Reviewing Darkroom, Easy Photography Website Builder

I've tried many different photography website builders in the past. They all share many of the same features. Some of them try to do everything, while others are more focused. Darkroom is the most basic/minimal one I've ever used.

What is Darkroom?

Darkroom offers a way for art photographers to display their work and sell prints. It has the most generous free plan I've ever seen in this space, offering unlimited photo uploads without charging a monthly fee. There isn't much information about the company on their website, I can't even find a "about" page.

Darkroom is Easy to Use

It only offers a few features, which helps keep it simple to use and learn. Its focus is within the fine art print-on-demand space. It doesn't try to provide what all the other builders offer, features like client proofing and video file storage are completely missing from the platform.

Darkroom Pricing

Darkroom makes money by charging a flat 15% service fee on all sales. This percentage-based pricing model is better for beginner photographers, or those who sell their photos sparingly. Why pay $40 per month for something like Shopify when you aren't sure if you will sell enough prints to cover the cost of your website platform?

Darkroom keeps it simple by only offering only two membership tiers. If you start making more sales, you can upgrade to Darkroom's premium tier called "PLUS" for $15 per month, which lowers their 15% service fee to only 5%. The PLUS plan also gives you some additional features.

Darkroom Shop Design

Darkroom's design is mobile-focused. It doesn't look great on desktop, but it isn't horrible. There are no options to change most of your shop's design. You cannot even change basic things like background colors or fonts. On the plus side, the shop design looks good on mobile. You can see an example of what your shop would look like by viewing my Darkroom shop.

POD Products

Darkroom offers your photography on a few different types of products:

Kodak Professional Endura Premium Paper, Lustre "E"

• 220gsm
• Vibrant, fine-grain pebble texture
• Archival: 100+ years on display, 200+ years in storage
• RA-4 wet printing process
• Sizing: White borders do not change size of the print

Moab Entrada Bright Rag Paper

• 290gsm, 100% cotton
• Award-winning, museum grade paper
• Textured matte finish
• Archival: acid and lignin-free paper
• High-resolution, large format inkjet printing
• Sizing: White borders do not change size of the print

Framed

• Hand-made, solid wood frame
• UV and scratch-resistant acrylic cover
• Edge width of 1.125", depth of 0.75"
• 2" polar white matting
• Sizing: +6.5" to the listed print size
• Ex: 12x18" framed print final size is 18.5x24.5"
• Arrive ready to hang

Fine Art Canvas

• Archival inks printed directly onto museum-quality canvas
• Wrapped on wooden artist's stretcher frame
• Protective, UV-resistant lustre finishing coat
• Sizing: 1.5" depth
• Arrive ready to hang

Metal Print

• Dyes infused directly onto specially coated recycled aluminum sheet
• White high gloss surface with high detail and vibrance
• Ultra-hard, scratch-resistant surface
• Weatherproofed
• Float 1/2" off the wall
• Arrive ready to hang