Work flow when selling prints

[AndreiF]

Hi all, for those who sell prints, please share how you manage to keep in order everything. How do you keep the info about finding the negative, settings for a specific print that you need to doit maybe later when a second client wants it, do you do editions or unique prints? etc

Thanks!

 

[jeffreyg]

I keep my negatives in mylar sleeves and write the printing info on the sleeve. The sleeves are kept in acid-free envelopes with the subject on the envelope and then in negative boxes. I find that it works best for me to make a new test print if printing again at a later date and of course if a different size. If it is a platinum/palladium print I always make a new test print. If digital it is not necessary. Most of my sales are when I have an exhibition. Photography is not my "day job" so I am not too aggressive making sales although I have someone now representing my photography on some sites. We will see if anything comes of it.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[jim10219]

A lot of people will make an extra print and then write any notes on that print. If anything needs dodging and burning, they'll mark straight on the print and circle the effected areas. Then they keep that in the same box as the negatives (which are usually in sleeves).

For me, I don't like repeating old work, so I don't usually come back to an old print. Most of my negatives don't make it to the print stage, and when I find one that is worthy of printing, I'll go ahead and make a few at once. If there's more demand that supply for a specific print, I'll usually do something different the second time around, just to make it more interesting for me. So I might make it larger, smaller, tone it, do it as an alternative process, etc. Then again, I'm more concerned about learning new things and having fun than making a living off photography. If I were trying to make a living off photography, I'd stick to digital where the profit margins are exponentially higher.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

You need to stay organized. If you aren't already, you need to do it. Nothing worse then spending an hour looking for a neg...

I number all rolls by year-roll# and put them in binders. If I want a specific neg, it is easy to find. When I print, I keep a binder with the print info in it. I write the page # of the binder on the neg sheet right over the negative with a china marker so the next time I want to make a print, I just look up the last one. It takes less than a minute to pull a neg and look up the print information in the binder. Easy.

If you want to keep track of what print went to whom, just keep a spreadsheet. Again, if you keep things organized by neg # it is easy.

I also keep everything organized in Lightroom, which is a cataloging program. That way if I want to make a print of an image, I can find the image several different ways. That makes it simple too.

If you have been doing photography a long time it might be a royal pain to get organized. It took me a couple days when i decided to do it. Once you are organized though, it is pretty easy to stay that way.

 

[MattKing]

A lot of people will make an extra print and then write any notes on that print. If anything needs dodging and burning, they'll mark straight on the print and circle the effected areas. Then they keep that in the same box as the negatives (which are usually in sleeves).

I have a combination photocopier/scanner/printer at home. I make a photocopy of the print and mark that up instead.
If I feel like it, I can prepare notes on the computer and print them on the back with the printer function - much easier to refine and edit the notes, and much easier to read them too.

 

[AndreiF]

Hi all! thank you very much for your replies, all very helpfull! I think I have an ideea now, especially about the amount of work ahead to get the past work organised. I have fortunatelly the negs numbered and with info on (like the year, place etc) But I didn't write from the begining the info on the print, or on a side, so I have loads of prints to order in order to be able to find the neg that was us to print it, for ex On the good part is that my notebooks -info about some of the prints and a lot of info about the proceses that I use (mostly lith printing) are well organised

Thank you all again!

 

[slackercrurster]

I don't sell prints, I place them with museums and curated collections. Sometimes I note special printing info on a work print. With digital you can perfect the print image pretty much. It is not like wet printing. With digital you prefect the file one time. With wet printing you have to perfect each print in the darkroom.

Sunlit Slipper 1973 Hassy SWC -vintage silver gelatin print versus inkjet print after 2-1/2 hours of Lightroom.

I used to keep an album of 4 x 6 prints with notes on them, then gave it up. Switching media sometimes requires different printing settings, so I make a note of that.

Order Women Like Pizza (Candid) is hard to print. Requires 3 passes through the printer. I have notes for printing it. The notes vary depending on print size.

I hate editions, brain does not like extra work. I tried portfolio / print editions, but they didn't seem to matter much. I do edition my hand-printed artist's book.

Editions are good if you are a hi-priced photog. For the average photog, don't think editions matters. Nor if you are Robert Frank. Don't want to pay XYZ$$ for a Frank Americans non editioned print? Then buy one of his vintage Americans prints for half a million. If the art / photo world has a hard-on for you, then you make the rules, not them.

I print and sign photos on the back. I print anything I want to say or archive with the photo on the back. Was told not to add my own comments or complaints. They said a painter does not complain about the prices of paint or canvas on the back of his painting. But time marches on and the info may be lost to history. And being an archivist, beside being a photog...I document. I got no one to please but myself so I do as I please. If I followed instructions or followed the rules I would not have a fraction of the photos I do have.

Many times institutions ask for a D.O.G. (Deed of Gift) if the artwork is donated. I keep copies of it. (Careful not to sign away the copyright as most DOG's request to do.) And I keep copies of the cover letter detailing the acquisition. I found it easier to name my photos. Before dealing with museums I never named photos. Much easier for the registrar or acquisition committee to discuss a name than Untitled #36, Untitled # 73,Untitled #189, etc and etc.

世界のリーダー赤外線フラッシュと円形魚眼レンズ写真

 

[jtk]

I don't sell prints, I place them with museums and curated collections. Sometimes I note special printing info on a work print. With digital you can perfect the print image pretty much. It is not like wet printing. With digital you prefect the file one time. With wet printing you have to perfect each print in the darkroom.

View attachment 212123

Sunlit Slipper 1973 Hassy SWC -vintage silver gelatin print versus inkjet print after 2-1/2 hours of Lightroom.

I used to keep an album of 4 x 6 prints with notes on them, then gave it up. Switching media sometimes requires different printing settings, so I make a note of that.

Order Women Like Pizza (Candid) is hard to print. Requires 3 passes through the printer. I have notes for printing it. The notes vary depending on print size.

View attachment 212122

I hate editions, brain does not like extra work. I tried portfolio / print editions, but they didn't seem to matter much. I do edition my hand-printed artist's book.

Editions are good if you are a hi-priced photog. For the average photog, don't think editions matters. Nor if you are Robert Frank. Don't want to pay XYZ$$ for a Frank Americans non editioned print? Then buy one of his vintage Americans prints for half a million. If the art / photo world has a hard-on for you, then you make the rules, not them.

I print and sign photos on the back. I print anything I want to say or archive with the photo on the back. Was told not to add my own comments or complaints. They said a painter does not complain about the prices of paint or canvas on the back of his painting. But time marches on and the info may be lost to history. And being an archivist, beside being a photog...I document. I got no one to please but myself so I do as I please. If I followed instructions or followed the rules I would not have a fraction of the photos I do have.

Many times institutions ask for a D.O.G. (Deed of Gift) if the artwork is donated. I keep copies of it. (Careful not to sign away the copyright as most DOG's request to do.) And I keep copies of the cover letter detailing the acquisition. I found it easier to name my photos. Before dealing with museums I never named photos. Much easier for the registrar or acquisition committee to discuss a name than Untitled #36, Untitled # 73,Untitled #189, etc and etc.

世界のリーダー赤外線フラッシュと円形魚眼レンズ写真

Thanks for your insights. Seriously.