How to Make Prints of Paintings: The Step-by-Step Process of Creating a Print

5 Amazing Printing Solutions for Artists 1:18:40

To make prints of paintings, capture the original as a high resolution digital file, color correct it so it matches the painting, and send that file to a professional print provider who prints it with archival inks onto canvas, fine art paper, or photo paper. Before you list anything for sale, order samples and check the color, paper, and finish in person. Then decide on sizes and whether each piece is an open edition or a limited one. That is the whole process, and it lets a single finished painting reach far more collectors than the original ever could.

Here is the thing about prints: they are one of the smartest moves you can make as an artist. When someone loves a painting but is not ready for the investment level of an original, a print gives them a way to say yes. That builds trust, rapport, and long-term collector relationships, and it turns a piece you have already finished into an asset that keeps earning. In true Milan Art fashion, we are going to walk through the practical steps, from how prints are actually made to how to build print drops that feel like an event.

What is the step-by-step process of creating a print?

The step-by-step process of creating a print from a painting runs in eight moves: choose the painting, capture it, prepare the file, choose how it gets printed, choose the edition, proof a sample, finish the prints by hand, and launch them. Each step below links to the section that goes deeper.

1. Choose the painting. Pick the piece with the widest appeal, not always your favorite. More on that in which painting makes the best print.
2. Choose a small series. Release three to seven prints at a time. Fewer than three may not appeal to enough people, and more than seven leaves buyers unsure which to choose.
3. Capture the original. Photograph or scan it at high resolution in flat, even light, square to the surface.
4. Prepare the master file. Color correct and crop it so the file matches the real painting, then save it for every reprint.
5. Choose how it gets printed. Print on demand, your own printer, or a local printer. See which printing route fits you.
6. Choose the edition. Open edition, limited edition, or a hand-finished one of one. See open vs limited editions.
7. Proof a sample. Order or print one and check color, paper, and edges in person before anyone buys.
8. Finish and launch. Sign, number, and package the prints, add a certificate of authenticity for limited editions, and launch the series with a plan.

A quick note on the word “print.” If you came here for printmaking, like linocut, woodcut, or monoprint, those are original prints pulled by hand from a carved or painted plate. This guide covers the other kind: reproductions of a finished painting, which is how most painters turn one piece into many sales.

Which painting makes the best print?

The painting that makes the best print has a clear color scheme you can picture in a real room, a subject most people like, solid composition, and visible expressive marks. In our print business workshop the teaching is blunt: your favorite piece isn’t always your best seller, and the one you feel lukewarm about can outsell it.

Here’s what to look for:

• A color scheme that belongs in a room. If you can picture the living room or bedroom this piece hangs in, so can a buyer.
• Broad appeal over niche. Edgy, slightly creepy, or very funny work can be your best art and still be a weak print, because a print needs a wide net of people who like it.
• No major compositional problems. A print magnifies what’s working and what isn’t.
• Expressiveness. A print is flat. The thick paint and texture disappear, so drips, marks, and visible brushstrokes carry the energy instead. Loose, expressive work tends to sell better as a print than tight, hyper-realistic work.
• Exposure. The image people have already seen many times on your social media tends to sell more prints than a newer piece you’ve barely shown. More eyeballs, more sales.

If you’re torn between two pieces, post both to your Instagram stories and run a poll. Your audience will tell you.

Should you print on demand, print at home, or use a local printer?

Use print on demand when you’re starting and want no upfront cost, a home printer when you sell mostly in person at markets and fairs, and a local printer when you’re producing a limited edition of 20 or more. Many artists use all three at different points in their career.

Print on demand. Services like Printful, Gelato, and Printify print and ship each order after it sells, so you hold no inventory and spend nothing upfront. In the workshop Jake recommends Printful for consistent quality, with Printify or Gelato when you want larger sizes. The trade off is time: production typically takes two to five days and shipping another three to seven, and you can’t proof each print yourself or easily brand the packaging.

Your own printer. An entry model like the Epson Expression 15000 ran about $350 when the workshop was filmed, roughly $400 to $450 all in with ink, paper, sleeves, and mats, and works out to about $5 a print after that. That’s a strong margin if you sell $25 prints at local markets. A large format printer like the Epson SureColor P8000 prints up to 44 inches on canvas and many fine art papers, but costs around $4,000 plus large paper rolls, so it suits artists already running regular limited editions. Prices change, so check current ones before you buy.

A local printer. You can proof every print in person before it ships, and turnaround is often faster. The catch is that you usually buy a large batch upfront and ship orders yourself. That makes sense for a limited edition of 20 to 100, where every piece must be right, and less sense for open editions you aren’t sure will sell.

Should your prints be open editions or limited editions?

Sell open editions when you’re starting out or building a following, and save limited editions for when your originals already sell in the range of roughly $3,000 to $20,000. An open edition is a decor object anyone can afford. A limited edition is a numbered collectible, and it only works when the price gap to your original is big enough to matter.

Open editions have no cap, so they don’t gain value over time. They usually sell somewhere between $50 and $500, depending on size and framing. A simple rule from the workshop is to price at least double or triple what each print costs you. Paired with print on demand, a collector pays you before you’ve ordered anything.

Limited editions are capped forever at a number you decide before printing. You sign each one by hand and number it, like 4/25, and include a certificate of authenticity with the date, your name, the title, a thumbnail of the image, and the edition number. Once the edition sells out, that image can’t be printed again as an open or limited edition. Start small, with three images and an edition of 10 to 25, before you try 50 or 100. If your limited edition costs $1,500 and your original costs $2,000, people will just buy the original, which is why price points have to be far enough apart.

One of one prints work at any stage of your career. You take a print and paint over it until it looks clearly different from the original at a glance: a new background color, different flowers, gold leaf, fresh brushwork. Sign it 1/1 so the buyer knows it began as a print. It often sells for around half the price of a same-size original.

Artist proofs (AP) are traditionally about 10% of a limited edition, so 10 APs for an edition of 100. You touch each one by hand with some gel, marks, or gold leaf, sign it AP 1/10, and price it above the regular edition.

You can also license an image to a publisher who prints and sells it for you. They handle everything, and your cut is usually around 10%, sometimes 15% for limited editions.

How are prints of paintings made?

Prints of paintings are made by turning the original into a high resolution digital file, color correcting it to match the painting, and printing that file with archival inks. The capture and the file matter as much as the printing, so this is where quality is won or lost.

1. Capture the original at high resolution. Photograph or scan the painting in flat, even light with no glare, square to the surface so the image is not distorted. Shoot at the highest resolution your camera allows, because you cannot add detail later that you did not capture. Our full walkthrough on how to photograph artwork for prints covers lighting and setup without a studio.
2. Color correct the file. The raw photo almost never matches the painting on the first try. Correct the color and contrast until the file reflects the real piece, so a collector receives the painting you actually made, not a washed out version of it.
3. Keep a master file. Save a high resolution, properly cropped, color corrected master file for every painting you print. This single file ensures consistent quality every time you reorder, and it saves you from re-shooting the same piece down the road.
4. Print it. A professional printer or print on demand service prints your master file with archival pigment inks onto your chosen surface. Labs hold color and detail at a level that’s hard to match on your own, but for small market prints your own printer works well. Here’s how to create art prints at home.

How do you order samples before you sell?

Order samples from professional print companies before you ever list a print for sale, because color accuracy, paper texture, and weight all change the feel of the final print. Seeing it in person is the only way to know what your collector will receive.

Here are trusted print providers many artists use:

1. Printify. Great for affordable print on demand, a wide variety of products, and international shipping. Ideal for artists who want flexible choices and easy fulfillment.
2. Printful. Known for high consistency, reliable color accuracy, and smooth integrations with online shops. Excellent for streamlined order processing and dependable quality.
3. FinerWorks. Specializes in museum grade fine art printing, including giclee prints and high end papers. Perfect for artists who want premium quality for collectors.
4. Prodigi. Great if you want a very large product catalog, good global fulfillment, and flexible packaging and branding. A strong fit if you plan to offer prints plus merchandise.
5. Gelato. A global print on demand network with fulfillment centers in many countries, which helps with shipping speed and cost for international buyers. Good for wide scale or global audiences.
6. Fine Art America. Designed specifically for artists and fine art prints. Good if you want a marketplace oriented toward art buyers rather than generic merchandise shoppers.
7. Pictorem. Recommended if you want high end, gallery grade canvas or giclee prints. Their offerings lean toward museum quality presentation, which works well for serious collectors.

When your samples arrive, check them carefully. Look at color accuracy, paper type, canvas versus paper, matte and gloss finishes, corner and edge quality, and packaging quality. Lay the samples out side by side and choose the option that best reflects the character of your art.

What paper and print quality should you choose?

Different prints call for different materials, and your medium, color palette, and artistic voice help determine the best fit. There is no single right answer, only the right match for your work.

1. Canvas prints. Canvas mimics the look of a painting, so it works beautifully for impressionistic, expressive, or textural art. It also looks ready to hang straight out of the box.
2. Giclee prints. These are high quality inkjet prints made with archival inks. They offer rich color, fine detail, and a longevity that collectors appreciate. Giclee is the standard when you want gallery grade prints.
3. Fine art papers. Premium papers create a luxurious, tactile feel for prints meant to look and feel high end. Popular choices include Hahnemuhle, cold pressed watercolor papers, smooth cotton rag, and textured archival papers.
4. Photo paper. Shiny, crisp, and vibrant, photo paper is great for bold colors, photography inspired work, or pop art aesthetics. It is usually the most cost friendly option, which makes it a smart starting point.

How do you plan a quarterly print drop?

Plan a quarterly print drop by releasing a small series of three to seven prints a few times a year, each with a story behind it, and announcing it in three stages: whisper, tease, then shout. A drop turns an ordinary print sale into an event your collectors look forward to.

1. Choose your release dates. Pick four release windows a year, such as the start of each season, and tell your audience when they are.
2. Build the series around a story. Tell people what the paintings are about and why you made them, on the sales page and in every post, so buyers can picture living with the work and see themselves in it.
3. Whisper one to two months out. Small posts here and there: prints are coming, a glimpse of an image, nothing detailed yet.
4. Tease about two weeks out. Share more of the story and more of the images in an email or two and three or four posts.
5. Shout in the last few days and through launch. Email daily, post daily, go live, answer every comment, and keep retelling the story behind the series.
6. Set a real window and keep to it. If the series is available for two weeks, close it after two weeks. For limited editions, sharing the true number left is honest information buyers want.

How do you sell prints through your website?

Sell prints through your website most easily by choosing a printing partner that connects directly to your online shop, so orders flow automatically from your store to your fulfillment partner. That means no manual uploading, no tracking spreadsheets, and no shipping headaches.

Print on demand services like Printify, Printful, and FinerWorks offer built in integrations for platforms such as Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, and Etsy. Once connected, your artwork, product listings, and inventory sync with your shop, so collectors can order prints any time. The printer receives the order instantly, creates the print, and ships it without you needing to intervene.

This kind of system lets you focus on creating art instead of managing logistics. It also gives collectors a consistent, reliable buying experience, which builds trust and encourages repeat purchases. As your catalog grows, a fully integrated workflow becomes essential, and it is what makes your print business scalable and sustainable. For the bigger picture on listings, pricing, and platforms, see our guide on how to sell art prints.

What details make prints feel professional?

A handful of small touches separate amateur prints from professional ones, and most of them cost very little. These are the details collectors notice, even when they cannot name them.

1. Sign your prints whenever possible. A signature adds value and authenticity. Even when using a fulfillment company, consider ordering batches to sign yourself.
2. Number your limited editions. Collectors love knowing they are getting number 5 out of 25. Numbering adds real collectibility to a run.
3. Offer multiple sizes. Three sizes is often ideal, such as 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20. More options mean more sales without overwhelming buyers.
4. Create certificates of authenticity. These add legitimacy and professionalism, and they reassure serious buyers. Here is what to include on a certificate of authenticity for art.
5. Brand your packaging. Tissue paper, thank you cards, stickers, or wax seals turn the print into an experience rather than a parcel.
6. Keep a master file of print ready artwork. High resolution, properly cropped, color corrected files ensure consistent quality every time you print or reprint.

Quick answer

To create a print of a painting, choose a piece with broad appeal, capture it at high resolution, and color correct the file. Choose print on demand, your own printer, or a local printer, then decide on an open edition, a limited edition, or a hand-finished one of one. Proof a sample, then sign, number, and launch a small series of three to seven prints.

Why prints are worth it

Offering prints is more than a business choice. It is a way to honor the power of your message and let it reach as many people as possible. Prints give you multiple price points, so collectors at every stage can participate in your creative world. They multiply the value of an original forever, because once a traditional original sells it is gone, but a print keeps that artwork earning. They bring beauty to more homes, and through quarterly drops they create the kind of recurring revenue that supports a real practice. For more on building income that repeats, read our guide on passive income for artists.

When collectors bring your art into their home, it becomes part of their story. Prints make that possible again and again. If you want to build the technique, the voice, and the business habits that turn creativity into a thriving career, the Two Week Challenge is a guided way to start making work instead of just reading about it. And when you want to go deeper on the business side, the rest of the sell and price your art collection is here for you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the step by step process of creating a print?

Choose a painting with broad appeal, capture it at high resolution, and color correct the file. Decide how it gets printed (print on demand, your own printer, or a local printer) and whether it is an open or limited edition. Order and check a proof, then sign, number, and package the prints, and launch them as a small series of three to seven images.

What is a one of one print?

A one of one is a print you paint over by hand until it looks clearly different from the original at a glance, with a new background color, added flowers, gold leaf, or fresh brushwork. You sign it 1/1 to tell the buyer it began as a print. It sits between a print and an original in price, often around half of what the original would sell for.

How are prints of paintings made?

Prints of paintings are made by capturing the original as a high resolution digital file, color correcting it to match the painting, and printing that file with archival inks onto canvas, fine art paper, or photo paper. Professional providers handle the printing, and you order samples first to confirm the color, paper, and finish look right before selling.

How do I photograph a painting so it prints well?

Photograph the painting in flat, even light with no glare, square to the surface so it is not distorted, at the highest resolution your camera allows. Then color correct the file so the print matches the original. A clean, properly cropped, color corrected master file is what separates a sharp print from a muddy one.

What is the best paper for printing paintings?

It depends on your art. Canvas suits expressive, textural work and looks ready to hang. Giclee on fine art papers like cotton rag gives rich color and detail collectors prize. Photo paper is crisp, vibrant, and the most affordable, which suits bold or photographic work. Order samples and compare before deciding.

What is the difference between giclee prints and regular prints?

Giclee prints are high quality inkjet prints made with archival pigment inks on fine art paper or canvas, built to hold rich color and resist fading for decades. Regular prints often use cheaper inks and papers that fade faster. Giclee is the standard when you want gallery grade prints that serious collectors will pay more for.

Should I make open editions or limited editions?

Start with open editions. They have no cap, sell for roughly $50 to $500 depending on size and framing, and pair well with print on demand, so there is no upfront cost. Limited editions are signed and numbered, like 5 of 25, and capped forever, so they make sense once your originals sell for several thousand dollars and the price gap between print and original is wide.