Are your prints too big to sell. Is there an optimum size - what do you need to consider.

For selling fine art, photo and art prints, is there a 'best' size? Am I making prints too big to sell - it depends on who wants them.
Why I make big prints - when does it matter? Should you stick to smaller prints if you want to sell them.
One of my 'Business' of photography videos - there are many more in the business play list.
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[@garybrindle6715]

A 4 are popular because the buyer will then duplicate the print for friends on a copier regardless of quality, larger print sizes make this impossible for most.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, I'd not thought of that one!

[@kimbohning2098]

Thanks four the answer Keith.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks

[@CharlesBonham-bh8mt]

In a recent Art Fair in my community (Michigan ) I sold three 12 x 18 inch prints matted to 18 x 24 inches. I sold three 8 x 12 prints matted to 12 x 16, both standard frame sizes. The three larger ones were Landscapes, the three smaller ones work well with small subjects like butterflies or macro work. I also had several 16 x 24 inch prints matted to 22 x 30 and a few canvas prints 20 x 24 and 24 x 36 inches, while they got a lot attention and comments they did not sell.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - the big ones are great for getting attention ;-) The gallery owner I spoke to liked to use the larger ones to draw people into the store.

[@verdedoodleduck]

@@KeithCooper That was my thought too - I made some large prints with the idea of just getting people's attention (I haven't set anything up...still puttering around with it - really no easy place to display where I live... :\)

[@fransschmitz2628]

One day back in 2006 I was in New York and had a hotel on the 71th street just around the corner of Broadway. So for 5 days in a row I went down broadway walking up to Times Square and for 5 days I was dazzled by the fact that about half way down I would see this massive picture of this top-sporter in a trainings suite standing there in front of me. I still have pictures of it, and as I counted later, the image was about 40 stores hig, imagine that! Thats where I found my love for large printing found acknowledged, downtown Broadway/Times Square New York. I had done some large printing made in a printers-shop, from as much as 2,40 cm by 12 meters and sold it for backdrop purposes at various clients but never ever anything came close to that one I saw over there. But I must agree with you Keith, there is nothing more beautiful than a large print in the size of an A0 ore something like that. Thank you for another great video Keith!

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks!

[@sword-and-shield]

Great points, I think image content and the consumers interest in that content can matter greatly, and can vary wildly, as well. Most consumers these days know the capabilities to change print size are possible, so I say print the size that you think the content needs to be to draw in and make them want a "print" first. So image content specifics will always make this a variable. Once you have the consumer interest, the size is just a negotiation after the fact, if at all from what it already is. Thx for the vid.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - I've always been a believer in 'smaller size prints are available'...

[@sword-and-shield]

@@KeithCooper Yes like you mentioned in the vid, I as well just never have been a fan much of 8x10 and under, some, but not many.

[@65WZ]

I've been a photography hobbyist since 1977, and I don't have a single print on my walls 😊 But I do concur, I like seeing large prints.. Perhaps one day, I'll find a wall-worthy photo in my archives, and print it.

[@KeithCooper]

I'll admit that ours are part marketing, for any visiting clients [I work from home]

[@ronboe6325]

A side comment/observation after checking out a gallery up in Minnesota off Lake Superior. He had LARGE prints (measured in feet or meters - not cm or inches). Two customers come to mind (never mind the prices): commercial folks and very well off people as they will have homes/buildings with rooms and walls large enough to display such prints. So, to some degree, the size you will sell will depend upon the market you are trying to reach. Well healed people simply have more wall space available. Us folks on beer and kool-aid budgets - not so much. In fact buying a print then trying to find a reasonably priced frame to put it in could strain the budget. :)

[@KeithCooper]

Very true - there are only big prints in our house because I printed them ;-)

[@eoslove2022]

Totally agree.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks

[@brainrussell6811]

Thanks for your thoughts/experiences. I'm going for a different tact... the "field of dreams" shoot it and they will come. The idea is to create a very unique, one of a kind photo of a very specific subject or genre, and then to seek out very specific collectors to direct market to. Said marketing to include a photo of the piece displayed on a wall, next to a person for scale... and yes, bigger is absolutely better! The rights of the piece will transfer to the buyer and they will have rights to print copies should they wish. Wall space is rarely an issue for these specific buyers, and the idea of owning the "sole" original iteration only adds to its uniqueness. The caveat is that said pieces must be VERY distinctive and captivating.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - I've found that big ones draw the crowd in, and the 'small sizes available can then sell... As to rights... absolutely not a chance. Then again, I'm a working photographer and this is part of what puts food on the table.

[@dukeofurl999]

This is fine work. I am amazed at how much excellent training/learning/tutorials about photography there are. I set out to learn photography online and I put together a course outline first then began building a directory to store what I have learned in the last 18 months. Printing is in my future and I am glad to have seen you on Tinhouse, another youtuber I follow along with Justin Mott, an assignment shooter in Vietnam. Each has given me insights into areas I could not afford a GOTO school for. At present I am using DXO pure RAW 4 and I was wondering if you have experience printing after using something like this for noise reduction and optical correction or Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI for upscaling ? Thanks. That Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-2600 sure would look good on my table if I get that far...

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks! Lot's of related articles and videos [~600] ... Best place to look is my full index at www.northlight-images.co.uk/keith-cooper-photography-videos-index/ KZbin is hopeless for curating/indexing any significant collection of videos - so I created this one :-)

[@robertpanick2660]

As usual in photography the answer is "It Depends" :) Nice take on the subject and some interesting information to think about. Unrelated, I'm currently using an Epson Stylus 1400, which generally produces good prints. Not bad considering I think the printer is close to 10 years old, and amazingly I can still get ink for it. I'd love to go to the Epson 18100 but it's not sold here in the US, but I have considered ordering one from Amazon UK. The 18100 would likely save me money in the long run, in savings from not having to buy print cartridges for the 1400. The other option is a P700 or possibly a P900, but my concern there is it will likely cost me more in the long run, and will I run into clogging issues if I only print once a month? I would like the larger color range of the P700/P900 and the P900 would allow me to do larger prints. Thank you for any suggestions.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks With a 700/900 I'd just suggest setting a diary reminder to run a nozzle check [on plain paper] every couple of weeks. I have a much fussier P5000, and this keeps it healthy The 18100 is quite touchy about paper [see the main written review]

[@verdedoodleduck]

Thank you - not terribly surprising but it is good to hear more confirmation. I have always assumed the smaller prints would do well but haven't been sure whether the bigger prints (and what size) would be worth producing. I think in my market smaller is better but I'm glad my printer can do the 13"w. I'm still not sure of the economy of printing my own works in larger quantities.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, the small ones sell, but a few good big ones can work wonders for promotion. As to large quantities - that's a business/quality choice

[@verdedoodleduck]

@@KeithCooper Thanks! Do you have one or more videos where you elaborate on the business/quality trade-off?

[@KeithCooper]

Not specifically - I may be looking at some commercial print services later this year, but that depends on quite a few factors. Personally, I've never had a volume of print sales to even consider farming out work - BUT my circumstances [as in working with all the manufacturers] are not common... It depends on volume, the quality your market will accept, oh and your own expertise in printing ;-) :-)

[@garyrowe58]

I sell at a Sunday market which is on a walk alongside a park, and being in a town with a large port there can even be cruise ships in. This means that we can get different people walking past each week, but it is *not* somewhere that people come expecting to buy artwork. There has *never* - to me - been any pattern to what people buy. I show mainly prints (15x21") on A2 paper and small 5x7 prints in 8x10 frames, and have several of the images also printed on A3+ (to give a print of actual A3 size). Some days I've sold 2 or 3 large prints and no small ones, and on other days its several 5x7s and no large ones - and of course, days where I've sold nothing! The bottom line is, it takes a person with a) the need/desire to buy to b) walk past and c) notice them, d) be in the right mood, and e) be able to stop and purchase a picture. So many times some of these criteria willl exist but not all ... and as we're outdoors with no shelter, the weather plays a huge role too! But the bottom line is, even with images you love, you are totally dependant on the taste, need and mood of others as to whether they will buy anything or not ... _and of course, the size & colour of the frame (does it match their wall, and what size gap they have to fill !!!_

[@TarrelScot]

I think a lot depends on the selling environment. I sell at local markets and art fairs, and normally have one or two large pieces on display, as much for attention-grabbing as anything else. They rarely sell, but smaller (16x12 and 10x8) mounted prints and cards do well. But last year I took a week’s rent on a ‘pop up shop’ in my local town and ran a self promoted exhibition. I had several large 36” x 24” framed canvasses on display and they all sold. Interestingly, they were abstract landscapes (mostly ICM) which rarely sell as small prints.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - the environment and who comes there, are vital things many avoid thinking about too hard.

[@garyrowe58]

I sell at a market, mainly A2 sized prints, but I often get asked do I do larger(!) ... I've never said yes, as I think they may join the army of 'disappeared' buyers, who say they'll be back but sadly never make it ... I don't want it to happen to them too ;-)

[@KeithCooper]

@@garyrowe58 I have a very much 'bespoke' attitude if someone wants a very large print, since they are often commercial clients - I have asked individuals for a 50% deposit [special papers etc etc]

[@TarrelScot]

@@garyrowe58 I take full payment up front, just as though they were buying one from the rack.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes , I still want the full amount before shipping ;-)

[@Richardincancale]

As you say - depends on the market… but I’d say there’s a significant difference between commercial and domestic environments - clearly the former can use big images in their vestibule or board rooms etc. For domestic A4 to A3 images, plus the mount which adds almost another size step. In exhibitions where entry is by jury you have a better chance with smaller images (say A4) as they can get more images in their exhibition than taking a chance on an A0. Similarly for galleries - they can get more on their walls with many small images.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, this does vary widely by market. I'm not allowed an 'RA Summer Exhibition' approach to hanging pictures at home ;-)

[@Tubeytime]

Hey Keith, this is my kind of video as I want to get into printing my digital art! Few questions for you: - When people say "A# paper", do they sometimes mean "in the range of A#" or is it always strict? - When you hold prints and it looks like you're creasing the paper (1:22) are you actually damaging the print or is it mostly harmless? I'm paranoid lol. - Does most of the material cost of a print come from the paper or the ink? As I understand, it's like 90:10 paper to ink. - Finally, I'd love to hear your thoughts on storing prints, with considerations to humidity, acidity, rolling or laying flat, shelf life and so on. You're a legend, keep it up!

[@Richardincancale]

Hi - the A# sizes refer to ISO paper sizes. They range from A0 to A8. A0 is 1189 x 841 millimetres. A1 is the size you get when you fold that in two along the short axis. A3 is half of that and so on. See Wikipedia ‘paper size’. A0 is 1 square metre in area and the aspect ratio is 1:root 2. A1 is therefore 0.5m2, A2 is 0.25m2 etc.

[@Tubeytime]

@@Richardincancale Sorry, I rephrased my question to be less vague.

[@KeithCooper]

It is indeed an international standard See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_size for probably far more than you wanted ;-) The prints in my videos are samples and most get scrapped/recycled - for prints I'm selling I do have cotton gloves if they need handling Depends on the printer, but see www.redrivercatalog.com/rr/cost-of-inkjet-printing.html and you can work out the costs per sheet from box prices. Prints live in the chart drawers below where I'm doing the videos - interleaved with A1 sized archival tissue for the good ones. Humidity/acidity/archival - yes, aware of these from my marketing copy ;-)

[@garyrowe58]

​@@Richardincancale And, if the printed image is to be mounted, there must be a small border around it to attach to the mount. Additionally, I leave a small white border visible around the image with extra at the bottom for my signature etc., which all has the effect of requiring the printed image to be smaller again ... When I am printing, the important thing is the required size of the actual image, and I then choose the size of paper required for the image, plus any required border, plus the overlap required to stick it onto the back of the mount (mat). The best example I can think of is that to print an image at a full A3 size (approx 11.5 x 16.5"), I need to use A3+ paper (approx 13 x 19"). So, yes, A1 / A2 / A3+ / A3 etc papers are all standard sizes ... but excluding borderless prints, the size of an image printed on them varies, and everyome can phrase it differently [is an 'A3 picture' one that is printed ON A3 paper (and therefore the image is less than A3) or an image printed AT A3 size (and therefore on a larger-than-A3 piece of paper)? Your milage may vary! For a framed print, think in this order: Largest size: the width/height of the outside of the Frame, Then: the width/height of the mount/glass (_the size of the opening in the back of the frame_), Then: the width/height of the opening in the mount (_the 'window' in the mount/mat_), Then: any border around the image, if any, then At last, the *smallest* size: the width/height of the image itself. So, if someone says a picture is 'A3' - which of the above do they mean?

[@Richardincancale]

@@garyrowe58 Hi Gary - I think the answer is fairly simple. The decision on how much, if any white space to leave around an image is an artistic one. For effect you might want a 5x4 inch image lonely in the centre of a piece of A3+ paper. The question is how big is the paper handling slot (for roll paper capable printers) or how big is the biggest tray for sheet paper printers.

[@jamesmgreen15]

Interesting and informative. Cheers.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks

[@windavis499]

Hi Keith, love you channel it’s super helpful, can you help me why does canon pro print and layout. Only let me print at 240dpi? Why is this and please if you can help me. I’ve tried everything to get the 300 dpi and it is stuck at that. I’ve canon pro 300

[@KeithCooper]

PPL prints at whatever resolution [PPI] you send to it - DPI is print dot resolution [two very different things] The 240 number sounds like the default PPI assigned to Canon files out of the camera. If using PPL to print the PPI is set in the editor, when setting print size.

[@J.K.Barrik]

Hi Keith, I would be grateful for some advice please. I'm in the process of publish my first cookbook, and I have obtained printed proof copies of my book from 5 different professional printing companies, including Amazon KDP. The problem is, whilst the text comes out great, the photos don't look anywhere near as good as they do on my computer screen i.e., the pictures on my computer screen are very sharp and vivid, but the printed pictures in the books are shockingly poor as they're flat, dull, and nowhere near as sharp, and this is with all 5 copies from 5 different professional book printing companies. The pictures were taken with a quality DSLR camera and as i said, are of very high clarity and definition, but the printed pictures don't look good - can you advise why that might be? Thanks.

[@KeithCooper]

In two words - 'Colour Management' Unfortunately this is exactly what I'd expect to see. Conversion to CMYK and working with specific printer profiles is a complex matter. So much so that for my book about tilt/shift lenses, I left the conversion entirely to the publisher and their design team. If you want to do it yourself, the book I'd recommend, to learn the essentials is 'Real World Color Management' by Fraser et al. [widely available used]. Needs a good knowledge of Photoshop - I have, and still I got the people publishing the book to do it. Sorry not to have a 'good' answer to this - it is not a trivial matter - making images look good on a screen is one thing, making good images with a desktop printer is not overly difficult, but making them look good for commercial print is a whole different skill set

[@J.K.Barrik]

@@KeithCooper Thanks for getting back to me, a lot to think about as the question of budget has to be taken into account as hiring (or paying) a design team won't be cheap Thanks for your feedback!

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, I was lucky in specifically being commissioned to write the book, by the publisher. Do a search on 'CMYK image preparation for publishing' - You need Photoshop skills though... At very least you'll need the CMYK icc profiles from your print supplier for soft proofing. Seriously though, this is not a trivial matter, since one of the key elements of a cookbook is great photography and repro

[@J.K.Barrik]

@@KeithCooper If I asked you to fix my pictures (52 in total), would you be able to do that? And if so, how much would you charge?

[@KeithCooper]

Nope - not a job I'd do I'm afraid. I don't have the experience to even consider taking on such a job - or more to the point I know how much I would have to learn and I am not a photo editor - I'm an architectural and industrial photographer ;-)

[@RogerHyam]

There are only so many empty walls out there to fill. You are really competing for real estate? Big prints also need to be viewed from father away so probably you could look at the target market and see what size houses they have and work back from there!

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - Knowing your market is indeed the number one aspect, in my book