artwork reproduction Archives - The Artists Print Room (Giclée Printing)

ILFORD Certified Print Partner

Last week, we received the brilliant news that we had been awarded the ILFORD Certified Print Partner status making us one of only two in the UK! This means we have met their high requirements in colour management, processing, quality control and customer service!

We are proud of our latest achievement and this ILFORD Certified Print Partner status compliments our other industry accreditations including; Hahnemühle Certified Studio, Canson Certified Print Laboratory and Epson Digigraphie Certified Laboratory.

ILFORD

ILFORD was founded in 1879 and since then has been a name people associate with photography. The company has evolved over the years, however, their drive and passion to provide customers with world class products is still as strong as it was over 140 years ago.

ILFORD Certified Print Partner

ILFORD is renowned for its premium quality and its inkjet photo products are selected by professional photographers wanting to achieve the look and feel of professional quality prints. The programme was introduced for photographers that do not have the time to print their own work but are looking for professional prints, produced to the highest quality. The programme includes print partners across Europe that all share the same values of quality that are synonymous with the ILFORD brand and their selection of products. Each of the accredited ILFORD Certified Print Partners have been through a stringent and complex evaluation process to ensure we all meet the required standards set by the ILFORD Technical Team.

Therefore, with this great news, comes further great news! We will soon be be expanding our paper options by offering some of the wonderful ILFORD fine art papers for your prints. We will keep you updated with further information in due course.

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Limited Edition Giclée Prints

When reproducing your artwork, one of the major considerations often surrounding this, is how many prints should you include in your print run. There are many ‘rules’ surrounding the concept of limited edition giclée prints and here we hope to answer some of those questions to make your process much easier!

What is a limited edition giclée print?

To begin with and to put it simply, a limited edition print is a set of prints of the exact same image which will only be produced to a maximum number eg. 100. These series of prints will always look exactly the same when processes such as accurate colour correction and artwork reproduction are followed. It is also worth noting, all prints in your edition do not have to printed at the same time either avoiding the costly overheads – you can print as required (eg. when you sell a copy – see our on demand section here).

The ‘rules’

One of the most comprehensive resources surrounding this topic comes from The Fine Art Trade Guild. The Fine Art Trade Guild provides a lot of excellent guidance on how limited edition giclée printing should work. Firstly, it is recommended that a limited edition print run is kept to below 850 prints worldwide, however, you can have as few prints as you like. This also includes any artist’ proofs. But it is worth considering that the lower the edition run, the ‘rarer’ your prints will be – potentially this can be good for resale, however, the more prints produced, the higher the potential income initially. This is really for the artist to decide upon as it depends on your objectives and purpose. We can of course, help advise and give guidance if required.

The Fine Art Trade Guild also states that, ‘a limited edition print is based on an agreement between the licensor, usually the artist or artist’s estate, as a holder of the copyright, and the licensee, usually the publisher.’ The licensor should agree that no previous reproductions have been made and will not be produced again for publication. The publisher will also agree to not exceed the agreed print run which has previously been specified.

Additionally, to comply as a limited edition giclée print run, the image should not be produced in any other format, anywhere in the world. This includes on other items such as mugs or other items for example, or as a different sized print. However, there is an exception in that it can be printed for promotional purposes in items such as brochures or books.

All print edition details should be included in the certificate of authenticity which is provided with the print included which print number the specific print is and out of how many.

You don’t always need to limit!

Alternatively, you don’t need to ‘limit’ your print production and you can produce open edition prints. Basically, this means you can print as many as you like in whichever formats you like! Again, this is your personal choice and agreements need to be put in place. However, it is worth considering the sales value and resale potential with open editions can be much less than with limited edition prints. With limited edition prints you tend to find that there is value added due to the uniqueness and exclusivity. Open edition prints are much better suited to mass production and high turnovers.

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Artwork Reproduction Photography

Artwork reproduction – turning your original art into stunning, true giclée prints! We have recently made a few updates to our Artwork Reproduction Service including providing you with a FREE postage label so you can easily send us your original piece to be photographed.

Artwork Reproduction Photography

There are only so many pieces of original art that you can create in one lifetime. With artwork reproduction you can have one piece created as many times as you like sharing your work near and far thus making your artwork ideal for resale. All artworks can be reproduced, including; watercolour, pastel, oil, illustration or acrylic. Even 3D sculptures can be captured and produced as a fine art giclée print and accuracy during this process is incredibly vital.

Artwork Reproduction Services

When it comes to reproducing your original artwork the first and most vital step in the process is the image capture. Artwork reproduction photography is a specialist process which requires outstanding accuracy and a thorough understanding of colour workflows. So, if you are looking to reproduce your original artwork to sell we offer a professional artwork reproduction photography service with an exceptional reputation for attention to detail. Using our vast experience, understanding and specialist equipment, we can capture the subtle hues and fine details in your original artwork. This is extremely important as any fine details missed in this process will subsequently be missing from your final fine art giclée print. We have experience in handling delicate artworks, so you can be assured your original will always be in safe hands with us.

Soft Proofing Set-Up – The Artist’s Print Room

With our custom-built artwork reproduction photography set up the final file of each piece of artwork we photograph is a massive two-times the size of the original piece. With the incredibly large file size it ensures that there is an incredible high-colour depth, all minute details included, full tonal range and perfect accuracy. For example, a typical 16” x 12” original piece will produce an image file of 160mp and an immense 900mb (16bit) at 300ppi. Consequently, this will then produce a final giclée print of 36” x 24” at 300dpi without any additional enlargement or distortion.

Service Details

Prices for these services starts at £60.00 and all our prices are based on per square inch, it doesn’t mater whether your artwork is matt, gloss or varnish. We also offer 15% discounts for every additional pieces to be photographed. Additionally, for those that wish to send us their artwork for image capture, we will provide you with a FREE postage label so you don’t need to worry about delivery costs to us. Our Artwork Reproduction Services can be ordered online through our online ordering system. Included in this is the image white point and colour balanced in addition to a printed test proof. Additionally, we will provide a 72ppi image file which you can use for your records and your website. For a full breakdown of our prices please view our pricing page. View our artwork reproduction photography page for further information and to start your order. Additional charges apply for colour editing.

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Win 4 x A4 Prints on Canson Infinity Rag Photographique!

Now if you follow us on Instagram, you would have seen our latest competition which is also now open on Facebook!

We are giving you the opportunity to win 4 x A4 prints on Canson Infinity Rag Photographique 310gsm. This stunning paper is a 100% cotton museum grade white fine art and photo paper. The exceptional smooth white tone is achieved during manufacturing by introducing natural minerals to the process. It has been developed to address the need for continued longevity requirements in the Digital Fine Art market. This paper offers a unique and extra smooth surface with an incredible sensual feel to it. It additionally provides one of the highest achievable Dmax currently available on the market, thus making it ideal for fine art photography, artwork reproductions and fine art printmaking.

How to enter

To enter our competition, all you need to do is share with us the image you would like printed. Just make sure you use the hashtag #TAPRWin when sharing your image on Instagram so we can see your lovely work! Alternatively, share your image on Facebook in our post comments! Then once shared, head over to our competition page to enter your details and register your entry. This competition is running from the 5th April 2019 through to the 28th April 2019 on Instagram and 13th April to the 28th on Facebook. We will select the lucky winners (one from Instagram and one from Facebook), at random, on the 29th April at 7pm! We will be in contact with the lucky winner to arrange printing of your image and shipping will be included too!

Full terms and conditions can be found on our competition page but if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we can help.

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Giclée Printing Services

Here at The Artist’s Print Room giclée printing is our speciality. We offer giclée printing services for all artist and photographer requirements. Additionally, we are the only UK based fine art print studio to be certified by the three most prominent paper manufacturers in the industry; Hahnemühle, Canson Infinity and Epson Digigraphie. These three accreditations prove our outstanding quality and enables us to stay at the forefront of new printing technologies and bring you the newest and highest-quality papers.

“Giclée is a digital printing process in which an inkjet printer is used to produce a high-quality art print”

We are a ‘true artist’s giclée printer’, therefore we truly appreciate and understand that your prints must be accurate in reproducing the fine hues and subtle details of your original work. We specialise in high quality substrates and exceptional giclée printing services, regardless of your order quantity, everything is produced to an exceptional standard.

Our Fine Art Printing Process

Artwork Photography: When it comes to art reproductions, the perfect giclée print; starts with perfect capture, get this wrong and your giclée prints will never be right. Our unique style of capture produces exceptionally detailed giclée prints that you can be proud of.

Editing: Colour editing is critical, everyone sees colour differently, apart from you the artist. It’s your work, so why let someone else colour correct this for you. View live soft proofing and print proofs. With us, you are always in charge.

Giclée Printing: Perfect capture and perfect editing, along with perfect ICC colour management means perfect giclée prints time and time again. Printed onto genuine fine art papers or canvases.

Direct Shipping: We can ship direct to almost anywhere in the world, either flat-packed or in postal tubes. All carefully packaged in archival wrapping and sealed ensuring that your prints arrive in perfect condition each and every time.

The Giclée Printing Process

The giclée print process requires four important aspects which are; resolution, inks, archival quality paper/canvas and the printer.

Resolution

Images you see on computer screens are usually at 72ppi (pixels per inch), however, for a Giclée quality print, an image must be at a minimum of 300ppi when an image is being viewed at 60cm or less distance. With a minimum of 300ppi, you are guaranteed the best quality print and ensuring your final image doesn’t appear to be ‘pixelated’.

Ink

Here at The Artist’s Print Room, we only use genuine Epson UltraChrome HDX pigment inks. These particular inks have high density levels of pigment giving you the most accurate of colour reproductions. In addition to this, the genuine Epson inks guarantee longevity when combined with the other aspects involved in the Giclée printing process.

Paper and Canvas

A vital part of the process which can also seem very daunting! With so many options to select from, the most important factor here is the archival qualities of the substrate. A fine art quality paper or canvas needs to be acid free and certified to last for at least 75-100 years. We stock the widest range of Hahnemühle Fine Art papers in the UK and you can find out more about our papers and canvases here.

Printer

A Giclée printer is very different when compared to a standard desktop inkjet printer. Typically to produce a Giclée print the printer requires at least eight different inks. Our Epson SC-P9000 printer provides the most superior quality images and can produce prints up to 44″ wide!

To find out more about our printing services please visit our Giclée Printing page.

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Deckled Edge Prints

If you’re looking for that something that’s extra special to finish your print, why not choose deckled edges? This option is available on all paper types we print on. You’ll find that it gives a truly expensive and exclusive looking finished product.

Deckled edges provide a wonderfully, beautiful finish to any print. With the gentle feathered but uneven edges, your print is guaranteed to stand out. Additionally, deckled edge prints look incredible once float mounted against a contrasting colour backing board. You will also find that this finish really adds to the texture of the cotton rag papers we offer, such as, the Hahnemühle Museum Etching. We find that the deckled edging gives the best results with with cotton rag papers, however, we can produce on any paper type. View our paper options here.

We hand deckled the prints here at The Artist’s Print Room and this optionis available for prints both with borders or without borders. To order, simply use our step-by-step online order form to specify your requirements.

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How to sign your fine art print

Questions regularly crop up surrounding signing fine art prints, therefore, we have put some tips together for you to help explain the most common practices in the industry.

The Importance

Firstly, the most important thing to remember is, it’s really down to you! You’re the artist, it’s your work that you have spent time creating. Signing your print can generally increase the sales price, this Huffington Post article from 2011 suggests the value can be increased by at least two times. Additionally, your work is something to be proud of and you should therefore put your name to the piece and claim your rights as the artist.

Signing should be an automatic part of the production process and should be one of the first things you do once receiving your prints (after unwrapping the packaging, of course!) Also, by signing your prints, you are giving your approval of the work.

Signing The Print

Traditionally, prints are signed at the bottom, in the margin, as follows;

The left hand corner details the edition number and edition size (if applicable). For example, edition number 4 of 50 would read as 4/50.
In the middle, you would add the title. Again, this is only if applicable. Not all artists title their artwork.
The right hand side is where the most important thing comes; the signature. Your signature is your brand, be creative and distinctive. We would highly suggest not using your day to day signature that you use for things such as banking. For creative inspiration, take a look at this list of artist signatures.
Make sure to your sign within the width of your print area and stay away from the edges of your border, otherwise your framer may be forced to mount over or cut away your signature during the framing process.

This general guide and industry standard can be seen in both artwork reproductions and fine art photography prints.

Tools For The Job

When is comes to which implement to sign with, we would suggest using a pencil on matt papers such as the Hahnemühle Museum Etching.Here at The Artist’s Print Room, we always recommend a mechanical pencil such as a Pentel P209 with a 2B lead. However, for other papers with a gloss coating such as the Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag, do not sign with a regular ball point pen or maker pen! It’s vital to use a pen which is archival and acid free. One excellent choice would be the Sakura Pigma Pens. Using such pens will ensure the ink doesn’t fade or discolour subsequently affecting your print.

As an alternative or even as an addition to hand signing, you could emboss your print to add a really special extra touch.

Certificates of Authenticity

To supplement your signed print, why not compliment it with a Certificate of Authenticity? Find our more in our previous blog post.

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The Importance of Accurate Image Capture

As an artist, it’s most likely that you need to have an element of image capture in your work processes in order to be able to reproduce your artwork. Accurate image capture is something that should never be underestimated. It’s important to remember that your finished print will only ever be as good as the digital file; the scan or photograph of your original piece.

Image Capture

To capture all the beautiful hues and fine detail in your original, the most important thing is that you have an inital high resolution digital file. Using our vast experience, understanding and specialist equipment, we can capture the subtle hues, fine details and brush strokes in your original artwork through the process of artwork photography. Meticulous handling and understanding is required as it is extremely important that any fine details are not missed as these will subsequently be missing from your final fine art giclée print. Image files can be obtained through scanning your work or alternatively through photography. This process can be very difficult to undertake at home due to the extensive equipment required.

File Size

Here at The Artist’s Print Room, the final file of each piece of artwork we photograph is a massive two-times the size of the original piece. With the incredibly large file size it ensures that there is a high-colour depth, all intricate details included, full tonal range and perfect accuracy. For example, a typical 16” x 12” original piece will produce an image file of 160mp and a immense 900mb (16bit) at 300dpi. Consequently, this will then produce a final giclée print of 36” x 24” at 300dpi without any additional enlargement or distortion.

Specialist Set Up

Some artworks can be particularly difficult to photography, for example dark oil paintings or paintings with a vast amount of texture, however, our specialist set up allows us to control lighting, ensuring we are not capturing any glare which could distort the final print.

To find out more about our Artwork Reproduction Services please take a look at our dedicated page or alternatively, contact us for more information or any questions you may have.

6 reasons why should you use a fine art printing company

As an artist or photographer, there is always the option of taking any printing requirements you have in house and completing this process yourself. This can be a daunting experience and often you’re left wondering, where to start? However, why not let that hassle be taken away? Of course, we believe you should use a fine art printer for your work whether you’re a photographer or an artist, but here are 6 reasons why we truly believe this is the best and most convenient way of producing your art.

1. Real, honest and bespoke advice

We see thousands of pieces of artwork and photography every single year, therefore we believe we are in the best place to give you honest and truthful advice when you need it. Experience and knowledge comes from our involvement over the years. We can assist in colour correction and advise on how it is best to print your artwork or photography.

2. Knowledge and understanding of colour and workflow processes

Printing is our day job! Why waste time having to solve the problems yourself? We’ve probably encountered the issue before so can generally have a quick fix with any technological problems. Spending time on understanding printers and colour calibration is not what you really want to be doing. Giving you more time to create your beautiful artwork. Also, we are the only print studio in the UK to be certified by the three biggest paper manufacturers; Hahnemühle FineArt, Canson Infinity and Epson Digigraphie consequently proving our expertise in the industry.

3. Options – and lots of them!

Why spend a fortune on purchasing different types of paper? You may want to use different papers for your different subjects; which can be an expensive overhead. We have an extensive variety in stock at all times so we guarantee you will be able to find the perfect paper for your print when ordering with us. Also, if you need advice or guidance on selecting the best substrate for your print, just ask! We will always be more than happy to help. We use the best quality materials and inks and the cost savings of this are passed on to you. Additionally, it’s unlikely for most people to invest in printers that can produce fine art prints much bigger than A3, therefore by using a fine art printing you are not limited in your print size. Our printers here at The Artist’s Print Room go up to 44″ wide!

4. Technical knowledge

Sometimes, printing isn’t a straight forward process. We’ve all had the dreaded paper jam! But imagine that with heavenly but expensive fine art paper – we take care of all those pesky handling issues that you could encounter when printing at home. In addition to this, we are meticulous about colour and calibration – ensuring that our systems are working accurately. This is a time consuming process which we take care of. Our business is print, therefore we aim to always stay ahead of trends and new technologies.

5. Care and understanding

Our passion is stunning art and photography, therefore, we understand how important it is to get the final print perfect every time. We care greatly that you will be more than satisfied with the finished product and endeavour to spend as much time as it takes to get each print right, every single time. You may be able to produce prints at home, but sometimes you can’t get them just quite right. Again, this is where we can assist in taking that pressure off you.

6. Ease and convenience

Probably one of the biggest benefits! When using a fine art printer, we can do everything for you. You can purchase a stunning mounted or framed print from us. This ensures your final piece is ready to hang as soon as it’s delivered to you. Our simple online ordering form allows you to work through all the printing options we have in an easy step-by-step process. Therefore, once your print has been ordered, you can sit back and relax until it arrives!

Overall, not only are you purchasing a final print from us, you’re investing in many years of our expertise and experience. So overall, there are our top 6 reasons why we believe you should use a fine art printer for both your art reproductions and photography printing requirements. What other struggles do you see in printing your own work at home? Let us know and we would love to be able to show you how we can help!

Meet The Artist – Victoria Coleman

Happy New Year to everyone, we hope you’re settling in well and had a good start to 2019! We are continuing with our ‘Meet The Artist‘ articles this year. This week we have the talented Victoria Coleman answering some questions for us. How adorable are the dogs?!

Victoria Coleman Portrait

When did you first discover your passion for art and painting?

Like most artists I loved loved painting and creating things from an early age and I was fortunate that my parents encouraged this, they even let me paint on the walls of bedroom!

Where do you get your inspiration from and what inspires you?

All sorts of things inspire me, a gallery could come up with a theme or someone could commission me to paint their dog with a great idea, I’m constantly looking for new ideas on social media and the internet or even my own dogs can inspire a collection!

How would you describe your style?

My style is a mix between realistic and illustrative, I used to paint Disney characters and I think that has influenced my style quite a bit.

What makes you different from other artists?

I use Bristol paints which is a water based paint used by scenic artists, I work in layers building up the detail, I also used an air brush to give my work depth.

What do you think is unique selling point?

Humour, just like people animals especially dogs have a sense of humour so I like to inject that into my work occasionally, I like to think my paintings will lift your spirits and make you smile.

What is the most challenging thing for you when it comes to chosen medium?

It’s not so much the medium but more the subject which I find most challenging. I do a lot of portraits so especially when I’m working on a commission it’s vital I capture the likeness and spirit of the subject which sometimes can be very difficult.

What would be your career dream? What project would you love to be able to complete one day?

To have a workshop in the garden, currently I work in the kitchen which can be very frustrating sometimes, I want to be able to spread out and have lots of projects on the go all around me! Ultimately I’d like to paint my own dogs but I never seem to have time, I’m also a little afraid I won’t do them justice!

Did you have another career prior to this? If so, what was it?

A prop maker, it was a great job, I worked in all sorts of fields from costume props for Star Wars and Gladiator to painting Disney sculptures for their flagship stores.

Where would you like to see yourself in 10-15 years’ time?

Still alive! Both my parents died in their 50’s and I’m going to be 50 next year so if I’m still around in 10-15 years’ time I hope I’ll still be creating….in my garden workshop!

What is your typical day like?

I get up at 6am and check my emails and do a bit of social media marketing while having a cup of tea, I also take a moment to watch YouTube videos of other artists and business owners and try to pick up tips on how to expand my knowledge, then I take my dogs for a walk.

After everyone’s had breakfast I’ll get on with either wrapping any bought work or listing work online in my shops or photographing work to be listed. Then I need to get on with whatever artwork I have on the go, I like to be painting/ sculpting by 11 o’clock at the latest.

I love listening to crime thriller audio books when I work, the narrator Jeff Harding really gets me in the mood to paint!

After lunch I’ll carry on painting or sculpting till tea time, my lovely neighbour takes my dogs for their afternoon stroll which really helps me focus and get in the zone..

We’ve recently adopted a kitten so there’s a queue for dinner around 6pm so I’ll feed the dogs and cat then do a little more work until about 7-7.30. Then I’ll have my dinner, I might do a bit more marketing in the evening if I get a chance.

What do you love the most about your job and what do you hate the most?

I’m happiest when I’m creating, I love the processes and the freedom to paint whatever I want and I hate never having enough time, being a small business owner means having to do everything yourself so I’m constantly having to learn new things which takes up a lot of time.

How do you relax after a long day?

In the evening I like to sit on the floor with a glass of wine and watch Midsummer Murders or Vera or Netflix while playing with the dogs…..lovely!

Well, we certainly believe Victoria’s paintings lift our spirits and make us smile! To view more of Victoria’s work you can visit her website, Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter accounts.