Why we pay artists 3x the industry rate
July 10, 2026
The standard royalty on the big POD platforms is around 10%. We think that number is broken. Here is how we land at 25 to 35%.
The number that started everything
When we looked at the print-on-demand market, one figure kept coming up: 10%. That is the royalty Society6 pays its artists. On a €30 print, that is €3 to the person who made the thing worth buying.
We think that is broken. Not just ethically. Commercially too.
Why fair economics are good business
Artists with existing audiences bring their own buyers. A creator with 20,000 followers on Instagram who lists their work on Gr4frika does not just sell prints. They tell their audience where to find them, and that audience discovers the rest of the catalogue.
If you pay artists 10%, you attract artists who have no other options. If you pay 25 to 35%, you attract artists who have leverage, and who choose you anyway because the deal is right.
How we get there
We run leaner than the big platforms. We are not trying to be a general-purpose upload-and-print factory. We curate. That means fewer products, more margin per product, and a catalogue that holds its value.
The maths works. The relationships work. And the art is better for it.