If you want to edit like me checkout my Lightroom preset module. A completely new way to use presets and mimic my workflow. Link in description or go to evanranft.com/store
Awesome and inspiring video! I really love it that you tell us about the business side of photography. It helps me as I try to build my own business. Considering print, I would really love to hear about the technical side of it (Is there any difference in the editing process?) and what to keep in mind when ordering prints. Cheers from the Netherlands!
This video was really helpful for me as I would like to eventually make money through photography. Having more videos like these can help inspire others as people often tell me that there's no money in photography and it's over saturated. Which is partly true, however it doesn't deter me as I'm extremely passionate about this art form and would like to pursue it, even as a side business. It would be extremely helpful if you could make another video answering questions on this topic :) My questions are: - When do you think is a good time to be selling prints, would you need a significant following or brand awareness on social media? - How much time do you set aside for doing admin work and how does it fit in with your daily life such as; juggling between other clients or other jobs?
Evan Ranft As a college student, unfortunately I do not have the ability to print myself. So, I have been trying to work with an online printing service but it seems that when I used their ICC profiles in Photoshop the test prints didn’t come out the way that I wanted them to even though I thought that I edited them correctly. Would love to see a video about breaking down ICC profiles and how to actually match them so you can get a realistic idea of the final print.
Hey Evan, would love an honest opinion on print sizes for different megapixel cameras. There are charts out there that say how large you can print if say you've got a 24 megapixel camera but that doesn't give us an idea of quality when it comes to the larger prints. You seem to shoot with a variety of cameras so am interested on your take. Thanks for all the great content!
Chase Thomas Have you looked around your college to see if there is a campus printing/ reproduction shop? Many colleges have them and you can get very inexpensive prints there.
I do art handling for a photo gallery. Almost everything in this video is correct except a few things here and there. Regarding sleeves, don't just put your print in just any sleeves. It has to be archival (acid-free). Regarding signing, use micron pens that contains archival ink. And don't just sign it, edition it and limit the amount of prints of the particular size. This will increase its value. Lastly, keep an Excel spreadsheet archiving every print you printed out, to maintain your sanity in the long run.
Lowering the price on either prints or your rates often just devalues the worth of what you are selling. And more importantly, lowers the perceived value and quality of your work in the minds of the client. They will see you as a less a photographer than the guy who’s charging more. It’s not just about how many prints you sell, and often lowering the price does not ensure you will sell more anyway. Trust me I know. Twenty five years as a pro photographer has taught me a few lessons. I once didn’t get hired for a job because my rates were too low!! I happened to know one of the designers who overheard the conversation. My name came up and the art director asked how much I charged and when he was told it was like, ok who else can we use. Wtf. Big lesson learnt that day! If your work is good. Charge a good price or you will likely stay a budget shooter. It’s often not about how good your work is as much as how good it’s perceived to be, and price goes a long way to establishing that worth in the clients mind. Remember, cheap photographers get the budget jobs! Sure you gotta get a leg in the door but make sure you quote based on the client and the value of the shoot.
I'm trying to get my foot in the door in the photography business, could I trouble you for some advice? I'm currently working in a warehouse 50+ hours a week and hate it. I love taking photos and I want to move away from my job and move towards making money in the photography business. Any advice on where or how to start?
Hi Chase. I know your situation exactly! That was me 30 years ago. Its not the same as it was when I started out. But in many ways it still is. I won’t offer you a step by step guide as it will be different for you. I got into it in a different time in a different country probably. But here’s some general advice I think is worth passing on... You need to get some presence. And by that I mean places where people will see your shots and where you can direct people to look if they want to see what you do. Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, maybe a website, etc. You need to immerse yourself in your work and get it out there where people will see it. Be a photographer! Even if people are not paying you. Treat it like a job. Dreaming oh I’d love to be a photographer won’t cut it. Knock on lots of photographer’s doors and try and get assisting work. ( but only after you have work you can show them. People love to help those who show a real passion and enthusiasm. ) That’s really how I broke into it. Once I had worked for one guy for a few months (off and on ) I started doing freelance assisting for two years. That was great. Like doing an apprenticeship. Man I learnt so much about lighting, photography, and the industry, in a real world setting. That was super valuable. I also made contacts through that. And I got to borrow lighting gear, studios etc to do my own shots in a pro environment that I could never afford to buy or rent. After a couple of years I started really knocking on doors and showing my portfolio ( yes this was almost pre internet : ). Ok so you won’t be knocking on doors, but you get the idea. Every photographer has a different back story but... Good luck happens when opportunity meets preparation! Think about it. I’m an absolute believer in that maxim. Opportunities to “be a photographer” will happen when you’re in the right place, doing the right thing - photography. I don’t mean that to sound like airhead bs but that’s how life works. Opportunities (like jobs) come along when you’re in the right place or doing the right thing, for them to come along. Practice your craft. Only show the best work - your portfolio is only as strong as the weakest shot as the saying goes. Get others opinions on it, but value your own judgement as well. Spend any spare time shooting, talking, doing things photographic. Meet other passionate amateur photographers. Connect to photography in any way you can. But number one is get your work out there. Good luck.
@@robinhodgkinson Yeah honestly, your advice is invaluable, as your wealth of experience shows. I'll use your experience as a benchmark when I'm ready to take my photography to the next level, thank you!
As an artist, I never signed my work, because I felt like it was a weird ego/pride thing. Why bother doing it. I don't feel like I need to tag it, because I just want to do art for fun. But as a client, I absolutely want the signature. Because as you said, I'm buying from an artist, because I want that brand, and I want the signature. So now I've started signing all of my stuff, lol.
As an artist you project your ego onto your work by default, that's what artistry is about - opening yourself up. Be it music, films, paintings og clothes - it comes from your brain, your personality, and most people would like to know who the mastermind behind their favourite song or photograph is :-)
No man, signing your work isn't a "ego" thing, when someone buys an original piece, a simple signature simply makes it feel like a novelty. Nobody can replicate that, it connects the buyer with the artist and thus making the money spent on it feel worth it.
I am also an artist and my work feels incomplete until I put my name on it. A curator once said to me too that your best form of marketing is to have your work in people's homes. If someone is browsing around a room looking at the artwork and they like your piece how are they going to know it is your work if it doesn't have your name on it! It doesn't even have to be big, but legible is good!
I'm with you 100% when you say that you don't let the printer service deliver directly. I always finally control the print and I add a personal thank you note, then I ship my artwork.
Evan, your videos have given me inspiration to actually start selling my prints and taught me to not play the self sabotage game (I ALWAYS do!). I opened my store 2 days ago, Made 150$ in sales this morning! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! You are an asset to this community and to Squarespace!
Can you make a video going over how your print is made? Maybe going over the equipment you use, what paper works best, maybe any online services that make good prints you can sign and ship out?
Love the point about not fearing promotion. I fall into the trap all the time if not wanting to be annoying with self-promotion on social media, but the fact is, as you pointed out, most people don’t see what you post and even fewer don’t read what you wrote about it! Gotta find that fine line and walk all the way up to it if you want to make sales!
Something I found out years ago from USPS is that the Priority boxes are free. In fact, I believe you can still order a bulk box from their website and they'll deliver a stack to you for free. You will have to pay for USPS priority shipping when using them, which will cost more, but the shipping is faster and includes a base amount of insurance.
wow. take a breath once in a while. what a great speaker you are. i don't think you said "um" once. I don't think i've gotten so much information so quickly before.
Thanks Evan! I go through a lot of videos, but rarely people make others aware of such huge mistakes and also the way out to resolve such problems! God bless you!
The promotion is what I find the hardest. I post on Facebook and get three likes and then feel like an idiot thinking my art sucks, basically, when I know it doesn't. That's mentally hard to take on. Than you for your video.
@Evan Ranft thanks for sharing your knowledge. Those tips are even more valuable since you already experienced the heartache associated with the pitfalls they caused. Merry Christmas.
The last point is so important and something I struggle with so often...is the "am I good enough, nobody has been liking it" self sabotage. Thanks for the video!
OMG I'm so guilty of basically all 5 of these. 🤦♂️ With #4 you talked about ordering a print, opening it up, signing it and then packing it back up for your clients. Just to be clear, are you always re-packing in the fresh cardboard, bags that you bought to make sure the client gets a 'clean' unboxing experience? Also, now that some fulfilment places will do artist cards with prints, would you ever consider drop-shipping art prints? Or is the hassle of packaging, shipping still worth it to ensure clients get the most 'personalized' experience possible? Have you ever considered printing your own work? Too many questions for ya, but this is golden content... great to discover you - subbed!!
Seriously, Dude, this was so very helpful! Lots of tips out there on how to sell, but YOU tell us what to do once we have a *buyer*. Great hands on, nitty gritty, hardware required (boxes, shipping weight...) advice on how to handle and ship your work professionally and securely. THANKS!!!!
I stumbled on this, musing about printing. I'm blown away by your sound recording quality. Can I ask what you are using? 9:45ish. Wearing headphones and it sounded like you are in the room. I had to take off the headphones to see if it was really coming from them
Evan, would love to see the process you go through for your own prints you hang at home. I’ve seen your COSTCO test prints but what do you do when you’ve settled on a print and want to get a fine art quality one printed, mounted (mat or no mat) and framed?
I watched his video again and the part about under promotion really resonated this time around. Perhaps because more time has passed where I've not honestly put my work out there. Thanks for the great advice . I hope in another two years I'll comment again with a story of success. Keep up the great work mate.
Very true, what you say about "under promoting" yourself.. it's ike a self-sabotage, to give yourself a way out, an excuse for your failures.... so true - great video, and also, don't know what recording device you use, but damn, it's excellent.. I was listening with my ear buds and the sound was clear, pristine, not muffled.. it almost seemed like you were talking right behind me. Anyways, keep up the great work and the great videos! Cheers!
Incredibly insightful video. The signature has always been an important for me personally, but I think its also good to give people the option by having open-edition / limited edition prints on your site.
I want to sell prints of original paintings that I've painted. The paintings are already signed. Should I sign them again, or is the signature in the painting sufficient?
Oof! Wish I had seen this a week ago. I missed guestimating my print shipping cost. Made a whole $8.64. Also completely discounted the value of the print. Now to sell another 117 prints LOL!! Thank you so much for your valuable advice!
Nice! Anyone that wants art from the original artist knows that a signed original piece is much more desired than some art that has been ran through the washer. I agree with your advice with under promoted, I have missed so many posts from artists when they post once, and move on. Social media does filter out whatever they choose. So keep reposting maybe in between newer posts to keep buyers updated. We do miss alot of cool stuff cause our activities on Social media are not always consistent
I'm curious what size border you include with any print. Why do you sign the back of your prints? (When I was printing (1990's) my work and having it framed, the art gallery owner I worked with told me I should sign the front. So you can see the signature within a 1/2" displayed border - prints had about a 2" total border, with the mat covering about 1-1/2".)
I have started doing prints and the thought has come up 'should I sign it?' and, I've felt kind of nervous because I'm like is that weird?? Will people not like it if I do? Thanks for shedding a little light on that. I feel like that totally makes sense and is great. Just the other night I was thinking maybe I will write my name on the back of them, along with the date and place taken of each shot. Also I really get the underpromotion and not wanting to be obnoxious with advertising and stuff, really feel that. Anyway, awesome video! Thanks for this, helps a lot. All great points. Selling prints is something I'd like to get into. Oh and the intro indeed was awesome!
BTW: Haven't sold anything yet, but I love the aluminum prints I get from my print service; 20x20 or 40x40cm and 3mm thick, sturdy *and* weather resistant. I use Plexiglass for some prints but those are fairly large (60x45cm) and look better on that medium. A) the quality is amazing and B) your customer gets durability too.
Thanks Evan Fantastic tips that we all share as artist. I always struggled with pricing and under promoting for the very same reasons I think it has a lot to to with having the confidence and building on it to admit " That my art is good enough"" we work hard and spend huge amounts of time it just seems different because we love it. I sure as hell wouldn't give away my time as a nurse so why should I as a artist. Thanks for taking the time Cheers Dave
I’m wondering why you don’t ship prints in tubes. I only use boxes to shipped framed items. The USPS provides both round and triangular tubes which are less expensive to ship while simultaneously offering better protection than flat packaging.
Great video, very informative. Have to say was amazed at the size of the box for that print. I thought surely not, its huge for the size of print. Thanks for posting the video. Enjoyed the advice.
Thoroughly enjoyed the content, I'd been looking all over for this exact video, thank you! I certainly appreciate you helping me avoid the pitfalls you've experienced along the way... maybe I can save 5 years of making mistakes!
Some pro photo printing companies offer a signature pen service (you first upload your signature) in combination with white label drop ship service (no paperwork enclosed). This solves the signed work with drop ship issue. There is an extra charge per print, which you would just bundle into the price.
I know this video is old, but I loved that intro! Super excited for the rest of the video since I'm looking into started my own online store for my art
Aaaaaah! Awesome video! Getting stuff ready right now to try to launch small art shop. 🤯 This was so helpful. Answered so many thoughts you go through on your way to starting a business. 👏
Your last few videos have really helped me understand what I need to know to start making my hobby a source of money! Keep up the great work really appreciate what you do 🤘🏼💯📸
Hello Evan I am new to photography I just start selling Landscape prints and frames so this video will definitely help me not to make some of these mistakes. Thank you
Great video! Some of these headaches are why I use companies like Mpix pro. I submit the image, they pretty much handle the rest. Shipping is low cost or even free, blazing fast, and if there’s a problem with an order arriving damaged, they handle that too. This process is especially useful for me since I live and shoot in Hawaii. The one downside is that I don’t ever see the print and so I can’t hand sign it, so I’ll usually add my signature digitally before submitting the image file. Not ideal, but definitely worth all the other conveniences the process affords!
And I get that there’s somewhat of a loss of connection when you don’t get to hand sign it but I feel more of a connection when I’m actually out shooting the image and imagining it appealing to someone and forever placing them there with me in the moment when I captured and created that image. If we were selling paintings or something else that we created with our hands and therein was the connection, I could definitely see a much stronger need for hand signing it. Necessary and ok sacrifice, in my opinion. (That being said, if you have the ability to meet/visit your client and can hand sign it for them in person, DO IT!)
Thank you so so much for the advice that you gave, I’ve been struggling with navigating through this, but I really want to start selling prints. I appreciate your wisdom and advice, keep doing what you’re doing thank you
How "good" do you have to be to start selling prints? Do you think there's an experience cap where you say "okay, I have x amount of experience, I should start selling"?
Look at whag other people are selling. If you're interested in selling say realistic animals look at what other professionals are doing. If you're on the same level then yeah! I don't think there's really a prefect answer for this and totally depends on what you're interested in selling
I think because it's art it doesn't matter *too* much. Whilst it does obviously matter to some degree, it's subjective to individual tastes so what one person may think is overpriced or unworthy of being marketed, somebody else might absolutely love and buy it immediately. EDIT: I'll also add that it depends on what you're charging per print of course
Hi Evan, Thanks for the heads up on mistakes to avoid in this video. I have a question about how you set-up your online website. Things like do you need a business license, taxes, tax ID number and what other fees should I expect to pay, is this different since it is not a brick and mortar store? In other words what exactly that I must do once I've built a website to be up and running selling my prints? I live in New York State which can be very difficult with rules and regulations. I know you might not live in my state so I just need a general idea of how to set it up.
I used to print my own black and white photographs in my darkroom. There were a few times the photograph finally came out the way I wanted it but found my fingerprint in the corner. Builds character I guess.
My biggest hang up on printing photos (for myself even) is that I just have a hard time trusting printing sites. I've watched videos on how to print at home and get the best results, but i don't feel that I'm on that level yet to invest that kind of money in a good dedicated photo printer. I've gotten prints done before on shutterfly, but was less than impressed with the results.
I hear ya about investing in a good printer! Why not take the first step of investing in a somewhat higher end printing company? I don't have experience with Shutterfly, but generally if a place advertises mugs, mousepads and beach towels with images on them on their main page, they're not always focused on producing 'fine art' quality prints. There are TONS of choices out there, but two that come to mind right away are White House Custom Colour (WHCC) and Bay Photo Lab. Most 'fine art' print places will offer a wide range of papers to suit different images... some papers will work great for black and white, others work great for portraits etc. If you use the term 'fine art giclee' when you're searching for a print shop, you'll tend to find some of the higher end places.
Sweet intro. So much info. I agree with the hesitation to promote yourself. I'm just getting comfortable with TH-cam but have to get better in person to generate income. Thanks for sharing🐼👊🏻
If you want to edit like me checkout my Lightroom preset module. A completely new way to use presets and mimic my workflow. Link in description or go to evanranft.com/store
Awesome and inspiring video! I really love it that you tell us about the business side of photography. It helps me as I try to build my own business. Considering print, I would really love to hear about the technical side of it (Is there any difference in the editing process?) and what to keep in mind when ordering prints. Cheers from the Netherlands!
This video was really helpful for me as I would like to eventually make money through photography. Having more videos like these can help inspire others as people often tell me that there's no money in photography and it's over saturated. Which is partly true, however it doesn't deter me as I'm extremely passionate about this art form and would like to pursue it, even as a side business. It would be extremely helpful if you could make another video answering questions on this topic :)
My questions are:
- When do you think is a good time to be selling prints, would you need a significant following or brand awareness on social media?
- How much time do you set aside for doing admin work and how does it fit in with your daily life such as; juggling between other clients or other jobs?
Evan Ranft As a college student, unfortunately I do not have the ability to print myself. So, I have been trying to work with an online printing service but it seems that when I used their ICC profiles in Photoshop the test prints didn’t come out the way that I wanted them to even though I thought that I edited them correctly. Would love to see a video about breaking down ICC profiles and how to actually match them so you can get a realistic idea of the final print.
Hey Evan, would love an honest opinion on print sizes for different megapixel cameras. There are charts out there that say how large you can print if say you've got a 24 megapixel camera but that doesn't give us an idea of quality when it comes to the larger prints. You seem to shoot with a variety of cameras so am interested on your take. Thanks for all the great content!
Chase Thomas Have you looked around your college to see if there is a campus printing/ reproduction shop? Many colleges have them and you can get very inexpensive prints there.
I do art handling for a photo gallery. Almost everything in this video is correct except a few things here and there. Regarding sleeves, don't just put your print in just any sleeves. It has to be archival (acid-free). Regarding signing, use micron pens that contains archival ink. And don't just sign it, edition it and limit the amount of prints of the particular size. This will increase its value. Lastly, keep an Excel spreadsheet archiving every print you printed out, to maintain your sanity in the long run.
Thank you
Awesome
are there any reputable printing for fine art photography?
@@christopherwharton8901 Brooke Shaden a fine art photographer uses Fine art American and White House custom color
@@christopherwharton8901canson or huhnemule certified printer labs
6. Use a pencil, pigment pen, or paint instead of a Sharpie for signing your work, to ensure that signature is as archival as the image.
The non-toxic ink of each Sharpie pen is waterproof and smear- and fade-resistant, for archival-quality journaling and scrapbooking.
If you are doing watercolor and sign it with anything other than watercolor it’s considered mixed media
@@belindawest3558 I think we are talking about prints here, not originals.
@@sandycathcartwild I realized it after I had left that statement
Micron is an amazing brand just for that, sharpie will bleed through and destroy since it’s acidic.
Lowering the price on either prints or your rates often just devalues the worth of what you are selling. And more importantly, lowers the perceived value and quality of your work in the minds of the client. They will see you as a less a photographer than the guy who’s charging more. It’s not just about how many prints you sell, and often lowering the price does not ensure you will sell more anyway. Trust me I know. Twenty five years as a pro photographer has taught me a few lessons.
I once didn’t get hired for a job because my rates were too low!! I happened to know one of the designers who overheard the conversation. My name came up and the art director asked how much I charged and when he was told it was like, ok who else can we use. Wtf. Big lesson learnt that day! If your work is good. Charge a good price or you will likely stay a budget shooter. It’s often not about how good your work is as much as how good it’s perceived to be, and price goes a long way to establishing that worth in the clients mind. Remember, cheap photographers get the budget jobs! Sure you gotta get a leg in the door but make sure you quote based on the client and the value of the shoot.
I'm trying to get my foot in the door in the photography business, could I trouble you for some advice? I'm currently working in a warehouse 50+ hours a week and hate it. I love taking photos and I want to move away from my job and move towards making money in the photography business. Any advice on where or how to start?
Hi Chase. I know your situation exactly! That was me 30 years ago. Its not the same as it was when I started out. But in many ways it still is. I won’t offer you a step by step guide as it will be different for you. I got into it in a different time in a different country probably. But here’s some general advice I think is worth passing on...
You need to get some presence. And by that I mean places where people will see your shots and where you can direct people to look if they want to see what you do. Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, maybe a website, etc. You need to immerse yourself in your work and get it out there where people will see it. Be a photographer! Even if people are not paying you. Treat it like a job. Dreaming oh I’d love to be a photographer won’t cut it. Knock on lots of photographer’s doors and try and get assisting work. ( but only after you have work you can show them. People love to help those who show a real passion and enthusiasm. ) That’s really how I broke into it. Once I had worked for one guy for a few months (off and on ) I started doing freelance assisting for two years. That was great. Like doing an apprenticeship. Man I learnt so much about lighting, photography, and the industry, in a real world setting. That was super valuable. I also made contacts through that. And I got to borrow lighting gear, studios etc to do my own shots in a pro environment that I could never afford to buy or rent. After a couple of years I started really knocking on doors and showing my portfolio ( yes this was almost pre internet : ). Ok so you won’t be knocking on doors, but you get the idea. Every photographer has a different back story but...
Good luck happens when opportunity meets preparation! Think about it. I’m an absolute believer in that maxim. Opportunities to “be a photographer” will happen when you’re in the right place, doing the right thing - photography. I don’t mean that to sound like airhead bs but that’s how life works. Opportunities (like jobs) come along when you’re in the right place or doing the right thing, for them to come along.
Practice your craft. Only show the best work - your portfolio is only as strong as the weakest shot as the saying goes. Get others opinions on it, but value your own judgement as well. Spend any spare time shooting, talking, doing things photographic. Meet other passionate amateur photographers. Connect to photography in any way you can. But number one is get your work out there. Good luck.
@@robinhodgkinson thank you so much. I appreciate everything you said and will follow your tips. I appreciate you
@@robinhodgkinson Yeah honestly, your advice is invaluable, as your wealth of experience shows. I'll use your experience as a benchmark when I'm ready to take my photography to the next level, thank you!
Thank you!!! Makes so much sense.
As an artist, I never signed my work, because I felt like it was a weird ego/pride thing. Why bother doing it. I don't feel like I need to tag it, because I just want to do art for fun.
But as a client, I absolutely want the signature. Because as you said, I'm buying from an artist, because I want that brand, and I want the signature. So now I've started signing all of my stuff, lol.
As an artist you project your ego onto your work by default, that's what artistry is about - opening yourself up. Be it music, films, paintings og clothes - it comes from your brain, your personality, and most people would like to know who the mastermind behind their favourite song or photograph is :-)
😅 interesting never thought of it like that
No man, signing your work isn't a "ego" thing, when someone buys an original piece, a simple signature simply makes it feel like a novelty. Nobody can replicate that, it connects the buyer with the artist and thus making the money spent on it feel worth it.
I didn't used to sign mine, until someone stole my work and tried to pass it off as theirs. So it's not about ego-it's about ownership.
I am also an artist and my work feels incomplete until I put my name on it. A curator once said to me too that your best form of marketing is to have your work in people's homes. If someone is browsing around a room looking at the artwork and they like your piece how are they going to know it is your work if it doesn't have your name on it! It doesn't even have to be big, but legible is good!
This comment section is gold. Thank you to all the folks adding helpful info!
I'm with you 100% when you say that you don't let the printer service deliver directly. I always finally control the print and I add a personal thank you note, then I ship my artwork.
For anyone watching this now, Priority Mail supplies are free through USPS.
Evan, your videos have given me inspiration to actually start selling my prints and taught me to not play the self sabotage game (I ALWAYS do!). I opened my store 2 days ago, Made 150$ in sales this morning! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! You are an asset to this community and to Squarespace!
Lucky
I opened my print shop 2 days ago also, how did you do it?
Can you make a video going over how your print is made? Maybe going over the equipment you use, what paper works best, maybe any online services that make good prints you can sign and ship out?
Yes I would like to see this as well. Did he ever do one for it?
That would be a great video. But it sounds like he has his prints made by professionals and shipped to him.
Love the point about not fearing promotion. I fall into the trap all the time if not wanting to be annoying with self-promotion on social media, but the fact is, as you pointed out, most people don’t see what you post and even fewer don’t read what you wrote about it! Gotta find that fine line and walk all the way up to it if you want to make sales!
Yep, I thought the same thing...but I'd be annoying my friends with my ads...closer to doing it now!
Something I found out years ago from USPS is that the Priority boxes are free. In fact, I believe you can still order a bulk box from their website and they'll deliver a stack to you for free. You will have to pay for USPS priority shipping when using them, which will cost more, but the shipping is faster and includes a base amount of insurance.
I am just starting to get into printing my work and I am gathering information (and confidence) hahah and this has helped in both areas. Thank you!
wow. take a breath once in a while. what a great speaker you are. i don't think you said "um" once. I don't think i've gotten so much information so quickly before.
Thanks Evan! I go through a lot of videos, but rarely people make others aware of such huge mistakes and also the way out to resolve such problems! God bless you!
The promotion is what I find the hardest. I post on Facebook and get three likes and then feel like an idiot thinking my art sucks, basically, when I know it doesn't. That's mentally hard to take on. Than you for your video.
@Evan Ranft thanks for sharing your knowledge. Those tips are even more valuable since you already experienced the heartache associated with the pitfalls they caused.
Merry Christmas.
The last point is so important and something I struggle with so often...is the "am I good enough, nobody has been liking it" self sabotage. Thanks for the video!
OMG I'm so guilty of basically all 5 of these. 🤦♂️ With #4 you talked about ordering a print, opening it up, signing it and then packing it back up for your clients. Just to be clear, are you always re-packing in the fresh cardboard, bags that you bought to make sure the client gets a 'clean' unboxing experience?
Also, now that some fulfilment places will do artist cards with prints, would you ever consider drop-shipping art prints? Or is the hassle of packaging, shipping still worth it to ensure clients get the most 'personalized' experience possible? Have you ever considered printing your own work?
Too many questions for ya, but this is golden content... great to discover you - subbed!!
Seriously, Dude, this was so very helpful! Lots of tips out there on how to sell, but YOU tell us what to do once we have a *buyer*.
Great hands on, nitty gritty, hardware required (boxes, shipping weight...) advice on how to handle and ship your work professionally and securely. THANKS!!!!
My goal in 2020 is to get better at photography and have a little website to sell prints next year. This video helped a lot, thanks ❤️
Did you achieve your goal?🤩
Thank you for giving your time and experience!! I am 65 and still learning! I am a watercolor artist!
I stumbled on this, musing about printing. I'm blown away by your sound recording quality. Can I ask what you are using? 9:45ish. Wearing headphones and it sounded like you are in the room. I had to take off the headphones to see if it was really coming from them
Evan, would love to see the process you go through for your own prints you hang at home. I’ve seen your COSTCO test prints but what do you do when you’ve settled on a print and want to get a fine art quality one printed, mounted (mat or no mat) and framed?
I watched his video again and the part about under promotion really resonated this time around. Perhaps because more time has passed where I've not honestly put my work out there. Thanks for the great advice . I hope in another two years I'll comment again with a story of success. Keep up the great work mate.
Very true, what you say about "under promoting" yourself.. it's ike a self-sabotage, to give yourself a way out, an excuse for your failures.... so true - great video, and also, don't know what recording device you use, but damn, it's excellent.. I was listening with my ear buds and the sound was clear, pristine, not muffled.. it almost seemed like you were talking right behind me. Anyways, keep up the great work and the great videos! Cheers!
Incredibly insightful video.
The signature has always been an important for me personally, but I think its also good to give people the option by having open-edition / limited edition prints on your site.
Great video. Straight and to the point without the BS fluff.
Really great information!!!! Thank you for sharing your successes and mistakes.
You explained the Money Part so Well....Thank You
This video was super helpful as I’m preparing for my first self hosted art show in two weeks. Thanks Evan
I want to sell prints of original paintings that I've painted. The paintings are already signed. Should I sign them again, or is the signature in the painting sufficient?
That self sabotage part I felt in my soul 🤦🏽♀️🥴😂
I usually never post. I must say thanks for sharing and congratulations for failing forward. You've learned a lot and will continue to grow. Thanks.
I totally agree with wearing gloves especially in the summer time when your hands swetting.
Oof! Wish I had seen this a week ago. I missed guestimating my print shipping cost. Made a whole $8.64. Also completely discounted the value of the print. Now to sell another 117 prints LOL!! Thank you so much for your valuable advice!
Good video. I was writing a question on the benefits and drawbacks of drop shipping, but you had answered that question halfway in!
I'm about to dive in to selling prints, this was super helpful thank you evan
Nice! Anyone that wants art from the original artist knows that a signed original piece is much more desired than some art that has been ran through the washer.
I agree with your advice with under promoted, I have missed so many posts from artists when they post once, and move on. Social media does filter out whatever they choose. So keep reposting maybe in between newer posts to keep buyers updated. We do miss alot of cool stuff cause our activities on Social media are not always consistent
Sign the image file and dropship works fine for me. People don't seem to notice it's a printed signature. They just care if it's signed.
Love it. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 It was smooth and to the point. No unnecessary content at all.
I'm curious what size border you include with any print. Why do you sign the back of your prints? (When I was printing (1990's) my work and having it framed, the art gallery owner I worked with told me I should sign the front. So you can see the signature within a 1/2" displayed border - prints had about a 2" total border, with the mat covering about 1-1/2".)
I have started doing prints and the thought has come up 'should I sign it?' and, I've felt kind of nervous because I'm like is that weird?? Will people not like it if I do? Thanks for shedding a little light on that. I feel like that totally makes sense and is great.
Just the other night I was thinking maybe I will write my name on the back of them, along with the date and place taken of each shot.
Also I really get the underpromotion and not wanting to be obnoxious with advertising and stuff, really feel that.
Anyway, awesome video! Thanks for this, helps a lot. All great points. Selling prints is something I'd like to get into.
Oh and the intro indeed was awesome!
Bless you man for all your work and everything you share with us followers. It means a lot ❤️
I've never tried selling prints, but I've added this to my Photo Playlist when I'm ready to "jump into the pool".
Me too 😁
That intro... oh my! I think I’ll just subscribe before watching the rest 😍
BTW: Haven't sold anything yet, but I love the aluminum prints I get from my print service; 20x20 or 40x40cm and 3mm thick, sturdy *and* weather resistant.
I use Plexiglass for some prints but those are fairly large (60x45cm) and look better on that medium.
A) the quality is amazing and B) your customer gets durability too.
Who is your print service?
@Marq104. Who is your print service?
This has to be the most useful photography related video I`ve watched in a long time dude. Thanks a million for this.
Thanks Evan Fantastic tips that we all share as artist. I always struggled with pricing and under promoting for the very same reasons I think it has a lot to to with having the confidence and building on it to admit " That my art is good enough"" we work hard and spend huge amounts of time it just seems different because we love it. I sure as hell wouldn't give away my time as a nurse so why should I as a artist. Thanks for taking the time Cheers Dave
I’m wondering why you don’t ship prints in tubes. I only use boxes to shipped framed items. The USPS provides both round and triangular tubes which are less expensive to ship while simultaneously offering better protection than flat packaging.
Your pro tips are invaluable! Much appreciated, Evan 🙏
Great video! You made a great point in under promoting yourself, something we as artists all tend to do.
That was super helpful and answered a big question I had, thanks
Awesome tips. Especially your last one.. Underpromotion is the downfall of far too many businesses.
I would love to know more about the return policy you offer and how you made the return policy and how to do a return on squarespace.
pstttt! hey, you, video starts at 2:19
Great video, very informative. Have to say was amazed at the size of the box for that print. I thought surely not, its huge for the size of print. Thanks for posting the video. Enjoyed the advice.
Thoroughly enjoyed the content, I'd been looking all over for this exact video, thank you! I certainly appreciate you helping me avoid the pitfalls you've experienced along the way... maybe I can save 5 years of making mistakes!
Some pro photo printing companies offer a signature pen service (you first upload your signature) in combination with white label drop ship service (no paperwork enclosed). This solves the signed work with drop ship issue. There is an extra charge per print, which you would just bundle into the price.
love this video.. thank you. you were very clear.
I clicked on this video just to see if you would mention shipping costs. Great info to share!
I know this video is old, but I loved that intro! Super excited for the rest of the video since I'm looking into started my own online store for my art
Aaaaaah! Awesome video! Getting stuff ready right now to try to launch small art shop. 🤯 This was so helpful. Answered so many thoughts you go through on your way to starting a business. 👏
Your last few videos have really helped me understand what I need to know to start making my hobby a source of money! Keep up the great work really appreciate what you do 🤘🏼💯📸
Hello Evan I am new to photography I just start selling Landscape prints and frames so this video will definitely help me not to make some of these mistakes.
Thank you
I really like this video. Valuable insight. Thanks Evan 👍
Great video. Any idea where I can get thick cardboard?
Straight to the point, thanks for the advice!
Evan. Could you please do a video on How you prepare your Images in Lr+Ps to then print?. This would be much helpful.
Thank you! This helped me so much!
So insightful and helpful. Thank you so much for sharing!
Excellent advice, thank you very much.
Great video! Some of these headaches are why I use companies like Mpix pro. I submit the image, they pretty much handle the rest. Shipping is low cost or even free, blazing fast, and if there’s a problem with an order arriving damaged, they handle that too. This process is especially useful for me since I live and shoot in Hawaii. The one downside is that I don’t ever see the print and so I can’t hand sign it, so I’ll usually add my signature digitally before submitting the image file. Not ideal, but definitely worth all the other conveniences the process affords!
And I get that there’s somewhat of a loss of connection when you don’t get to hand sign it but I feel more of a connection when I’m actually out shooting the image and imagining it appealing to someone and forever placing them there with me in the moment when I captured and created that image. If we were selling paintings or something else that we created with our hands and therein was the connection, I could definitely see a much stronger need for hand signing it. Necessary and ok sacrifice, in my opinion. (That being said, if you have the ability to meet/visit your client and can hand sign it for them in person, DO IT!)
Thanks for the tips, very helpful, good luck in your endeavors!
Thank you so so much for the advice that you gave, I’ve been struggling with navigating through this, but I really want to start selling prints. I appreciate your wisdom and advice, keep doing what you’re doing thank you
It's bad advice he is giving. Avoid it.
Such a helpful video!
How "good" do you have to be to start selling prints? Do you think there's an experience cap where you say "okay, I have x amount of experience, I should start selling"?
Look at whag other people are selling. If you're interested in selling say realistic animals look at what other professionals are doing. If you're on the same level then yeah! I don't think there's really a prefect answer for this and totally depends on what you're interested in selling
I think because it's art it doesn't matter *too* much. Whilst it does obviously matter to some degree, it's subjective to individual tastes so what one person may think is overpriced or unworthy of being marketed, somebody else might absolutely love and buy it immediately.
EDIT: I'll also add that it depends on what you're charging per print of course
Great video, I found it very helpful. Thank you.
thanks evan about to start selling mine
Your pricing advice was so inspirational. I will make sure to value my work properly. Thank you so much 🙏
Hi Evan, Thanks for the heads up on mistakes to avoid in this video. I have a question about how you set-up your online website. Things like do you need a business license, taxes, tax ID number and what other fees should I expect to pay, is this different since it is not a brick and mortar store? In other words what exactly that I must do once I've built a website to be up and running selling my prints? I live in New York State which can be very difficult with rules and regulations. I know you might not live in my state so I just need a general idea of how to set it up.
The intro was awesome! Thanks for the insights, time to sell some prints this year.
honestly that introduction had me hooked! wow
Epic video. It's so important to print your work. And even more awesome selling your prints! Excellent info brother.🤘
Exactly, selling or not printing is such an awesome thing to do!!
@@RanftEvan 💯💯
I used to print my own black and white photographs in my darkroom. There were a few times the photograph finally came out the way I wanted it but found my fingerprint in the corner. Builds character I guess.
Really fantastic TH-cam Video. Thank you, I learned a lot.
Yea the intro is epic. Video is solid value too, ty!
My biggest hang up on printing photos (for myself even) is that I just have a hard time trusting printing sites. I've watched videos on how to print at home and get the best results, but i don't feel that I'm on that level yet to invest that kind of money in a good dedicated photo printer. I've gotten prints done before on shutterfly, but was less than impressed with the results.
I hear ya about investing in a good printer! Why not take the first step of investing in a somewhat higher end printing company? I don't have experience with Shutterfly, but generally if a place advertises mugs, mousepads and beach towels with images on them on their main page, they're not always focused on producing 'fine art' quality prints. There are TONS of choices out there, but two that come to mind right away are White House Custom Colour (WHCC) and Bay Photo Lab. Most 'fine art' print places will offer a wide range of papers to suit different images... some papers will work great for black and white, others work great for portraits etc. If you use the term 'fine art giclee' when you're searching for a print shop, you'll tend to find some of the higher end places.
Awsome content! Just what I needed. Thanks.
Sweet intro. So much info. I agree with the hesitation to promote yourself. I'm just getting comfortable with TH-cam but have to get better in person to generate income. Thanks for sharing🐼👊🏻
This video was perfect for me. Many thanks Evan.
Thanks for the video Evan! It was really helpful! All the best bro
Thanks for the advice!
Amazing video! Very informative and to the point. Your examples also made you points easy to understand. Thank you so much!
Thanks a bunch man! really helpful :)
Great vid and tips, thanks man!
This is just in time and super helpful. I’m looking forward to selling some prints in the near future. 👍
A great follow up video. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this excellent video. So very helpful!
Great tips :)! Thanks a lot 😊