Should I use print-on-demand for reproducing my artwork?

Absolutely. Print-on-demand is one of the greatest gifts to this industry ever. It solves multiple problems: First, you don’t need any upfront capital—you can go from having 30 pieces to offering 3,000 items without outlaying money or storing inventory in your garage. Second, it solves the pricing problem by giving you clear wholesale costs to mark up. Third, you don’t need special skills or equipment like silk screening. Fourth, the major print labs build damage and shipping issues into their business model—if something arrives damaged, they simply tell the customer to dispose of it and immediately ship a replacement at no cost to you. The quality is excellent because all the major labs use the same professional-grade printers, inks, and media types. They buy ink by the barrel and ship $50-75 million worth of art per year, so their shipping rates are far better than you could get on your own. Twenty years ago, you had to pay huge amounts for lithographs or serigraphs and warehouse them yourself. Now, print-on-demand makes reproduction accessible and practical for every artist.

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Asked by general audience · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-17