Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

1. What is Black Moon Galleries?

• Black Moon Galleries is a service provided to artists to aide in selling their artwork to the public.

2. What does Black Moon Galleries use to print?

• We use a professional print service to give you the best prints of your work that we can.

3. What types of accounts do you offer?

• We offer both Basic and Professional Accounts to suit a variety of needs. Basic and Professional Accounts are
  virtually the same, except that Professional Accounts are purchased from the site and have some added advantages
  and benefits:
  *Priority in the approval queue.
  *Able to sell a larger number of items (depending on type of account).
  *Other features to be determined at a later date.

4. How much does a Professional Account cost?

• This depends on what exactly you want with your Professional Account. Please contact Customer Support for more info
  and pricing.

5. How many prints may I sell?

• With a Basic Account you may have up to twenty (20) prints available for sale. With a Professional Account you may sell
  more prints, depending on the plan you choose.

6. Do you only sell photographs/digital art?

• No! We offer our services to any artist, no matter what mediums they work in. Becasue photographs and digital art is
  easy to manipulate, copy, transfer, print, store and sell, you may see the majority of works on this site to be of those types,
  but that does not mean you cannot sell your other art pieces with us!

7. Does my account ever expire?

• Basic Accounts do not expire, however should the user become inactive the account will be put on standby until such time
  as the staff are contacted by the user when it will be reopened. Professional Accounts will be downgraded to Basic Accounts
  if payment is not received in a timely manner.

8. Which is better Glossy, Matte, or Lustre finishes?

• The Glossy option is perfect for detailed/technical prints or photograph images. The Matte finish is better for paintings and
  darker prints, but will work well with any image. The Lustre finish combines the best of both matte and glossy, and is a fine
  choice for any prints. Please be aware that lustre is only available on select products at this time.

9. What is a Matte finish?

• A matte finish offers a flat, texturized finish with little to no glare. Matte finishes resist fingerprints and smudges.

10. What is a Glossy finish?

• A glossy finish has a smooth, shiny, lustrous, mirror-type surface. Be advised that a glossy finish may have a great deal of glare
  when viewed from certain angles. Glossy finishes also have a tendency to stick to glass.

11. What is a Lustre finish?

• A Lustre finish combines the best of both a matte and glossy finish. Lustre prints combine the color saturation of glossy with the
  fingerprint resistance of matte, and leave out the glare associated with glossy. Truly the best of both worlds. Please be aware that
  Lustre is only available on select products.

For our Members

12. How old do I have to be to use this site?

• You may be any age, however if you are under the age of 18 we require written permission from a parent or guardian. This written
  permission must be mailed to us, or we will not allow you to sell your artwork on our site. Again, this applies only to artists under the
  age of 18.

13. Can I sell art other than photographs and digital artwork?

• Yes! If you want to sell other artwork, for example pottery, paintings or glasswork, please submit a good picture of the item(s),
  along with pricing for each item you are submitting. Please be aware that you will be responsible for all shipping of such items, since we
  will not have the actual item in our possession. You will be notified when your item(s) have been sold, and be given the shipping information
  so that you can then send the item(s) to the buyer.

14. Is there a min/max selling price?

• The minimum selling price for your photographic and digital prints varies depending on the base cost of the item. A guide to
  minimum pricing can be found here: Minimum Cost Pricing Guide. If the item you are selling has no base cost (paintings,
  drawings, sculpture...pretty much anything we do not have to print), then the minimum selling price is $1.00 U.S. There is no
  maximum selling price, though keep in mind that high prices may not sell.

15. How much of each sale do I get?

• You will receive 80% of the profits above the base cost of your prints. For instance, if the base cost of the print was $10.00 US,
  and you sold it for $20.00 US ($10.00 US base cost + $10.00 US your price), you would receive 80% of the profit over the base
  cost, or $8.00 US.


• If you are selling a piece of art in your possession which does not require us to make a print, such as jewelry, scuplture or metal
  work, you will receive 70% of the total profits from the sale, since there is no base price for these items.

16. How and when will I get paid?

• You may choose to be paid at either the beginning or the end of every month. The beginning and ends of each month will
  constitute five (5) business days both after the first of the month or before the last calendar day of the month.


• You may choose to be paid either by company check mailed directly to you, or by having the money directly deposited
  into a PayPal account. Company checks will be drawn on a U.S. bank, so it may be advisable to use the PayPal option.
  If you do not have a PayPal account, you may create one for free at www.paypal.com.

17. If I am updating an already approved print/item do I need to resubmit everything?

• Yes, if you want the work to be current and correct.

18. How do I submit my prints/products?

• As of right now, please email the images you wish to submit to: submissions@blackmoongalleries.com. Also be sure to
  include the price at which you wish to sell each image/product. If you are submitting multiple sizes for
  one image/product, you must state a price for each different size. If you do not submit prices for your work,
  Black Moon Galleries will, at our discretion, price your items for you.

Members - Photgraphy and Digital Art

19. I’m not sure if my image quality is OK, how can I tell.

• If your image is heavily pixelated it is a low quality image and will most likely be rejected.

20. What does resolution mean?

• Resolution shows the total number of dots in that image on the screen. Saying an image has a resolution of 1600 x 1200 is
  just another way of saying the picture is made up of 1600 horizontal dots of colour by 1200 vertical dots of colour. The more
  pixels used, the larger the resolution. For the biggest and highest quality prints, we recommend a resolution of 9000x12000px.

21. Is any image with any resolution printable?

• No, there is a guideline to what size you can submit; after all you wouldn’t want some of your image to be lost in the
  print process.

22. My piece is not the resolution or DPI you recommend. Can I still sell it?

• If your print is not up to the quality of a standard print then we will not sell it.

23. Why can’t I resize my picture to the correct DPI?

• Resizing images only stretches the pixels in the current image, it does not add them. It often creates heavy pixelated images
  and always reduces quality.

24. What if I add a space to make it the right size?

• Borders are fine to add to a picture however oversized borders will not be accepted.

25. Why is my print preview so small?

• It is to protect you and prevent your work from being stolen and reused without your permission.

26. What file formats are acceptable for submission?

• We prefer files to be in PNG format or max quality JPEG, but we also accept TIFF format. We recommend not using progressive
  saving for print files as it may cause some printers errors.

27. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each file type?

• JPEG - Though this file type is low in terms of size, the format is lossy and re-opening and re-saving your work
  can cause a dramatic reduction in the quality of your work. This affects images with sharp borders and edges, but is much
  less noticeable on items such as photographs and realistic images.


• PNG - Though this file type is larger than a JPEG, the quality is superb and there is no loss, even when re-saving and
  re-opening the file.


• BMP - Despite being lossless, files of this type are extremely large in size, and unsuitable for use. Please do not
  send files of this type.


• TIFF - These files can be compressed or uncompressed, and both versions are loss less.

28. What pictures can I use for prints?

• Any image that you own you will be able to submit, providing it conforms to the Terms and Conditions and is not copyrighted to
  someone else. If the image contains models you must obtain the models written release giving permission for it to be used.

29. What does it cost me to buy my own prints?

• You are able to purchase your own prints at the base cost.

30. Why have my prints not been authorized after more than 24 hours?

• We want to make sure that your prints are going to look nice when they come off the printer, so we will review each print carefully
  to make sure that you are getting (and giving your buyers) the best of your artwork. Other factors may affect this time frame as well, such
  as queue times.

31. If my print contains an image that isn’t mine, can I still use it?

• You may only sell prints such as these if you have written permission from the artists themselves which must be sent to us here at
  Black Moon Galleries. If you are using stock you must provide us with links to both the artist and every piece of stock you have used in that
  piece, where it is, what it is etc.

32. How long does it take for my print to be approved?

• It will depend on how long the queue is and whether or not you have a Professional Account. Unfortunately there are too many variables
  to guarantee a specific time frame for this, but your print will be looked over and approved (or denied) in the order that it was
  received, and as soon as possible.

33. My image meets the requirements for a print why wasn’t it accepted?

• It will vary from image to image; you will receive an email explaining why it wasn’t accepted and what might be done to get your
  print accepted the next time you submit it. If a print is unsuitable for printing at any size, we will let you know.

34. Where can I find the guide to resolutions and acceptable print sizes?

• You can find it here.

For our Customers

35. Is there a time limit on reporting unsatisfactory orders?

• If you are not satisfied with your order for any reason, you have thirty (30) days to return your order for an exchange,
  reprint or a refund. If you received your order as a gift, we can only offer to reprint or exchange your order.

36. Is there a discount on bulk orders?

• No we do not offer discounts for bulk orders.

37. Can I buy prints/products for someone outside my country?

• Yes.

38. Can I buy a frame with my prints?

• Not at this time, though they may become available in the future.

39. Can I still buy prints/products if I don’t have a credit card?

• Yes! We also accept bank transfers, personal checks, cashiers checks and money orders. Please be advised that orders will
  not be shipped until payments are received, therefore it may take additional time for your order to arrive if you are paying with a
  check or money order.

40. Is there a tax on prints/products?

• There is sales tax, calculated at checkout, for those customers who reside in the state of Virginia.

41. May I pay for my purchase in my home currency?

• Maybe. As of right now we accept payments in these currencies:
  * U.S. Dollar
  * Euro
  * Pound Sterling
  * Canadian Dollar
  * Yen
  * Australian Dollar
  * New Zealand Dollar
  * Swiss Franc
  * Hong Kong Dollar
  * Singapore Dollar
  * Swedish Krona
  * Danish Krone
  * Polish Zloty
  * Norwegian Krone
  * Hungarian Forint
  * Czech Koruna

42. What methods of payment does Black Moon Galleries Accept?

• We accept payment over the Internet via PayPal. You may pay using Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card, bank
  transfers and eCheck. You may also pay via snail mail with a personal check, cashier’s check or a money order.

43. What if my order is damaged when I receive it?

• If your order is damaged, please return it to us within thirty (30) days of receiving the items(s) for a replacement, refund
  or credit towards another purchase from us. Please be aware that we cannot provide a refund if your order was received as a gift,
  but we will be happy to provide a replacement or give you credit towards another purchase from our site.

Shipping

44. What happens if my order doesn’t arrive or arrives damaged?

• If your order arrives damaged, please return it within thirty (30) business days to ensure a replacement or a refund.
  If your order fails to arrive, please contact our Returns Department as soon as possible to resolve the issue.

45. Are there any taxes and charges applied to packages once they cross the border?

• Some countries choose to charge import taxes or other extra shipping charges on packages once they cross the border.
  Black Moon Galleries is not responsible for these charges. We recommend checking with your local customs office
  for these charges before placing your order.

46. Can they be shipped to post office boxes?

• Yes!

47. How long will it take for my order to be shipped?

• Your order will usually be shipped within two (2) business days from the time we receive your order. If your order unfortunately
  takes longer to complete, you will be notified via email as soon as possible.

48. How long will it take to receive my order?

• Because nothing is certain, and packages can be delayed, we cannot guarantee definite shipping times. We will get your order
  packed and shipped as soon as possible. In general, please allow up to one (1) week for shipping to the Continental United States,
  and up to two to four (2-4) weeks for shipping outside of the U.S. Different regulations and procedures varying from country to
  country may also delay shipments.

49. What are the shipping charges?

• Shipping charges are flat-rate determined by the total amount of your order and are calculated at checkout time.

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