fine art printing Archives - The Artists Print Room (Giclée Printing)

12 Fine Art Papers of Christmas

Did you see our 12 days of fine art paper posts over Christmas on Instagram or Facebook? If you missed them, head on over and take a look! We’ve also listed our top 12 papers here for you to check out, featuring Hahnemühle, Canson Infinity and St Cuthberts Mill…

1. Hahnemühle PhotoRag Bright White 310sm

Hahnemühle Bright White Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

On the first day we have a customer favourite, the Hahnemühle PhotoRag Bright White. This paper is based on the well-known PhotoRag 308gsm, however, it has a stronger white tone which can really make your images pop! Also a great choice for black and white photography

2. Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag 310sgm

Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

Onto day 2 and we have the Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag 310gsm. This fine art paper is 100% cotton with no optial brighteners added so your prints will truly last. The microporous coating of this paper gives a wonder satin finish to your artwork or photography

3. Hahnemühle Agave 290gsm

On day 3 we have the Hahnemühle Agave which forms part of their

Hahnemühle Agave Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

Natural Line of papers. This paper is made from 70% agave fibres and 30% cotton rag making it a sustainable choice for your fine art #photographic or #artreproductions. The fibres of this paper give a stunning natural white tone which adds great definition to your work.

4. Hahnemühle PhotoRag Satin 310gsm

Another Hahnemühle paper is featured on day 4! The PhotoRag Satin is

Hahnemühle PhotoRag Satin Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

another adaptation of the famous PhotoRag 308gsm. However, this paper has a subtle satin finish which can really add something extra special to your work. This paper provides a lovely smooth surface in addition to a natural white tone.

5. Canson Infinity Museum ProCanvas 385gsm

On day 5 we have a canvas! The Canson Infinity Museum ProCanvas is the

Canson Infinity Museum ProCanvas Texture - The Artist's Print Room

perfect choice if you are looking for canvas wraps to be produced. Just check out that incredible texture that this substrate can give you! Other benefits of this canvas include water resistance and it’s made from 100% cotton!

6. St Cuthberts Mill Somerset Enhanced White 330gsm

St Cuthberts Mill Somerset Enhanced Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

Day 6 features a St Cuthberts Mill paper. The Somerset Enhanced White 330gsm has an outstanding heritage. In addition to this, not only is it 100% cotton but it’s also acid free. The paper with its natural felt texture gives a fine art feel to any artwork reproduction or photography print.

7. Hahnemühle PhotoRag Metallic 340gsm

Hahnemühle PhotoRag Metallic Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

Onto day number 7 and we have some shimmer! The Hahnemühle PhotoRag Metallic 340gsm is one of their more recent papers. The specially formulated coating to this PhotoRag paper gives a shimmer to your fine art print, guaranteed to attract attention! This fine art paper is most suitable for prints that won’t be behind glass so you can benefit from it’s finish.

8. Canson Infinity Arches Aquarelle Rag 310gsm

Back to Canson Infinity on day 8. The Arches Aquarelle Rag 310gsm has an

Canson Infinity Arches Aquarelle Rag Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

outstanding texture. Perhaps most popular for watercolour reproductions due to the texture, this fine art paper is 100% cotton and has a matt finish.

9. Hahnemühle Bamboo 290gsm

Hahnemühle Bamboo Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

Day 9 features the Hahnemühle Bamboo which forms part of their new Natural Line of papers. An excellent choice for those that are keen on using more sustainable materials in their artwork and photography. This fine art paper has a warm natural tone and is produced with 90% bamboo fibres (which is fast growing when compared to other paper making materials) and 10% cotton.

10. Canson Infinity Rag Photographique 310sm

Fine art paper number 10! The Canson Infinity Rag Photographique

Canson Infinity Rag Photographique Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

310gsm is another firm favourite with our customers. This fine art paper has a smooth white matte tone which is created by natual minerals being added during the production process. Not only is it a brilliant choice for artwork reproductions but it can be used for traditional printmaking too!

11. Hahnemühle PhotoRag Baryta 315gsm

Hahnemühle PhotoRag Baryta Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

We are nearly at the end! But on day 11 we have the Hahnemühle PhotoRag Baryta. This paper has a high gloss coating which can really add contrast to your prints particularly if they are in black and white. A great alternative to traditional baryta paper used in photography.

12. Hahnemühle William Turner 310gsm

On day 12, last but no means least… the Hahnemühle William Turner

Hahnemühle William Turner Paper Texture - The Artist's Print Room

310gsm. The texture on this paper speaks for itself! If you’re looking for a heavily textured, matte paper, this is your perfect option!

You can always check out the other papers we offer too on our papers and canvas page. Which one is your favourite?

Did you know that we are the only fine art printing company in the UK which has been accredited by Canson Infinity, Hahnemühle Fine Art, Epson Digigraphie, ILFORD and the Fine Art Trade Guild? Also, why not sign up to our mailing list to keep up to date with news, products and future competitions at The Artist’s Print Room – just complete the form below.

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The ‘Art’ of Cash Flow Planning

Now you’re up and running by promoting and selling your artwork or photography through your own website and social media channels. You should focus on the importance of cash flow within your business.

You have your pricing structure set up, so you know and understand how to price your individual pieces of artwork. However, you need to take into account your overheads and ensure you have sufficient cash flow to cover the cost of these.

Simply put, cash flow is the movement of funds in and out of your business. If you are to apply for a business loan or investment, it is highly likely you would need to provide a cash flow forecast. This document can help you forward plan and grow.

When taking a look at your expected cash flow, it is important to understand your expenses throughout the year. By forward planning and looking at things objectively, you can hope to eliminate any financial surprises. As the saying goes, ‘cash is king’! One of the first things you prioritise is any expenses you would expect to incur. This includes a vast array of items including any rent you may have (relevant if perhaps working from a studio), art materials, printing and postage costs, general utility bills and costs of any paid advertising you are undertaking. Then you need to consider your revenue, how much are you bringing in each month from your work? These need to at least balance out, but of course, ideally, your income needs to exceed your outgoings to ensure you are making a profit. The easiest way to look at this is, ‘I need £x to cover £x’.

Cash Flow Forecasting

By producing a cash flow forecast, this allows you to work out methodically and objectively what your expected income and outgoings are each month throughout the year. This can be produced using a simple spreadsheet, alternatively, ask your bookkeeper or accountant to help out if you are unsure. Additionally, there are many templates available online for you to download and use. List down all your outgoings month by month in this spreadsheet. From here, you can work out what you need to produce and sell to cover these costs. Of course, within the art industry, this can be tricky to work out as selling your work can be variable from month to month but if possible, look at previous years and check for any reoccurring patterns such as a sales peak in the run up to Christmas. Make sure you are regularly updating and reviewing your cash flow forecast so you can keep track of your business revenue.

Cost Savings

It is always a good idea to work out where you could possibly make cost savings. For example, can you purchase your art materials in bulk? By doing so, you can often benefit from smaller delivery charges or at least save on these by ordering once rather than having lots of smaller deliveries. Also, some suppliers may offer you discounted rates for bulk purchases. Further to this, when it comes to having your work printed, we offer a print on-demand service. Therefore, you are only paying to have the prints of your artwork or photography produced on-demand – when they have been committed to by your customer. Ideally, you will already have this cash in your bank too as hopefully your customer will have already paid for you to commit to the print order.

If you are shipping your orders yourself to your customer, can you negotiate your delivery costs? If using delivery services, perhaps you could meet with a representative from said company to try and reduce some of these expenses.

In summary, it is important to spend some time forward planning and understanding these aspects of your business. By having a plan, you are less likely to incur any unfortunate expenses and surprises. Also, never forget the tax man! Remember, as a self-employed artist or photographer, you must complete, file, and pay your self-assessment tax on a yearly basis and should be included in your cash flow forecast!

Did you know that we are the only fine art printing company in the UK which has been accredited by Canson Infinity, Hahnemühle Fine Art, Epson Digigraphie, ILFORD and a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild? Also, why not sign up to our mailing list to keep up to date with news, products and future competitions at The Artist’s Print Room – just complete the form below.

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Signing fine art prints

When it comes to signing fine art prints, there are some unwritten rules to be aware of. It’s important to consider these factors if you are hoping to make money and sell your work. Here 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 so don’t feel this is necessary.
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. Make this signature different! For creative inspiration, take a look at this list of artist signatures.

It is also incredibly important to not sign within the width of your print area. Make sure you stay away from your borders as if you’re subsequently having your print frame, you may find this is covered over or even worse, cut off! If in doubt, seek advice from your framer before signing your fine art prints.

Tools For The Job

When is comes to signing fine art prints, you need the right tool! 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 in order to prevent any spoiling of your work. 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.

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Ordering your fine art giclée prints

When it comes to ordering your fine art giclée prints, it can be a confusing process, with so many options to be aware of. Here at The Artist’s Print Room, we have tried our best to ensure our online ordering system is straight forward and easy to use.

Firstly, head over to our online shop. You’ll find this option at the top of our website. The blue box saying ‘Order Here!’ will take you directly through to our online ordering system.

By heading through to our online shop, you will see the following four options:

From here, to order giclée prints, head over to the printing option. Here you will see a number of different options, including deckled edge prints, poster printing, greetings cards and print proofs. If you’re not sure how your final print will look or your just starting out in the world of producing your artwork or photography as giclée prints, it might be worth considering print proofs in the first instance.

Print Proofs

Our print proofs are 280x120mm as standard (other size options are available though). You can order print proofs on any of the fine art substrates that we offer and prices start at just £7.50. Print proofs give you the best opportunity to take a closer look at the colours, substrates and quality of our products before committing to a full sized print.

Giclée Printing

If you’re ready to go ahead and order your giclée prints, then head straight to our online order form. Here you will be taken step-by-step through the options available to you. Firstly, you will need to select your print size. You can order generic paper sizes or alternatively bespoke print sizes. Prices here start at £9.00 for an A5 print.

Secondly, you can add a plain border to your print. If you’ve added a border to your print file already, please make sure to select the relevant option. Alternatively, you can ask us to add one on for you and let us know what size you would like this.

Then comes the exciting bit! Select from our wide range of substrates available. Take your pick from our gloss, matt or textured fine art papers. We have 15 papers to select from plus two canvas substrates.

Following on from your substrate selection you can add on the option of having a certificate of authenticity. These are a great addition, particularly if your print is part of a limited edition. Once you’ve completed all these stages you will receive a bespoke price according to your selections. Please note, we also offer discounts on multiple orders starting at six prints. If you have a print run of over 100, please do contact us for further information and pricing.

There you go! Ordering your giclée prints is as simple as that! Once you’ve added your products to basket, follow our simple instructions to upload your files, then sit back and relax! Your order will be on the way to you shortly. We will be in touch if there are any issues or questions, additional, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions too!

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How to select a fine art printing service…

When taking that first leap into the world of producing your work as either artwork reproduction prints or fine art photography prints, it can be daunting. It’s also difficult to decide on who to trust with this specialist work. Here are our top tips in selecting a fine art printing service and some of the important factors you should consider.

Experience

Possibly the most important factor when selecting a fine art printing service. Ensure you are selecting a business with a good number of years behind them. This vast amount of experience speaks volumes in itself. A fine art printing company that has been around for several years, is more than likely to know their stuff, this includes overcoming hurdles such as technical issues. They are also more likely to understand your requirements and be able to advise honestly and truthfully when you need some assistance. If in doubt, it is always worth asking to see some examples of work they have previously printed for other artists and photographers.

Accreditations

There are many accreditations within the industry, in particular ones from paper manufacturers themselves. These large, global firms are not going to recommend fine art printing services of sub-quality. Therefore, shop around, ask the fine art printing companies which accreditations they have. These accreditations proves that they are up to standard and have close working relationships with some of the biggest manufacturers in the industry. Did you know that we are the only UK based fine art printer to be certified by Epson Digigraphie, Canson Infinity, Hahnemühle FineArt and ILFORD Imaging? We are also members of the Fine Art Trade Guild. Having these certifications really allows us to keep up with trends and news from these companies. Additionally, it also proves that we have been rigorously tested and checked in our print standards.

Options

It’s good to use a fine art printing service which provides you with different options. Although, not too many options! You want to use a business that can give you a range of different fine art papers so you have a few choices for which works best for your artwork reproductions or photography. A select number of industry leading papers should be offered alongside a few alternatives; giving you the artist, some variation. Having a select range of substrates ensures the printer knows how to handle each of the papers and understands the colour workflow processes to ensure you have the most perfect print. However, some fine art printing services decide to offer all the fine art papers known to man! This can be troublesome in that it can be confusing with so many options available. Furthermore, it could be likely that some of these lesser used or liked fine art papers could be sitting on a shelf exposed to the elements for a long time which is not ideal!

Convenience

An easy to use and simplistic ordering process is always a good start for time pressed artists and photographers. Being able to upload your images and know they are being cared for can create a great peace of mind for you. As an artist or photographer is important to free up your time so you can focus on creating your artwork. Therefore, always find a fine art printing service that you trust to take this hassle away from you. Also, it’s worth considering if your fine art printing service are easy to get hold of? If you have a pressing question, will they come back to you in a reasonable time period with answers, advice and suggestions? The art and photography industry can be incredibly subjective so it’s always great to have someone to validate your processes and work with. An excellent fine art printing service will do this for you and assist every step of the way.

It’s also worth remembering, cheap is not always best. You are looking for a fine art printing service rather than a photocopy shop! With a slightly higher price, you’re much more likely to receive a more personal service with great communication and advice in addition to the best fine art printing materials available.

Please feel free to contact us for a quick introductory chat, we would love to find out more about you and how we can help you as an artist or photographer. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service so you can also contact us on 07809 381 978 either over the phone or by WhatsApp. You can also get in touch through Facebook Messenger at anytime.

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Hahnemühle Natural Line

Just last week we received a very exciting parcel from the Hahnemühle mill in Germany. This small hemp bag, with an agave ribbon contained a bamboo USB stick. This wonderful gift tied in with their new Digital FineArt paper range; Natural Line, which is officially being launched on the 31st October.

The Natural Line has a special place in the Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection. It focuses on FineArt inkjet papers made from unique raw materials. These plants that provide the cellulose for the paper manufacturing, require minimal maintenance, grow quickly and don’t use any pesticides. Their rapid growth means that more cellulose can be produced in the same area than that with other raw materials. Further to this they also require much less water, helping to save valuable resources and protect the environment.

As a Hahnemühle Certified Studio we have the privilege of a sneak peak at this new range. The Natural Line contains three papers, one of which was their pre-existing Bamboo giclée paper. The three papers which include two new products are;

Natural Line – Agave

Made from 70% agave fibres and 30% cotton rag.

Agave is a plant which is also known for making tequila! This plant is native hot countries including Mexico. The base material (sisal fibres) stand out with a bright white natural tone and this fine art paper does not contain optical brighteners. The rough, yet delicately defined surface texture gives the subject a captivating sense of depth and impresses with a pleasant, soft feel.

Natural Line – Bamboo

90% bamboo fibres and 10% cotton rag.

This Bamboo fine art paper was the first in the world to be made from 90% bamboo fibres. The unique combination of sustainable bamboo fibres, soft surface texture and impressive print quality gives the artwork outstanding expression and soul.

Natual Line – Hemp

60% hemp fibres and 40% cotton rag.

Hemp is one of the world’s oldest and most versatile natural fibre. This paper’s base has a bright white natural tone, and thanks to the bright white colour of the hemp fibres, no optical brighteners are required. The lightly textured surface gives the paper a pleasant, silky feel.

We can’t wait to get our first order in for the Hahnemühle Natural Line and give the fine art papers a trial run through the printer! We will keep you updated as to when they are available through our online ordering system.

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ArtSure and why we have left the accreditation…

After a long and difficult deliberation, we have had some frustrations with the Fine Art Trade Guild and their ArtSure scheme. Therefore, we have consequently taken the decision to leave ArtSure as we believe this is in the best interest of our clients and is no longer adding value to your fine art giclée prints.

At The Artist’s Print Room, we are constantly striving to push the limits and expectations from fine art giclée printers. We believe an outstanding print quality with great definition; precise and accurate colour reproduction is paramount to this quality. Moreover, consistent reproductions of prints are critical to this standard.

The previous scheme – Approved Printer Programme

Previous to ArtSure, The Fine Art Trade Guild had a standard for printers, known as the Approved Printer Programme. Fine art giclée printers would submit their offered substrates to an independent UKAS approved laboratory for testing. This would test for blue wool scale and lightfastness. If your prints were approved and successful you would receive a certificate. Unfortunately, this was a time consuming and costly exercise with each paper type costing approximately £140 plus VAT. Therefore, change was required and was very much welcome!

The current ArtSure scheme

ArtSure was seen as a great step forward with a predesigned set of standards in giclée papers, inks and printers. It was fortunate in meaning there were no more expensive UKAS lab costs. In particular for us here at The Artist’s Print Room, this equated to a massive cost saving as we were offering 12 different substrate qualities at the time. Consequently, we could pass that saving onto our clients. To begin with in the first year, just three fine art printers signed up to the ArtSure scheme, however, it rapidly expanded.

My initial concern regarding this was the new roll out. For us, it felt the focus was no longer on fine art printers, but it opened the market to self-publishing artists and photographers. Furthermore, it enabled anyone with an approved printer, ink and paper combination to have the ArtSure status, thus, in our opinion losing credibility. Anyone could spend just half an hour and with a few clicks have all the specified materials on the ArtSure list. This would subsequently mean they could gain the ArtSure status. Regardless of the quality of the prints they produced, whether pixelated, blurred, visible banding, missing ink spots or fingerprints they could still be a member of this accreditation. Furthermore, there was no audit trail which was previously required under the old system. Individuals could easily swap products for cheaper alternatives of a much lower quality as this was not checked and audited; therefore this poor quality could be deemed approved by ArtSure.

Under this scheme, it felt like anyone could purchase the required equipment and then purchase the ArtSure accreditation. This was foregoing the years of dedication to the industry, knowledge and expertise we truly believe makes an outstanding fine art giclée printer. I voiced my concerns to the Fine Art Trade Guild and was invited to speak to the guild committee. However, sadly, my invitation never arrived, and I therefore have doubts over the aim of this programme and the true motivation behind it.

Moving forward, the Fine Art Trade Guild have now introduced a partnership with Innova paper, and this will be launched in China which we have our doubts over. It is important to note here that Innova are not a fine art paper manufacturer. Whereas, there are other manufacturers in the industry which are seen as market leaders and have a wealth of experience in paper manufacturing which are not involved in this process, and we believe this is a massive oversight and rather unfortunate. We are concerned that this programme is now no longer trying to strive to improve standards throughout the industry.

The ArtSure slogan, is ‘digital print quality you can trust’. We no longer feel that we can support this in the best interests of our clients. We do not believe that the quality of a fine art print is at the forefront of the programme and thus we will be taking a step back. The focus appears to be on the ‘materials’ used within fine art printing whereas we know there is much more to this process. Good quality materials do not make an outstanding giclée print. It is the knowledge and expertise of the people behind these businesses that bring the true quality and added value to the final product.

Sadly, we feel that the point of the scheme has been missed and we are dubious of the motivations behind this. We really hope this is not motivated by revenue.

Here at The Artist’s Print Room, we want our clients to have outstanding quality prints, and sadly, we no longer feel that ArtSure are supporting the industry in this way with their new principles so will be taking a step back from the scheme. We trust you understand the difficult decision we have come to and if anyone would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our primary focus is to support and develop the industry and consequently providing our clients with the highest quality prints.

The Artist’s Print Room

We are still the only UK based fine art printer to be accredited by Canson Infinity, Hahnemühle Fine Art, Epson Digigraphie and ILFORD Photo, so rest assured you can trust our quality and fine art printing processes. If you would like further information on anything we have highlighted above or have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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Bespoke Christmas Greeting Cards

It’s coming up to that time of year again… The nights are starting to draw in, the temperature is dropping and our supermarkets are being stocked full of seasonal goodies! Christmas is now just around the corner and it’s time to start planning.

This year, why not do something extra special and have your artwork or photography printed onto bespoke Christmas greeting cards? You could increase your turnover by producing your artwork or photography as an additional product. By having your image printed on a card, you’re offering your customers something truly special and bespoke. You could take your favourite winter holiday image, whether this be either a photograph or a painting of the scenery and turn it into greetings cards that recipients can keep and frame.

Bespoke Christmas Greeting Cards

Our greetings cards are digitally printed using pigment inks and FSC approved acid free 300gsm card. This allows you to order quantities as low as twelve-cards per design, provided they are on the same substrate (we also provide discounts for larger quantities). We offer various sizes including; 6×4″, 7×5″ or 8×5.6″ all available as either portrait or landscape (folded along the long side). Additionally, we can produce square cards for something a little different which are 100x100mm and 145x145mm. Each greetings card can be printed either with or without a border and we also include a small thumbnail on the back of each card of your work and also the image title, your name and website address.

But, the best bit! You don’t need to worry about downloading a template and having to layout the design yourself! We are happy to take that pressure away from you. Once you upload your image through our online ordering system we will design and proof your greetings cards (free of charge!) Of course, we will send you a proof for approval before going to print ensuring you’re happy with your personalised product. Our minimum order is just twelve greetings cards per design and all are provided with corresponding envelopes and cello sleeves and are sent to you flat packed and pre-creased so your cards are ready for their handwritten note and then the postbox!

Turnaround time for greetings cards printing is between five and ten days, however, this can be slightly longer at peak times so please check with us if you’re working to a tight deadline.

Order your bespoke Christmas greeting cards online using our simple to use online order form.

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Mounted Giclée Prints – Print Finishes

Did you know that we offer a variety of different mounting services? Our mounted giclée prints really give you a special finished product either to keep or to sell.

Canvas Wraps

Canvas wraps are an incredibly popular, elegant and versatile option for displaying your images as an alternative to traditional framing techniques. Fine art canvas wraps from The Artist’s Print Room involve printing your image directly onto either the Hahnemühle Daguerre or Canson Infinity Museum Pro Canvas both are premium quality and ensure archival qualities. Both of these canvas options have a stunning matte finish and provide an incredible image sharpness, really highlighting the colours in your print.

The canvas print is then stretched and hand wrapped precisely around wooden bars to give a taught finish. Due to the drying process of the prints, dispatch time for canvas wraps is between 7 and 10 days. All our fine art canvas wraps are ready to hang with fixings attached to the back bar. This allows your print to hang flush to the wall as soon as it’s delivered and unpacked!

As your image is wrapped around the bars, you have various options for the sides, you can go for one solid colour, black, white or any other colour you select! Alternatively, there is the option of having your image covering the sides you can also select from landscape, portrait or square prints, giving you so many options to may your canvas wrap truly unique.

Acrylic Sandwich Style Mounted Prints

Acrylic sandwich style mounted prints are an elegant, modern and minimalist way of displaying your fine art images as alternative to traditional framing techniques. In addition to this, acrylic sandwich style mounts give a sophisticated dramatic and stunning impact.

Acrylic sandwich style mounted prints are ideal for commercial environments – many businesses use this technique to create signage. Additionally, this form of mounting is ideal for displaying wall art in your home or exhibition images.

Your fine art print is printed as it would be when producing a traditional fine art giclée print. However, it is then sandwiched between two pieces of acrylic (select from either a 5mm white or a 10mm clear backing) this backing prevents any warping of your image occurring. The process of acrylic face mounting is complex and intricate which entails careful handling and a lot of precision. Here at The Artist’s Print Room you can trust us to get this right, each and every time. We take great care in all the products we produce which makes us unique when compared to mass production photographic labs.

The acrylic sandwich style mounting gives your image a beautiful high gloss finish which is shatter proof in addition to being dust and damp proof. The final product is a pure statement piece being bold, beautiful rigid and durable. For wall hanging fixings, choose either polished 25mm high aluminium stand-offs or a 9mm MDF French cleat sub-frame attached to the back. With these wall hanging your print will be ready to hang straight away!

MDF & Foam Board Mounting

If you have decided not to frame your fine art giclée print, you could utilise our MDF or foam board mounting options instead. This process makes your final print more robust and durable. By not having your image behind glass you are also able to directly hang your image without any distractions to the stunning paper texture and finish.

Furthermore, foam board and MDF mounting provide great options for exhibition prints, however, foam board is a much lighter weight option and can. be ideal for ease of transportation. Both are available in bespoke sizes or in common paper sizes.

Due to the complex processes involved in MDF and foam board mounting, please allow 14-21 days for your prints to be delivered.

Photo Blocks

Photo blocks are an alternative mounted giclée print option. These popular products provide a wonderful gift for friends and family and are a great alternative to traditional framing options. These are ideal for both artists and photographers to display their works in a stylish way and create a great talking point.

Your fine are giclée print will be sandwiched between two thick acrylic blocks providing a durable finish, leaving your giclée print protected from dust and damage. We offer three different photo block sizes; 7″ x 5″, 10″ x 8″ and 11″ x 14″ and please allow 14 working days for your photo block to be delivered.

You can order your mounted giclée prints through our easy to use step-by-step online ordering system in which you can select the substrate you would like your image printed on and also sizing options are included.

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Smartphone Photography Tips

Most of us have one; a smartphone. These modern phones tend to have pretty good cameras so there isn’t much stopping you from excellent photography. With your phone on you most of the time, why not get snap happy when you’re out and about?! Here we will take you through a few smartphone photography tips to help you take better photographs:

Clean your lens!

Firstly, you’ve quite possibly got your phone in your hand, pocket or bag for a fair bit of time throughout the day. First things first, clean your lens! It’s likely to have dirt and dust on so it’s worth giving this a quick wipe over – ideally with a microfibre cloth to ensure you’re not leaving any scratches behind.

Focus

A lot of smartphones will automatically focus, they will select an object which they believe you are trying to photograph. However, if there is something in your foreground or background that you would like a particular focus on, just tap on your screen. On an iPhone, you’ll see a little yellow box appear – this is now where your camera will focus. It will ensure that your selected object is sharp in the final photograph.

Crop your images

Editing your images can be very straightforward. Many smartphones will have easy to use functions to crop your image. Crop your photograph to take out any distractions that you may not want. It’s worth considering though, if you crop your image, you are quite possibly losing some quality so your image may not print so well (if that’s your desired outcome).

Exposure

Sometimes your phone may not pick up the lighting correctly to show off your subject to its best ability. In that case, you can edit the exposure. On an iPhone, when you have selected your focus (and the little yellow box has appeared) just slide up and down on the right hand side of this box to edit the exposure level. This is a great tool for editing the shadows or highlighting detail in your photography.

Composition

An excellent tool on your phone is the grid feature. This places a three-by-three grid across your screen making it much easier to implement the rule of thirds. Using the grid can also help ensure your image is straight and can also assist in creating leading lines throughout your image.

Zoom with your feet

Smartphones give you the option of zooming in digitally. This is all well and good, however, you will lose resolution by doing so. You’ll lose pixels and it will produce a much worse quality print, so therefore, zoom with your feet! Head over to get as close to your subject as possible. The image quality will thank you for it!

Smartphone Apps

If you want to take your smartphone photography even further, there are thousands of apps available to download, both free or paid for. These apps can offer extra features that your phone software doesn’t have as standard. Apps such as ProShot which is available on both iOS and Android gives you full manual control over options such as exposure, ISO and shutter speed. Furthermore to this, there are apps that are ideal for image editing including Lightroom and Photoshop but you’ll find these are express versions for use on mobile devices with limited capabilities.

If you would like your smartphone photography printed, this is something we can offer. Please bear in mind though that there is a limit to the print size we can offer due to the resolution of these images. We can generally enlarge images by 125-150%, however, the success of this is primarily down to the starting file size. Please feel free to contact us for further information.

Do you have any further smartphone photography tips? What particular tricks do you use to create incredible photography from your phone? We would love to hear them so please feel free to share on our Facebook and Instagram pages! Also, tag us in your smartphone photography images by using the hashtag #TAPR, we would love to see your work!

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