ABOUT DIGITAL FINE ART PRINTING
[REVISED & UPDATED: 07/27/2018]
Traditionally, the making of limited edition prints is a time-consuming and demanding commitment between the artist, a printer and a publisher. The choice of images for the edition, of paper, canvas or aluminum for the medium, the size of the edition and the consistent quality of each print are all critical to the success of the edition whether you measure that success aesthetically or commercially. At Print Art Photography we work closely with photographers and artists to establish these criteria and to ensure that there is no compromise on quality - our reputations depend upon it.
INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL FINE ART PRINTING
Giclée Printing (pronounced "ghee-clay") is from the French word meaning "to spray”. It made its debut in 1985 with 'Iris' digital printers. Coined by the pioneering Iris printer Jack Duganne as a marketing ploy to overcome the prejudice that existed at that time against any form of mechanical printing in the world of fine art, the name stuck. Whilst the term has been used rather loosely over the years, it was originally meant to imply the use of acid-free, archival materials, i.e. the paper, canvas and ink, and we continue that tradition.
Microscopic droplets of ink (approximately the size of a red blood cell) varying in size and density are precisely positioned onto the media surface producing a near continuous tone image, smoother gradation between tones and a more finely differentiated color palette. Giclée prints offer incredible saturation, depth of color and sharpness, altogether a beautifully finished print that captures the essence of the artist’s intent. Many contemporary and influential artists have adopted this relatively new, high-quality printing technique because it has been perfected to a level of sophistication, quality, permanence, and affordability that no other print process can match. Giclées have the highest apparent resolution available today with the exception of Dye Sublimation Aluminum Prints, greater than that of lithographs and a color range that exceeds that of serigraphy (also known as silkscreen printing).
Digital prints on paper can be completed traditionally by mounting and framing, but we also offer flush and float mounting on medium density fiberboard.
Canvases are always coated with a liquid laminate, then you can choose to have them shipped to you rolled, for stretching locally, or we can stretch your canvases for you.
Dye Sublimation Printing on Aluminum: Sought after by fine art galleries and top professionals, printing on aluminum by infusing dyes directly into specially coated aluminum sheets is the ultimate in elegant presentation with startling clarity, sharpness, saturation and depth of colour that only Acrylic Facemount can match, up to 96"x 48".
Image Optimization: Working with digital photographs on the computer using Adobe Photoshop, Mark Prior employs 40 years of experience as a fine art photographer and printer, and he has been a Photoshop user since the nineties, almost since its introduction onto the market. Clients rely on him to optimize and fine-tune their images to the most exacting degree, to arrive at the most expressive and technically perfect print. (read more...) Once achieved, the files are archived indefinitely for future printing - your greatest satisfaction is in knowing that the image will always be precisely reproducible as many times as required, whenever required.
Giclée Printing (pronounced "ghee-clay") is from the French word meaning "to spray”. It made its debut in 1985 with 'Iris' digital printers. Coined by the pioneering Iris printer Jack Duganne as a marketing ploy to overcome the prejudice that existed at that time against any form of mechanical printing in the world of fine art, the name stuck. Whilst the term has been used rather loosely over the years, it was originally meant to imply the use of acid-free, archival materials, i.e. the paper, canvas and ink, and we continue that tradition.
Microscopic droplets of ink (approximately the size of a red blood cell) varying in size and density are precisely positioned onto the media surface producing a near continuous tone image, smoother gradation between tones and a more finely differentiated color palette. Giclée prints offer incredible saturation, depth of color and sharpness, altogether a beautifully finished print that captures the essence of the artist’s intent. Many contemporary and influential artists have adopted this relatively new, high-quality printing technique because it has been perfected to a level of sophistication, quality, permanence, and affordability that no other print process can match. Giclées have the highest apparent resolution available today with the exception of Dye Sublimation Aluminum Prints, greater than that of lithographs and a color range that exceeds that of serigraphy (also known as silkscreen printing).
Digital prints on paper can be completed traditionally by mounting and framing, but we also offer flush and float mounting on medium density fiberboard.
Canvases are always coated with a liquid laminate, then you can choose to have them shipped to you rolled, for stretching locally, or we can stretch your canvases for you.
Dye Sublimation Printing on Aluminum: Sought after by fine art galleries and top professionals, printing on aluminum by infusing dyes directly into specially coated aluminum sheets is the ultimate in elegant presentation with startling clarity, sharpness, saturation and depth of colour that only Acrylic Facemount can match, up to 96"x 48".
Image Optimization: Working with digital photographs on the computer using Adobe Photoshop, Mark Prior employs 40 years of experience as a fine art photographer and printer, and he has been a Photoshop user since the nineties, almost since its introduction onto the market. Clients rely on him to optimize and fine-tune their images to the most exacting degree, to arrive at the most expressive and technically perfect print. (read more...) Once achieved, the files are archived indefinitely for future printing - your greatest satisfaction is in knowing that the image will always be precisely reproducible as many times as required, whenever required.
THE MEDIA / LONGEVITY
The choice of paper/canvas best suited to an image is crucial to the final effect, but it’s not just a question of looks. It also determines the longevity and it is important that for a true fine art print that the media be archival, i.e. that the pH is neutral, commonly referred to as “acid free”.
Acid free paper is usually made using the basic raw materials of cotton and/or linen rags. The surface coating of Epson's archival watercolor papers are optimized for Epson UltraChrome ink, increasing the beauty, definition and clarity over many other papers, whilst maximizing the potential longevity of the print. (Paper processed with wood chips and wood fiber should not be used for fine art prints because lignin from the grain of the wood is acidic, causing brown stains on paper over time, known as “foxing”. Wooden picture frames should therefore be sealed from the artwork.)
Pigment inks are much more resistant to UV light than dye-based inks. They were originally developed for outdoor use and will keep their original colors considerably longer. They are also less likely to run if they come into contact with water. Longevity ratings depend on too many variables to be meaningful unless accompanied by detailed explanations, but it might be fair to say that these pigment inks on acid-free pH neutral media, under 'normal' lighting conditions, will be rated up to 100 years under glass, and for black and white up to 200 years. These time periods can effectively be doubled by the use of UV glass, rivaling archivally processed silver-gelatin photographic prints for archival stability.
The choice of paper/canvas best suited to an image is crucial to the final effect, but it’s not just a question of looks. It also determines the longevity and it is important that for a true fine art print that the media be archival, i.e. that the pH is neutral, commonly referred to as “acid free”.
Acid free paper is usually made using the basic raw materials of cotton and/or linen rags. The surface coating of Epson's archival watercolor papers are optimized for Epson UltraChrome ink, increasing the beauty, definition and clarity over many other papers, whilst maximizing the potential longevity of the print. (Paper processed with wood chips and wood fiber should not be used for fine art prints because lignin from the grain of the wood is acidic, causing brown stains on paper over time, known as “foxing”. Wooden picture frames should therefore be sealed from the artwork.)
Pigment inks are much more resistant to UV light than dye-based inks. They were originally developed for outdoor use and will keep their original colors considerably longer. They are also less likely to run if they come into contact with water. Longevity ratings depend on too many variables to be meaningful unless accompanied by detailed explanations, but it might be fair to say that these pigment inks on acid-free pH neutral media, under 'normal' lighting conditions, will be rated up to 100 years under glass, and for black and white up to 200 years. These time periods can effectively be doubled by the use of UV glass, rivaling archivally processed silver-gelatin photographic prints for archival stability.
"PRINT ON DEMAND"
For many technical and practical reasons traditional printmaking methods usually dictate that a print run of the entire edition be made right from the get-go. i.e. If the artist decides on an edition of 100, all 100 of them would be printed one after the other, numbered in the order that they come off the press and then signed by the artist. Clearly this involves a substantial investment of time and money which may be wasted if the edition doesn't sell and the prints end up sitting on a shelf.
This is a drawback that has been overcome by digital printing because the digital file, stored on a hard drive, will not change or deteriorate over time and prints can be made when they are needed. The industry calls this "print on demand".
(Find out more about our free Archiving & Print On Demand Service...)
For many technical and practical reasons traditional printmaking methods usually dictate that a print run of the entire edition be made right from the get-go. i.e. If the artist decides on an edition of 100, all 100 of them would be printed one after the other, numbered in the order that they come off the press and then signed by the artist. Clearly this involves a substantial investment of time and money which may be wasted if the edition doesn't sell and the prints end up sitting on a shelf.
This is a drawback that has been overcome by digital printing because the digital file, stored on a hard drive, will not change or deteriorate over time and prints can be made when they are needed. The industry calls this "print on demand".
(Find out more about our free Archiving & Print On Demand Service...)
LIMITED EDITIONS
A limited edition print is an image reproduced to a predetermined, i.e. limited print quantity, to guarantee the rarity and future value of the print. Traditionally the artist making his own prints, as well as signing each print, will individually number them in the order they are printed. For example, 3/200 is the 3rd print in a series of 200.
In traditional printmaking, each print in an edition is the same size because they are all made from the same plate or screen. Clearly because of the nature of digital printing this restriction does not apply to giclée editions, so it is entirely the artist's choice as to whether or not the prints are consistently sized. There is no 'accepted practice' in this regard, but most artists/photographers choose not to restrict themselves, making each print the size required to suit the purpose at the time, perhaps at the request of a client to suit a specific space or perhaps to work within.a budget. This makes sound economic and marketing sense and so as long as the edition number is adhered to all the prints in that edition could be of different sizes.
An 'open' edition theoretically has no limit to the number that may be printed.
A limited edition print is an image reproduced to a predetermined, i.e. limited print quantity, to guarantee the rarity and future value of the print. Traditionally the artist making his own prints, as well as signing each print, will individually number them in the order they are printed. For example, 3/200 is the 3rd print in a series of 200.
In traditional printmaking, each print in an edition is the same size because they are all made from the same plate or screen. Clearly because of the nature of digital printing this restriction does not apply to giclée editions, so it is entirely the artist's choice as to whether or not the prints are consistently sized. There is no 'accepted practice' in this regard, but most artists/photographers choose not to restrict themselves, making each print the size required to suit the purpose at the time, perhaps at the request of a client to suit a specific space or perhaps to work within.a budget. This makes sound economic and marketing sense and so as long as the edition number is adhered to all the prints in that edition could be of different sizes.
An 'open' edition theoretically has no limit to the number that may be printed.
ORIGINAL PRINTS / ORIGINAL LIMITED EDITIONS
The term "Original Limited Edition" indicates that the prints are not reproductions/copies of an image created in another medium. This is the only form in which the image is created and available. Giclée prints from digital photographs are an example of this.
The term "Original Limited Edition" indicates that the prints are not reproductions/copies of an image created in another medium. This is the only form in which the image is created and available. Giclée prints from digital photographs are an example of this.
AP = ARTIST'S PROOF
There is a highly respected tradition in the art world that the artist may, in addition to the edition, release another 10% (more is frowned upon) of the total number of prints in the edition, known as “artist’s proofs”. So for an edition of 200, up to 20 artist’s proofs may be expected to eventually be in circulation, i.e. 220 prints in total. Traditionally they would mostly be the prints made by the artist to determine how the print should look before the print run is started. These are what we would call the ‘true’ Artist’s Proofs. It is accepted that then the artist may use up the rest of the allowable number with prints made after the edition is finished.
Although to the artist, artist’s proofs, being made in preparation for the edition, are inherently imperfect and inferior, curiously they are worth more on the art market and therefore of more interest to many serious collectors. There is, of course, a certain logic to this: Firstly, by their very nature, they are more likely to be unique and secondly, seen in context, they demonstrate the creative process, showing the artist’s mind at work.
Artist's Proofs are less common with digital printing because the artist/photographer goes through the creative process on-screen rather than having to physically make prints to arrive at the image they want. But it does happen if an initial print is considered to be too good to scrap, whilst not quite the final interpretation that the artist is looking for. However, the principle is more often quite legitimately used to stretch out the number of prints in a successful edition.
There is a highly respected tradition in the art world that the artist may, in addition to the edition, release another 10% (more is frowned upon) of the total number of prints in the edition, known as “artist’s proofs”. So for an edition of 200, up to 20 artist’s proofs may be expected to eventually be in circulation, i.e. 220 prints in total. Traditionally they would mostly be the prints made by the artist to determine how the print should look before the print run is started. These are what we would call the ‘true’ Artist’s Proofs. It is accepted that then the artist may use up the rest of the allowable number with prints made after the edition is finished.
Although to the artist, artist’s proofs, being made in preparation for the edition, are inherently imperfect and inferior, curiously they are worth more on the art market and therefore of more interest to many serious collectors. There is, of course, a certain logic to this: Firstly, by their very nature, they are more likely to be unique and secondly, seen in context, they demonstrate the creative process, showing the artist’s mind at work.
Artist's Proofs are less common with digital printing because the artist/photographer goes through the creative process on-screen rather than having to physically make prints to arrive at the image they want. But it does happen if an initial print is considered to be too good to scrap, whilst not quite the final interpretation that the artist is looking for. However, the principle is more often quite legitimately used to stretch out the number of prints in a successful edition.
VALUE & COLLECTABILITY
The higher price of limited editions over other prints is a combination of the limited supply of each piece and the exceptionally high quality of these prints (as opposed to offset-lithography for example, as used to make posters etc.). Each print is often made as well as always signed by the artist. Typically, the more manually intensive the process is, the fewer there will be and the more each print will cost.
Being limited in number, demand for certain limited edition prints can be greater than the number printed, causing an increase in value so there is an advantage to keeping the edition numbers small. Once an edition is sold out from the publisher, it may still be available from an authorized dealer, then the prints are considered to be on the Secondary Market. This means that the print can be bought and sold by any dealer or individual at whatever price the market will bear, but often above issue price, depending on supply and demand. Much satisfaction as a collector is to be gained through exercising a little ‘talent spotting’ by buying the work of a young artist who later becomes well-known, commanding much higher prices for the same work.
Regardless of whether the print is "traditional" or digital, the most important factor to influence the resale value is the reputation of the artist and so the current demand for their work. The affordability of digital printing today has brought an unprecedented variety of art within the budget of many more people but the downside is a saturation of the market with 'affordable prints'. It's important to have your 'niche', or that you set about creating one if you want your work to capture the attention of the overwhelmed art lovers at large.
To conclude, always buy art (and encourage others to do so) because you love it, it lifts your spirits and you want to live with it. If it turns out to be a good investment, that's "cream on the cake", but don't bank on it...
The higher price of limited editions over other prints is a combination of the limited supply of each piece and the exceptionally high quality of these prints (as opposed to offset-lithography for example, as used to make posters etc.). Each print is often made as well as always signed by the artist. Typically, the more manually intensive the process is, the fewer there will be and the more each print will cost.
Being limited in number, demand for certain limited edition prints can be greater than the number printed, causing an increase in value so there is an advantage to keeping the edition numbers small. Once an edition is sold out from the publisher, it may still be available from an authorized dealer, then the prints are considered to be on the Secondary Market. This means that the print can be bought and sold by any dealer or individual at whatever price the market will bear, but often above issue price, depending on supply and demand. Much satisfaction as a collector is to be gained through exercising a little ‘talent spotting’ by buying the work of a young artist who later becomes well-known, commanding much higher prices for the same work.
Regardless of whether the print is "traditional" or digital, the most important factor to influence the resale value is the reputation of the artist and so the current demand for their work. The affordability of digital printing today has brought an unprecedented variety of art within the budget of many more people but the downside is a saturation of the market with 'affordable prints'. It's important to have your 'niche', or that you set about creating one if you want your work to capture the attention of the overwhelmed art lovers at large.
To conclude, always buy art (and encourage others to do so) because you love it, it lifts your spirits and you want to live with it. If it turns out to be a good investment, that's "cream on the cake", but don't bank on it...
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- New: Calibrating Screen Resolution to Determine "Print Size" in Adobe Photoshop [Video Tutorial 6:10]
- New: Processing RAW Files: Removing Noise & Vignetting in Adobe Camera Raw [Video Tutorial 20:57]
- Saving RAW Files [without losing quality] [Illustrated Tutorial]
- How to Use Borders to Place Any Image Within Standard Sheet Sizes [Illustrated Tutorial]
- Photographing Artwork with 35mm Cameras: A Few Basic Guidelines [Tutorial]
- Monitor Calibration For Accurately Viewing Images [Illustrated Tutorial]
- Guidelines: Uploading Image Files for Printing
- Perfect Reproductions [or Why Use a Specialist Photographic Studio to Reproduce Your Art?]
- Exhibition Quality Editions
- Traditional Conservation / Archival Framing (Behind Glass)
