Introducing print on demand resources for artists
Are you interested in having your artwork printed using print on demand technology? Do you want to check out who are the suppliers and what people think of them? Find out about:
This site is part of the "selling art online" series and is a developing resource of links to suppliers and reviews of ther service they offer. Check out the other sites
Extracts from the Wikipedia article on print on demand have been used to explain different aspects of the process.
- what is print on demand / publish on demand?
- suppliers of print on demand services for art - and reviews
- suppliers of print on demand services for printed publications (eg marketing materials and books)
This site is part of the "selling art online" series and is a developing resource of links to suppliers and reviews of ther service they offer. Check out the other sites
Sell Art Online - Resources for Artists | Online Art Galleries and Stores - Resources for Artists | Sell Daily Paintings - Resources for Artists | Email Newsletter Software - Resources for Artists | Blogging for Artists - Resources for Artists | Packaging, posting and shipping art - Resources for Artists |
Check out also other sites relevant to the business of being an artist (see other lens listed in the right hand column)
Art and the Economy | Copyright and Orphan Artworks | Art Equipment | Art Supplies in the UK | Art Supplies in the USA
If you like this site please rate it (see above) and feel free to add a link to it on your website.
You can also create a bookmark or link within various social network sites and/or e-mail this site to a friend who may find it interesting - see the Save and Share section in the right hand column
Extracts from the Wikipedia article on print on demand have been used to explain different aspects of the process.
You can find out about...
...just click a link and go straight to that topic
What is print on demand?
Print on demand (POD), sometimes called "publish on demand", is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of an item are not printed until an order has been received.
While it most often applies to books and DVDs, it also applies to the reproduction of artwork in a variety of ways.
POD FOR ART
Digital technology is ideally suited to publish small print runs of posters (often as a single copy) as and when they are needed. The introduction of UV-curable inks and media for large format inkjet printers has allowed artists, photographers and owners of image collections to take advantage of print on demand.
For example, the National Gallery, London installed a print on demand system in July 2003. The system increased the number of images available as prints from 60 to 2,500, which is almost all of the gallery's permanent collection.
HOW POD IS SUPPLIED
There are two main categories of suppliers:
Many traditional small presses have replaced their traditional printing equipment with POD equipment or contract their printing out to POD service providers. Many academic publishers, including university presses, use POD services to maintain a large backlist; some even use POD for all of their publications. Larger publishers may use POD in special circumstances, such as reprinting older titles that had been out of print or doing test marketing.
ECONOMICS
Profits from print on demand publishing are on a per-sale basis, and royalties vary depending on the route by which the item is sold. Highest profits are usually generated from sales direct from the print-on-demand service's website or by the author buying copies from the service at a discount, as the publisher, and then selling them personally. Lower royalties come from traditional "bricks and mortar" bookshops and online retailers both of which buy at high discount. The higher the volume sold the lower the royalty inevitably becomes, as the retailer is able to buy at greater discount.
Because the per-unit cost is typically greater with POD than with a print run of thousands of copies, it is common for POD books to be more expensive than similar books that come from conventional print runs, especially if that book is produced exclusively with POD instead of using POD as a supplemental technology between print runs.
For more details see the wikipedia article
While it most often applies to books and DVDs, it also applies to the reproduction of artwork in a variety of ways.
POD FOR ART
Digital technology is ideally suited to publish small print runs of posters (often as a single copy) as and when they are needed. The introduction of UV-curable inks and media for large format inkjet printers has allowed artists, photographers and owners of image collections to take advantage of print on demand.
For example, the National Gallery, London installed a print on demand system in July 2003. The system increased the number of images available as prints from 60 to 2,500, which is almost all of the gallery's permanent collection.
HOW POD IS SUPPLIED
There are two main categories of suppliers:
- companies which are geared up to produce fine art prints and/or posters and/or greetings cards
- companies which are primarily about printing books - but can be used for printing marketing material and other products based on artwork or art instruction
Many traditional small presses have replaced their traditional printing equipment with POD equipment or contract their printing out to POD service providers. Many academic publishers, including university presses, use POD services to maintain a large backlist; some even use POD for all of their publications. Larger publishers may use POD in special circumstances, such as reprinting older titles that had been out of print or doing test marketing.
ECONOMICS
Profits from print on demand publishing are on a per-sale basis, and royalties vary depending on the route by which the item is sold. Highest profits are usually generated from sales direct from the print-on-demand service's website or by the author buying copies from the service at a discount, as the publisher, and then selling them personally. Lower royalties come from traditional "bricks and mortar" bookshops and online retailers both of which buy at high discount. The higher the volume sold the lower the royalty inevitably becomes, as the retailer is able to buy at greater discount.
Because the per-unit cost is typically greater with POD than with a print run of thousands of copies, it is common for POD books to be more expensive than similar books that come from conventional print runs, especially if that book is produced exclusively with POD instead of using POD as a supplemental technology between print runs.
For more details see the wikipedia article
More information about print on demand
- Print on demand - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Print on demand (POD), sometimes called publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book (or other document) are not printed until an order has been received. "Print on Demand" developed only after digital printing began,[1] because it was not economical to print single copies using traditional printing technology such as letterpress and offset printing.
- An Incomplete Guide to POD Publishers
- A head to head comparison of a number of major pod publishers.
- A case study of POD publishing
- Print On Demand Publishing - An Ingram Lightning Source POD Example
A Lightning Source Book Example
People who have worked in the publishing industry in any capacity are often dubious of the claims made for the print-on-demand publishing model, because it violates the "rules" of publishing as they know them. Our best answer to the critics is to start off with a case study of a year in the life of an actual POD book, published by the author through Lightning Source, including the actual sales, profits, and trends. It's important to get an overview of the whole process and costs at the outset. If you have trouble following the discussion the first time through, just keep an eye on the dollars. - Print on Demand
- WritersServices Chris Holifield Inside Publishing
Print on demand is a new printing technology which delivers, literally, print on demand. It has the power to change the way books are published radically, although many publishers are not yet using it on any scale and many writers are not yet familiar with its possibilities.
Print on Demand - Art
Why artists use print on demand
Here are some of the reasons why artists use print on demand.
Print on demand frees up time:
Print on demand frees up time:
- no need to spend time making contractual arrangements with a printer; POD is offered 'as is' with a menu of options for additional services at fixed prices
- no need to spend time on packaging and posting prints
- no need to sink capital into getting a work printed in the conventional way - which could be a waste of money if you don't know what its sales potential is
- no need to find storage which keeps conventional prints in good condition
CafePress
SITE DESCRIPTION
At CafePress.com, you can create and sell a variety of customizable products with zero upfront costs and zero inventory investment.
You can sell
* Merchandise you design including t-shirts, posters, mugs, bumper stickers and much more.
* Books printed on-demand. Learn more
* Audio and Data CDs. Learn more
What CafePress.com does
1. Gives you a FREE online shop to promote your products
2. Produces each item when ordered using our unique print-on-demand technology
3. Handles all payment transactions including major credit cards
4. Ships your products worldwide
5. Manages all returns/exchanges
6. Offers customer service via toll-free phone and email
7. Sends you a monthly check for your earnings on sales!
At CafePress.com, you can create and sell a variety of customizable products with zero upfront costs and zero inventory investment.
You can sell
* Merchandise you design including t-shirts, posters, mugs, bumper stickers and much more.
* Books printed on-demand. Learn more
* Audio and Data CDs. Learn more
What CafePress.com does
1. Gives you a FREE online shop to promote your products
2. Produces each item when ordered using our unique print-on-demand technology
3. Handles all payment transactions including major credit cards
4. Ships your products worldwide
5. Manages all returns/exchanges
6. Offers customer service via toll-free phone and email
7. Sends you a monthly check for your earnings on sales!
- CafePress.com : Sell Your Designs, Photos and Images on CafePress.com : Introduction
- Create and sell your own designs, photos and images on a wide variety of customizable products with zero upfront costs and zero inventory investment.
Another perspective on CafePress
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How to Run a Successful CafePress Shop (and make lots of money!)
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CafePress is THE online place to become your very own entrepreneur quickly and easily. All you need is a computer, Internet connection, and a graphics program, and you are on your way to making major money! Get all the CafePress goodness...
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A CafePress Resource
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CafePress.com is perfect for artists, authors, musicians or even bloggers. With a free basic shop you can upload your artwork or logo and sell print-on-demand t-shirts, mugs, stickers and so much more with the only cost being your time. Print-on-dema...
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CafePress Alternatives and Competitors - CafePress vs. the Competition
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Are you looking for an alternative to Cafe Press? Cafepress vs Printfection, Cafepress vs Zazzle, or CafePress vs Spreadshirt? The most successful store owners research the competition and alternatives to make sure they select the correct service for...
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Cafepress Success 101
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Cafepress, what a wonderful thing. Well, it was. These recent Marketplace changes have alot of shopkeepers in an uproar including me. I don't understand Cafepress's intent here. I guess to pad their own pockets. But that's okay, you have to roll with...
Reviews of CafePress - and Tips
Most of these reviews come from Empty Easel
- CafePress.com: Where Art Becomes. . . Stuff.
- CafePress.com was one of the first online markets to offer print on demand services to artists. Now CafePress has over 6.5 million members (each with their own CafePress shop) who sell t-shirts, mugs, stickers, cards, and yes, even posters and framed prints of their artwork.
- Where Artists Sell Art: A Web Survey of Nearly 300 Artists
- Several months ago I posted a survey asking artists where they sold their art. The response so far has been incredible, with over 270 artists taking time to respond. After analyzing the poll, here are some of the more interesting results I found:
- Why I Use CafePress to Sell My Art
- I couldn't help but notice that the recent review of CafePress on EmptyEasel was a less than an enthusiastic endorsement. However, in my opinion some types of art (or some artists) might actually be better suited to CafePress's range of products than a strictly
- CafePress Buys Imagekind: Is This A Win-Win or A Lose-Lose?
- Ah Imagekind. . . you sold out. But I'm not disappointed-far from it. I think now you've got a chance to really take off (fingers crossed). And that 15-20 million selling price was obviously a good deal for the founders. . .
- Epinions - ratings for CafePress
- Read 51 reviews from a wide range of people - Overall rating is 3.5
- A CafePress Resource
- CafePress.com is perfect for artists, authors, musicians or even bloggers. With a free basic shop you can upload your artwork or logo and sell print-on-demand t-shirts, mugs, stickers and so much more with the only cost being your time. Print-on-demand books and CD's are also at your finge
- Cafepress.com review
- REVIEWS: Cafepress.com
- CafePress.com Review 2009 - TopTenREVIEWS
- Top Ten Reviews - Editor's Review
- Making Money on CafePress | How-to Guides for running your business from Work.com
- CafePress is a print-on-demand service for clothing and gifts. Much like POD book printing, you design the images that you want to appear on the products, and CafePress prints and ships each item as it is ordered. There is no inventory for you to maintain or financial transactions for you to manage. You get paid a monthly commission based on what you sell.
Zazzle and CafePress in 2008: Unique visitors (monthly) and average stay (minutes)
Note that the scale is in MILLIONS of visitors each month
Bear in mind that the number of visitors at any one time are spread across all the different artists included in the website's galleries so the number seeing an individual artist will be much lower than this
TwttrStrm - Zazzle vs. CafePress
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Zazzle vs. CafePress
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We've all got our favorite platform in the world of print-on-demand. Some of us (like me) are Zazzle addicts, other prefer the CafePress set-up. So which do YOU prefer? Zazzle or CafePress? Tweet your reasoning and pass it on to a friend.
Zazzle
- Zazzle
- Essentially a site for selling artwork on T Shirts and posters. This is how they describe themselves
"T-shirts, Posters, Art and more!
Infinite and Instant, Zazzle is the only on-demand retail platform for consumers and major brands, offering billions of retail quality, one-of-a-kind products shipped within 24 hours. Offering the largest library of customizable digital images from world-class brands, Zazzle enables content owners to unlock their entire libraries of content, making it available for purchase and customization by consumers. Through Zazzle's innovative on-demand retail and technology platform, users can instantly create, customize to fit their personal style, purchase and sell a near infinite array of products online.
The company launched in 2005 and is based in Redwood City, California." - Zazzle Tech Blog
- Zazzle Tech Blog - a peek under the hood at Zazzle
- Zazzle Seller Blog
- Zazzle Seller Blog
- Zazzle Seller Blog - Merchandising: Giving the buyer what they're looking for
- Zazzle Seller Blog - Merchandising: Giving the buyer what they're looking for
- Zazzle Forum
- The official forum for the Zazzle.com community.
Zazzle - Reviews and Tips
- My Review of Zazzle.com: Printable Products and Posters on Demand
- Zazzle.com is a print on demand supplier of various products, including posters and fine art prints. It's fairly similar to other print on demand services I've reviewed, but with enough clear differences that I'm sure some artists will prefer Zazzle over the competition.
(April 2008) - Zazzle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Zazzle is an online retailer that allows users to upload images and create their own merchandise (clothing, posters, etc), or buy merchandise created by other users, similar to CafePress.com, as well as use images from participating companies such as The Walt Disney Company. Users are allowed to open their own shop for free and set the profit they wish to make on each item.
- Tradevibes: Company Information on Zazzle
- Zazzle company profile: Founded 1999 / Privately owned plus more details
Infinite and instant, Zazzle is the only on-demand retail platform for consumers and major brands, offering billions of retail quality, one-of-a-kind products shipped within 24 hours. - TypePad - Widgets for your Blog - Zazzle.com zPanel
- Interested in earning money from your blog? Want to show off your unique creations? Check out the Zazzle.com zPanel, a powerful and simple way to monetize your blog by selling your own unique creations & designs. Simply add the Zazzle.com zPanel to your blog and earn up to 17% on sales of your own unique creations & designs.
- 2007 Crunchies: The Winners
- A great evening was had by all tonight as some of the leading startups gathered for the first annual Crunchies
Best business model: Zazzle: Looking for a Star Wars hat or memorable mug? Zazzle is an on-demand factory of consumer goods for top brands. It also lets consumers become producers by uploading their own images onto that T-shirt, mug, or mousepad. . Consumers can also receive a commission on products that they sell and design themselves
Another perspective on Zazzle
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Zazzle is better than CafePress
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Zazzle is better then CafePress I love Zazzle. The interface, products and customer service are awesome...and I make lots of money!
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Zazzle 101 ... How to make a profit on Zazzle
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Zazzle is one of the Print-on-demand companies out there that allows people to design & sell their own creations. I love Zazzle's ease of use, friendly staff, and the fact that I can make money on my art. I've put together this comprehe...
Imagekind and RedBubble in 2008: Unique visitors (monthly) and average stay (minutes)
Bear in mind that the number of visitors at any one time are spread across all the different artists included in the website's galleries so the number seeing an individual artist will be much lower than this
RedBubble ended the year having more visitors than Imagekind.
Imagekind ended the year having visitors who stayed slightly longer than those visiting RedBubble
RedBubble
- Art Gallery and Community - T-shirts, Fine Art Prints, Calendars, Cards and More - RedBubble
- Online Art Community featuring designer t-shirts, framed or unframed wall art by artists worldwide! Buy Cool Art & T-Shirts or Sell your Art!
SITE DESCRIPTION
RedBubble stands for Artists. We aspire to be the best place on the web for you to display and sell your art, illustrations, designs, photographs & paintings.
Why RedBubble?
1. It's Fast and Free
In just a few minutes you'll have your own online portfolio to display your work to a global audience in one of the most welcoming communities on the web. Best of all, it's absolutely free - when you make money, we make money!
2. There's No Limits, No Ads
There's no storage limits, upload limits, bandwidth limits or file size limits. Just make sure you're exhibiting your best work! We don't show ads around your work either, so it will always look great.
3. Make Products and Sell Them
It's fast and easy to make T-Shirts, Greeting Cards, Posters, Canvases and a range of Photographic Prints from your work. Keep them for yourself, or offer them for sale in your portfolio and the RedBubble galleries! We take care of the payments, production, packaging and shipping, giving you more time to create something great.
4. You're In Control
You retain copyright and ownership of your work, set your own prices, decide which products to sell and if you really want, it's easy to close your account at any time.
5. It's Much More Than Art
What's art or design without an audience? The RedBubble Community is a great place to connect with people who can inspire and entertain you through discussions, blogs, short stories, groups and competitions. Take a tour of RedBubble to find out more.
6. Build Your Own Website
BubbleSites give you your own web address (eg http://you.redbubble.com) and a customizable website to display and sell your work. There's still plenty of work to do, but we're pretty excited! Best of all, BubbleSites are provided free with your RedBubble account!
Reviews of RedBubble
- A Review of RedBubble.com: Online Art Gallery and Creative Community
- RedBubble.com is an Australian based website that creates art prints, art cards, and t-shirts from artwork uploaded by its member artists. I first came across RedBubble a few months ago when they were only offering their services to Australian artists.
- YouTube - Discovering RedBubble
- A little story about RedBubble, the online community and marketplace for creative expression.
- Selling Photos through Red Bubble
- Nov 17, 2008 ... If you think that selling photos through an art gallery is difficult, spare a thought for buyers. Although a few have the budget to pay ...
- Buzz Watch: RedBubble Is Mixing Art with Social Commerce | Digital ...
- Sep 19, 2008 ... Over at Australian Anthill is a list of finalists for their Cool Company Awards 2008 - RedBubble, an online community and marketplace for ...
- RedBubble [Review] by Hide Your Arms
- Jan 20, 2009 ... A few months ago I was contacted by Print-On-Demand/Store-front/Design Community site RedBubble to check out their service, ...
- Why RedBubble kicks ass
- May 18, 2008 ... RedBubble is the new kid on the custom t-shirt design block, and it kicks these three competitors to the curb1. ...
Imagekind
Imagekind is owned by CafePress
- Imagekind
- Imagekind.com is dedicated to selling and producing the highest quality framed giclee prints of work with recognized attention-to-detail.
Imagekind Membership Benefits Allow you to:
- Determine the mark-up for your art, and keep 100% of the profit **
- Get a dedicated URL (http://johndoe.imagekind.com)
- Create Art! Let us deal with the order processing, customer service, packaging and worldwide shipping
- Earn an additional 15% commission on frames, mats and glazing
- Upload and store high-quality images with unlimited bandwidth (TIF, JPG, or PNG files*)
- Display your art in public, private or locked galleries
- Market effectively with Imagekind marketing tools to help promote your galleries
- Network and build artist contacts through your community
** We retain 5% of anything marked up 100% or over to cover our transaction costs - Imagekind Forum
- Imagekind Forum
- Imagekind Blog | Buy, Sell, Create and Discuss Art and High End Framed Art Prints
- A Blog for the Imagekind Art Community where Artists and Shoppers can come together and discuss artwork, art trends and selling high end framed art prints.
- Imgekind Groups
- Imgekind Groups
Imagekind - Reviews
- Imagekind: A new way for Artists to Exhibit and Sell Art Online
- Today I'm reviewing Imagekind, an online community for artists who want to sell prints of their artwork via the internet. With Imagekind, individual artists don't have to deal with the printing, storing, mailing, or online credit card transactions - Imagekind handles all. Continue reading. . .
- How many Imagekind Artists Pay for a Pro or Platinum Membership?
- Last month I wrote an article on how many artist members Imagekind has (along with two other art websites). Today I'm going to tell you how many of those are paying members.
- Earn More from your Art with Imagekind and BoundlessGallery.com
- Make more money from your art by signing up for an affiliate program. If you're an Imagekind or BoundlessGallery member, you can earn an extra percentage on sales by sending traffic to your art. Read how it works.
- How Many Artists use Imagekind, Artist Rising, and Boundless Gallery?
- If you're an artist that has recently joined BoundlessGallery.com, Imagekind.com, ArtistRising.com or any other art-selling website then you should know that you're in for some competition. What do I mean by that? Let me explain.
- IM Digital - Photo Blog of Ivan Makarov: ImageKind Review - Why I left
- If you were a visitor to my blog a couple months ago, you may remember that I used to offer fine-art prints of my images through ImageKind ("IK"). I no longer do that, and to get a fine-art print from me, you can contact me directly (you can see an email in my profile). I get occasional emails asking me why I left IK and I think I'd be appropriate to share why..................
- Imagekind plus Flickr: Taking the
- Many of you probably heard that Imagekind is partnering with Flickr. This partnership gives Flickr members the ability to upload photos directly from their Flickr account to Imagekind. Great news, right? Well maybe not for artists. . .
- Techcrunch - Imagekind Acquired By CafePress For $15-20 Million
- Jul 8, 2008 ... Imagekind, the art site that describes itself as a hybrid art gallery, photo- sharing service and a print-on-demand service has been acquired ...
- CafePress Buys Imagekind: Is This A Win-Win or A Lose-Lose?
- Ah Imagekind. . . you sold out. But I'm not disappointed-far from it. I think now you've got a chance to really take off (fingers crossed). And that 15-20 million selling price was obviously a good deal for the founders. . .
- Imagekind - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Imagekind is a commercial website that prints and sells images created by participating artists On-demand. It also includes a social networking and ...
- Flickr: Imagekind Pool (Group)
- Whether you are an established Flickr artist / photographer or brand new - Imagekind can make stunning prints for your customers and your exhibitions ...
- Imagekind | Curious Office
- Imagekind was conceived and developed internally by Curious Office. Kelly Smith led the creation of the business plan as well as the design and development.
Imagekind pioneered the concept of a print-on-demand art marketplace where artists set their own prices and consumers come to discover unique and original artwork from all over the world. Curious Office Partner Adrian Hanauer contributed over twenty years experience in the art and framing business, having developed one of the largest independently owned art framing retail establishments in the United States (60 stores). - Imagekind: Get Original and Custom Art Straight from the Artists ...
- There's no money in amateur art until you're "discovered" by someone or wealthy enough to set up a gallery or partner with other artists. The Web changed a lot of those old rules, and allowing artists to host their own work virtually for the rest of the world to see. But when you find an artist whose work you'd like in your living room, how do you contact them to get a print? And how does the artist go about selling their work to the public? Imagekind seeks to answer both of those questions.
- Imagekind Now Showcasing More than Fifty Thousand Artists Selling ...
- PR STATEMENT
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) March 26, 2008 --
Imagekind, the world's fastest-growing online community for creating, buying and selling custom-framed artwork and photography, today announced that it is now offering art from over 50,000 artists, to a fast-growing marketplace of over 250,000 users. - Imagekind founder raises $1.7M for another marketplace ยป VentureBeat
- Sep 23, 2008 ...After launching Imagekind, an online marketplace for buying and selling original and reprinted artwork, then selling it to CafePress, founder Kelly Smith is back at the drawing board. The latest project is called PressPlane, and Smith has just informed us of its $1.7 million initial round of financing...........
Making A Mark - Reviews of Imagekind
My overall take on Imagekind is that the principle is fine, the product is good but that there is some scope for improvement. There are aspects which need to be addressed which would improve relationships with sellers and overall effectiveness
- Making a Mark: "Making A Mark" sets up a gallery at Imagekind!
- An initial review of the Imagekind site based on having a good look around before setting up a site in July 2007
- Making a Mark: Imagekind: an update and a new Catnapping gallery
- Looking at the upgrade option and why I decided to give it a try
- Making a Mark: Changes at Imagekind: the pros and the cons
- A review of change at Imagekind including:
- the greetings card beta
- image default view
- image uploader
- price change
Imagekind have a tendency to introduce change before they've done a thorough test with a beta group. Change seems to get introduced as a beta to the whole site - so we ALL get the glitches! Bottom line, if something is new don't expect it to work perfectly all the time. - Making a Mark: CafePress acquires Imagekind - what next?
- My take on the pros and cons and some other observations and queries
- Making a Mark: A cautionary note about Imagekind
- As you will be able to tell from this post, I am less than happy with Imagekind's apparent cavalier attitude to copyright and the scope that the associate agreement and the member agreement gives for the use of my images by any associate anywhere they choose.
Artist Rising - including Reviews
- Artist Rising
- Artist Rising gives you a platform to show and sell your art as well as connect with a global community of artists.
Our gallery tools are easy-to-use and we provide multiple options and opportunities for you to showcase your art and get noticed.
* Personal online galleries you can customize to complement your art
* Easy-to-use tools to upload images and build your gallery
* Sales and marketing features to announce your latest work
* Established reputation as a premier global destination for art lovers
* Ability to reach a broad audience for increased sales opportunities - The New ArtistRising.com: Minus Sistino, Artist Rising Needs to Stand on its Own
- The new ArtistRising.com is complete, blending aspects from both Sistino and the original Artist Rising website. The result is really a somewhat less
(November 2007) - Changes in the Works for Artist Rising
- Recently an email was sent out to Artist Rising members that listed some changes planned for the coming months. I thought those changes were worth a mention, especially since my last post on Artist Rising was a little open-ended, so here they are (along with my analysis.)
(July 2007) - Is Artist Rising Dead?
- little over a month ago I started noticing changes at Artist Rising. First, my main contact at AR simply vanished. Fired, I was told by another Art.com rep. Next, I saw that the Artist Rising blog wasn't being updated. I began to wonder - is Artist Rising dead?
(June 2007) - Artocracy.org: Affordable Art Prints and Downloadable PDF Artwork
- Although Artocracy.org has apparently been around for a few years now, it only recently came to my attention when I saw that it was one of five art websites nominated for the 12th Annual Webby Awards this year.
(June 2008)
Artist Rising & Artocracy in 2008: Unique visitors (monthly) and average stay (minutes)
Bear in mind that the number of visitors at any one time are spread across all the different artists included in the website's galleries so the number seeing an individual artist will be much lower than this
Artocracy - including reviews
- Artocracy
- Site Description: Founded to democratize the art world one print at a time, Artocracy is a digital marketplace for original art.
Art need not be expensive, and artists do not need the word "starving" attached to their profession. Artocracy addresses the disconnect between artists and people who enjoy art through its galleries of original, affordable art prints.
Artocracy's professionally curated galleries of original art provides exposure and income for talented artists, creates access to affordable art, and supports development of the arts throughout the world.
MISSION "Artocracy seeks to support and empower artists by generating sales and exposure for their work. Providing a venue to display and purchase art outside the traditional gallery setting, enables access to affordable, high quality art to a larger audience of art lovers."
Artocracy is primarily interested in artworks that are conceptual, exploring the ideas of art and commerce, precious art, and the ephemeral nature of a digital print. If this sounds like your work, we encourage you to apply. - ARTOCRACY (the blog)
- Connecting artists and patrons through the sale of affordable art.
A weekly column profiling companies and personalities. - Artocracy | Facebook
- Welcome to the official Facebook Page of Artocracy. Get exclusive content and interact with Artocracy right from Facebook. Join Facebook to create your own ...
- Twitter / Artocracy
- Twitter is a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time.
- Artocracy.org: Affordable Art Prints and Downloadable PDF Artwork
- Although Artocracy.org has apparently been around for a few years now, it only recently came to my attention when I saw that it was one of five art websites nominated for the 12th Annual Webby Awards this year.
(June 2008) - ARTOCRACY (Blog): An Example of Why Artocracy is Curated:
- Jun 20, 2007 ...
People often ask why we curate Artocracy and not let everybody onto it, and here is a good article that discusses the importantance of respecting people who are professionals. - Artocracy wins People's Vote - Visual Arts - The Oregonian ...
- The people have spoken.
And they think that Artocracy.org is the best art Web site of the year. At least that's the conclusion of the People's Voice Awards segment of the Webby Awards, the annual big-bash ceremony presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. - PRESS RELEASE Artocracy.org Receives International Recognition with Oscar of the ...
- Spokane, WA (PRWEB) April 15, 2008 --
Spokane-based Artocracy.org has been named one of the top five art websites by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences in its annual recognition of Internet excellence.
Artocracy.org, a digital marketplace for original art, was among five art websites to be nominated for the academy's 2008 "Webby Award," dubbed "the Oscars of the Internet" by the New York Times.
Other print on demand publishers
- Art.com - Posters, Art Prints, and Framed Art Leader.
- Find any Poster, Art Print, Framed Art or Original Art at Great Prices. All Posters and Custom Framing 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed, Fast Delivery.
Getting accepted as an artist is very difficult. - AllPosters.com - The World's Largest Poster and Print Store!
- Over 500,000 Posters & Art Prints, Movie Posters, Vintage Posters, Motivational Posters & more. Value Framing, Fast Delivery, 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
(automatically reverts to nation state version - appears to be useless for people wanting to sell across national boundaries)
Print on Demand - Publications
Print on Demand Suppliers - for all published documents
Catalogues, calendars, portfolios, brochures, teaching materials, instruction books
This is the step in between home printing and going to a 'proper printer'.
These suppliers can provide you with:
- a portfolio to use with galleries
- a brochure for commission clients
- exhibition catalogues
- a marketing brochure
- calendars
- teaching material and art instruction books
Basically anything which combines text and images and needs to be bound in some way
You are completely responsible for the set-up and content. How it works (in generic terms) is:
These suppliers can provide you with:
- a portfolio to use with galleries
- a brochure for commission clients
- exhibition catalogues
- a marketing brochure
- calendars
- teaching material and art instruction books
Basically anything which combines text and images and needs to be bound in some way
You are completely responsible for the set-up and content. How it works (in generic terms) is:
- Upload print-ready files or site tools to create new documents from scratch
- Everything is printed to order - no need to find a space for your inventory
- files are stored online so you can make changes and update content quickly and easily
- online stores enable online purchases and shipping handled by other people
- Self Publishing - Lulu.com
- Lulu.com lets you publish and sell print-on-demand books and e-books, online music and images, custom calendars and books. Free self-publishing.
- Lulu.com - Self Publishing - Free (The UK version)
- Lulu.com lets you publish and sell print on demand books and e-books, online music and images, custom calendars and books. Free self-publishing.
- Make your own book with Blurb
- Blurb lets you self publish your own photo book, cookbook, portfolio, and more with free software.
- CreateSpace - On-Demand Self Publishing
- CreateSpace is a DBA of On-Demand Publishing LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc. Originally founded as CustomFlix Labs, Inc. in 2002, and acquired by Amazon.com, Inc. in 2005.
CreateSpace provides inventory-free, physical distribution of books, CD and DVDs on Demand, as well as video downloads through Amazon Video On Demand%u2122. We manufacture physical products when customers order so no pre-built inventory is needed. Through our service, you can sell DVDs, CDs, and books, for a fraction of the cost of traditional manufacturing, while maintaining more control over your materials.
Relevant to people wanting to market art instruction via video or DVD - WARNING!!! TechCrunch - Amazon Muscles Print-On-Demand Services
- Amazon has announced that it will only sell print-on-demand books printed by its own print-on-demand service BookSurge.
The print-on-demand book business has thrived in the last few years as players such as Lulu, Blurb and others have catered to publishers looking to reduce overhead on inventory. It will be very difficult for anyone to compete with Amazon in the print-on-demand space.
Lulu and Blurb in 2008: Unique visitors (monthly) and average stay (minutes)
Bear in mind that the number of visitors at any one time are spread across all the different items for sale on their respective sites so the number seeing an individual item will be much lower than this
Reviews of print on demand publishers
- lulu.com - Read Reviews
- Read 11 reviews for lulu.com and make a good deal.
- epinions - reviews of Lulu.com
- Overall service rating 3.5 plus lengthy review and a lot of comments
- My Life as a Lulu
- My Life as a Lulu: Experiences in e-Publishing
by Erika Dreifus - Ten Tools for Your Bestseller - Lulu.com - At A Glance - Reviews by PC Magazine
- Lulu offers an extensive self-publishing solution for nearly any kind of book you want to print.
- Ten Tools for Your Bestseller - Reviews by PC Magazine
- Got the next great American novel in you? These ten sites, services, and apps can help you get it down on paper and share it with (or sell it to) the world.
- Best Online Tools for Sharing and Editing Photos - Blurb - At A Glance - Reviews by PC Magazine
- Blurb is a fun, sophisticated service that gives you the tools to create and publish elegant photo-based books.
- Cool Tools: Blurb * Lulu
- A review of Blurb * Lulu (Personal bookprinting), a Cool Tool.
- Blurb Company Profile
- Blurb is a startup that allows anyone to create customized books (as in, a real, tangible book that you can.
- Blurb, Inc.
- Jun 19, 2008 ... Blurb democratizes publishing with BookSmart, a platform that features professional authoring templates plus a print-on-demand engine, ...
- Jane's E-Learning Pick of the Day: Blurb
- Nov 7, 2008 ... Make your own book with blurb: Download Blurb BookSmart - the free bookmarking software (for PC or Mac) Add photos, artwork and text Order ...
- Blurb.com Gets Book Smart
- In the latest Book 2.0 dust-up, a startup helps bloggers self-publish in hardcover. Is it just vanity publishing, or a warning shot for an old-fashioned ...
- Flickr, Blurb, and Multiple Sclerosis - O'Reilly Digital Media Blog
- Jan 18, 2009 ... What do Flickr, Blurb, and multiple sclerosis have in common? How can the combination contribute to the fight against MS, and maybe change ...
- blurb.com - Quantcast Audience Profile
- This site reaches approximately 91,760 U.S. monthly people. The site appeals to a more affluent, very slightly female biased, adult, more educated audience.The typical visitor orders from currentcatalog.com, books lodging at hotels.com, and shops at Old Navy.
- lulu.com - Quantcast Audience Profile
- Lulu.com is a top 5,000 site that reaches over 957K U.S. monthly people. The site attracts a adult, more educated group.The typical visitor uses sacred-texts.com, visits ccel.org, and reads funnyordie.com.
The Art Business - selected "resources for artists"
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The Art Business - Resources for Visual Artists
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Do you want to know more about the business side of being an artist? Or maybe you're looking for a particular piece of business information for artists? Whether you are an emerging or experienced artist, this site provides you with a link to informa...
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Blogging for Artists - Resources for Artists
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Are you an artist and want a blog? Or maybe an artist who wants to work on improving your blog? If you are then read on - you'll find links on this site to sources of advice, information, and all other matters which are relevant to blogging for arti...
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Art and the Economy - Resources for Artists
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Are you concerned about the impact of the economy on artists and selling art? What will a recession mean for artists? Find out about making and marketing art in an economic slowdown. Topics include: - rethinking your approach to art - being business...
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How to pack, post and ship art - Resources for Artists
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How do you pack art? How do you post art? What about international deliveries? What about customs? How do you get it back again?This site doesn't pretend to have the answers to all the very many questions people have about getting art from artist to...
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Copyright and Orphan Artworks - Resources for Artists
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Visual artists need to know how to protect their images - both on the the internet and in the wider marketplace where artists have to deal with the fact that not all countries operate copyright law in exactly the same way. At the same time they need...
Other perspectives
General reviews of print on demand publishers
These frequently relate to books rather than artwork. However the generic issues they raise are ones which are relevant to artists
- Warnings and Cautions for Writers--Print on Demand
- Warnings About Literary Fraud and Other Schemes, Scams, and Pitfalls That Target Writers
- Writer Beware Blogs!: Happy Valentine's Day from Writer Beware!
- Lists abusive practices
Plus Writer Beware's "Two Thumbs Down" Publishers List
Below, in alphabetical order, is a list of the currently active publishers about which Writer Beware has received the largest number of complaints over the years, or which, based on documentation we've collected, we consider to pose the most significant hazards for writers. All have two or more of the following abusive practices................ - booksandtales.com - POD Forum
- booksandtales.com
An Incomplete Guide to POD Publishers... Welcome to the Forum! - booksandtales.com :: View topic - The basics of what's going on from a number of sources
- "From what I've heard Amazon is telling POD publishers that they can either use Booksurge to print their books or they will no longer be available for direct purchase. Considering the number of complaints that are out there regarding the quality of Booksurge this is bad news not just for publishers but also for authors. "
- booksandtales.com :: View Forum - Q & A
- booksandtales.com
An Incomplete Guide to POD Publishers... Welcome to the Forum!%uFFFD
Questions and Answers - lots of questions but not a lot of answers
BOOKS: Print on Demand Publishing
books on Amazon
Print-on-Demand Book Publishing: A New Approach To Printing And Marketing Books For Publishers And Self-Publishing Authors
The basic business model of the book publishing industry remained largely unchanged between the Great Depression and the turn of the Millennium. Print a lot of books, try to get them reviewed so that stores would stock them on consignment, advertise, then hope that they don't come back as returns. Small imprints and self-publishers were reduced to begging distributors to accept their titles at discounts of 60% or more, and were expected to accept returns in any condition and quantity. Print-on-demand book publishing, combined with short-discount distribution and Internet marketing, is turning the publishing business on its head. For the first time, authors are finding that they can launch their own publishing businesses and earn more from their writing than they would with a major trade publisher. Small imprints can invest their scarce resources in acquiring, designing and promoting new titles, rather than gambling on tons of books that cost money to keep in inventory. This book details the new method with which authors and publishers alike can use POD to cut costs and increase profits, while reaching new readers through the magic of Internet marketing.
Amazon Price: $13.45 (as of 12/17/2009) 
Lenses by other lensmasters
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Roland Tumble's Guide to Print On Demand Art
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This is an overview of internet sites that sell print on demand art. I'll be including information for both artists and art buyers. In general, these sites offer their members an opportunity to present their work in a range of physical forms (as wel...
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Zazzle 101 ... How to make a profit on Zazzle
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Zazzle is one of the Print-on-demand companies out there that allows people to design & sell their own creations. I love Zazzle's ease of use, friendly staff, and the fact that I can make money on my art. I've put together this comprehe...
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CafePress Alternatives and Competitors - CafePress vs. the Competition
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Are you looking for an alternative to Cafe Press? Cafepress vs Printfection, Cafepress vs Zazzle, or CafePress vs Spreadshirt? The most successful store owners research the competition and alternatives to make sure they select the correct service for...
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A CafePress Resource
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CafePress.com is perfect for artists, authors, musicians or even bloggers. With a free basic shop you can upload your artwork or logo and sell print-on-demand t-shirts, mugs, stickers and so much more with the only cost being your time. Print-on-dema...
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Artist Marketing - How do I market my art on the Internet
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If you are reading this on the internet then I will assume you have computer access, an email account (you'll need one to stay intouch with your customers) and possibly even a website or blog. I want to share with you some great things I have le...
The Art Business - selected "resources for artists"
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Art Supplies in the UK - Resources for Artists
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Do you have problems finding art shops or sites providing artist supplies or just anywhere that has got that illusive item that you want. Do you forget who stocks which range? This site provides details about where to find fine art materials and art...
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Art Supplies in the USA - Resources for Artists
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Do you have problems finding art shops or art suppliers or just anywhere that has got that illusive item that you want. Do you forget who stocks which range? This site provides details about where to find fine art materials supplies in and around th...
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Art Equipment - Resources for Artists
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This site is for visual artists. It provides links to: items of art equipment and tools recommended ways of putting together toolkits and recommendations for equipment for working in the studio or plein air Additional information about speci...
Making A Mark
Katherine Tyrrell's blogging portfolio about: - Making a mark creating drawings with pastels, pencils and pen and ink - Art projects - Notable Artists - Developing art careers - Art blogs and blogging about art - Reviews of art books and exhibitions - Inf
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byComments and Feedback
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* All comments are moderated before publication
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Reply
- AlSessions AlSessions Dec 15, 2009 @ 12:53 pm
- Freakin' nice!
What a great resource and easy to find.
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Reply
- drossart drossart Sep 30, 2009 @ 11:14 pm
- THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT INFO AND LINKS - GREAT LENS - DON'T KNOW WHY IT DOESN'T RATE HIGHER.
ARTSWAMI
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Reply
- Leslie Leslie Sep 11, 2009 @ 7:10 am
- I'm curious as to why Fine Art America doesn't appear here (or on many blogs talking about POD art). Isn't their offering quite similar to that of Imagekind and Red Bubble? Any insight?
Thanks!
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Reply
- Lori Dean Dyment Lori Dean Dyment Jul 22, 2009 @ 12:13 pm
- Very informative lens. I've been researching on-line printers as well, looking for the ability to create cards and calendars without having to purchase hundreds. I've had no sales on RedBubble or Imagekind but I'm not active on them.
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Reply
- AndrewShim AndrewShim Jul 5, 2009 @ 12:35 pm
- Excellent resource lens Katherine. Appreciate the traffic comparison charts very much and I've lensrolled this to my "Making T Shirts" lens. Nice.
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Reply
- Anne Vis Anne Vis Jun 10, 2009 @ 7:14 am
- Great blog, thanks for the info! :-)
I am looking for an alternative to CafePress as I do not like their latest moves, but neither do I like Zazzle for several reasons ...
(my main is greeting cards) ... food for thought ...
Keep up the great info!
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Reply
- DoraArtDesignStudio DoraArtDesignStudio May 12, 2009 @ 1:49 pm
- Wow, alot of info in this lens! I definately will be reading through again! Your lenses popped up for me just in time. Thanks and 5*'s
Who is makingamark?
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Who is Making A Mark?
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I'm an artist with a very wide range of interests who enjoys learning about art, making art and sharing information about art. I've combined all my information sites with sections of my other websites and blogs to highlight my main interests and acti...
and finally......
New links are being added added on a regular basis. See the right hand column if you want to create a bookmark or link to be able to check back to this site and/or e-mail this site to a friend who is interested in this topic.
Disclaimer
IMPORTANT - DISCLAIMER Please note that I am not engaged in offering professional advice and I take no responsibility for and have no liability in relation to your reliance on any of the information offered by the sites listed here. I'm just sharing what I've found. Most of the people writing on the internet are sharing their experiences and offering their opinions. It's up to you to make sure your research is thorough enough for your purposes. If you need professional advice then I suggest you contract with the appropriate professional.
If you prefer to sell original art
companion sites in the "selling art online" series
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Sell Daily Paintings - Resources for Artists
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Do you want to know more about how to sell daily paintings online - or improve your knowledge about the painting a day movement generally? Check out this site to find out about websites which aim to help daily painters to sell their art online. Whet...
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Online Art Galleries and Stores - Resources for Artists
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Any number of services want to help you to get your ORIGINAL ART online - but do they actually work and which is the best? If you're trying to find out more about online art galleries and print-on demand services this is the site for you! If you're...
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Email Newsletter Software - Resources for Artists
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Are you confused by the different software options for generating a newsletter delivered via email? You're certainly not alone - and this site is starting to try and sort out what are the free and paid options and how they compare. Plus tips on using...
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How to pack, post and ship art - Resources for Artists
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How do you pack art? How do you post art? What about international deliveries? What about customs? How do you get it back again?This site doesn't pretend to have the answers to all the very many questions people have about getting art from artist to...
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Sell Art Online - Resources for Artists
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Do you want to know how to sell art online - or improve your knowledge of e-commerce for artists? This site helps you find out about selling art via your websites, blog, shopping carts, auctions, online galleries, online stores, print on demand and e...
by makingamark
I'm an artist, author and member of the Giants 100 Club who enjoys sharing information about art. Find out more about me in Who is Making A Mark?" or... (more)
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