Why I'm No Longer Selling Prints On Darkroom.com
Saying Goodbye To The Platform I Love
So Why The Change?
If you have watched my videos on selling prints you will know that I love the platform Darkroom.com which is where I started selling my prints nearly 2 years ago now. I have been so surprised at the amount of prints I have sold in some months especially when I put time and effort into letting people know I have prints for sale and taking the time to communicate that in an engaging and effective way.
Darkroom has validated me as an artist and made me believe in my photographic work and for that I am eternally grateful. Since recently having the opportunity to print my work locally and be involved with that process I have had a slight change of heart though.
This isn’t to say that when I have ordered samples from Darkroom or had feedback from customers that the experience wasn’t just as good but it is different to what it’s like to do it, shall we say, the old fashioned way. I have developed an amazing relationship with my local fine art print house “We Sell Prints” who work with so many painters, illustrators and photographers and do a lot to connect with that community and even have an artist program enabling people to sell their work on the platform.
Side Note: If you are in Australia or even overseas catering to an Australian market for anytime of printing work I highly recommend We Sell Prints not only for their quality but also the communication and dedication they show when chatting with you about your options and goals as an artist selling your work. You can also use the code LUCY10 to get 10% off any print order.
Getting to be so involved in the process made me wonder even if I would enjoy developing and printing my own work but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I really enjoyed picking up mine and Lux’s work for a recent group show and getting some A4 and A5 mini prints of my work to stock in a local shop too. I felt connected and just generally more excited as opposed to the feeling on Darkroom which is still amazing but obviously as it’s all printed through third party places to enable it to be so worldwide it takes out that step that is kind of important…which is me.
Call me romantic but I wanna have a crack at becoming a successful artist who makes a decent portion of their living from selling their physical work. I know I know…I can feel the eye roll and the “prints are a hard sell” line even through the screen and I have even said that myself but it’s all in the mindset and 2024 is already giving “challenge me” vibes so I’m here ready to tackle this!
I have always been intrigued how certain artists seem to make this work so well and others who are producing just as good, if not better work don’t seem to quite get there. That is a question we will answer in another newsletter though and hopefully my experience in 2024 will reveal some lessons we can all learn from.
So What Happens Now?
A new year always brings new plans with it but since I already have the ball rolling with a few things I want to happen next year I am feeling confident that these plans will be executed.
As for the Darkroom print shop I am celebrating Boxing Day and the closure of the shop with a BIG 30% off sale on all prints. This is for the next 2 weeks and will give you the chance to snag a print you have been eyeing off for a while, treat yourself to a new piece for your space or grab a print from an artist you love and might not be able to get this easily again.
In line with my new more bespoke approach to printing and selling I will be increasing prices and doing less discounts and sales. This is something that was always important to me when selling prints in the beginning and I hope I have made my work accessible to as many people as possible with the price point and using a global platform like Darkroom.com.
Please note that if you are in the USA the shipping on Darkroom is really quite affordable and with the 30% off it’s a steal even. Choices of paper stocks also effect the price and moving forward I will be printing only on Cotton Rag Fine Art paper which will naturally increase the price.
I wanted to give everyone the heads up as I get a lot of messages from people saying they are planning on buying or loving a print so this is the LAST CHANCE to grab a lot of the best sellers as well as Lux’s images of me that have also been super popular this year too!
If there is something you don’t see on the shop that you are dying for and you want to grab it as part of the sale then please reach out and I’ll see what I can do.
To those of you who have supported me over the last 2 years and purchased a print, shared my work and supported me by watching the channel I want to say thank you so much and I wouldn’t be taking the leap to this next stage of my artistic journey.
THANKYOU :)
If you purchase a print before 1st of January I will also email you my warm film lightroom preset as a thank you. You can peep the preset here to see if it’s your vibe or if you want to purchase separately.
I’m interested to know if anyone reading has had any experience being successful selling prints as an artist and what pearls of wisdom you could offer the community?
Happy shopping guys and I’ll be back in your inbox in the new year!
Love Lucy x
I think this is a wise choice Lucy. Printing with a local lab (or at the very least, having prints shipped to you first) allows you to inspect the prints, sign them, and add any personal handwritten touches to your receipt/packaging etc before you ship them out – you just can't do that with dropshipping. Sure, you can add a digital signature and have a CoA included or some branded materials, but I still feel like it has the feeling of being detached from the artist. Dropshipping does reduce production expense since the prints are going straight to the collector, but not seeing the print before it reaches the collector negates that benefit for me. I think increasing the print quality, increasing the 'direct from the artist factor', and increasing pricing makes more sense. We've worked hard on refining our printing service over the years, and it feels like we're always trying to solve some kind of pain point for our collectors – but we love the process. Hope your next steps go well for you!
-Tom
It’s always great to feel more connected to your prints. I’ve avoided Darkroom because i don’t see many options for fine art papers. I’ve been using Finerworks and they’re so easy to upload and drop ship. Hopefully in the new year will find a local shop myself!