ArtSmarts is an educational series meant to provide tips and advice for artists. Each post covers a different topic with real world situations and input from industry experts. Do you have a topic you’d like to see covered? Email Kristina at kcoopman@riverartsinc.org with your ArtSmarts suggestion!
Making Prints of Your Artwork
What is a fine art print?
- Giclee print = reproduction of original artwork
- French for “to spray”
- Made using an inkjet printer, which uses small spraying devices that can both match color and apply ink precisely
- What makes a giclee print?
- A VERY high resolution photograph of your artwork. Needs to be at least 300 dpi, or dots per inch
- the more dots of color that can be printed in a small area, the more detailed your final image will appear
- Archival ink = devoid of dyes, which can fade over time.
- Archival paper = devoid of acids which can turn yellow over time
- A VERY high resolution photograph of your artwork. Needs to be at least 300 dpi, or dots per inch
Finding a printer/print shop
- Working with a printer/print shop is ideally a long-term relationship!
- Do your homework when researching possible print shops to produce your prints
- Ask other artists who they recommend (or avoid!), visit a printer’s shop to view samples of their work, get quotes from more than one shop
- Lowest price does not always mean the best deal.
- Things to strive for: reliable equipment, technical skill, and envisioning a long-term working relationship
- We recommend Picture Salon! Long time, local company that many of our artists have worked with in the past
- Steps to getting a print made:
- Your artwork will need to be scanned or photographed at very high resolution. Ideally you take the original piece into the shop for them to scan
- Some shops might charge an additional fee for this. Ask if it can be waived if you choose to order prints through them
- Can also have your artwork scanned using high-end scanner at FedEx or Kinkos and take the image in
- Printer will create an “artist’s proof”. This is basically a test print for you to take a look at colors, borders, paper quality, etc. Together with the printer you’ll make tweaks until you have it exactly how you like it
- Printer will create a production file that saves all of this information. That way if/when you want to re-order prints, they will remain exactly the same in each edition
- You set the number of prints in the edition, and the printer will ship to you or can sometimes drop-ship to customers directly
- Your artwork will need to be scanned or photographed at very high resolution. Ideally you take the original piece into the shop for them to scan
Can I make prints myself?
- Short answer: Maybe.
- This requires a level of comfort with technology and an investment in materials
- You will need:
- Camera capable of taking high-resolution images of your artwork (no phones), or a high end scanner large enough to fit your artwork
- Ability to photograph work that is correctly lit, laid perfectly flat, and in correct proportion to the camera
- Comfort using photo editing software like Photoshop
- Several paper types to try out and color match
- Long term storage of files; both digital image and list of what materials you choose.
How to Go About Selling Prints
- As with all artwork, pricing your fine art prints will depend on several factors like:
- your career level,
- covering the costs of creating the work,
- the profit you wish to make, and
- what your target customers are willing to pay
- Here’s a great resource on how to price your prints. This shop is located on the East Coast, so prices may vary depending on your customer base
- Make sure to inform your buyers that what they are getting is a print and that’s why they can remain at a lower price point
Resources:
- Iprintfromhome Father/daughter owned business in NY, online ordering
- Giclee Today (online ordering)
- Picture Salon Madison, WI shop offering affordable, high quality prints
- This video, How To Make Prints of Your Art
