There are pros and cons to buying artwork online. On the one hand, you miss out on some of the experiences that normally accompany buying artwork in person, like face-to-face meetings with dealers and even artists in galleries and art fairs. On the other hand, the ability to purchase artwork online makes more artwork available to the average person – you can find types and specific pieces of artwork that might not be available in your area without the need to travel or wait and hope that you get lucky. The internet also makes it easy to research artists – if you like a particular famous artist, but know you can't afford their work, you can easily search for lesser-known artists with a similar style. Take a look at some tips to get the most out of the experience when you buy artwork online.

Adjust Your Monitor's Color Settings

Reputable sellers will make sure to post high-quality images of the artwork that they're selling online, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it will look the same on your screen as it does in person. Color is particularly tricky. Depending on your monitor and your color settings, a color like teal may appear more blue or more green on your screen than it does in real life.

Choose the highest resolution picture you can that allows you to comfortably read text and see small images. Set your monitor to the highest color depth that you can. Make sure that your screen is clean and positioned in a way that glare doesn't affect your interpretation of the colors and shadows of a work of art.

Get a Guarantee

Even with those adjustments to your monitor, it can be tough to ensure that you know exactly what something is going to look like until it arrives. For example, it's tough to picture how a very large painting or a sculpture is going to look in your living room just from looking at a picture online.

That's why it's important to be sure that you get a satisfaction guaranteed commitment from the seller. Most sellers don't have a problem with this – after all, even if you end up not liking the artwork, chances are that somebody else will. You will probably still have to pay the cost of the shipping, but you should be able to get a reimbursement for the art itself if it doesn't meet your expectations.

Don't Skimp on Shipping

Speaking of shipping, it's well-worth paying the cost to make sure that your artwork arrives undamaged – after all, many types of artwork are notoriously fragile.

Make sure that the seller uses a professional shipper with high standards for packing and delivering artwork, and that your package is tracked and delivered to a safe location. You may want to insure the shipment for even greater protection.

Whether you're buying art as an investment or just because you love beautiful things, buying and owning artwork can be very rewarding, and the internet makes great artwork more accessible than ever. These tips will help you ensure that your experience with buying art online, such ARTHUB, is a successful one.