The test order: a pre-launch checklist for artists selling prints

There is one step that separates artists who sell prints calmly from artists who spend their first month apologising, and it costs about the price of one print. An optional sample order is where you see the exact object your collectors will receive, judge it with your own eyes, catch anything that needs changing, and lock the file and settings that every future order will repeat. A paid sample order is optional for direct, white-label and Shopify orders. We recommend checking your Shopify workflow before launch. This guide tells you what to order, what to look at when it arrives, and what to do with what you find.

Why a test order rather than a proof

Print Punch doesn't include an automatic physical proof with an order, and doesn't publish a printer ICC profile for soft proofing. Neither is as useful to an artist as the real thing: the actual print, on the actual paper, in the actual frame, packed the actual way, delivered to an actual address with the actual tracking email. A test order tests all of that at once. The service guide sets out the working rules, and the artist FAQs describe the order path.

What to order

Order the product you expect to sell most, in the size, paper or canvas, finish and border setting you'll list first. If you plan a range, test the format at the heart of it: for most artists that's a framed paper print at 50 × 70 or 60 × 90 cm, or an A2 unframed print as the lowest-cost colour check. If you'll offer more than one paper, order a small print on each. If you'll offer Australian Raw Oak, order one in that finish so you understand the variation you'll be describing. The print formats page links to each product.

Use your real production file, prepared with the file preparation guide, and add any notes you'd add to a collector order. You can include your sender and packing preferences in the sample order to check those details too.

When the parcel arrives

Don't tear it open in the hallway. Take it somewhere with daylight and a clear table, and photograph the parcel before you open it. Then work through the list.

The packaging

• Is the outer packaging intact? Corners, edges, any crush or puncture.
• How is the piece protected inside? Note the method so you can describe it to collectors.
• Is the packing slip present and does it show what your profile specified (or, for a standard order, what you expected)?
• Is an insert present if one was agreed, and in the right format?
• Could you reuse this packaging to send the piece onward if you needed to? For blank canvases, the blank canvas guide explains why that matters.

The label and sender

• Whose name is on the consignment as sender?
• Is your order reference visible where you expected it?
• Did the tracking email go to the right person, and did it arrive before the parcel?

If any of these differ from your order details, contact us. You can order another sample if you want to check a change. The white-label guide explains each profile field.

The print

• Colour. Compare to your original artwork or to your screen at a sensible brightness, in indirect daylight. Is the overall brightness right? Is any single colour clearly off? The colour management guide explains what you're seeing and what to adjust.
• Sharpness. Look at the finest detail from a normal viewing distance, then up close. Softness at close range on a large print is normal; softness at viewing distance is a file resolution issue.
• Crop and border. Did the artwork sit where the preview showed? Is the border even on all four sides if you chose one? Is anything important lost at the edges? The sizes and ratios guide helps if a crop surprises you.
• Surface. Does the paper feel and look the way you'll describe it? Matte should be glare-free; textured cotton rag should show texture; metallic pearl should have its sheen. The fine art paper guide describes each.
• Marks. Check for dust, spots or lines in the print. Anything you see, photograph.

The frame

• Finish. Oak veneer should show grain with consistent tone; Australian Raw Oak will vary between lengths by design; White and Black should be smooth with no grain. The frame finish guide explains what's normal.
• Corners and joins. Clean and tight.
• Acrylic face on framed paper: clear, free of marks, sitting flat.
• Shadowline on framed canvas: even around the canvas, canvas sitting square in the frame.
• Depth. Note the frame depth for your listing and for the hanging advice you'll give.

Judging fairly

Give your eyes a minute to adapt before judging colour. View from across the room first; a print is made to be seen at a distance, and the close inspection comes second. Compare to the original under the same light rather than to a phone screen at full brightness. Write down what you see rather than deciding on the spot; a list of three specific observations is far more useful than a general feeling.

What to do with what you find

Everything matches. Lock the production file version and the options you used, photograph the print for your listing, and write your description from the real object.

Colour needs a nudge. Adjust the master file, not just this order. Re-export, note the version, and either test again or, for a small adjustment you're confident about, lock the new version. Never leave a master that doesn't match what you approved.

Crop or border isn't right. Choose a different size, change the border setting or crop the master to match the size exactly, then preview again on the product page.

Something is damaged or faulty. Email promptly with the order number and clear photos of the front, back, the damage and the external packaging. Faulty, damaged or misdescribed work is assessed under Australian Consumer Law and the refund policy. This is the one case where the photos you took before opening the box matter most.

Profile details are wrong. Tell us what differed so we can correct the order details.

Use the test order for your listing

A test order is also your marketing. Photograph the print on a wall in good light, straight on and at an angle to show the frame profile. Photograph a corner detail. Photograph the parcel contents if you'll describe the packing. Those images are honest, specific and yours, and they convert better than any mock-up. Write your product description from what's in front of you using the real material names from the frames and materials page, and set your price with the margin calculator as the pricing guide describes.

Timing to note

Record when you approved the file and when the parcel arrived. Print Punch's standard dispatch target is within 72 business hours after artwork approval, with exceptions for peak periods, quality checks and file queries, and delivery time depends on destination. Your own test gives you a realistic figure for your location to quote collectors. The post on turnaround, packing and shipping explains each stage.

When to test again

Test again when you add a new format, a new paper, a new size that crops differently, a new frame finish, or when you change your master file. You don't need to test every artwork; once your file workflow is proven on two or three pieces, the rest will follow the same path. Wallpaper designers should test a roll for every new repeat, because a seam is invisible until it's on a wall; the wallpaper repeat guide explains why.

The checklist, in one place

• Order the product, size, stock, finish and border you'll sell first
• Use your real production file and notes
• Photograph the parcel before opening
• Check packaging, slip, insert, sender and tracking against your profile
• Judge colour in indirect daylight against the original
• Check sharpness at viewing distance, then close up
• Check crop, border evenness and edges
• Check surface, marks, frame finish, corners, acrylic or shadowline
• Record frame depth and arrival timing
• Adjust the master if needed and lock the version
• Photograph the print for your listing
• Review your sample findings

Testing each format: what's different

Unframed prints. The lowest-cost test and the purest colour check, because there's no acrylic or frame to influence what you see. Check the paper surface, the border evenness and how the print was protected for transit. The unframed fine art print starts at $64.95 for A2.

Framed paper prints. Everything above plus the frame finish, the corners, the acrylic face and how the border or edge-to-edge image meets the frame. Look at the print under a window to see how the acrylic reflects; that's what a collector will see. The framed paper print starts at $119.95 for A2.

Framed canvas. Check that the canvas sits square, the shadowline is even, the artwork edge falls where the preview showed and the texture reads the way you'll describe it. The framed canvas starts at $169.95 for A2, and the paper versus canvas guide explains what to expect from the weave.

Blank canvas. Painters test the surface, the frame finish and the packaging they'll reuse. The blank canvas guide covers it.

Wallpaper. Lay two drops side by side and check the repeat across the join, the scale against your intention and the colour in daylight. The wallpaper repeat guide explains why every new repeat deserves its own roll.

Documenting the test

Keep a short record for each test: date ordered, date approved, date arrived, product and options, file version, what you observed and what you changed. Photograph the parcel, the label, the slip and the print. This record is what you'll check against when a collector asks a question months later, and it helps you keep future order details consistent. It also makes your second product launch faster, because you'll know exactly which parts of the process you've already proven and which are new.

Frame finishes and what "normal" looks like

Australian Raw Oak deserves a specific note because its variation surprises artists who haven't seen it. The four moulding lengths can differ noticeably in colour, tone and grain, and they're not expected to match; that's the finish, not a fault, and the frame finish guide explains how to describe it. Oak veneer should be consistent across all four sides. White and Black should be smooth and even. If you see a chip, a gap at a corner or a mark on the acrylic, that's a fault to report with photos. The frames and materials page shows each finish as a reference, and the artist FAQs cover the common questions. The print-on-demand for artists page gives the service overview; this checklist is the practical companion to it.

Frequently asked questions

Is a test order required?

No. A paid test order is optional for direct, white-label and Shopify orders. You can order a sample to check the product, colour, packaging and tracking. We recommend checking your Shopify workflow before launch.

What does a test order cost?

The listed production charge for the product plus delivery to your address. There's no separate proof fee.

Which product should I test first?

The one you expect to sell most, in the exact size, stock, finish and border setting you'll list. A2 unframed is the lowest-cost colour check.

What if the colour isn't what I expected?

Judge it in daylight first. If it still needs changing, adjust the master file, re-export, note the version and lock it. Don't fix a single order and leave the master unchanged.

What if the print arrives damaged?

Email promptly with the order number and clear photos of the front, back, the damage and the external packaging. It's assessed under Australian Consumer Law and the refund policy.

Do I need to test every artwork?

No. Test the formats and settings you'll sell. Once your file workflow is proven on a few pieces, the rest follow the same path. Test each new wallpaper repeat.

Place the test order

Choose your product on the print formats page, upload your real file, check the preview and order one to your own address. When it arrives, work through the list above. If anything puzzles you, the contact page reaches the team and we reply the next business day.