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Thu 7 Jul, 2005 01:02 pm
I'm an amateur artist, talented enough to have people ask for prints, not enough to be professional.
Well, I've started to give prints of my artwork to friends and family, but I haven't been able to find a way to make a print that retains most of the original quality. Anything I do in black and white I still have to do in the color setting because it simply doesn't retain nearly half the original's quality.
At the moment the only way I've made prints is by heading to the local Kinko's. I don't have a printer equipped to make a good print at home, and I really have no idea what I would need.
Has anyone found a way to create prints of their artwork that maintains a similar level of quality?
Are you talking about photographs?
I have all my printed at a photo processors. I do whatever photoshop effects/fixes/whatever that I want to do, upload them to the processors and pick up prints in a couple of days.
A real photo print is always going to be preferrable to an ink jet print, in my opinion.
Are you just desaturating the color or are you trying to dial it out? If you're using an injet printer you can probably just click it over to grayscale - I'm not sure why you have to keep it in RGB.
No, I mean for paintings, mostly. The canvas sucks in gray tones that do not seem to be picked up on a printer copy unless it is set to color..
Oh. I see.
I'm afraid I'm not much help then.
Are you trying to simply copy the canvas on a copier? I can see how that would result in a real loss of quality.
Have you tried scanning the image and printing from a digital file?
I know that Kinkos prints on a canvas type material. If you could get a good digital reproduction they could print it out for you. Kind of expensive and not exactly like an actual print but it is pretty close and better then printing on paper.
"Gyclee" Prints
There are several sources for "Gyclee" Prints. These are digital reproductions with better inks . You will find information on archival inks.and need to become familiar with the differences as compared to copies at a copy store. Some of the major Gyclee printers are expensive, however, with new technology and better inks, the prices are becoming more affordable for the average hobbist.
it used to be that an artist would have to purchase a full press run of prints -with all the costs associated with it-including films separations, negatives, plate proofs. etc. and this was a minimum of 100-500 prints.
Now you can order one print.
These sites (below) have "how to sections " where they walk you through the process of uploading a digital picture of your art (taking a good photo- that's a story by itself) or you can ship it to them and they will take make the digital photo. I also use a local photographer as my resource, as my art is usually 18 x22 " watercolors.
( writer has no association with either site referenced)
examples;www.pictureframes.com/ :www.americanframe.com
Fine Art "Printing on Demand" from American Frame ;
Reproduce your original art or photographs up to 40" x 60" on a variety of fine quality papers or canvas with American Frame's "Print on Demand" service.
You provide the slide or digital photo, and we will professionally print your images in any quantity that you can sell, display, or give as gifts!
Every image is securely cataloged at American Frame for your future use.
Hope this helps
Toots
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