So buckle up and prepare to immerse yourself in a venture of knowledge, friends!
There are so many options for fine art printing but finding the right one for your project is the key, and unless you’ve studied extensively or chose the red pill of knowledge, it’s definitely not that easy to achieve on your own.
And, just because a Printing service owns a wide-format ink-jet printer that can print on canvas or art paper doesn’t necessarily qualify them to reproduce your unique work of art. A truly masterful digital reproduction is gained through years of experience in determining the balance of luminescence, contrast, control of colour, sharpness, light and shade.
Nevertheless, when you do find that fine art printing expert who is a perfect match for your artwork, they will not only work with you to create the results you’re after, but also ensure consistency across future orders. Boom. One phone call and orders up!
So. Let’s start with the basics. What should you expect your printer to know? How should they be communicating with you? How can you tell if they are as good as they claim?
Knowledge and communication
We find nothing kills quality like bad communication, so ideally your Printing Service should:
· have been digitally reproducing art for at least five years so you can be confident that they are across the technical kinks involved in reproducing fine art such as capture, colour management, printing and coating
· ask you questions to understand your requirements and expectations prior to undertaking the job and work with you, rather than dictate your end product
· have multiple conversations with you about your print so they can match the best printing options for your work
· offer a choice of materials with different surface textures, weights, composition and base colours
· maintain clear communication and always consult with you after every step
Ok, you’ve reached base camp. Next step, actual image reproduction:
Photography vs scanning
Image capture is by far the most important step in the art reproduction process because it governs how many details, tones and colours will be available in the print file. Unless you have extensive experience with digital reproduction and understand the technical intricacies involved in determining the quality and resolution of your source image, scanning or photographing an original artwork isn’t that simple.
When deciding between scanning and photographing your artwork, the most cost-effective solution is often using a high-quality flatbed scanner. Particularly useful for high-detail mediums such as printmaking or collage that are difficult to translate without the use of a fast macro lens, scanning takes much of the guesswork out of lighting, camera angle and resolution, producing sharp, high quality TIFF files that are ready for colour correction and archival file saving.
However, not all art mediums are suitable for scanning.
For instance, a textured acrylic artwork or oil painting with a shiny surface can end up with glare from the scanner light reflecting off the indentations and textures of the painting and blowing out those elements in the finished digital scan.
Another hurdle to flatbed scanning is if the artwork is currently mounted or framed and whether you have the desire or skill to disassemble and reassemble it. In these cases, photography is your best bet.
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