Does this exist

[SteveMeech]

So I want to start selling my illustrations as prints but I don't want to have to spend much on start up.

I wondered if anyone knows a print firm who print,store and send to customer limited prints? I do not though want this linked to an online gallery I just want a printers who offer this service.
I know this will cost more but then I am not having to absorb these costs instead the buyer is.

If not I ill just do a short run and have to take a risk but I wanted to test the waters, thanks in advance.

 

[hankscorpio]

Find a local printers that will be willing to work with you.

You'll have to give them a cut of the profits.

 

[SteveMeech]

Find a local printers that will be willing to work with you.

You'll have to give them a cut of the profits.

Do printers run prints without a set knowledge of how much they will be receiving ?
It sounds like a huge risk for them for me to approach them with.

 

[Paul Murray]

Do printers run prints without a set knowledge of how much they will be receiving ?
It sounds like a huge risk for them for me to approach them with.

I'd imagine they'd just have a minimum they'd charge per print run to cover their costs and make a profit. So they may charge £XX per print and it's then up to you to mark that up to make your own profit.

 

[InkOn]

hi,
I wouldnt have thought any printer would want to print stock for you, store it until a purchaser comes along and then they get paid.

It also depends on how many prints you would want and what process they would to be printed by, i.e litho or digital.

If litho there are a upfront costs for the printer such as repro and plates, and of course material which at some point they would have to pay for according to their credit terms with the paper supplier.

In this day and age, I dont see any printer complying with that kind of deal, who's to say they get paid at the end of the day ?

The only way i see this working is if you print up your own stock, pay for them and hope they sell. But be prepared for a large start up cost if litho is the only way forward because plates, paper, repro, make ready, etc can soon add up. The only way to help your unit cost is print a substantial quantity, but again, there's the risk !

If your work fits a large format digital press, you dont have the same cost outlay as they can run as low as 1 x quantity of each design, but then you suffer with quality on the result.

Hope that helps, I work in the print so have tried not to be too negative !