How Much Should you Expect to Pay for a Full Collection vs. a Single Print as an art director or brand owner?

As an art director or brand owner looking for artwork for your products, you've likely asked yourself this important question: “Should I pay for just one artwork or invest in a whole collection?”

And it's not a one-size-fits-all answer. The answer will depend on factors like your budget, product ranges, and exclusivity. Weighing the decision of a full collection vs. a single print will be an individual consideration and right up front I want to be clear that there is no right or wrong answer--simply the decision that best helps you reach your goals.

There's so much to weight as you make your decision, but my goal for this article is to break down the typical cost of a custom print design, what a full collection includes and a cost range, and how to decide which option is right for your project.

Why This Decision Matters

Before diving into the pros and cons of a single print vs. a full collection, let's consider why this decision matters. Single prints are often a great choice for instances where you have a focused, but limited use in mind whereas collections offer versatility and cohesion across product lines.

So knowing the product or product line you envision the artwork on may be your first indicator of which option might align with your goals. Budget is also a top contender, and knowing what to plan on before you find artwork could help you make your best decision as profit margin plays into it (as does your product strategy). Next up, we'll look at the cost of a custom print and the cost of an art collection before comparing and contrasting their benefits to help you make your decision.

Cost of a Single Print

The typical price range for a single custom print will run you anywhere from $500+ whereas a non-exclusive license could be anywhere from $250-$1000 depending on the terms of the contract. You can read more about these dependencies and factors in the article Is it Better to License Artwork or Buy Full Copyright Ownership?

Factors that influence the costs of prints (whether custom created or licensed) include exclusivity, size of artwork, revisions needed to get to the final product, timeline, and artist name recognition.

Let's outline the pros and cons of choosing a single print. They include:

• Pros of Single Prints

  • Budget friendly. If you're new to licensing or buying artwork, a single print is a great way to dip your toes into the process and try it out. It's easier on the budget to go with a single print.

  • Fast. Whether you're choosing to license or commission a custom print, getting a single print ready for production is much faster than finalizing a full collection.

  • Great for testing a product or campaign. Single prints are ideal for testing and trying out new products or campaigns. Try one and see how it does, then commit when you've got your results.

• Cons of Single Prints

  • Limited variety. You may need to be more strategic when picking a single print because you won't be able to rely on different artwork to sell your single product type. You've got one shot to make the right connection with your customers.

  • Less flexibility for brand expansion. If your testing or single product does really well, you will have to go back to the drawing board to expand your product range. Going back to the same artist is a great option, but there's a chance something similar is no longer available.

For example, you're wanting to launch a new planner for the stationery industry, but you're still testing the proof of concept as your planner has a unique twist. While you may consider a single print vs. a whole collection, it may make more sense to start out with only a single print until you've proven that you have a viable product that customers connect with. If you need to tweak your planner and relaunch, it's much easier to pivot with one SKU rather than several.

Cost of a Full Collection

Now let's talk about the cost of a full collection. The typical price range of a mini collection (comprised of three prints) can run anywhere from $1000-$2500 while a full collection (which may be six prints) is likely to cost anywhere from $2000+. Pricing depends on a variety of factors outlined above, and I have a more detailed article on pricing here if you'd like to read more about what goes into pricing artwork.

The cost is both higher as far as total price, and lower if you look at the price per artwork. The higher investment brings more than just a price break per pattern, it also gives you the advantages of a cohesive design system, more creative direction, and brand exclusivity.

• Pros of a Full Collection

  • Strong brand identity. When you work with an artist to develop a full collection, you're building a strong brand identity. Your customers will begin to recognize a similarity to your products that they identify with.

  • Flexibility across multiple products/SKUs. Having a full collection at your disposal means more flexibility. You can create a range of products or a collection of the same product with more variety for your customers to choose from. Either way, you're more likely to meet their need.

• Cons of a Full Collection

  • Higher upfront investment. I mentioned this before, but a full collection will be a higher upfront investment. You're putting more strategy into your product, and the results are more long-lasting.

  • Longer lead time. Developing a collection takes more time. If you have a short lead time or tight deadline, a full collection may be something you plan ahead for next time.

So we see collections being utilized in product groupings such as textiles and home decor a lot. For example, a bedding company would likely want a collection of prints for a bed quilt, sheets, and pillows. In this instance a collection designed for that use would highlight the strengths of each piece of bedding and create a cohesive look far better than a single print.

Full collection vs. a single print: Which Should You Choose?

So let's compare our options: should you choose a full collection or a single print? The cost of custom print design vs the cost of art collections is something you'll want to consider carefully.

A single print is likely best for testing, seasonal launches, or low-budget projects. A full collection may be best for long-term launches, cohesive branding, and multi-channel products.

I've put together a chart below for you to compare them side by side so you can visually see which may be the best option for you at this time. And this consideration may also change based on the project, so referring back to the chart may be helpful long term.

Single Print vs. Full Collection: Cost and Value Compared

Factor	Single Print	Full Collection
Typical Cost	$500+ (custom) or $200–$1,000 (licensed)	$1,500–$2,500 (mini, 3 prints) • $3,000+ (full, 6+ prints)
Exclusivity	Optional (non-exclusive or exclusive license available)	Often exclusive to ensure brand identity
Creative Scope	One design, limited flexibility	Cohesive theme across multiple designs
Timeline	Faster (single project cycle)	Longer (multiple designs, creative direction)
Best For	Startups, small launches, seasonal collections	Established brands, multi-product launches, cohesive branding
Budget Fit	Lower upfront investment	Higher upfront investment, but long-term value
Flexibility	Limited—one design across products

Budgeting Tips for Art Directors

As a rule of thumb, you should plan to budget 1–5% of total product launch costs for artwork. This general rule will help you determine how much budget you have to work with even if you've never worked with an artist before. If you're not experienced with licensing or purchasing art or are a startup with a limited budget, it may be best to begin with a single print to test the process and figure out how artwork licensing/purchasing best aligns with your goals.

More established brands may choose collections to save long-term by licensing/purchasing artwork in larger amounts to fit across multiple products. They may find a savings in securing artwork in collections as each individual print costs less than buying them individually and the other benefits just add to the value.

Regardless of your situation, budgeting and aligning your goals to the avenues available for accessing artwork brings value to your products and frees you up to do the thing you do best--guiding your brand forward and connecting with customers.

The question of a full collection vs. a single print becomes easier to answer when you take these breakdowns into consideration, and hopefully you're feeling more confident about your decision moving forward. Remember that there is no wrong option here--just finding which choice (or combination of choices) will best help you meet your brand's goals and fit your budget.

Ready to start looking for art? I offer both single prints and full collections, with flexible licensing and custom commission options. Explore what works best for your project here.