Lab cost is the floor. It is not the price.

If you list print-on-demand or order a wholesale run, the number that matters is the gap between what production costs and what a collector or show buyer will pay. That gap has to cover your work, your risk, and enough margin that selling the print is actually worth doing.

For <a href="https://printsbybrakebee.com/for-artists">print-on-demand</a>, your cost is the lab price for that substrate and size, plus any platform fee on the sale. On Brakebee, you set your retail price above that lab cost. What remains after the sale is yours.

For <a href="https://printsbybrakebee.com/wholesale">wholesale</a>, your cost is the per-print lab price at the quantity you order, plus packing materials you add yourself and the time to get the work to the booth. Your retail at the show still needs to sit comfortably above that.

Do not hide shipping or fees from yourself. Price as if you want the business to still work on a slow month.

Production — lab cost for the exact size and substrate.

Artist share — what you need to earn for the work, the file prep, and the listing.

Position — where this piece sits versus your originals, your other sizes, and the room you sell in.

Retail = (lab cost ÷ your target cost percentage)

If lab cost is the example and you want production to be no more than 40% of the selling price, divide lab cost by 0.40. That is a starting retail, not a law. Raise it if the piece is a proven seller. Lower it only if you are testing a new size and can afford the experiment.

Show price should stay high enough that even after booth fees, you still clear more per print than you would on a single POD sale of the same piece — unless the goal of the run is inventory for a specific event, not maximum margin.

Collectors compare your 8×10 to your 16×20. If the jump in price is random, the larger size looks expensive or the smaller size looks cheap.

Mid size: the default “this is the piece” price

Large: a clear step up that still feels cheaper than an original

Aluminum, canvas, and framed paper should not all land at the same number. The substrate changes perceived value. Metal usually supports a higher price than an unframed paper print of the same image. Canvas sits in the middle for many buyers. Price the object, not only the image.

Matching the cheapest listing you saw online. That race has no finish line and it trains buyers to wait.

Pricing only for the booth or only for the website. The same file can live on both paths. Keep the public price consistent enough that a collector who saw it at a fair is not surprised online.

Forgetting your time. File prep, listing, booth setup, and follow-up are part of the product.

Discounting before you have a real price. A sale off a weak number still leaves you underpaid.

POD and wholesale can share a price logic

You do not need two philosophies. You need two fulfillment modes.

Use print-on-demand when you want the work available without inventory. Price so each sale is worth fulfilling.

Use a wholesale run when you need stock on a date. Price the show copy so the run still pays after fees.

If you are still choosing which path to use first, start with <a href="https://printsbybrakebee.com/blog/deciding-between-print-on-demand-and-wholesale-prints-for-artists">POD vs wholesale</a>. If the file is not print-ready yet, fix that first: how to prepare files.

Preview the piece, look at the lab cost for that size, then set the number you can stand behind. Sign up when you are ready to list or order the run.

How to Price Your Art and Photography Prints Above Lab Cost

A strong print starts before the press ever runs. The same high-res file can live as a print-on-demand listing and as a wholesale run — but only if the file is built for print, not just for a screen.

This guide covers what actually matters when you upload to Prints by Brakebee: pixel size, color, crop, format, and the mistakes that quietly ruin otherwise good work.

The number that matters is pixel dimensions at the size you want to print, not the DPI tag sitting in the file metadata.

Print size (inches) × target PPI = pixels needed

For gallery-quality work viewed up close, aim for 240–300 PPI at the longest edge you plan to offer. Large pieces that hang farther from the viewer can look excellent at 150–200 PPI.

If the file is short on pixels, do not “set it to 300 DPI” and resample up. That does not add detail. Offer a smaller size, or use the piece only at sizes the file can support.

Use the on-page preview on For Artists or Wholesale to see how the image sits at each size before you list or order.

Color that survives the jump from screen to print

Screens glow. Prints reflect light. That is why a file that looks perfect on a laptop can print a little darker or less saturated.

Work in sRGB unless you already have a calibrated wide-gamut workflow and know the lab can use it. sRGB is the safest shared space for most artist uploads.

Soft-proof if you can, but treat it as a guide, not a guarantee.

Watch deep blacks and neon highlights. Both can flatten on metal and canvas.

Leave a little headroom. If the file is already pushed to the edge of the gamut, the print will show it.

Aluminum is especially honest. Fine detail and contrast look sharp; muddy midtones look muddier. Canvas is more forgiving of texture and slightly softer edges.

Different substrates treat the edge of the image differently.

Aluminum and wood panel: what you see is what prints. Keep important content away from the very edge.

Framed paper: part of the image can sit under the rabbet or mat. Leave a quiet margin around faces, signatures, and text.

Canvas gallery wrap: the sides of the stretcher eat a strip of the image. Either extend the background, add a mirrored/color edge, or compose so nothing critical lives in the outer inch.

If a piece will be offered on more than one substrate, build the master with extra margin and crop per product in the preview rather than uploading five slightly different files.

TIFF or high-quality JPEG for photography and most digital painting

PNG when you need a lossless raster and the file size stays reasonable

Avoid tiny web JPEGs, screenshots, and files that have been compressed for Instagram or email

Name files so you can recognize them later: Title_Year_Master.tif is easier to manage than final-final-v7.jpg. The same master should be able to feed both a POD listing and a wholesale run without a re-export unless you change crop or color.

Pixel dimensions support the largest size you want to sell.

Color is in a standard space (usually sRGB) and not clipped.

Important content is clear of wrap, frame, and trim edges.

The file is flattened, sharp, and not over-sharpened for web.

You have previewed the piece on the substrate and size you plan to offer.

One master file can serve both online listings and show inventory.

If those six are true, you are ready to list or order. The Phoenix lab still hand-checks the print — file prep just makes sure what they check is the work you intended.

Once the master is right, you do not need a separate “show file” and “online file.” That is the point of one catalog and one lab. If you are still deciding which path to use first, read <a href="https://printsbybrakebee.com/blog/deciding-between-print-on-demand-and-wholesale-prints-for-artists">POD vs Wholesale: When Artists Should Use Each.</a>

Preview first. Sign up when you are ready to list or order a run.

How to Prepare Your Files for Gallery-Quality Prints

Most artists eventually face the same question:
Should I list my work as print-on-demand, or should I order a wholesale run for the next show?

The short answer is that the two paths solve different problems. The better answer is that you often want both — and the strongest setup lets you move the same files between them without friction.

When Print-on-Demand Is the Better Choice

Print-on-demand (POD) is the right tool when you want to sell without holding inventory.

You are building an online presence and want your work available 24/7

You don’t want capital tied up in prints that might not sell

You want to test new pieces or new sizes with almost zero risk

You prefer to keep creating while someone else handles printing, packing, and shipping

On Brakebee, POD works like this: you upload high-resolution files once, choose the substrates and sizes that fit the work, set your price above lab cost, and list on the marketplace and connected channels. When a collector buys, the same Phoenix lab that handles wholesale runs prints, hand-checks, packs, and ships the order. You never touch the production side.

This is the low-risk way to stay visible and keep selling between shows.

Wholesale is the right tool when you need physical inventory on a specific date.

You have an upcoming art fair, gallery show, or open studio

You know certain pieces sell reliably and want margin on multiples

You need consistent stock for a booth or a gallery wall

You want to control exact quantities and delivery timing

Wholesale runs at Prints by Brakebee use the identical files and the same Phoenix production floor. You choose quantities and substrates, check out through your artist tools, and receive hand-checked, show-ready prints. No babysitting a separate print shop, and no quality gap between what you sell online and what you hang at the fair.

The Real Advantage: Same Files, Both Paths

The biggest operational win is not choosing one or the other forever. It is being able to use both without maintaining two separate catalogs.

When the same high-res files live in one system:

A piece that sells well online can quickly become a wholesale run for the next show

A strong seller from a fair can be listed as print-on-demand afterward with no re-upload

Quality stays consistent because both paths come from the same lab and the same hand-check process

This is the practical difference between most POD platforms and most regional labs. Pure POD services rarely offer true wholesale economics. Most local labs that do bulk work do not also run a marketplace with automated fulfillment. Having both under one roof removes a layer of friction that usually costs artists time and consistency.

Do I need the prints in hand by a specific date?→ Yes = lean <a href="https://printsbybrakebee.com/wholesale">wholesale</a>. No = lean <a href="https://printsbybrakebee.com/for-artists">POD</a>.

Am I still testing demand for this piece or size?→ Yes = start with POD. No = wholesale is safer if you already know it sells.

Do I want this work available online even when I’m not at a show?→ Yes = keep a POD listing active regardless of whether you also order a wholesale run.

Many working artists end up with a hybrid: core sellers available as POD year-round, plus targeted wholesale runs timed to the shows where those pieces perform best.

Both options use the same starting point at Prints by Brakebee:

Upload (or select from your existing catalog)

Preview how the work sits on aluminum, canvas, and other substrates

Choose the path that matches the job in front of you

You can <a href="https://printsbybrakebee.com/wholesale">begin with a single preview </a>— no account required — and only create an account when you are ready to list or order.

The goal is not to pick a permanent side. It is to have a production partner that can support both the online catalog and the physical booth without forcing you to manage two different systems.

Blog

How to Price Your Art and Photography Prints Above Lab Cost

How to Prepare Your Files for Gallery-Quality Prints

Deciding Between Print-on-Demand and Wholesale Prints for Artists