selling posters/design prints

Bennettphotog

I am a youth sports photographer and I want to sell special design prints, such as magazine covers, posters, and other things like that. I was just wondering if anyone could provide any input on a way to sell these to my customers?

What I've decided to do for now is just have my customers call or email me with the design and photo(s) the would like on a design. Once I finish the product I will let them know and then place their design in their team's album for purchase. My only worry about that is that some people might decide at the last minute not to purchase it, but I would've already created it and wasted time on their product. So I am looking for a way to maybe get the money upfront somehow? So if anybody has any suggestions of a way to do this please let me know!!

Thanks,
Sam

woodsphoto

You probably won't find this suggestion acceptable, but I'll toss it out anyway.

[I've sold quite a few posters like you describe, but never through SmugMug. I usually get a cash deposit upfront. (Nothing worse than spending a few hours designing a poster then have the customer change their mind.) Obviously, you can't take a deposit through SmugMug and receving a cash deposit from a client defeats the functionality of clients being able to pay with credit card from the privacy of their own home at any time they like.]

Once a client emails you with their request, you work out the final ouput size and price, the client agrees to it. You upload a simple image that may just contain their name and description of what they are ordering. The customer orders that "image" printed at the size you agreed upon. (You could upload this image to a private gallery with custom pricing for the size(s) the customer has agreed to.) You then use the proof delay option to design and upload the product. You could email a low-res sample of the poster to the client for approval. If for any reason they do not approve, you could cancel the order. If they do approve, you submit the order for print.

Not perfect, but an option...

SamirD

You could require that a customer purchase a particular size in a particular gallery and have a long proof delay set for that gallery. When you see the purchase, you're paid, and then you work back and forth until you get the final image to be submitted for fulfilment. Unless you self-fulfill, then this won't work.

Bennettphotog

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Question though. What I was planning on doing was having the customer email me the pic(s) they want, the design they want, and the league/organization. I was then going to produce the image and place it in a private gallery for them to then go in and purchase. I'm not sure I understand what you are saying about the proof delay or how that works.

I was also thinking of having the customer pay me, then I would produce the image and just have it printed and shipped to the customer by Bay Photo. What ya think?

Thanks,
Sam

SamirD

Bennettphotog wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Question though. What I was planning on doing was having the customer email me the pic(s) they want, the design they want, and the league/organization. I was then going to produce the image and place it in a private gallery for them to then go in and purchase. I'm not sure I understand what you are saying about the proof delay or how that works.

I was also thinking of having the customer pay me, then I would produce the image and just have it printed and shipped to the customer by Bay Photo. What ya think?

Thanks,
Sam

By setting proof delay on, you can automate this process a bit. Proof delay allows someone to buy an image, but gives you time to alter it before it is submitted to the lab.

So the workflow would go like this:

• Customer purchases a particular size image that you've let them know will be altered as a poster
• Smugmug emails you about the order
• You work back and forth with the customer until the poster is like they want it
• You replace the purchased image with your revised image
• Bay Photo produces the print like normal

Bennettphotog

The way I've done it the last couple times has actually worked pretty well. I didn't use proof delay. All I did was ask them to email me the pictures they wanted with all the relevant info to the poster. When finished I'd send them a proof, wait for approval, then stick the finished poster in a password protected gallery. It has worked pretty well so until it starts having issues I'm just going to leave it the way it is.

Thanks for the input though everyone!

Sam

SamirD wrote: »

By setting proof delay on, you can automate this process a bit. Proof delay allows someone to buy an image, but gives you time to alter it before it is submitted to the lab.

So the workflow would go like this:

• Customer purchases a particular size image that you've let them know will be altered as a poster
• Smugmug emails you about the order
• You work back and forth with the customer until the poster is like they want it
• You replace the purchased image with your revised image
• Bay Photo produces the print like normal