Post 568: Photographing Your Artwork To Make Prints

Photographing Your Artwork To Make Prints

by Tom Payne

Photographing artwork is done for many different purposes.  

One purpose is submitting images to be juried for an art show. This can be done with some practice and minimal equipment after watching a few YouTube videos.  In this case, the quality of the image and the size of the file may not be very important.   Here is a good video to watch for this purpose:   https://youtu.be/WIe-KuDAkkc

 

Photo by Heshan Perera on Unsplash

Photographing your artwork for the purpose of making and selling high quality prints is a worthwhile venture. Many artists pride themselves on selling individual, one of a kind, artworks for customers who have the financial wherewithal to afford that kind of purchase.  

In addition to offering original one offs, artists may also want to provide more affordable print products for customers to consider (such as artist note cards and frame-able mat prints in different sizes).  For this purpose, good camera equipment, lighting, and image editing software are needed in order to create high resolution images that show your paintings accurately, whether it’s for a pop up show or for your website.  Here is a good video that shows this process:  https://youtu.be/zsqiPscQQCE   

As a photographer, I have the high resolution camera equipment necessary to shoot artwork in a studio setting and would be happy to chat with PWAS members who are interested in learning, with me, how to photograph their work.  

If you’re serious and would like to sell note cards and mat prints, I recommend that you spend what you can afford and buy a good photo printer. Stick with Epson or Canon.  Go to B&H Photo and shop around and look at videos for a printer that meets your needs. B&H is the best place to buy. Trust me. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/

You can purchase quality photo papers and note card stock from B&H Photo as well.  When purchasing photo paper you might wish to purchase a sample pack that includes examples of different finishes, mat, glossy, premium luster, watercolor etc… There are a ton of different types of papers to experiment with. 

If you don’t have or don’t want to buy a printer, you must choose a good professional printer.  My advice is to use the printers trusted by professional photographers.  My favorite printer for paper prints is Mpix.   Visit the website and spend some time familiarizing yourself with the various options and products available. You will not be disappointed in the quality of their work. www.mpix.com.   

If you are interested in making canvas, acrylic, or metal prints, I highly recommend ProPrints. I get all my big canvas prints from them and they stand behind their work.  https://www.proprints.com/    

When selling your prints, it is important that they be matted, suitable for framing, and in sealed clear bags.  I get my mat boards, backer boards, and clear bags, in standard sizes from Matboard Plus.  Purchase supplies in bulk, mat your own prints and you will be good to go.  Check them out here: https://www.matboardplus.com/conservation-mat-board-show-kits/

 

Photo by Jonny Caspari on Unsplash

If you’ve never made a mounted print, don’t worry, it is easy.  Here is a good video showing the CORRECT way to do it with acid free products. https://youtu.be/VYUVC8cc838

I hope these references and tips are helpful as you explore the world of photography and how you can create fine art prints to augment the sale of your artworks.  Contact me anytime!  Make some art and enjoy today!! 

Tom Payne Relief Artworx

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Author: Tom Payne, PWAS Member-at-Large

 

Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 386: Art Tips 10 - Printing

Art Tips, Tricks, and More...10

You never know when you might hear an art tip about something that is just the suggestion that will solve an issue for you or help you and your work in some way. This is an ongoing series of tips and I would LOVE to have your suggestions as well!

 

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

Art Tips, Advice, Suggestions on Printing your Art

This is a particularly large art tip post, as this is an important topic for all artists.

First, let's understand the ways to create your art prints. AND most importantly, you must ALWAYS have a great image of the art to begin with, and DO THE RESEARCH to understand what you are getting into. There are definitely costs to not only creating prints yourself or outsourcing the work. And there could also be costly mistakes.

Giclee Printing Business and/or Online - there are online printing shops that are highly reliable in creating great quality prints as well as your local print shops. Ask your fellow artists what their recommendations are - or - ask for samples before ordering. (Pronounced zhee-clay)

DropShipping - there are also companies that will handle the entire printing process for you including shipping and sometimes signing and numbering. Some artists like to handle the signing, numbering then the shipping themselves to personalize the experience for their customers, so see what works for your needs.

Giclee Printing Do-It-Yourself - some artists have professional (great quality) printers at home and create their own prints in sizes as dictated in the minimum to maximum sizes allowed by their printer.

Offset Lithographic Printing - "Offset printing, also called offset lithography, is a method of mass-production printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media." - TechTarget.com

3 Printing Tips from PWAS Treasurer, Mark Murphy:

1. When selling prints of your art through PWAS, we ask that you only offer art quality prints.  This starts with a clear, high resolution image that appropriately reflects the colors and values of your original.  There are numerous websites with hints on how to do this on your own, but there are also local photographers whose output might warrant the expense for your best work.

 
2. The gold standard for printing images of your art is a "giclée print".  Giclée quality prints are typically produced using inkjet printers (giclée comes from the French word to spray) with high resolution (>300 dpi), colorfast pigment ink (preferred over dye ink), and archival paper (neutral or alkaline pH to prevent yellowing and brittleness).  The number of pigments used to produce the image is also important. Printers with six or more pigments can produce colors closer to the original art, twelve different pigments is typically the high end.  Most home and small office printers are incapable of producing the needed quality.  I've had good luck with Giclee Today but there are dozens of online sites providing this service.  While likely more expensive, I've heard that Old Town Editions provides professional results for the entire process. 

 
3. Be careful to properly size the paper and the image.  I recommend sticking to sizes that fit premade mats and frames.  Here is a reference table that I made for myself.  I set up documents in PhotoShop corresponding to all the standard paper sizes onto which I paste my images.  Each document has a layer that adds a consistent white border around the image, giving it a professional look.  I temporarily turn on a mat layer so that I can confirm that the image is properly sized and centered in the mat opening.

Frame Size	Mat Opening	Image Size	Paper Size
12" x 12"	7.5" x 7.5"	8" x 8"	10" x 10"
11" x 14"	7.5" x 9.5"	8" x 10"	10" x 12"
16" x 20"	10.5" x 13.5"	11" x 14"	12" x 16"
18" x 24"	11.5" x 17.5"	12" x 18"	14" x 20"
20" x 24"	15.5" x 19.5"	16" x 20"	18" x 22"
24" x 36"	19.5" x 29.5"	20" x 30"	22" x 32"

 

3+ Printing Tips from Donna Liguria, PWAS Blog Artistry Spin Admin

 

4. From Mark Murphy's recommendation, I've been using GicleeToday's Epson Premium WC paper and have had very good results. Allow about 2 weeks for order delivery - but closer to major holidays, order well in advance!

 

 

August 2023 GicleeToday Pricing for Epson Premium per Print (+ Shipping)

5. Prints must be packaged correctly for galleries and art shows. Not only for display regulations but for the protection of your own investment in your prints and the customer's in getting the print purchase home safely. The backing board should be the same size if not a bit larger than the print to prevent folding and bending damage. I order backboards, mat boards, occasionally chip boards, and archival clear bags from Amazon. Golden State Art Crystal Clear Acid-Free Sleeves and Backing Boards have been good options. Consider also Avery Self-Adhesive Labels, Self-inking Stamp (as a Template), Business Cards and Certificates of Authenticity. See Display

 
6. When you go to an art show or a gallery - look at their print stand display and get a ball-park idea of pricing and packaging ideas. Pretty packaging along with a great print says a lot.

7. See if the printing company you are researching will send sample papers for your prints. There may be a fee involved to cover shipping.

8. Giclee Help and Tutorials

9. 5 Pro Tips for Preparing Photos for Printing

10. Selling Prints - HUGE MISTAKES I Wish I Didn't Make! YouTube Video

11. Everything You Need to Know About Giclee Prints

12. How To Make Giclée Prints YouTube Video

Art Prints, too me, are the bread and butter for an artist. While many art admirers may enjoy your art, they may not be able to afford the original paintings, or perhaps the size of the work is more than they have room for. But they may love supporting your efforts by purchasing a much more affordable and standard sized art print. 

Art Prints are also a way of continued income for your artwork originals that have sold or been commissioned. YOU still own the copyright to the work. So make sure you get pictures (GREAT pictures!) of all your work.

For further reading:

Wildlifeartstore How to Make Prints of Your Art: A Complete Printing Guide (2023)

PrintSafari 10 Tips and Tricks of Printing for Artists

ArtinContext How to Make and Sell Prints of Your Art - Complete Guide 

FineArtTutorials How to Make Art Prints: The Ultimate Giclee Printing Guide

Art Tips is a series of blog posts with 12 tips per post. See the rest of the Art Tips Series on this page for more tidbits of advice: https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/p/art.html

Send me YOUR art tips too or drop them in the comments below. AND let me know if you find an art tip here that you LOVE!

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Author: Mark Murphy

An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA

 

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA and Artistry Spin Blog Admin, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, Donna's Etsy site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 52-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia.

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!