Artist Questionnaire

🎨 Are you an artist who created an original painting and want to sell it digitally (download or NFT)?

Whether you still own the physical artwork or have already sold it, the copyright rules below apply.

• A physical painting that has already been sold
• High-quality photos of the artwork
• You want to sell digital images of that photo only

Perfect. That is a completely normal and professional model.

🔎 First: Do you still own the copyright?

In the event:

• You created the original painting
• There was no written contract transferring copyright
• You did not sign “work-for-hire”

Then you still own the copyright.

Selling the physical painting does NOT transfer copyright unless stated in writing.

That means you can legally sell:

• Digital downloads
• Prints
• Posters
• Licensing rights

🎯 Now: How to sell the digital photo properly

Step 1 — Start with a high-quality master photo

The digital file should be:

• Shot in natural light
• No glare
• Cropped clean
• Color corrected to match the real painting
• Minimum 3000px on the longest side (preferably larger)

Export as:

• PNG (lossless) or
• High-quality JPEG (95%+)

This is your DIGITAL MASTER FILE. Do not compress it down unless you are intentionally selling lower-resolution versions.

💼 Option A — Unlimited digital download

Most common model.

Listing example: “High-resolution digital download of original painting.”

Deliver:

• One clean file
• No watermark
• No edition number

This is simple and clean.

💎 Option B — Limited Digital Edition (example: 25, 100, 1,000 copies)

If you want exclusivity, choose one of the following structures:

Clean Edition (Recommended)

• Do NOT embed numbers into the artwork file
• Limit sales to your chosen edition size (example: 25, 100, 1,000)
• Issue a digital certificate (PDF)
• Track buyers internally
• State clearly: “Limited to [Edition Size] digital editions”

Visible Numbered Edition (Optional)

• Create [Edition Size] exported versions of the file
• Add a subtle text layer such as “1 / [Edition Size]”
• Keep numbering small and placed in the bottom margin
• Export each numbered file separately
• Do NOT permanently flatten or alter your master file

✍️ Should You Provide a Digital Signature or Overlay?

In the event your artwork already contains a visible handwritten signature:

• The signature shown in your image is sufficient
• No additional digital overlay is required
• No printing, rescanning, or physical alteration is necessary

If your artwork is not signed, you have two options:

• Keep the digital version clean (common for premium digital sales)
• Add a subtle transparent signature overlay (optional stylistic choice)

A digital overlay is a branding decision — not a legal requirement.

🔐 Optional protection

If selling higher-value digital files, you can:

• Deliver slightly lower resolution (ex: 4000px instead of 8000px)
• Keep the ultra-high-res master archived
• Use license terms in the description

Example listing text:

“This digital purchase grants personal use only. Commercial reproduction requires written permission.”

🧠 Strategic question

If you are new to NFTs, TrekO recommends starting with standard digital downloads. You can introduce NFTs later once you understand wallets, minting, and smart contracts.

Is this artist:

• A) Selling affordable digital downloads?
• B) Creating a premium limited digital collection?
• C) Using digital versions mainly for portfolio exposure?

Tell us the goal and we’ll recommend the cleanest TrekO-ready structure for that model.

🧾 TrekO Recommended Workflows

Pick the model you are actually selling. Each workflow below is intentionally separate so creators don’t mix steps.