Creative photographic print studio and gallery theprintspace recently launched The Hub, a new service that offers artists an easy, secure and fast way to sell work online. The Hub aims to remove the need for often expensive intermediary in the print production process, allowing artists to take full control of their projects.
"I'm frustrated that brilliant creative artists and photographers do not get the recognition they deserve for their work, and that recognition also means revenue as that's an important factor in financing future projects," says founder and MD of theprintspace Stuart Waplington.
Our service is the Airbnb or YouTube of art
"Our service is the Airbnb or YouTube of art" Waplington adds. "Users simply upload their images, create mini-galleries and within minutes they can have them shared on social networks, websites, in emails, or insert simple short URLs onto gallery invites or blog posts."
When a potential customers sees work via any of these channels, they can then purchase easily, with theprintspace handling everything – including production, packaging and posting – from that point on. The net proceeds from the sale, less the base price of the print and a 10 per cent handling fee are then paid to the artist.
Get involved
The Hub is currently in open beta phase, and anyone can sign up to use it. Anticipated to be in beta for three months, during this time clients can also continue to use the existing online print ordering service.
Want to know more? Take a look at these infographics from the theprintspace team, which reveal some interesting findings, including the average amount earnt from selling prints online, and its potential based on what buyers are currently spending.
