Table of Contents

to Sell Art Online In 8 Easy Steps


Learn how to sell artwork online.

Great idea! It’s a great way to make money doing something you love, and selling art is a fantastic way to do it. The global art market is worth approximately $50 billion and has people all over the globe willing to pay for creative art prints.

With all the tools available, it is possible to set up an online store for your artwork and accept payments from all corners of the globe. Although a gallery show is still a great way of promoting your work, the internet market offers a vast opportunity to reach a wider audience.

You can sell your artwork online using 8 easy steps

Shopify allows you to start selling online right away


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8 Steps to Success


1. Original or reproductions? Choose Your Choice

When selling art online, one of the most important decisions you will need to make is where to focus your business. You may sell prints, curated pieces from other artists, or originals as an artist.


To appeal to a larger audience, some entrepreneurs offer a mix of art forms. There are many options:

  • Original works: Drawings and paintings that you have created. These artworks can also be sold as prints or reproductions.
  • Limited-edition prints To generate more interest in your items, you might only sell a few prints for a short time
  • Custom art: This is artworks that are created after a client orders something. You might draw a portrait of someone’s best friend or dog. These drawings are often unique.
  • Merchandise – With print-on-demand companies it is easy to have your design printed on a variety of t-shirts and enamel pins.
  • Licensing is the ability to license certain works to other companies.
  • Downloads from the Internet: Desktop wallpapers, templates, and artworks that people can use at home are all popular (and inexpensive to sell).


2. Print your own prints

You will need to know the best way to make your prints if you want to create original artwork and print them. There are many options. You can make DIY prints with high-quality inks on beautiful paper if you have the right printer at home.


If you are a beginner artist and don’t want to spend too much, DIY printing is a great way to make profits. You can use a local printing company every time someone places an order if you don’t have the funds to print professionally. You can also consider ordering printing services online for higher quantities as your order volume increases.

Print-on-demand can be another way to keep costs down. Print-on-demand offers many options for printing. Print-on-demand companies offer the ability to print your work on metal, canvases, and accessories like bags and mugs.


3. Digitizing Your Work: Photography vs Scanning


It can be difficult to digitize your artwork for online sales. It can be difficult to show all details in your work by simply taking a picture of it. Photos can shine or make colors appear different in real life. Your lighting and camera choices can impact the quality of your photographs.


These are some tips for photographing and scanning your artwork:

  • Multiple photos: Take clear pictures from multiple angles. Zoomed-in photographs can show texture and detail. Lifestyle photos, such as the artwork you have on your bedroom wall, are great for creating an emotional impact on your audience.
  • Edit imagesspan styling=”font-weight 400 ;”>: Recalibrate the image after it has been digitized with contrast, brightness and other settings to make it as real as possible. Do not use filters or other features that could make customers unsure about what they will receive.
  • Crop images: If you are providing context shots, remove unnecessary background and edges. Extra props and hands should not be visible as they could distract from the piece.

Also, ensure that images are saved in the correct format. Images in PNG often retain higher resolution and clarity than JPEG files.

Pro tip Flat or 2D images can be easily scanned. The scanner can then examine each pixel and upload them to.

4. Make sure you get the pricing right

Pricing is the most difficult part of starting a business. You risk losing customers if you set a price that is too high. If you price something too low, your customers will think they aren’t getting the best quality. It’s a delicate balance.

It can be difficult to price original art because it is hard to value your skills. You might start simple pricing if you are just starting out and don’t have many fans or followers. You can combine labor and time costs with materials costs and expenses. To make a profit, add a small markup to the final price. After you’ve developed a following and a better understanding of the demand for your art, you can start charging a premium. Consider your competition and what they are charging. Are your fees lower or higher than others?

Pricing is easier if you sell curated art or prints. You simply need to take the printing cost and add the sales and marketing fees. Limited edition prints may be charged a little more.

You can find out what prices customers respond to by looking at your competitors and the marketplace. Do not underestimate yourself in order to attract more customers. You must make a profit in order to make your venture worthwhile. These pricing strategies will help you determine how much to charge your merchandise or art prints.

5. Your Online Store


Now is the time to launch and create your online store.

Shopify is a platform that allows you to create a store within 30 minutes. Shopify is an ecommerce website-building platform that includes everything you need to show your artwork and make money. You can create a theme that suits your brand, set up a checkout page and add apps to help sell your artwork.


Shopify’s app marketplace is packed with tools that make it easier for creative professionals. There are:

  • Email marketing tools: These are great to keep your customers informed about your latest products, generate hype about new collections and provide information about clients’ previous orders.
  • SEO apps: These apps can help you track keywords and increase your online visibility. SEO is essential if you want customers to be able to find your art by searching certain terms on Google.
  • Print on-demand apps span style=”font weight: 400 ;”>: For artists who want to collaborate with another printing company to mass print their products, print-on demand services are a blessing. You want to make sure that you are able to trust your POD service to deliver high-quality products.

Shopify offers a variety of free apps, including countdown timers. These are great for creating urgency and convincing people to buy. Shopify App Store has everything you need to boost your online store.


6. Check out these additional platforms for online selling

You will need to sell more than your website if you want to increase your sales chances. You can find potential buyers by using the many art-focused online marketplaces that already have customers. There are many options:

  • Etsy span style=”font weight: 400 ;”>: This is the most well-known website for crafting and artistic creations. Etsy allows you to list your artwork alongside other creators worldwide.
  • CafePress span style=”font weight: 400 ;”>: CafePress is a solution to turning your art into unique products or collectibles. Your pieces can be featured before a large audience.
  • ArtFirespan styling=”font-weight 400 ;”>: Artfire is an online marketplace for crafters and makers around the globe. Artfire allows you to capture the attention of your target audience with podcasts, articles and other media.
  • span styling=”font-weight 400 ;”>: You might consider eBay if you are selling unique creations. This is the largest auction site in the world, and people can bid as much or little as they like.
  • Artfinderspan type=”font-weight 400 ;”>: Artfinder a dedicated marketplace for curated art. If you wish to be featured, you will need to apply to the website. There are many seller plans and many commission options.
  • UGallery “font-weight 400 ;”>: UGallery aims to democratize art sales by connecting artists with collectors. If you are selling unique pieces, this is a great site to look at. There is an application process that ensures all art sold through this website meets a high standard.

You might also be able to sell directly via social media channels such as Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. You can also look into wholesale websites like Handshake to buy photos and prints in bulk.


7. Protect your work


Protecting yourself from people trying to steal your talents is one of the most difficult parts of building a brand as an artist. People claim that they created a design or reproduced an artwork to sell on various marketplaces and websites. It can be costly and time-consuming to hire a legal team. Therefore, it is best to take action and start defending yourself.


Copyright your most important pieces as soon as possible. Keep an eye out for others who may be trying to copy your design. When distributing art online, it is important to partner with trusted marketplaces and third-party vendors.


The best print-on-demand marketplaces, curators and companies will work with your artwork to protect it and inform you if others try to claim it as theirs.


8. Marketing Your Art Brand


You’re now ready to create buzz for your art brand.


There are many great ways to get attention for your website and your creations. You could create a social media account where you share short excerpts of your latest work. This is possible with Pinterest and Instagram. You can also try these other options:


  • Create paid ads campaigns on Facebook and Google using PPC
  • Engaging competitions and events via social media can help you invest in word-of mouth marketing.
  • Connect with journalists in your industry by reaching out to influencers

  • Get to know SEO and increase your rank on sites like Google.
  • Content marketing is a great way to increase organic traffic to your site.

  • Look into offline marketing options like attending art shows or working with galleries to increase your reach to new audiences


Summary – How to Sell Art Online by 2023


Online selling art is a great way to make your passion a viable income.


There are many ways to get started, whether you want to make custom pieces for customers all over the world or sell prints of your images online.


Just jump.


These are the steps for selling art online.


  1. Decide whether you want to sell originals

  2. You can print your work via DIY printing or print on-demand

  3. Take a photo and scan it

  4. Select a price point

  5. Create your online art shop

  6. Find other places to sell your art online

  7. Copyright your art pieces

  8. Promote your Art Brand


FAQ


How can you sell art online in the most efficient way?


It all depends on what you prefer. Most artists love to have their own website that draws attention. Shopify allows you to create an ecommerce website that will help you project a professional image. It also helps you reach potential customers all over the globe. You can also sell via social media channels and online marketplaces.


Is selling art online profitable?


It is possible to make a good profit by selling artwork online. First, make sure to choose the right price for your art. This includes factors such as time and materials. You should also have a marketing strategy to attract customers.


What art is most profitable?


Art can be broad or subjective. Different people are attracted to different types of art. It is best to decide which types of art you are most interested in selling. Once your store is up and running, you can start tracking which pieces get the most attention. Your store analytics will over time show you where to focus your attention in order to maximize your return on investment.

Shopify allows you to start selling online right away


Get a free trial


Want To Learn More?

Adeel Qayum
Author: Adeel Qayum

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