How to use it
- Choose the Units, then type the Width and Height of the work.
- Enter your rates: Price per unit of width plus height and Price per square unit, or leave the defaults and change them later.
- Enter Materials, Hours of work and Your hourly rate, and set the Markup on cost.
- Type the Framing cost and the Gallery commission, then compare the three prices and You keep in the table.
Three common methods
By size multiplies the sum of width and height by a rate per unit. By area multiplies width by height and then by a rate per square unit, so a large work costs much more than a small one. By cost adds your materials to your hours at your hourly rate and then adds a markup.
The Artist's Network article on pricing artwork uses the area method and then adds the cost of canvas and framing, doubled, to the price. The Milan Art Institute suggests that once you sell to people you do not know, a common start is between $2 and $3 per square inch, while a new artist without buyers has no fixed rate.
- An area rate is hard to keep the same for small and large works: a rate that suits a 16 × 20 in painting can make a very large work too expensive, so many artists lower it for big pieces.
- Some artists add height and width instead of multiplying them (a linear-inch rule). The calculator's size method is that rule.
Frame, commission and what you keep
The framed price is the price plus the framing cost. The gallery takes its commission from the framed price. You have paid for the frame, so it is subtracted from what the gallery pays you: your net is the framed price times (1 − commission) minus the framing cost.
Galleries often take half of the sale price, or about that, according to the Artist's Network article. The share depends on the gallery, the medium and the contract, so check it before you agree a price.
Framed price = price + framing
You keep = framed price × (1 − commission) − framingWorked example: a 50 × 70 cm painting with a 50 % commission
The size method gives (50 + 70) × 10 = 1,200. The area method gives 50 × 70 × 0.40 = 1,400. The cost method gives (150 + 12 × 30) × 2 = 1,020, because a 100 % markup doubles the cost. With framing at 80, the framed prices are 1,280, 1,480 and 1,100.
At a 50 % gallery commission, the size method leaves (1,200 + 80) × 0.5 − 80 = 560 for the artist. Enter 50 in Gallery commission to see the other two rows.
| Method | Price | With frame | You keep at 50 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| By size | 1,200 | 1,280 | 560 |
| By area | 1,400 | 1,480 | 660 |
| By cost | 1,020 | 1,100 | 470 |
Frequently asked questions
Which pricing method should I use?
Use all three as a check on each other. Size and area suit a series of similar works, and cost makes sure your hours and materials are covered. Compare the results before you choose a price.
What price per square inch do artists start with?
The Milan Art Institute suggests about $2 to $3 per square inch once you sell to people you do not know. Before you have buyers there is no fixed rate, so compare with works by artists at your level.
Should the frame be included in the price?
It depends on how you sell. If the buyer takes the work framed, the frame cost is added to the price, as the Artist's Network article does with the cost of canvas and framing. The calculator shows the price with and without the frame.
Why is the cost method so different from the others?
The cost method is based on your own hours and materials. It shows what your work costs you, which is a floor under the price rather than a market price.
Is the calculated price the price I should charge?
No. It is a starting point for a conversation. Galleries and buyers also pay for reputation, the medium, the size and demand, so check your price against comparable works.
Sources
- Artist's Network: A Simple Formula for Pricing Artwork (square inches, cost of materials, commission)
- Milan Art Institute: How to price paintings (per square inch starting rates)
Figures and text last checked on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.