You don't sell JPEGs—what do you actually sell?

You don’t sell JPEGs or digital files. You sell real, tangible, three-dimensional products that are ready to hang. You need to be able to show off your work not as a flat image on a screen, but as an actual physical piece in different media types. Get sample prints made in the main media options: fine art paper, canvas, metal, acrylic, and wood. These samples should be small enough to carry easily—you can keep them in a backpack or car, show them in person anywhere. Almost no one knows the difference between these media types or why they’d choose one over another, so you need to be able to show and articulate the differences. If you were selling knives door-to-door, you wouldn’t bring a catalog of pictures—you’d bring the actual knives. The same principle applies to art.

---

Asked by artists and photographers in general · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-03