sell Your Artwork Online and with artwork up in a highly viewed location there is bound to be inquiries into the artist by interested parties and how they can obtain similar works by said artist and they can handle that for you.

My style would be to give a higher initial offer, then when they ask for their discount you offer a bit of a discount and at the same time request something in return, something you want - such as: they carry a curated set of your work (based on an equal mix of what their curator would select, your selections, and images that have won awards) on their dotfolio site, they give you published credit for your image in the current installation, they invite you to the opening or to meet with the end client, you would agree on handling future sales of said artwork through their organization for a price (such as a scale based on size or image resolution). 

I would inquire as to their payment terms, this can often be 60 days from when you send your invoice to them based on my corporate clients, and what they need to set you up in the system so you are paid (its been long time since somebody just handed me a check or cash).

Hope it all works out, I'm in Denver at least a few times a year and would go see the installation.


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## TreeofLifeStairs (Jan 18, 2019)

480sparky said:


> "Wholesale pricing" may be a misnomer for "We want to use the image across a wide variety of uses.  Print and newspaper, billboards, magazines, television ad campaigns............"



It looks to me like they are in the business of selling the prints to other parties. That’s why they are looking for a “wholesale price”. It’s interesting that they even define what they believe that to mean. Typically a manufacturer will sell their product to a retailer for whatever they feel they can produce it for and still make a profit, and offer them a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). The retailer can choose to sell the product at that price or any other price that they feel they can make a profit from. 

In this industry I think there is a huge variation in pricing. Images being sold for pennies to tens of thousands of dollars. What you sell it for is completely up to you. If it was me I’d start out high and let them tell you it was too much.


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## freixas (Jan 22, 2019)

Let me try to clear up the wholesale price question. It sounds like they operate like a gallery. If you put your work in a gallery and it sells, what you get is not 100% of the selling price—they get a commission. In this case, the commission looks like 50%. 

What I find unusual is the statement that they are going to do the printing. Generally, a gallery has the artist assume all the costs of printing and framing. You price the final product and you get a portion of the sale. It sounds like they may double the image price and pocket that, but they might also double the printing cost and make even more. This part just sounds odd and it sounds like you'd get cut out of any of that profit.


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## ImSoQuazy (Jan 25, 2019)

Very educational friends!
Great advice too...


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## dLSK (Jan 28, 2019)

I do this a fair amount, for certain businesses actually.   The thing you need to know - they have not conveyed because they probably don't know either - is  :  do they want the print or the file itself so THEY can print?

If they just want the print, that you will get printed for them, go 30%- 35% higher than you would to a private sale.   The reason higher is they contacted YOU because of an image YOU took.  They'll pay out the yin yang for a stock image equals to what you have to offer.  So, you charge a little more for providing the convenience.

If they want the file, this means ( as a professional ) you should remove it from your portfolio.  If you give them the image rights, you're removing YOUR rights to that image.  That is worth money, especially if it's a good image.  You need to factor in potential sales to other clients, the rarity of said image, the ability to recreate said image, how many times they intent to print / distribute ; this all adds to the price.

Someone above said $750, that's quite reasonable.   Personally, I sell to bird magazines / encyclopedias and sometimes they want a 'one time' image, sometimes they want the image rights for future prints.  For a single use file, full size TIFF, I charge $150.  The want the RAW file it's right around that $700 / 800 mark.

Sure, sounds like a lot.  If it's a great image, and they want the file for themselves, you can't sell it to anyone else and you need to be compensated for that.

Sounds dumb, but don't charge a flat rate, just to get money for your images.  Things like.. wear and tear on your equipment, SD cards maintenance, gas to go out and get the shots, time to sit and process, time to set up print / send to print company, pick up, drop off... all this should factor into your pricing. 

Hope it works well for you, good luck and congratulations.  It's always nice when someone comes looking for you


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## kalgra (Jan 28, 2019)

Thanks all for the information it was all very helpful. For those interested this was the outcome. 

I asked $1000 usd to provide a tiff file for a 30”x 45” 200 dpi print. The original 30 x 40 they requested did not fit the aspect ratio of the image. I let them negotiate me down to $800 to license a one time print of the file provided. I retain all rights to the image and am credited for it.


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## tirediron (Jan 28, 2019)

kalgra said:


> Thanks all for the information it was all very helpful. For those interested this was the outcome.
> 
> I asked $1000 usd to provide a tiff file for a 30”x 45” 200 dpi print. The original 30 x 40 they requested did not fit the aspect ratio of the image. I let them negotiate me down to $800 to license a one time print of the file provided. I retain all rights to the image and am credited for it.


Perfect!


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## dLSK (Jan 28, 2019)

tirediron said:


> kalgra said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks all for the information it was all very helpful. For those interested this was the outcome.
> ...



I agree, excellent job!  Very well done, love seeing other photogs get opportunities like this


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 28, 2019)

I saw this and I've done submissions to juried exhibits and am familiar with how those work, then never got back to this and wish I'd posted sooner... There are key words that were somewhat red flags. So I guess for future reference...

The client wanted to purchase it for their 'space' - that says most likely business. 40"x30" is larger than typical in exhibits for most artwork priced that's intended for personal use (so this size would likely be for a business or large private space).

It says the client is interested in purchasing artwork from 'photographer_*s*_' - that says they need a number of large prints which again says retail or business space (a number of offices? locations?).

They operate 'like a gallery' means they aren't a gallery. NINEdotARTS does not seem to have a gallery or hold exhibitions; their site says they acquire artwork for corporate/business use. (I found a video of their offices in a renovated brick warehouse; they have art on display but it looks to be their office decor not for sale.)

This is 'our wholesale price'. That's _their_ price, which is obviously up to them; galleries/exhibits usually retain 30-40%. In my experience prices are usually in the $200-500 range for smaller prints/photographs up to $1000 for larger pieces and/or works by more well known local/regional artists/photographers. For corporate/business use in a large city I'd probably have been pricing at $1500.

Companies seem aware that people are putting their photos 'out there' but most aren't familiar with business/corporate pricing much less contracts, licensing usage, etc. I suggest looking up pro photographers organizations like American Society of Media Photographers - Homepage or PPA for info.

edit - I'm not sure what's meant by being credited for it; how and where? Usually a photo credit is given for publication such as in a magazine, but not in ads. An artist's name and info. may be displayed next to the artwork in an exhibit, but I don't think it's necessarily done in business (it could be, and you should have been told specifics).


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