I have to provide Salmon Arm Art Centre a price for my prints so have delved into this morass of figuring out what to charge for my work.
Ink cartridge for Canon Pixma Pro-100 = CAD$25.19 each.
There are 8 colours. Total CAD$201.52.
Canon matt photo paper 8.5×11 (50 pack) = CAD$22.49 so CAD$0.45 each).
I used the ink cost per print calculation that I got off the Red River Paper site (Red River Paper, 2021) where thankfully they have already worked out a Cartridge Equivalent Usage measure which is too complicated for my brain. Their calculation reads:
(Cartridge per Square Inch) x (Square Inches) x (Cost of one ink cartridge) = Ink Cost Per Print
So to calculate the price of an 8.5″x11″ print it is:
.000643 x 93.5 x CAD$25.19 = CAD$1.51. I’m assuming that this would be using only one colour so I have multiplied this amount by 8 to get an approximation for a colour print which is CAD$12.12. This chimes more with a photo processing lab’s costs (which are cheaper because they don’t use inkjet).
So if I add the ink cost per print plus the paper cost I then get CAD$12.57 per print.
According to the Trafft Team, the PPA’s Benchmark states that hard costs (COGS – costs of goods sold) must be less than 25% of the overall income. So the charge should be 4 or 5 times the COGS figure (Trafft Team, 2021).
That means for me an 8.5″x11″ print should be priced at $50.26 (excluding a frame).
My frame costs CAD$22.47 so using the PPA benchmark that would bring the framed print to CAD$140.14.
The frames I purchased are not gallery standard as there is nothing local offers anything like that, but they are acceptable. Therefore I’m not comfortable charging 4 times the COGS figure for the frame. I’m quite happy just doubling that figure.
That puts my pricing at CAD$95.20 which I will round down to CAD$95.00. I think this is reasonable, as I’ve not accounted for expenses such as office overheads, petrol, etc. So this figure would just represent my costs plus some of my time.
Brian Tremblay writing for PetaPixel states he learnt a lesson from painters and that is to charge $1 per square inch as a starting point (Tremblay, 2022). This is a good measure as a 8.5″x11″ print has 93.5 square inches.
The Salmon Arm Arts Centre charges a 25% commission on work sold and advise that we should factor this into our price point. This adds CAD$23.80 to my total, bringing the amount up to CAD$119.00, which I will round up to CAD$120.00 for convenience.
Bibliography
Red River Paper (2021) Cost of Inkjet Printing Canon PRO-100. At: https://www.redrivercatalog.com/rr/cost-of-inkjet-printing-canon-pro-100.html (Accessed 27/10/2022).
Trafft Team (2021) Pricing Photography Prints: The Guide You Absolutely Need. At: https://trafft.com/pricing-photography-prints/ (Accessed 27/10/2022).
Tremblay, B. (2022) How to Price Your Fine Art Photography. At: https://petapixel.com/pricing-fine-art-photography/ (Accessed 27/10/2022).
LO1 demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the professional context(s) relevant to your practice and have an understanding of the professional dimensions that underpin a successful photographic practice
LO3 operate in complex commercial contexts requiring the application of specific interpersonal, professional and business skills within an ethical framework.
Lynda Kuit Photography Level 3 