In a canvas print shop, the place you most often lose money is not the artwork itself but the fine print of pricing. If you sell the same image as a 30x40 cm and a 70x100 cm, each with four different frame options, there is no such thing as a single "price." There are dozens of combinations, and every one of them has a different cost. This is exactly where a Size x Frame price matrix earns its keep.
What the Matrix Actually Is
The matrix is a simple table: your sizes run along one axis, your frame options (no frame, black, white, gold, wood) along the other. Each cell holds the selling price for that size and frame combination. In WallArtTools this matrix lives inside your orientation-based variation profiles, so you define separate size and price sets for vertical, horizontal, and square images.
The reason to use a matrix instead of one flat price is that cost is not linear:
- •A larger size means more material and more expensive shipping.
- •A gold or wood frame costs noticeably more than black.
- •A large size plus a premium frame inflates cost from two directions at once.
Work Backward From Cost
Do not price by guessing. For each cell, first work out the true cost, then add your margin on top. A cell's cost typically includes:
- •Production/print cost (scales with size)
- •Frame cost (varies by type)
- •Shipping cost (scales with size and weight)
- •Etsy transaction and listing fees
- •Your average ad spend, if you run ads
The profit/price calculators in WallArtTools, plus the production network's cost matrix, help you base these numbers on data instead of guesswork. Auto production orders match your matrix against the manufacturer cost table, so you can see clearly what you actually earn on each cell.
Common Mistakes
- •Pricing every frame the same. If you sell the gold frame at the black-frame price, premium orders quietly eat your profit.
- •Forgetting shipping on large sizes. A 70x100 cm print can cost two or three times more to ship than a small one; if that is not in the price, you lose money on your best-selling item.
- •Offering too many options. Twenty sizes times five frames paralyzes buyers and complicates production. Three or four sizes and three frames is plenty for most shops.
- •Setting the matrix once and forgetting it. Material and shipping costs rise; review the matrix every quarter.
Psychological Price Steps
The matrix is not only a cost tool, it is a selling tool. You can tune the gaps between sizes to nudge buyers up a tier. If you price the medium close to the large, the buyer thinks, "for a little more I'll take the big one." That lifts your average order value. Position the premium frame with an attractive step on your best-selling size, too.
Practical Takeaway
Today, build the full matrix for a single image in a spreadsheet: rows for sizes, columns for frames, each cell holding the cost and a selling price calculated to hit your target margin. Aim for at least a 30-40% gross margin, then enter that matrix into the orientation profile in WallArtTools. Once it is set up correctly, every new upload automatically inherits the same profitable structure and you stop guessing at prices for good.