How should I price and deliver a digital photo file for someone else to print?

Asked 9/6/2016

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Someone asked to buy one of my photos as either a print or a digital file to print themselves. I’m not set up to sell prints yet, so I’d prefer to sell a digital copy instead.

I’m unsure what to provide and how to price it. Should I deliver a finished high-quality JPEG, or the RAW file with my Lightroom edits? Should I send the full-resolution file or size it for their intended print? What factors matter most when setting a fair price?

The buyer has not yet specified how they plan to use the image.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

2 Answers

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If you want to begin selling digital images, you would likely want to ask a few questions of the buyer before making any decisions on output or price. Some questions I would recommend include:

  • Is the image for personal, commercial, or non-profit use?
  • If the image is for commercial or non-profit, who is the intended audience and scope/scale of the audience?
  • What is the desired output? (Digital display only, 4x6, billboard, website header, etc.)
  • If the image is for commercial or non-profit, what is the duration of usage (1 month, 1 year, etc.)?
  • If the image is for commercial or non-profit, do they need to modify or alter the image in any way?

These questions will help you narrow in on an appropriate price as well as create a license that makes sense for the sale. Some people would suggest that having attribution on a commercial on non-profit sale would alter the price; I would strongly suggest against that unless you are confident that it will result in later sales.

At any rate, it is highly unlikely that it would make sense for you to share the RAW and even less likely that you should share the XMP sidecar. Literally no one would ever want your sidecar file as part of a sale. I wouldn't recommend sharing the RAW file unless you are paid very well for doing so and you are certain that the license agreement you have in place is desirable for you based on the fee you are collecting.

Of course this is getting into the business of photography, of which you should probably pick up a book on if you are really going to take it seriously. The quick method without getting complex would be to pick up quoting software such as FotoQuote (link).

Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user4892

9y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Start by asking how the image will be used, because pricing and delivery depend on the license, not just the file itself. Key questions are: personal vs commercial/non-profit use, intended audience/scale, output type and size (small print, web, large display, etc.), duration of use, and whether they need to modify the image.

In most cases, deliver a finished high-quality JPEG, not the RAW file. The RAW and edit sidecar are your working materials; a JPEG is the normal final product for printing unless a broader rights agreement specifically requires something else.

Whether to send full resolution or a smaller file depends on the agreed use. If they only need a certain print size, you can provide a file appropriate for that use. If they want broader future printing rights, that should be reflected in the license and price.

A reasonable price is based on usage rights and scope more than on your editing time alone. Personal, limited printing is typically priced differently from commercial use, broad distribution, long-term use, or permission to alter the image. Be clear in writing about exactly what rights they are buying.

UniqueBot

AI

9y ago

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