This blog entry is for those who like it when I touch on the practical side of selling and marketing your images.
Inevitably as you start to look at selling prints, you have to ask, what sizes should I print? Should I matt them? Frame them? How? I know I had all these questions and a lot more as I started to sell prints. It took me a while to come to some conclusions on a lot of this so here are a few of my decisions:
- I have personally chosen to only use mats and matting materials that are archive quality, acid free, cotton rag, etc. They aren’t the cheapest way to go, but I want my work to last and be a quality product all around. I use archive pigment inks and papers so I don’t want the matting materials ruining the print in time.
- I try to use standard size mats to keep the cost down. Custom sizes cost more or require you to cut your own.
- I have chosen so far not to cut my own mats. While that would allow more options and a custom look, I am choosing not to spend my time this way. You may choose differently. I use mats with 1:1, 6:4 and 2:1 ratio openings.
- If I am selling matted prints. I choose mats whose outside dimensions fit off the shelf frame sizes when possible – this keeps the customers additional cost down when they buy my prints.
- I typically buy my mats from matt providers like matcutter.com or framedestination.com . They are quick and so far they both provide quality work.
Here are more questions you will likely have:
- How thick of a mat? 4,6 or 8 ply.
- Should you double mat?
- What color mat should you use?
- Frame material and color?
I’ll touch on these and more in my next blog entry (or more).
Blog image: Another shot from one of the recent cold mornings. Ice on the edge of a pond. Nice oblique movement and interesting pattern of dark and lights. Cropped to a 2:1 ratio format.
