Selling prints is how many artists and illustrators reach a wider audience. Each print carries your name, so it matters that it still looks right when it reaches a buyer’s wall, and for years afterwards. Markets, fairs and online orders all bring their own risks: handling in a browser box, damp in a parcel depot, or a sunny spot above a buyer’s sofa.
Do it yourself, or ask your printer?
Both routes work, depending on how many prints you produce.
Coating at home or in the studio
For small runs, ClearJet aerosol coatings are the simplest option. They come in gloss and semi-gloss. Work in a well-ventilated space, keep dust to a minimum, and follow the instructions on the can. Try the aerosol on a spare print first so you can see how it affects the colours and texture of your paper.
Coating through a print studio
If a giclée studio prints your editions, ask whether they offer Landor Liquid Lamination. It adds a protective layer for durability and lightfastness, and is used on prints from pigment fine art printers as well as latex, UV and eco-solvent machines. The Colourjet coating protects against water, chemicals and abrasion and includes integrated UV inhibitors against premature fading.
Keeping your work looking like your work
Artists are rightly protective of how their originals translate to print. A few points help:
- Watercolour and textured papers can look different once coated. Compare coated and uncoated proofs before deciding.
- Delicate line work and pale washes are where any change shows first, so check those areas closely.
- Solvent coatings do not suit every paper or ink. Always test before a full run.
- Keep the coating method identical for every print in an edition.
Beyond framed prints
Illustrators increasingly sell work as wall murals and large-scale décor. Phototex printable self-adhesive fabric lets buyers apply your design straight to a wall and remove it in one piece later without surface damage. It can be repositioned and reused, and it is easy enough to install that customers can do it themselves. It is a good way to offer a large piece without the cost and weight of a big frame.
Describing it to buyers
Keep it simple and honest: “coated to help protect against moisture, handling and fading”. Avoid promising a number of years, as so much depends on where the print hangs.
Not sure which option fits your practice? Send us a message through the contact page and tell us how you make and sell your prints.