Digital Files, Art Prints, or Both?

[Former_Member]

Originally I wanted to only sell digital files in my shop, but now I'm thinking it would be a good idea to offer actual prints as well. I'm afraid I might be missing out on sales because people don't want to print the file themselves. Any thoughts?

[Former_Member]

I would do both... I have a printer but right now, due to space, I need to hook it up every time I use it, which doesn't take long, but usually I just decide not to do it... so I think offering both would probably be in your best interest :) but that's just my opinion :)

[Former_Member]

I agree with Alicia, it never hurts to have the option. If people want the print great, if they want the digital file they have that option too.

[Former_Member]

Oh, I love your Golden Autumn! I also liked how you offered both digital and print. I don't know how most people do it, but I always assumed an actual print would be higher quality than what I could do from my computer. I just assumed it would be special paper or something. You named the paper, but I don't know what it is, so it just sounded like what I could buy at the store and do myself. If possible, can you use some kind of speciality paper that is designed forxart prints? If what you are using is, maybe describe it as such instead of just "professional paper." It could just be that I am looking at 4 in the morning, but so could some of your buyers- try to really give too much information so there could be no questions left :)

Very pretty stuff!

[AnneLondezGlass]

I agree with the others, I think it's a good idea to offer both. And I also agree that people may not be able to do the same high quality printing at home, so giving them the option not to print themselves is important. I have a second shop where I sell art prints and photographs and I've been wondering for a while about the reverse, which is offering ready-to-print files but I've been worried that people may be disappointed by the printing quality if they only have a low quality printer.

[Former_Member]

I'd contact a local large format digital print shop and get some prices off them. I think you'd be surprised how economic it is and probably better than using your own home inkjet/laser printer.
I don't think you can underestimate peoples inability to print their own stuff; every supermarket here has a place where people can take their cameras to get photos printed; most of these people will have a printer at home.

[Former_Member]

I don't offer printed versions of my items. If a customer asks for a pprinted version of a pattern I will gladly do so for them, but I don't want to deal with offering printed vs. e versions, the shipping and such; not to mention this isn't my only shop! On that note, though, if it was something that I was going to frame & hang on the wall, then I would expect to buy a 'real' version of that item! It seems silly, but in my head I think that it would be a higher quality, even though I know I probably havbe the same grade printer at home, OR the option to print it at Sam's Club or Wal-mart. (And yes, I still print my pictures at Sam's Club, it's not worth the wear on my machine to print really nice 3x5s at home, plus they do turn out better than my machine can handle!)

[Former_Member]

You all are awesome, thank you so much!

I decided to do both, and I chose to go with a professional printer that I have used before. Oddly, I never thought people would try to print the art pieces themselves - I just assumed they would send them to be printed. I'm not sure why I assumed that!
Now I'm thinking about offering giclee and canvas prints too. Anyone know a good website for that?

[Former_Member]

If you can I'd err toward a local supplier that you can drop in and collect from as if there's a problem with the output (there will be sometimes) it's a lot easier to resolve.
E.G. I've just had some labels done for a commercial job, when I went to collect I wasn't happy with the colour balance. The shop admitted there was a problem and they re-ran it same day. If that had been an internet store there would have been a lot of cost and delay involved to resolve it.
You have to minimise the chance of getting caught in the middle when you're sub-contracting any work.

[Former_Member]

Excellent point - and one I wouldn't have thought of until something went wrong.

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