Simplify Your Pricing Process With This Art Pricing Calculator

Your Pricing Partner: Meet Our Artwork Pricing Calculator

Wondering how to price your art? Pricing your artwork is undeniably one of the most challenging steps in running an art business. It's a delicate balance, where you want to be careful not to be out of reach, but never want to undervalue your work either. From considering your artistic journey and the quality of materials to factoring in the myriad costs of doing business, it can feel like navigating a maze. That's where our Artwork Pricing Calculator steps in – it offers a harmonious blend of square inch pricing and the career multiplier, complemented by the option to include supply and shipping costs. This comprehensive approach provides a beautiful starting point for artists, especially beginners, to understand and navigate the intricate landscape of pricing their precious creations.

Why It Matters

Correctly pricing your art not only helps in establishing your career but also ensures you can sustain your practice financially. Many artists underprice their work due to a lack of confidence or understanding of true costs, leading to burnout and financial strain. Our calculator is designed to help prevent these issues, providing a foundation for fair and profitable pricing.

Who Is the Artwork Pricing Calculator For?

This Art Pricing Calculator is designed for a wide range of artists who create on measurable canvas or paper sizes. Whether you're an abstract artist, painter, illustrator, or anyone working with traditional mediums, this tool is perfect for ensuring you price your work fairly and profitably. From landscape painters to portrait artists, to mixed media creators, this calculator takes the guesswork out of pricing, making it ideal for a variety of visual artists.

Building Transparency: A Clear View of Your Art Business

Our Art Pricing Calculator is designed to offer a transparent look at the numbers behind your art business. It's more than just a pricing tool—it's a way to make informed decisions about how to price your work strategically.

Dream Big, Plan Wisely: Start by considering what your dream income looks like. Then, work backward to figure out how you can achieve that goal with your current pricing. For example, ask yourself, "How many 11x14 pieces would I need to sell each month to reach this goal?" While the answer will likely be more complex than a simple number, this process can help guide your pricing strategy and make your goals feel more attainable.

Diversify Your Income: This tool isn't just for original artwork—it can also help you explore other income sources, like prints. Pricing and offering prints allows you to generate revenue that isn't as tied to the hours in your day, providing a way to scale your income without relying solely on creating new original pieces. Get those wheels turning on how else you can generate income. Individual creators must lean into multiple revenue streams in most, if not all cases.

A Versatile Tool: Whether you're calculating prices for your next big piece, considering trade discounts, or planning to introduce prints, this calculator offers the flexibility to consider all aspects of your pricing strategy. There's much to think about, but with transparency and the right tools, you'll be empowered to make decisions that support your artistic and financial goals.

Setting Up Your Pricing Structure: Finding Clarity & Confidence

Let's dive right into the nitty-gritty of pricing your artwork. As artists, we pour our passion into every piece, but when it comes to putting a price tag on our creations, it can feel overwhelming. This Artwork Pricing Calculator is here to simplify this process and give you the confidence to price your work fairly.

Imagine sitting down to assess the value of your latest creation. With our Base Pricing Calculator, you input the appropriate career multiplier, and suddenly, the fog lifts. No more guesswork or uncertainty; just straightforward pricing tailored to your art's size and worth. We'll leave no stone unturned to account for your experience level, supplies, and shipping too!

Steps to Success

Measure Your Artwork: Start by measuring the dimensions of your artwork in square inches.
Input the Career Multiplier: Select a multiplier that reflects your experience and the quality of materials used.
Add Supplies and Shipping Costs: Ensure every brushstroke and packaging material is accounted for.
Review and Adjust: Use the calculator's feedback to fine-tune your prices until they reflect the true value of your work.

Please Note:

You can choose to standardize your pricing regardless of the surface.
Pricing here includes shipping so you can offer "free" shipping.
Pricing columns can be edited to reflect framed or unframed options.
Pricing in this chart is automatically calculated based on pricing per square inch.

Adding Depth with the Career Multiplier

The career multiplier is a factor applied to the base price of your artwork, reflecting your experience, reputation, and the quality of materials used. It typically ranges from 1 to 3, with emerging artists at the lower end and established artists at the higher end of the scale. The base multiplier is automatically entered as $1.00, $1.25, and $1.50 to start but can easily be changed to meet your needs.

Every artist has a unique story to tell, and our Career Multiplier feature allows you to weave that narrative into your pricing. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned veteran, this tool lets you add layers of value to your work based on your experience and materials used.

Example: If you're an emerging artist using high-quality materials, you might start with a base price of $1.00 per square inch. As your reputation grows and you gain more exhibitions and sales, you could increase your multiplier to reflect your rising status.

Tips for Success:

Use the paint bucket tool or change your text colors to highlight your popular or standard sizes.
Easily change just your Career Multiplier amounts to scale your pricing.
Each pricing column can be edited to reflect your painting surfaces or styles of choice.
The recommended Career Multiplier for emerging artists is $0.50 - $3.00 as a starting point based on research in 2024.
Of course, the longer you've been an artist, or the more highly sought your work, the higher this number can be.

Beyond the Canvas: Accounting for the Essentials

Art is more than just paint on canvas; it's a blend of creativity and practicality. Our Shipping and Supply Costs section ensures that your pricing reflects the true investment behind your art. From materials to packaging, every expense is accounted for transparently, giving you peace of mind and clarity in your pricing.

Detailed Breakdown

Materials: Paints, brushes, canvases, framing costs.
Packaging: Protective wrapping, boxes, shipping labels.
Shipping: Local, national, and international shipping costs.

Example: For a 24x36 inch painting, calculate the cost of high-quality acrylic paint, the canvas, varnish, and a professional frame. Include packaging materials like bubble wrap and a sturdy box, then add the shipping cost to your final price.

Flexibility and Fairness: Navigating Discounts and Trade Offers

In the ever-changing world of art, flexibility is key. Our Discounts and Trade Offers section empowers you to navigate this landscape with confidence. Whether you're offering discounts to loyal customers or negotiating terms with galleries or designers, you have the tools to ensure fairness and profitability.

Strategies for Success

Seasonal Sales: Time-limited discounts during holidays or special events.
Gallery Negotiations: Fair trade terms that respect your pricing structure.

Example: During the holiday season, you might offer a 10% discount on all artworks to encourage sales. When working with a gallery, agree on a commission rate that doesn't undercut your base price, ensuring both you and the gallery benefit.

Alternate Uses:

This section is perfect for working out interior designer trade discounts.
Gallery commissions
This could also be used for friends & family discounts or to calculate fees when working with galleries or wholesaling to retail storefronts.
Change your percentage off value to automatically recalculate all prices.
Adjust shipping fees for local sales if you choose.
Consider using this section to also calculate net earnings after credit card and processing fees on various platforms.

Maintaining Consistency: Trade Discounts, Gallery Commissions, and Platform Pricing

As you refine your pricing structure using the Artwork Pricing Calculator, it's important to consider the broader picture—especially when working with trade discounts and gallery commissions. These factors might prompt you to revisit your initial numbers, ensuring that your pricing remains fair and consistent.

Consistency is Key: Whether you're selling directly to collectors, through galleries, or on online platforms, maintaining consistent pricing is crucial. Offering the same price across all selling channels not only builds trust with your buyers but also protects your reputation as a professional artist. If a collector finds your work priced significantly lower in one place than another, it can lead to confusion and potential loss of sales.

Reworking Your Numbers: While our calculator allows for adjustments in discounts and commissions, remember to ensure that these changes don't undercut your base prices. The goal is to cover your costs, including any gallery commissions or trade discounts, without compromising your profit margins. For example, if you're offering a 10% discount to an interior designer, make sure your original price accounts for this reduction so that you're not undervaluing your work.

By incorporating these considerations into your pricing strategy, you'll create a fair and consistent pricing structure across all platforms, reinforcing your professionalism and protecting the value of your artwork.

Empower Your Pricing Journey

Pricing your work shouldn't be a source of stress. Our Artwork Pricing Calculator is your trusted companion, guiding you through the pricing process with clarity, transparency, and flexibility. By taking the guesswork out of pricing, you can focus on what you do best—creating art. This tool ensures that you can price your work fairly and profitably, reflecting the true value of your artistic journey.

With the Artwork Pricing Calculator, you can:

Reduce the stress and uncertainty of pricing your artwork.
Achieve fair and transparent pricing that honors your time, materials, and experience.
Enjoy flexible options for discounts, trade offers, and additional costs to fit various sales scenarios.

Take the first step towards confident and stress-free pricing. Follow the links below to purchase the Artwork Pricing Calculator today and empower your pricing strategy for success.