Where these tools fit in a sale
Most art sales follow one of three paths, and each path has a moment where a missing document costs money.
A commission starts with a price, then needs terms both sides accept before any sketching begins. Draft them with the Commission Contract Template Generator, bill the deposit with the Art Invoice Generator, and send a second invoice for the balance that credits the deposit. When the piece is finished, a certificate of authenticity and a record in your inventory close the loop.
A print release starts earlier, with decisions that are hard to undo: how many prints, how many artist proofs, what each one costs as the edition sells. The Print Edition Numbering Calculator settles those numbers and exports the full numbering list, so the certificates, the listings and the pencil marks on the sheets all agree.
An event starts with a budget. The Art Fair Booth Cost Calculator turns booth fees, mileage, hotel nights and display gear into one honest number and the sales needed to cover it — worth knowing before you pay the jury fee, not after the weekend.
Two habits that save the most money
Agree in writing, then bill exactly what you agreed. Disputes rarely come from bad faith. They come from a deposit nobody wrote down or a “quick change” nobody priced. When the contract, the invoice and the receipt use the same figures and the same dates, there is nothing left to argue about.
Price shipping and selling costs before you set the price. A framed 16 × 20 inch piece can be billed as 33 lb by a carrier even though it weighs 7, and card fees, booth fees and packing take a slice of every sale. Run the Artwork Shipping Box Calculator on your most common size once, add the result to your price list, and the surprise disappears from every future order.
If you are just starting out, begin with the invoice generator: it takes five minutes, and a clean, numbered invoice is the document clients, accountants and galleries ask for first.