Selling prints

*hoghead* · 09-06-2009, 06:04 PM

I've rented some wall space in an antique shop that just started to show artwork. Most of my sales has been selling prints off my website online, Hog Wild Photography. My question is how much should I expect to spend on framing to make these prints show worthy? I don't want to spend so much that I have to overprice my work in order to cover cost but I want them to look professional. And do they have to be matted or will just a nice frame do? Will foambord be acceptable? Any and all advice will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Skibo

Frogroast · 09-06-2009, 08:14 PM

All depends on what you're selling and who you are selling to.

Let's face it - if they are really picky about what goes up on their walls and they want to make sure it matches their decor/color scheme/other frames, spending $30-80 dollars to matt and frame your art isn't going to do much for them. All you're doing in that case is risking selling your art because they hate the frame.

I'd say your best bet would be for you to sell the print, perhaps mounted on thin foam core, or just sell the print by itself.

Now you can always show it in a frame, as long as customers know they get the print without it, or you can provide a frame for them for extra.

There's a new thing I've seen coming up recently (might be old, but it's news to me) - Dibond. In short, it's mounting your photo on an aluminum plate. You can even get it in colors. It isn't cheap, but you can certainly offer it as an option as it would replace matting and could even replace the frame.

*hoghead* · 09-06-2009, 09:19 PM

Thanks for the reply, I've been selling 8X10's off my website for $10 and everybody says that's too cheap but the good thing is that I'm selling them. I don't want to tie up lot's of money in a frame that some folks won't like. I like the idea of showing them in a frame but offering just the print if that's all they want.

*Canada_Rockies* · 09-07-2009, 10:13 AM

The Arts co-op that recently permitted me to join leans toward matted but unframed prnts as the "meat and potatoes" with large framed shots as the attention grabbers. Another photographer there has beautiful huge prints on the wall, but sells many prints in smaller sizes on a basic mat. I am still building up my display, but right now I have two canvas gallery wrap prints (16X24) and matted 12X8's of them. Yesterday I was the duty artist, and several people saw the large prints, then took the time to finger their way through the matted prints.

Unfortunately, the only matted prints I have are of the two display prints. I suspect that they liked the style they saw, and were wondering what other scenes I had to offer.

In order to protect the prints from finger prints, they are in poly bags. I got my mats and bags from Mats.ca - the Canadian side of mats.com. Reasonable prices, good selection and good service, FWIW

seacapt · 09-07-2009, 10:31 AM

Your work on the wall has to look sharp. Being behind glass makes a big difference in the presentation. Don't skimp on framing/ matting and consider hanging 11x 14's instead of 8x10's. You can always sell unframed prints off of the ones hanging on the wall and let the buyers worry about framing themselves.
By the way you wouldn't be the Skibo that used to live in Ithaca would you?

*hoghead* · 09-07-2009, 11:15 AM

Thanks Albert,
I found a place called Golden State Art that has really good deals on mats and frames. I'm going to try some of each and see what sells best but I'm thinking the mats are the way to go. Golden State has the mat, backing and bag combos pretty cheap, a 16X20 for an 11X14 print for $1.76 if you buy 20.

*hoghead* · 09-07-2009, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by seacapt

Your work on the wall has to look sharp. Being behind glass makes a big difference in the presentation. Don't skimp on framing/ matting and consider hanging 11x 14's instead of 8x10's. You can always sell unframed prints off of the ones hanging on the wall and let the buyers worry about framing themselves.
By the way you wouldn't be the Skibo that used to live in Ithaca would you?

Hey Seacapt,
No, never lived in Ithaca, always been in Virginia. I'm planning doing some of each. I've already got quite a few that are framed and just planning on matting a few to see how they do. Thanks for the input.

**Damn Brit** · 09-08-2009, 10:54 PM

If you want your work professionally framed or matted, it wouldn't hurt to speak to a framing shop to see if they give business to business discount. Not including the discount, one would normally charge a little more for the finished product than the framing shops going rate.

*Steve Beswick* · 09-09-2009, 02:03 AM

As a professional framer I feel I might have some useful advice for you.

#1. The difference in cost between cheap, crappy, gonna-trash-the-print-over-time paper mat board and rag mat board is around $4 for a 32x40 sheet. Rag mat (A.K.A. Alpha mat) is made from 100% cotton rag, the same as the money in your wallet. Trust me, it's worth every penny.

#2. Never use cardboard for a backing material. Also make sure to verify with your own eyes that your framer does not use cardboard. If your framer even hints at using cardboard, find a new framer.

#3. Moulding suppliers usually offer steep discounts on discontinued styles, and there are a lot of styles being discontinued right now. Talk to your local framer about what can be done.

#4. You are far more likely to get a good deal on a multiple piece order through an independent shop than through a chain store.

All of that being said, I would have a few display pieces simply framed, and the rest of the photos matted. Use basic white rag mats, all the same shade, then shrink wrap them. You might also want to set something up with a local framer where you get a comission if you send the customer their way.

*hoghead* · 09-09-2009, 05:06 AM

Originally Posted by Damn Brit

If you want your work professionally framed or matted, it wouldn't hurt to speak to a framing shop to see if they give business to business discount. Not including the discount, one would normally charge a little more for the finished product than the framing shops going rate.

Thanks Gary

*hoghead* · 09-09-2009, 05:08 AM

Originally Posted by Steve Beswick

As a professional framer I feel I might have some useful advice for you.

#1. The difference in cost between cheap, crappy, gonna-trash-the-print-over-time paper mat board and rag mat board is around $4 for a 32x40 sheet. Rag mat (A.K.A. Alpha mat) is made from 100% cotton rag, the same as the money in your wallet. Trust me, it's worth every penny.

#2. Never use cardboard for a backing material. Also make sure to verify with your own eyes that your framer does not use cardboard. If your framer even hints at using cardboard, find a new framer.

#3. Moulding suppliers usually offer steep discounts on discontinued styles, and there are a lot of styles being discontinued right now. Talk to your local framer about what can be done.

#4. You are far more likely to get a good deal on a multiple piece order through an independent shop than through a chain store.

All of that being said, I would have a few display pieces simply framed, and the rest of the photos matted. Use basic white rag mats, all the same shade, then shrink wrap them. You might also want to set something up with a local framer where you get a comission if you send the customer their way.

Thanks Steve,

There is a frame shop at the location where I rent a studio. I'll talk to them and see what they say.

*PeterAM* · 09-09-2009, 09:45 AM

My experience is that most people need to see something framed and hung to get them going. I would print several of my best (no smaller than 10X15), mat them with a wide border 8 ply white mat and frame with non-glare/UV acrylic. Use archival materials and a plain black metal or wood frame;price these at, minimally 150% (rounded) of your cost and hang. If someone wants to buy one, sell it off of the wall and replace it with a different picture for at least a cycle or two. You'll have to price your matted prints to be in line with the framed price. Don't sell loose prints (no mat).

The comments about talking to a local framer make sense. I use frames/mats from a company called Frame Destination (www.framedestination.com) ;check the materials and pricing on their web site. I frame pretty much as outlined above and my framer can't come close to their pricing for the same materials. If your local guy is competitive, then use him. Use white mats only;colored mats are too subjective and may clash with a buyers "decor". Use 8 ply mats for the framed pictures only;4 ply is ok for the standalone prints.

Most people, especially outside of a gallery, are buying more for decorating purposes than buying "art". You have to help them be able to visualize what your picture will look like , on their wall.

*Steve Beswick* · 09-11-2009, 11:39 PM

While I agree with Peter that a single 8 ply usually looks better than a single 4 ply, A double mat made from 4 ply boards sometimes looks better than a single 8 ply, even if they are both white. You also need to keep in mind that the cost can shoot up really fast with framing, and you will need to either eat the profit or raise the sale price, which can cost you in sales.

I took a quick look at your website and I have an idea. Considering the style of your photography, you could forget the matting and spend the money on the frame itself. I would go with something wide, simple, and mostly (but not all) black. Use UV non-glare glass over matte finish prints that are larger than what you would have gone with if you had matted them. It's not a look that works for every photo, but I think it would work for a lot of yours.

*hoghead* · 09-13-2009, 05:29 PM

Thanks Steve,

I actually have some in some 11 X 17 frames with no mat and they look pretty good.

*khardur* · 09-20-2009, 06:23 PM

Hi everyone.
I've been looking at this thread with interest, nice to check out some of these other frame/mat websites and see what their pricing is.

I've got an event coming up, but unfortunately I couldn't go all out on it, since I just got laid off for two weeks and it really messed up my finances. (i.e. all the extra cash I thought I had, now has to make up for that week off, plus triple the health/dental insurance on my next regular paycheck... ouch)

I had wanted to frame a couple pieces and have all the rest matted nicely, but that would nearly double my cost on this venture. I'm still going to frame a few pieces and have a few pieces matted, but the rest are just going to be mounted to backer boards and hung as is. No I'm not happy about that, but at this point I've already committed to this show but don't have the funds to cover it. and with my day job's insecurity right now I can't tack on any extra debt that I don't need.

Anyway, the best prices I saw so far were from Redimat. (Wholesale Picture Mats, Photo Mat Board, Low Prices, Pre Cut Matting, Custom Matboard, Picture Frames) They also offer "redi-paks" of popular sizes in 25pc quantities. Minimum $100 order though.