1. How to Sell Your Artwork as Prints: A Complete Guide

    Selling your artwork as prints is one of the most accessible and rewarding ways to monetise your creative work. Unlike selling original pieces, prints allow you to sell the same artwork multiple times — generating ongoing revenue from a single piece of creative work. Brighton & Hove has a thriving independent arts scene, and the city's galleries, markets, independent shops and online platforms provide numerous routes to market for artists and illustrators looking to sell printed work.

    In this guide, we walk through everything you need to know — from preparing your artwork for print production to choosing print formats, pricing and selling channels.

    Step 1: Prepare Your Artwork for Print

    The quality of your printed artwork starts with the quality of your artwork file. Whether you're working from original physical artwork that has been digitised, or creating digitally from the start, the file requirements for professional print are the same.

    Resolution

    Your artwork file must be high enough resolution to print sharply at the sizes you intend to sell. The minimum resolution for quality art prints is 300dpi at the final printed size. This means:

    • An A3 print (297×420mm) requires an image at least 3508×4961 pixels at 300dpi
    • An A2 print (420×594mm) requires an image at least 4961×7016 pixels at 300dpi
    • An A1 print requires an even larger file — 7016×9933 pixels at 300dpi

    If you're digitising physical artwork — paintings, drawings, illustrations — use a high-quality scanner or commission a professional art reproduction photographer. A phone camera photo of your artwork is rarely sufficient quality for professional print production.

    See our guide: Understanding DPI for Print

    Colour Mode

    Always work in CMYK colour mode for print. Artwork created in RGB — the colour mode used by screens — may shift in colour when converted to CMYK for printing. For colour-accurate print reproduction, design and supply files in CMYK from the start. See our guide: What is CMYK and Why Does it Matter?

    File Format

    Supply your artwork as a high-resolution PDF (PDF/X-1a preferred) or TIFF file. These formats preserve full image quality without the compression artefacts that can affect JPEG files at print scale.

    Step 2: Choose Your Print Formats

    The print formats you offer affect both your production costs and your appeal to buyers. Common and popular art print formats include:

    Paper Prints

    The most accessible and widely sold art print format. Available on a range of paper stocks:

    • Silk or gloss paper — vibrant colour reproduction. The most popular choice for photographic prints and bold illustrative work. Available in A3, A2, A1 and A0. See our poster printing range
    • Uncoated paper — a natural, matte finish popular with fine art prints and work that benefits from a more organic, tactile feel
    • Large format paper — for oversized statement prints. See our large format poster printing

    Canvas Prints

    Canvas prints are a premium format that commands a significantly higher price point than paper prints. Printed directly onto canvas material and stretched over a 20mm wooden frame — ready to hang without framing. Popular with buyers who want a finished, wall-ready artwork piece.

    Canvas prints require specific artwork preparation — 20mm bleed on all sides to accommodate the frame wrap. See our guide: How to Prepare Artwork for Canvas Printing and our canvas print range.

    Step 3: Decide on Your Edition Strategy

    How you structure your print editions affects both your pricing and the perceived value of your work:

    • Open edition — no limit on the number of prints sold. Accessible price point, wider market reach. The print can be reprinted as many times as there is demand
    • Limited edition — a defined number of prints produced (e.g. edition of 50 or 100). Each print is numbered and signed. Commands a higher price and creates scarcity that can drive demand. Once the edition sells out, no more prints are produced
    • Artist's proof — a small number of prints outside the main edition, typically marked AP. Traditionally used for the artist's own reference copies but now often sold as a premium tier

    Limited editions work best for established artists with a following. For artists starting out, open editions are simpler to manage and allow you to test demand before committing to a specific edition size.

    Step 4: Price Your Prints

    Pricing art prints involves balancing production costs, your time, your market positioning and what buyers in your target market are willing to pay. A simple framework:

    • Calculate your production cost — print cost plus packaging plus any framing or mounting
    • Add your margin — most artists selling unframed paper prints work on a 3–5× markup on production cost at minimum
    • Consider the format premium — canvas prints, limited editions and larger sizes justify significantly higher prices than standard paper prints
    • Research the market — look at what comparable artists at a similar stage of career are charging for similar formats and sizes

    Step 5: Choose Your Selling Channels

    Brighton & Hove offers a range of routes to market for art print sellers:

    • Brighton Open Market and independent markets — direct sales at local markets. Excellent for building a local following and getting direct customer feedback
    • Independent galleries and shops — approaching independent galleries, gift shops and homeware stores for wholesale or sale-or-return arrangements
    • Your own website — an online shop gives you full control over pricing, branding and customer relationships. Higher margin than marketplace platforms
    • Online marketplaces — Etsy, Not on the High Street and similar platforms provide access to a large existing audience but take a commission on sales
    • Instagram and social media — building an audience around your work and selling directly via DM or link in bio
    • Art fairs and exhibitions — Brighton has an active arts calendar including the Brighton Festival and Brighton Open Houses

    Step 6: Packaging and Presentation

    How you present and package your prints affects both the buyer's experience and the perceived value of your work:

    • Unframed paper prints should be packaged in a rigid-backed envelope or card tube to prevent damage in transit
    • Include a backing board behind the print and a protective sleeve or tissue wrap
    • A branded swing tag or certificate of authenticity adds perceived value and communicates professionalism. See our swing tags
    • A handwritten thank-you note is a personal touch that creates a memorable buyer experience and encourages repeat purchases and recommendations

    Print Your Artwork in Brighton & Hove

    Dipol Print produces fine art paper prints and canvas prints for artists, photographers and illustrators across Brighton & Hove and the wider UK. We print on a range of silk, gloss and uncoated stocks in sizes from A3 to A0 and beyond, as well as canvas prints on 20mm wooden frames.

    Collect from our print shop at 97 St James's Street, Brighton BN2 1TP or order online for UK-wide delivery. Need advice on the best print format for your artwork? Get in touch with our team — we're happy to help.