Canvas gallery wraps pricing for shows some guidelines

[larryg]

I know this will vary for every photographer.   I am trying to determine prices

I have sold mostly matted and framed prints  but the canvas is not the same  nor are the costs related to making the canvas as it is with framed images.

How do you price your canvas work (gallery wraps) as compared to the framed art work (if you did this)

I have various sizes for an upcoming art show
16x24,  20x30, 16x20 & 20x24    depending on the format of the image.

I would think I could price te 16x24 the same as 16x20     

any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Inanda Images]

1/3 to the gallery
1/3 to production costs
1/3 to the photographer

this is based upon production values from a Epson 9880 breathing color canvas & wrap system. Prints are not numbered
and currently I am charging thirty cents per square inch.

There are a couple of paper framed prints from other photographers and the same formula is used.

Hope this helps

Mark Prins
Inanda Images

Upon reflection, opening a regional photography gallery at the end of the world could be considered the first sign of senility.
---self

[bill t.]

Take a day to visit your local galleries, prices vary a lot by region.

From my own experience in my own area, I would caution you that those kinds of sizes do not sell very well, either as wraps or framed.  My best efforts at getting into the heads of my local art buyers suggests the following memes are common...

--Gallery wraps should be cheaper alternatives to framed art.

--Gallery wraps should be sized to fill up the space above sofas and beds.  ie, they should be "sofa sized" at minimum

--Small gallery wraps look funny.

--Gallery wraps in the 30x40 range should be priced at about $385.

Mind you, that's not me talking.  It's what I detect virally wafting in the local art buying air.

I would add...

If you have some killer images, simply present them which ever way is easiest for you.  For images that just dazzle people at the point of sale, the kind of framing or wrapping hardly matters.

[larryg]

thank you both for your replies.

as far as 30 cents per square inch    that would mean a 20x30  (this is the largest width I can print with he Epson 7600).   would be 600 sq inches x $.30 or $180   correct.


Regarding the sofa size prints.  Currently have some limitations if I print my own (as far as size)  also the two shows are local in a rural community.  I am trying various sizes for the first show to see what moves locally.   I will then make appropriate adjustments for future shows.

Thank you again for your input, it has been helpful

[mstevensphoto]

you are worth what you can convince anyone you're worth. Fine art should carry a fine price and I wouldn't touch a 20x30 for $180. not to be a jerk, but I wouldn't sell a 20x30 for less than 3x that.

at $180 you're giving $60 to the gallery by the suggested math. I'd suggest that 40-50% is more common until you're a big name. either way, if we stick with the suggested numbers you're pulling a $60 "profit" out of a 20x30 image. it takes me roughly an hour to print, cut, spray and stretch a 20x30 print (obviously not all at once, but that's my best math at my most efficient, not counting retouching). I am absolutely unwilling to earn that little on a fine art print that big. Canvas is a pain in my rear and I want at least as much profit out of a canvas as I do a paper print. It initially seems like you're charging on some modified material's cost. I believe the biggest mistake a person can make is selling the paper/canvas. you're selling the image not the stuff.

May I suggest this exercise for any pricing discussions:
take what you want to make in a year and multiply it by 1.3 (that's bastardized math for the self employment taxes you'll have to pay)
write down all of your expenses (be realistic, include your equipment, maintenance, rent insurance, EVERYTHING that a real business pays for)
ask yourself if you want to retire, if so, include an appropriate amount for that
add the above numbers up and write the total down.
ask yourself, how many prints/wraps/whatever are you honestly likely to sell in a year.
take that number and divide it into the bigger number of what you need to gross to cover expenses and a salary that lets you eat more than ramen. this will give you your required average sale, from there you do the math on how you need to price things.

The above is a waaaay over generalized list, but the moral of the story is that every photographer should be aware of their business accounting and set their pricing starting there. Don't get too caught up on what other people charge. in every market there's someone who sells stuff for 5x what anyone else does and they are able to do so because they've convinced their audience they are worth it.

[bill t.]

Andrew Collett is a superb photographer and a very good businessman.  He makes a good living at photography.  He has an interesting interview on one of the LULA videos, anybody interested in making a living in photo art needs to see it.

Here is his pricing page, which IMO reflects a very realistic understanding of the market for photo canvases.

http://www.andrewcollett.com/how/

Andrew has carefully chosen his production tools and designed a very efficient and cost-effective production system.  He can produce artwork at a fraction of the cost of most photographers.  As a result he can sell lots of art at prices that attract significant numbers of buyers, while making a healthy profit.  And he has a product that is wildly attractive to his potential buyers, which is a feature all too often neglected by art photographers!

I have adopted a very similar approach and it has served me well.  And my competitors hate me for it!