A price formula can make a collection look consistent. It cannot tell you what a month of painting should be worth. Two works of the same size may have taken very different amounts of time, and a small piece still needs packing, photographs and a buyer.
It helps to use the formula as a way to organize prices, then check whether those prices make sense for your costs and the work you actually sell. The examples below show where the common methods help and where they start to strain.
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Original artwork: Sanford Robinson Gifford
Four common ways to price artwork
| Method | Formula | 16 × 20 inch example | Works well for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square inch | width × height × rate | 320 × $2 = $640 | Work in a narrow range of sizes | Big pieces get expensive fast, small ones too cheap |
| Linear inch | (width + height) × rate | 36 × $15 = $540 | Work from very small to very large | Big pieces can end up underpriced |
| Time and materials | hours × hourly rate + materials | 20 × $22 + $60 = $500 | Commissions and setting a minimum | Slow pieces get overpriced; buyers don’t pay for hours |
| Comparables | What similar work actually sells for | Depends on the market | Checking any formula | Asking prices aren’t sale prices |
The rates in this article ($2 per square inch, $15 per linear inch, $22 an hour) are round numbers chosen to show the math. They are not market averages. Your own rate should come from your sales and your costs, and the steps below show how to work it out.
What a square-inch price does to the range
The square-inch method multiplies width by height, then by a chosen rate. At the illustrative rate of $2 per square inch, a 16 × 20 painting comes to $640 before any separate framing cost.
| Size (inches) | Square inches | Price at $2 per square inch |
|---|---|---|
| 5 × 7 | 35 | $70 |
| 8 × 10 | 80 | $160 |
| 11 × 14 | 154 | $308 |
| 16 × 20 | 320 | $640 |
| 24 × 36 | 864 | $1,728 |
| 36 × 48 | 1,728 | $3,456 |
The gap at the ends is striking: the largest painting is priced almost 50 times above the smallest. A small work may still take considerable preparation and packing; a large one may not take 50 times the work.
A fixed starting amount plus a lower area rate can soften that gap. For example, $100 + $1.50 per square inch gives $152.50 for 5 × 7 and $2,692 for 36 × 48. These figures show how the method behaves; they are not market rates. The useful question is whether the resulting range makes sense beside your own costs and sales.
How to price art by the linear inch
Linear inches are simply width + height. Because you add the sides instead of multiplying them, prices rise more gently as the size goes up.
Example arithmetic at $15 per linear inch, with the square-inch price from above for comparison:
| Size (inches) | Linear inches | Price at $15 per linear inch | Price at $2 per square inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 × 7 | 12 | $180 | $70 |
| 8 × 10 | 18 | $270 | $160 |
| 11 × 14 | 25 | $375 | $308 |
| 16 × 20 | 36 | $540 | $640 |
| 24 × 36 | 60 | $900 | $1,728 |
| 36 × 48 | 84 | $1,260 | $3,456 |
At these rates, the two methods land close together for mid-size work, but the linear method raises small pieces and holds large ones down. If your large paintings take much longer than small ones, the linear price for big work may be too low, so check it against your time.
Find your rate from a price that already works
You don’t have to guess a rate. Start from a size and price that already sells for you. If your 12 × 16 inch paintings sell steadily at $420:
- Square-inch rate: $420 / 192 square inches = about $2.19
- Linear-inch rate: $420 / 28 linear inches = $15
Apply that rate to your other sizes and you get a price list that’s consistent with what buyers already pay you.
Check what remains after the sale
Write down the amount a sale needs to cover: materials, your working time, framing, packing and any postage you absorb. Include an allowance for other business costs when you decide what the work needs to earn.
For an illustrative painting, 18 hours at $22, plus $45 in materials, an $80 frame and $24 in packing, adds up to $545 before selling fees.
Using the basic US Etsy rates in this example, with no sales tax, ads or shipping charge, the calculation is:
($545 + $0.45 fixed fees) ÷ (1 − 0.095 percentage fees) = $602.71.
This is a simplified cost threshold, not a recommended market price or a complete profit calculation. Check your actual Etsy fees and payment processing rate.
Charging postage separately still needs a fee allowance. At the same illustrative percentage rate, collecting $20 for postage leaves $18.10 after percentage fees. To retain $20, the charge would be about $22.10, before any other applicable charges.
For a gallery, work backward from its agreed commission. If it retains 50%, a $1,090 retail price leaves $545. Compare the resulting retail price with your wider price list before committing.
A price list should make sense beside itself
A comparable painting is useful only if it is comparable in the ways buyers care about: medium, scale, framing and the artist’s stage. An unsold asking price gives you less evidence than a price at which similar work has actually sold.
Your own list deserves the same attention. If two paintings look equivalent on the page but cost very different amounts, the explanation may be hidden in framing, material or edition details. If there is no clear explanation, the method may need adjusting.
A repeatable range leaves room for commissions and unusually demanding work without making every new painting a fresh negotiation. Prints need their own calculation; the print-pricing example follows the costs of one order.
Make the price a clear offer
“12 × 16 inch original, unframed” and “oak frame included, 16 × 20 inches outside” describe different offers. Keep the dimensions, framing status and postage near the price, with accurate photographs, so a buyer knows what they are comparing.
Save this quote and the calculation behind it. When the next comparable work is finished, you have somewhere to begin, rather than changing the method with your mood or one negotiation.