Basics:
FineArtAmerica is a print-on-demand site that allows artists to upload images and sell their art on prints, puzzles, greeting cards, pillows and other products
Expected pay: Set by you
Husl$core: $$$$$
Commissions & fees: Vary by product
Where: Nationwide (remote)
Requirements: Original art and/or photographs to sell
What is FineArtAmerica?
FineArtAmerica is one of the oldest and largest print-on-demand operations in the U.S.. Launched in 2006, the site now represents roughly 500,000 artists, who sell their drawings, paintings and photographs on everything from prints to puzzles.
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FineArtAmerica Review
Like most print-on-demand shops, all FineArtAmerica asks artists to do is upload their images. Once you do that, you get to choose what types of products you’d like those images to decorate.
FineArtAmerica will do all the work — producing the products; marketing them; and sending them off to buyers. You simply sit back and collect royalties. Sweet.
Pricing
With most products, FineArtAmerica sets a base price that represents the cost for the site to produce and ship the product to the customer. The artists adds a mark-up — that’s your profit as the artist — to come up with a final price.
The site suggests standard — and relatively modest — mark-ups. For instance, it suggests you set your mark up a 36″ x 27″ print, which will sell for $208, to give yourself a $10 royalty. But the mark-up is up to you. If you want to earn $50 on that sale, the print will cost $248.
Other products
FineArtAmerica also offers a few services that don’t involve putting your art on a product. These include digital art licensing. With digital licensing, the artist sets the base price and FineArtAmerica adds a 30% commission for the use of its licensing services.
In addition, it offers artists the ability to make their art available for digital streaming. This service sends art to “digital frames” that subscribers can view much like they view movies on Netflix.
If the artists agrees to provide their art for these frames, they’ll earn royalties based on the number of minutes their art is viewed. The royalty rate is minuscule. But the only downside to clicking “yes” is if you think these digital frames might cause you to sell fewer prints. Our guess is that the opposite is true. If someone likes your art enough to view it regularly, they’ll probably buy.
Payments
Payments are made on the 15th for sales made in the prior month. Artist get paid after 30 days have passed to accommodate FineArtAmerica’s 30-day return window.
Commissions & fees
Artists can set up on the site for free. However, if you want some premium services, such as your own artist website, the site charges a $30 annual fee.
Recommendations
We love this site for the many ways it helps artists earn money for their work. The site also encourages you to connect your social media accounts and help you set up your own site with their premium membership. If art is more than a side hustle for you, we think this site’s premium membership is well worth the modest cost. You can see the difference between free and premium memberships and sign up for either a free or premium membership here.
This site also stands out for offering an extraordinary smart-phone app that allows customers to see your art on their walls.
That said, there are several fine print-on-demand sites, including Society6 and RedBubble. None of these are exclusive. We suggest you sign up with all of them. You can sign up with Society6 here.
Recommended reading
Photographer Ana Ramirez does a great job showing some ways to boost sales in this blog post.
*1/14/2021
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