Personal use vs commercial licence: which one you actually need
7 min read · Licensing · Updated September 2026
Every download here comes with a personal-use licence. The commercial licence is priced at five times the artwork’s normal price — $235 to $395 depending on the piece. The difference is not how you print the file — it is whether money changes hands because of the artwork.
The one-line difference
Personal use: you print the artwork for walls you are not charging anyone to look at. Commercial licence: you may use the artwork in something you sell, up to 500 units.
| Artwork | Normal price | Commercial licence |
|---|---|---|
| Neural Bloom | $79 | $395 |
| Tuscan Vineyard | $77 | $385 |
| Taormina, Sicily | $67 | $335 |
| Venice at Dusk | $62 | $310 |
| Still Life No. 4 | $57 | $285 |
| Canyon Lines | $47 | $235 |
Side by side
| What you want to do | Personal use | Commercial licence |
|---|---|---|
| Print it for your own home | Yes | Yes |
| Print it several times, several sizes | Yes | Yes |
| Print one as a gift for a friend | Yes | Yes |
| Hang it in your rented flat or holiday let | Yes | Yes |
| Hang it in a café, clinic or office you own | Yes — as decor, not for sale | Yes |
| Print and sell the print at a market or on Etsy | No | Yes, up to 500 units |
| Put it on mugs, cards, tote bags you sell | No | Yes, up to 500 units |
| Use it in a paid course, book or packaging | No | Yes, up to 500 units |
| Use it in a client project you invoice for | No | Yes, one client project |
| Resell or give away the file itself | No | No — never, under either licence |
| Register the artwork as your own trademark | No | No |
The line that catches people out. Both licences forbid passing on the file. You may sell a physical thing you made with the artwork under the commercial licence; you may never sell, share or bundle the digital file — that is the one rule with no upgrade path.
Personal use — pros and cons
Pros
- Included in the price. Nothing to add at checkout, nothing to renew.
- Unlimited printing for yourself: as many copies, as many sizes, as many rooms, forever.
- Covers gifts, rentals and Airbnbs, and decor in a business you run.
- No record-keeping. Nobody has to count anything.
Cons
- Nothing you sell may carry the artwork — not prints, not products, not client work.
- No use in anything monetised: paid courses, ebooks sold, sponsored content built around the image.
- If your side project grows, you have to buy the upgrade before the first sale, not after.
Commercial licence — pros and cons
Pros
- You may sell physical products carrying the artwork, up to 500 units.
- Covers one client project if you are a designer, stager or maker working for hire.
- A single one-off payment — not a royalty, not a subscription, and no per-sale reporting.
- Cheap insurance: the fee is usually recovered on the first handful of sales.
Cons
- It is not cheap: five times the artwork’s normal price, so $235 on the entry piece and $395 on the flagship. Priced for a product line, not for curiosity.
- Capped at 500 units. Past that you need to talk to us about an extended licence.
- Per print, not per shop — three artworks in your product line means three licences.
- Still no reselling the file, and no print-on-demand catalogues that redistribute the artwork as a design others can pick.
- Not exclusive. The same artwork stays on sale here, so a competitor can licence it too. If exclusivity matters, ask about buying the piece outright.
Which one do you need? Three questions
- Is anyone paying, directly or indirectly, because of this image? If yes, commercial.
- Will the artwork leave your own walls on something a stranger owns? If yes, commercial.
- Would you have to count units? If yes, commercial — and keep a rough count.
Everything else is personal use. When you genuinely cannot tell, ask us before you print a run; a one-line answer in writing costs nothing and is the cheapest form of protection you can get.
Real cases
| Situation | Licence |
|---|---|
| Gallery wall in your living room | Personal |
| Six prints framed through an Airbnb you own | Personal |
| Framed prints on the wall of your hair salon | Personal |
| Framed prints for sale on the counter of that salon | Commercial |
| Interior designer printing it for a paying client's home | Commercial (one project) |
| Wedding stationery you sell on Etsy | Commercial |
| A charity raffle prize you printed yourself | Contact us — usually fine, but ask |
| Thumbnail in a YouTube video that earns ad revenue | Commercial |
| Print-on-demand shop listing it as a design | Not permitted under either licence |
What happens if you get it wrong
For an honest mistake at small scale, the practical remedy is buying the licence you should have had. At scale, unlicensed commercial use of copyrighted artwork is infringement, and platforms act on it: Etsy, Amazon and print-on-demand services remove listings on a rights complaint and can close shops that repeat it. The exposure is your listing, your shop and your time — far more than the licence would have cost.
How to add the commercial licence
At checkout, choose the Commercial license variant instead of the standard one; the fee is five times that artwork’s normal price, and it delivers the same ZIP plus your licence document. Already bought the personal version? Message us with your receipt and pay the difference. The full wording — permitted uses, the 500-unit cap, attribution and what is excluded — is on the licence page, and it is short enough to read before you buy.
Questions we get asked
What is the difference between personal use and a commercial licence?
A personal-use licence lets you print the artwork for your own walls, and as gifts, as often as you like. A commercial licence adds the right to use the artwork in products or services you sell, up to 500 units. Neither licence allows reselling or sharing the digital file.
Do I need a commercial licence for my Airbnb or rented flat?
No. Hanging a print in a property you own or rent — including a holiday let — is personal use, because guests are paying for the stay, not for the artwork.
Can I sell prints of your artwork at a market?
Yes, with the commercial licence, up to 500 units per artwork. Beyond 500 units, contact us for an extended licence.
How much does the commercial licence cost?
Five times the artwork’s normal price, per artwork — $235 to $395 across the current catalogue. It is a one-off fee, with no royalties, no renewals and no per-sale reporting.
Can I use the file in a print-on-demand shop?
No. Print-on-demand catalogues redistribute the artwork as a design other people can select, which neither licence permits. You may, however, print and sell finished products yourself under the commercial licence.
Is the commercial licence exclusive?
No. The artwork remains on sale to others. If you need exclusivity, contact us about buying the piece outright.
This guide explains our licence in plain language; it is not legal advice, and the licence terms are what govern your purchase.
Read the licence in full
Two screens, plain English — permitted uses, the 500-unit cap and what is excluded.