It’s already a challenge to convince buyers that they can trust the image they’re seeing on their computer screen. . . and the lower the quality of your images, the harder it becomes. So if you’re an artist (and especially if you desire to sell your art online) my best advice is to make sure that your photographs accurately depict the quality of your work.

Take a quick look at your artwork photos and ask yourself these 5 questions:

1. Do the colors match the original artwork?

2. Is there a proper white balance?

3. Is the image properly aligned and cropped?

4. Is the surface free of reflections and/or glares from improper lighting?

5. Is the image distorted?

If the answer is “no” to any of those questions, you may be causing hesitation in a potential buyer, simply because they can’t trust the photograph you posted online of your original piece. According to the 2013 Hiscox Report, 71% of art collectors have bought artwork over the internet based on a digital image, without ever seeing the piece in person. That’s great news, right? Of course! BUT – 67% of those collectors ALSO said they were worried that the artwork might turn out to look different from what was represented by the digital image. In short, one of the best ways to give online buyers confidence is to have high-quality digital images. While I’m on the topic of image quality, let’s talk about digital prints for a minute. For many artists, selling prints is a key part of their strategy – it’s a great way to connect with a higher volume of art buyers who might not be able to afford the price of an original. But when it comes time to make your prints, the image quality of your file becomes even more important. Even if an image is crystal clear on your computer screen, that doesn’t mean it will be crystal clear when printed. Again, the solution to this problem is to have professional quality high-res images.

 

- Article by Andy Derrick in Art Business Advice > Selling Art Online