How I price prints vs products

145 As a photographer, you’re selling products, right? RIGHT?! *wink wink* If not, read this.

It can be hard to figure out how to price these things, so I’m just going to share with you how I do it. First, though, let me tell you that I’m not here to give you comprehensive pricing advice. I’m no Alicia Caine. I’m just going to talk today about this one little topic: how to approach prints vs products.

Your menu of items likely consists of two different things: prints {I include regular prints and mounted wall prints in this category} and products {canvases, albums/books, iPhone covers, etc}. For pricing your items, using a simple equation can simplify things. For instance, for my products, I use the following equation:

cost x 4 = my price

That can be a pretty comfortable way to come up with your prices. But if I used this equation for my prints, an 8×10 would cost -like- £8. And that’s pretty measly. The value of a print is far higher than £8 and so I price these differently. My price isn’t important here. I’m simply making the point that pricing prints differently than the method you use to price your products is a-ok and you need not be confused about setting your prices!

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Tia

How does this address the difference between the two? It feels like this article got chopped off somewhere after the intro … not helpful.
ajmills

I’m currently building a price list. It’s no easy task, especially if you go for everything some companies provide (not that you should offer “everything” including the kitchen sink).

I’ve been told in the past to multiply the cost to you by 3, so basically 1/3 is the cost of the product, 1/3 goes towards taxes and 1/3 is “profit”. But obviously this (and x4) won’t work on everything, like an 8×10 print as like your example and I think a large canvas wrap that costs you £200, you may not be able to get £600 or £800 for that, but maybe £400 (obviously I guess it depends upon your target market).

How do you handle it when someone asks for a price of something you don’t have a price for? Do you ask them before a consultation if they have any ideas on what sort of products they are thinking of buying?
Euphoric Photography

You have a price catalog from vendors you use, you can use it to come up with a price that isn’t on your list. On the inquiry form you send them you can ask them what their intended goal is to do with the images from the session (ie cards, desk prints, albums). Then during the session remind them to think of frames that need updating, family members that need prints, a large canvas for the foyer, etc. get them thinking about what’s possible before the proofing session
ajmills

It’s that catalogue that’s the problem – the one from the main company I use has so many products and options that it’s literally taking forever to work out my prices from it. At the moment, I have just done some common products (Prints, framed prints and canvases, etc.) in some common sizes.

I guess the answer is, as you said, to ask them what sort of products they are expecting so I go armed with some prices, and maybe take the price guide and make them up on the fly if asked (although, I’d prefer not to do this).
Hailey

Do you have a print company you can highly recommend?