Art By Download

[Mark Sheeky]

Anyone sell their art by download? I've recently added the option for people to purchase prints of my works as 300dpi images with a licence to print a copy for themselves. I can't find any other artists selling their work like this. I sell music and computer software this way, so it seemed like a logical step. I'm guessing that digital images like windows backdrops are sold like this sometimes.

There are pros and cons. Anyone have any opinions about it?

Mark

[timelady]

I do computer backgrounds and iPad/iPhone backgrounds, but haven't sold digital work for print. I have given it away ocassionally to newsletter subscribers with a link to a 300dpi image.

Tina.

[CSForest]

I wouldn't do it. I never give my high res images to anyone without a contract. Once they have your high res image you have no control over it. They could use it illegally, printing it out to sell prints, using it sell things online on sites like Zazzle or Cafe Press, or even licensing it to product manufacturers. I know you're requiring them to agree to a license but some people won't. And once it's gone past that initial buyer and has gotten loose on the internet there's no way to control or enforce that.
Instead, offer incentive for them to buy the hard copy print from you buy saying it's hand-signed. What's a few extra dollars for postage to get a real artist signature?

[Davkin]

Originally Posted by CSForest

I wouldn't do it. I never give my high res images to anyone without a contract. Once they have your high res image you have no control over it. They could use it illegally, printing it out to sell prints, using it sell things online on sites like Zazzle or Cafe Press, or even licensing it to product manufacturers. I know you're requiring them to agree to a license but some people won't. And once it's gone past that initial buyer and has gotten loose on the internet there's no way to control or enforce that.
Instead, offer incentive for them to buy the hard copy print from you buy saying it's hand-signed. What's a few extra dollars for postage to get a real artist signature?

Once they have a hard copy print though it's really no trouble for anyone that's intent on violating your copyright to get reproductions made. I think you can drive yourself batty worrying about copyright issues, but there's not a whole heck of a lot you can do about it.

I wouldn't offer a digital copy just because you have no control over the quality of the print they make from it. You never know who else might see that print.

David

[CSForest]

Originally Posted by Davkin

Once they have a hard copy print though it's really no trouble for anyone that's intent on violating your copyright to get reproductions made.

That's a lot more hassle, and the image quality would degrade some. Someone would have to be more determined to go to that trouble. But it's all too easy for a digital image to spread online via FB and Pinterest, etc, so you are exposing it to far more people, most of whom will know nothing of its original and license agreement and, therefore, may be more likely to use it illegally to make some "harmless" notecards for their friends, a gift for grandma, etc.

[timelady]

Actually, the quality could be better. I've had a publisher actually use a web-sized old image and scan it at a very high resolution in order to use as a book cover. (obviously in this case it was by agreement and we both were happy)

Mark, my images I chose for giving out digitally were images I decided I would never use myself for any other purpose. So I saw no harm in any way they could be distributed freely and was happy to take that risk. It might be worth choosing images carefully if you do go this route. I decided to use either older images no longer seen anywhere and which I'd never print (originals sold long ago andnot shown online anymore, plus I had an ok image for a small print but no higher resolution anyway); or in a couple cases I used images of paintings I later destroyed and never exhibited. So the latter ones were never in circulation in any form. For me this helped protect the images I felt had potential for future publishing or simply didn't want distributed freely.

Tina.

[Mark Sheeky]

I agree Tina. I wasn't advocating distributing every image this way, although the way the Internet is this might be the norm in 10 years. There are quality control issues and control issues generally but ultimately if the original is yours and if your authentic sanctioned prints are clearly differentiated from digital editions (like an open edition would be differentiated from a limited edition) then I can't see much of a problem. I think it's at least worth a try. Fear of what might go wrong is a silly reason not to try something new.

I'll be adding more artists once I work out how best to handle royalty payments.

Mark