Selling art prints is a great way to make income from your art. It maximizes the earning potential for any artwork you create long after the original has sold. There are two ways to make prints. You can either print them at home or outsource them. A question I often hear from beginners and seasoned artists, who have already been selling prints, is if it’s worth making them at home. 

If you’re pondering this yourself then you’re in the right place. In this post, I’m going to break down the pros and cons of each.

Outsourcing art prints

The Pros

The biggest pro is that you don’t have to invest in buying a printer, paper, cutter, packaging supplies, and all the little things in between that you need to make prints (unless you want to adopt a hybrid model where they only print the prints and you package them yourself). This is great for beginners because it lets you start selling almost immediately. Plus a dedicated printing lab can help you match the right paper to your art so that it looks and feels like your originals.

Another perk is that if they drop ship the prints directly to your customers then you don’t need a large studio or space to offer a wide range of sizes. This also means you don’t have to spend hours printing, cutting, packaging, and running to the post office.

The Cons

A major downside to outsourcing your prints is that they cost significantly more than if you do them at home. You also don’t have any control over the quality, especially if you drop ship. If you have them shipped to you first, you can at least catch any inconsistencies.

Another downside is that if you outsource your prints but package them yourself, then your end lead time could be around 2 weeks. And that’s before they ship to the customer! So they could be waiting 3 weeks to receive their prints.

The final con is that not all printing labs will replace prints damaged during shipping for free. Some may require you to replace your order, costing you more in the long run.

Making art prints at home

The Pros

Without a doubt, the biggest pro of making prints at home is that, after the initial investment, it decreases the cost per print and increases your profit margin. This means you can sell the same print at the same price and end up with more useable cash because you’re spending less on production. Having that extra cash is incredibly valuable! You can give yourself a pay raise, use it to grow your business or start a retirement account for yourself. The important thing is that it gives you options.

Other benefits include control over the quality of your prints, faster lead times, and you can create your own package inserts like thank you cards and extra free prints, further saving you money.

The Cons

The obvious downside is the initial investment. This will vary depending on how big of a printer you end up getting and what supplies you already have, but if you’re starting from scratch then the initial investment could cost anywhere from $500-$7,000+. Also, the bigger the printer the bigger the space you’ll need, and not just for the printer itself but everything that goes along with it like a larger table, bigger paper rolls, etc.

Another con is that you have to do all the work. This, again, will depend on the size of the prints but even with smaller prints, you can expect to spend about 15 minutes per print printing, cutting, and packaging. In my experience, larger prints (40”x40” and 60”x40”) take around 45 minutes from start to finish. This isn’t an issue when you have just a few orders, but if you’re selling at a higher volume this can easily cut into your creative time. Let’s not forget the trips to the post office! 

Additionally, you’ll have to deal with and troubleshoot any issue with the printer, paper, or related technology, such as clogged printer heads or misaligned prints. 

Deciding which method is right for you

If you’re new to making and selling art prints here are some things to consider:

• Are people asking for prints of your work? You don’t want to invest in all the things to make prints, only to not sell any. If your audience is asking for prints then this is a good indicator that they could sell. In which case I would recommend outsourcing the first few and see how they do. You can also take pre-orders!
• Do you have the budget and space to invest in a printer? Remember you can start off small and work your way up.

If you’re already selling prints via a local or online printer but want to make them yourself then consider:

• Do you have the budget and space to invest in a printer (or upgrade to a bigger one) and all the supplies you need? Also, how long will it take for you to recoup your investment?
• How much are you selling right now? How long do you think it would take to fulfill those orders? Is it manageable?
• Also, how long will it take for you to recoup your investment?

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Get extra support 

If you’re considering making prints at home or upgrading to a bigger setup, but are not sure what you’ll need, check out my Making Beautiful Art Prints at Home: A Resource Guide. I share all of the supplies you’ll need to make stunning high-quality prints at home. Plus you’ll get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how I make prints with my large 44” printer. Get instant access to the guide.