Pricing by Size... or...

[Mike Guilbault]

I know most photographers price their prints by size and possibly the type of paper it's printed on (at least for digital printing).  A smaller print sells for less than a large print, and to some extent it makes sense. Probably makes the best sense to clients too. 

Aside from business models/plans, COGS, etc., what other factors do YOU base your print prices on?

[Mike Guilbault]

thanks Keith.  As you mention, it's what the market expects and does make pricing seem more logical. 

Now, do you ever price images that are the same size differently?  In other words, if the market, edition, size, etc. are the same between two images, are the prices always the same? 

[bill t.]

I price strictly by size using a formula.  Has number of advantages for selling across a wide variety of venues in that, for instance galleries can quote a custom size and price without having to play phone tag while a customer is waiting.  It's great to be able to tell customers that prices are the same "everywhere," they really have a sense of what things should cost and are quite sensitive to the idea that something might cost less or more at different venues.

I actually have several different formulas based on specific framing treatments.  But it's always a "base price" plus a certain cost per square inch.  The dimensions are always to the outside of the frame, so frame area is valued the same as print area.  The "base" price is a kind of minimum-bid thing that prevents loses on small frame sizes that are still require some significant labor.

I don't deny that there may be some mojo to pricing by image merit.  But that makes it hard to discount initially overpriced images without getting early adopters ticked off.  Formula based pricing also avoids the implication that some of your images are better than others.  Best to take an overall average view of pricing IMHO.

[michaelnotar]

while not mainly a portrait photographer, myself and others do something like this 4x5 for $29, 5x7 $39, 8x10 $49. while materials arent that much the PITA factor is there and it also makes it easy for them to buy a larger print.