Where UK artists actually sell
The UK independent art scene lives across several platforms — each with a different cut and a different audience:
Etsy UK: dominant for prints, small originals, illustrations. 6.5% transaction + 4% processing + variable offsite ads (up to 15%).
ArtFinder: UK-based specialist marketplace for original art. 35% commission but curated, higher AOV.
Society6 / Redbubble: print-on-demand marketplaces — you upload, they print, you get 10–30% margin.
Instagram & TikTok: where discovery actually happens for artists now. Link in bio to your Freewebstore.
Your Freewebstore: keep the full margin, own the customer list, run limited-edition drops on your own schedule — not the marketplace’s.
Open My Free Art ShopProdigi — UK print-on-demand, done right
Prodigi is a UK-based (Basingstoke) print-on-demand service. Giclee prints, framed prints, canvas, cards, merchandise. UK-to-UK orders arrive fast; no customs friction; sustainable FSC-certified paper.
You upload the artwork once. They print, frame and ship on demand when a buyer orders on your Freewebstore. You hold no stock. Your margin sits between Prodigi’s wholesale cost and your retail price.
Alternative: hold your own limited-edition prints and ship yourself — more work, more margin, more control.
Or run both: originals in limited runs from your studio; open-edition prints via Prodigi. Freewebstore handles both product types cleanly in the same shop.
Everything a UK artist shop needs
Limited-edition drops
Product Options + stock limits let you run “25 prints only” drops that automatically go out-of-stock when they sell through. Displays “3 of 25 remaining” on the product page. Discount codes for your Instagram list on launch day.
VAT Margin Scheme for originals
If you’re VAT-registered and selling your own original artworks, HMRC’s VAT Margin Scheme lets you charge VAT only on your margin rather than the whole sale price. Freewebstore lets you configure VAT per product — so originals apply the margin scheme and prints stay standard 20%.
Royal Mail Tracked + tube shipping
A4 prints ship as Royal Mail Tracked 48 Large Letter (~£2). Larger prints go in a postal tube via Royal Mail Tracked Small Parcel. Framed pieces via DPD. Freewebstore sets shipping by weight and dimensions band.