How to Make Color Scans of Art Not Look Bad

Making money means making prints

If yous want to make coin equally an creative person yous must 'scale' your business organization. That ways you must larn how to make prints of your art. But how do artists do it?

Almost artists choose one of iv ways:

1. Beginning Lithographic printing – Bulk buying from a company using a press press.
2. Giclee press – Small runs from a company using digital printers
3. Giclee printing – DIY at home using a pro-printer
4. Dropshipping – Individual prints ordered online and dispatched for you lot.

These are your choices, but at that place's far more to it than that. Each selection has its pros and cons and making a error can cost you a lot of coin. You have to know about scanning, budgeted a printing visitor, choosing the right paper, and examining the proofs properly.

It's a minefield for the unwary. If yous don't know what you're doing you need to read this!

Permit'south go into more detail.

(I go commissions for purchases fabricated through links in this mail. Yet, I only promote products I like and recommend)

Making Offset Lithographic Prints Through a Print Company

What Are Offset Lithographic Prints?

Get-go litho prints are made using a zinc-coated plate, photo-etched with the artist's image, upon which ink is applied and pressed against the paper.

That'southward the simplest summary but of course, there is far more to it. Reproducing fine art is a skilled job and a specialist printing company is required.

The Advantages of Commencement Litho Art Printing

• Primarily the Cost. This is bulk printing,
• Cheapest unit price per print,
• Proven 'sometime school' method for lightfast reproductions.

The Disadvantages of Offset Litho' Art Printing

• Ironically toll. To gain savings you must invest heavily upfront,
• Finding a reliable press company is difficult work,
• You need dry storage space for thousands of prints,
• It'due south a take a chance. Place a big order and if the print doesn't sell, y'all're screwed,
• Inconsistent quality.
• Each print size needs a new plate made,
• Fine art get-go litho' is losing out to digital.

How Exercise Artists Find a Good Press Company?

First past looking at the small ads in the fine art magazines and use those companies as your starting point.

You lot'll find that nigh companies will be members of a order or trading body that assures a professional service.

Google their sites and have a expect at them and their competitors. And then try and detect the nearest company to yous.

In my feel the closer you alive/piece of work to your print shop the easier it is to get a proficient chore done. If there is a glitch or a question to be answered, it's best to be there in person.

NB: Don't be suckered into accepting the everyman quote, printers are non all fabricated equal. For artists, full general printers are next to useless.

I got stitched upwardly by a few companies when I started to trade. Looking back my mistake was to Fret most the cost per print, ordering too many, and dealing with larger firms.

My salvation was finding a two-man printshop, both highly skilled tradesmen and they did all the printing themselves. This worked.

It succeeded considering every bit a small business my custom mattered. We were able to chat and form a lasting relationship ALL based on a handshake and integrity.

That was in stark dissimilarity to dealing with larger companies where I was little more than than minor-fry spending peanuts and not worth their fourth dimension.

Making Giclee Prints Through a Print Visitor

What Are Giclee Prints?

Put simply, giclee prints (from French and pronounced zhee-dirt) are digital inkjet prints made using long-lasting pigment-based inks and reproduced on acid-costless, cotton rag paper. (chapter)

Giclee prints are generally regarded as the industry norm for fine art reproduction. Dye-based inkjet printers are, perhaps unfairly at times, considered inferior.

'Heat and Dust' A Limited Edition Impress from a Pencil Drawing past Kevin Hayler

How Long Practice Giclee Prints Final?

The leading manufacturers, Epson and Canon both claim their pigment inks are lightfast for a lifetime (nearly 100 years). Of course, unlike offset-litho, the industry is young and their claims have not had time to be field-tested. All the test results are extrapolations based on lab tests.

Prints will deteriorate at unlike rates co-ordinate to the local conditions and your chosen paper or substrate. There is no industry standard by which to measure and test the longevity of inks.

If you desire permanence, use paint inks. If the color range (gamut) and quality are more important, dye-based inks still out-perform pigment inks. It's a trade-off.

Yous would use pigment inks for fine art reproductions and dye-based inks for ephemera such every bit greetings cards, and promotional materials.

To get the most reliable results only use inks and papers known to accept been tested together such as the manufacturer's own production range.

The Advantages of Printing Giclee Art Prints Through a Company

• Low chance – great for short-run editions with a high cost-signal,
• Consistent quality,
• Re-order at will, and every bit many or as few as you similar,
• Impress multiple sizes at no extra setup costs.
• Prints can exist very big (large format)

The Disadvantages of Printing Giclee Art Prints Through a Company

• The costs per print range from very high to extortionate,
• Printers are simply as good every bit the maintenance of the equipment they use,
• Finding a good and reliable commercial printing company is hard,
• The prints are easily scratched and marked.

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This mail is an extract from my guide. If y'all are serious most making a living with your art, you've got to check it out!

If You lot Want to Sell Your Fine art

Bank check this out!

Psst…information technology's simply $12.99!

Making Art Prints at Home With Your Own Printer

It's not for everyone but home printing is increasingly existence used by professional person artists. Abode printing is now a practical option and should be given serious consideration.

This is hands-on stuff that gives you both the control and the frustrations of doing everything yourself. It means less time creating, but that'southward not always a bad thing. Having a variety of tasks tin can stop y'all from going stale.

You have two major options to consider and that involves printing inks.

Dye vs Pigment Based Printing Inks – What's the Difference?

In a nutshell, Dye inks have a shorter lifespan and are non considered archival. They are suitable for cheap prints and ephemera.
Pigment inks, on the other paw, are archival inks designed to final a lifetime. They are used for art reproductions being sold at a premium. Giclee prints are pigment ink-based prints.

N.B. The Epson ET 8500 is a smaller version press 8.five″ ten 14″ / 21.vi x 35.6 cm prints

The Advantages of Dye-Based Inkjet Printing at Dwelling house

• Toll of inks are far cheaper. Cost per impress is low
• The initial cost of the printer is (usually) cheaper,
• More vibrant colors,
• Print speeds are usually faster,
• Disposable prints are viable. (Greeting cards etc),
• Quality 3rd party inks and papers are widely bachelor.

The Disadvantages of Dye-Based Inkjet Printing at Home

• Lifespan of the inks are shorter. Inks might fade,
• Not suitable for premium priced art prints,
• Generally not every bit adept for blackness and white printing,
• Initial set is a learning bend,
• You lot tin't impress from a curlicue.
• You need infinite to use it.

It'south extremely hard to find running toll information about printers. It would be handy to know the average price to print A3, A4, or A5 prints, etc, but information technology's not published past the manufacturers. However, the unit costs for printing dye-based prints will exist pennies, so in that regard, it'south not that important.

Information technology is much more of import to know how much it costs to make a Giclee (pigment ink) print. I scoured the web and only establish one site that publishes a guide. I've republished their results below with a conversion for British buyers.

N.B. The Epson SC-P900 is the larger version making prints upwardly to 17″ x 22″ / 43 x 56cm

The Advantages of Giclee Art Printing at Domicile

• Go on control of everything,
• Print what you lot want, when yous want,
• Desktop printers (up to A3+) are affordable,
• Less storage space needed,
• Brand prints of different sizes and on different products.
• Some 3rd-party inks claim to be equally permanent for a fraction of the price,
• You lot tin can print on a roll.

The Disadvantages of Giclee Art Printing at Abode

• Home printing involves a huge learning curve and upfront costs,
• Maintenance of domicile equipment is vital and ongoing,
• Repairs toll a fortune,
• Branded inks are very expensive,
• Branded paper costs are high.
• The cost per print is nevertheless high
• You need a lot of space
• Prints are easily damaged

Epson SC-P700	4″ x 6″	5″ ten 7″	viii″ ten 10″	11″ x 14″	13″ ten 19″
Photo Black	$0.39 £0.27	$0.57 £0.39	$one.thirty £0.89	$2.51 £i.72	$four.03 £ii.77
Matte Black	$0.36 £0.24	$0.53 £0.36	$1.22 £0.83	$2.34 £1.61	$3.76 £two.58

Average cost per print using Epson inks (excl paper)

I've written almost this in more detail here, after researching printers for myself:
Press Art Prints DIY Epson ET 8550 vs SC-P700 – Hobby vs Pro?

Print-on-Need Dropshipping

What is Dropshipping and How Does it Piece of work for Artists?

Dropshipping is when a third political party fulfills and despatches an society on your behalf. You human action every bit the merchant or middleman and add together your markup.

Y'all upload hi-res files of your artwork to their site and add together them to their custom products. Some companies will integrate with your ain website and that gives you more control. Yous should ever aim to have access to your customers' electronic mail. I utilise Printful.com (chapter)

Three impress-on-need companies that integrate with your own eCommerce shop: (affiliates)

• Zazzle
• Printful
• Printify

There are many more dropshipping options but nearly companies require you lot to sell via their own platforms. That'southward fine just they're not your customers and that's not good for repeat trade.

The Advantages of Prints-on-Demand For Artists

• Almost zero price to prepare things up
• Vast range of merchandise
• No stock, storage or postage stamp hassles
• Tin be a passive model (side income)
• You tin spread your work over many sites

The Disadvantages of Prints-on-Demand For Artists

• Time-consuming setting things up
• No real quality control
• Pocket-size margins
• Not applied for signed limited editions
• Difficult to stand out in the crowd
• Difficult to make practiced money without great marketing

Making Hi-Res Browses of Your Artwork For Printing

You must go the highest quality scan possible. This is critical.

There are 4 alternatives:

• A pulsate scanner – For super hello-res results which can be enlarged. Only for flexible materials (i.e. newspaper) not rigid.
• A professional flatbed scanner – For howdy-res reproductions for same-size images or smaller.
• A professional photograph service – A studio photograph for large or bulky artwork
• DIY at dwelling house with the all-time domestic scanners

Drum Scanning

You get great results. Your art is attached to a pulsate that rotates at high speed and is scanned in super how-do-you-do-res item. Far higher quality than nigh people will require.

If you lot wish to enlarge the whole or parts of the image, this type of scanning will give you the best results.

1 word of caution. Your artwork needs to exist flexible and volition be spinning at about 2000 rpm, do you trust the operator?

Commercial Flatbed Scanning

The best flatbed scanners give superb results and are easily good enough for most artists.

You can scan images upward to A3 (420 ten 297mm /xi.69 x 16.53 inches) without a problem and the professional person processing cuts out all the headaches.

DIY Habitation Scanning

If yous are keen to keep things in-business firm, a stand-solitary loftier-end scanner may be a applied selection. You will need some post-scanning processing skills only the results tin can exist impressive.

Size is the problem. If your artwork is no larger than A4 (8.27 x 11.69 inches / 21 x 29.7cm) you're all set. If your art is larger, however, you'll have to stitch your scans together with software. I recommend the Epson v600 scanner (affiliate) if you want to check it out.

Photographing Your Artwork

For anything over A3 in size, or bulky, textured, or impasto paintwork, your option is to get it professionally photographed. You lot can do it yourself if yous have a good photographic camera and a space to employ a studio merely honestly, it's more hassle than it'due south worth.

If y'all are determined to do it yourself follow this video but you lot'll need an SLR camera with a prime lens. Ignore the terminal pedagogy in the video and shoot the image in RAW format.

N.B. If y'all edit the image yourself you lot will also accept to calibrate your calculator monitor to get an accurate prototype. Did I say it's more hassle than it'due south worth?

Look for a dedicated artwork photographer with plenty of experience who will do the whole thing for y'all. If possible ask to sit in while the file is being edited. It's amazing how many times miscommunications occur, particularly at the processing stage.

Things to check :

• Save your files as TIFFs
• Use no presets. Whatever processing must be done afterwards the browse
• The printing trade needs CMYK color format
• You need a resolution of 300dpi (industry standard) or above

How Exercise Artists Approach a Printing Company?

You've done your research, asked around, searched online, scoured the pocket-sized ads in specialist magazines and yous've decided on a printer. Allow's face it, it's a calculated take a chance.

You ring upwardly and agree on a fourth dimension to pop over.

Handing Over Your Artwork to a Printer

In my experience, very few employees accept any respect for your work. I'm not talking about the quality, I'm talking almost the handling.

Y'all can gain a lot of insight in the kickoff few moments of producing your fine art,

Very few people handle your art properly and if they can't even pick up the paper with ii hands in front end of you how are they going to treat your work when you've gone?

You lot must be enlightened that your artwork is likely to be damaged unless you take precautions to prevent it.

Things that tin happen:

• Pollex buckles and kinks in the newspaper.
• Fingerprints
• Damaged corners
• Smudges
• Even creases

Another mutual horror is to see your work placed on a surface but to have something else casually placed on top of it! That happens regularly.

I never hand over an unsupported sail of paper anymore. I attach a cardboard bankroll with acid-free, low-tack, masking tape. (affiliate)

If shit happens and you damage your art read this: How to Repair Drawing Paper: ix Ways to Rescue Your Artwork

I write instructions on how to handle the artwork and how much the original is worth.

I likewise insert it into a clear plastic sleeve (affiliate) to prevent adventitious fingerprints, splashes, and idiots resting stuff on the surface.

I also conduct my piece of work in a portfolio example (chapter) and exit it with them. It'southward meliorate to bring something with you and know the work is safety than trusting the printer to do information technology for you lot.

Paper swatch

Choosing the Correct Printing Newspaper

Your art will await different, on dissimilar papers. Some papers absorb the ink, which softens the image, while other papers are coated, making the prototype crisper.

Your preference will be influenced by your original. If yous are scanning a watercolor it makes sense to choose a watercolor paper. If you lot have a line drawing it may be wiser to have a sharper image and so a coated paper would make more than sense.

The problem comes with deciding which paper stock to utilise for your proof. If you insist on multiple proofs the price can add together up.

When in doubt, go for the nearest lucifer to your original paper, both in tone and texture.

Merely you can determine the quality.

Are you going to make limited or open editions? If you're making limited editions and so choose a premium acrid-free archival paper and accuse more.

If yous're selling open editions for a lower toll, it makes more sense to economize with cheaper stock.

The weight of your paper stock is also important. Information technology's expressed as grams per square meter (gsm) in Europe and pounds (lb) in Northward America.

To give you lot some idea, a sheet of photocopy paper is about 80gsm, while posters and leaflets are printed on 130-170gsm. Quality magazines and brochures are 200 – 250gsm. From this point onwards, the paper is more similar a light bill of fare.

I utilize 250 – 300gsm newspaper. The feel is substantial, When I show my customer the quality of the newspaper they can feel the spring in the newspaper.

I don't want my paper whatsoever thicker for 1 very applied reason. I need to roll my prints and post them in tubes. Any thicker than 300gsm and that gets catchy.

I can scroll nearly 250gsm papers into a 65mm (2.v″) diameter tube and most 300gsm newspaper into 75mm (3″) tubes.

Please bear in heed that paperweights are not set in stone. The construction differs between types of paper and this means some papers gyre improve than others.

You've got to come across and feel some samples.

Northward.B. If you freak out at the cost of framing read this: A Quick Guide to Framing on a Budget.

Another consideration is the tint. White is non white. You lot didn't call back this would be easy, did you?

When presented with a paper swatch you will encounter a range of whites from dazzling snow-white to a dull cream. Naturally, your chosen tint will alter the image.

My newspaper is slightly off-white. Information technology lends itself to black and white illustration. It lends warmth to the image that otherwise might wait too common cold for the abode.

Bright white newspaper will give your image a zing and enhance the color merely be conscientious. Many papers incorporate optical brighteners which turn xanthous over time. Check the specifications online earlier you commit.

One concluding thing to bear in heed. I've had bang-up papers in the past only to have the paper manufactory suddenly discontinue the line. This has happened many times in the 20 years I've been trading and it throws me every fourth dimension.

You might desire to play safe and use branded newspaper. Your printer should advise you.

Proofs are your merely 'guarantee'

What is The Creative person's Proof?

The printer will supply you with a proof copy of your work to approve or refuse. Some printers will charge extra for adjustments and it's important to establish the costs upfront. You need to know how many proofs are included in the cost.

My printer (offset litho) sends me iii proofs. The i that most closely matches the original, i lighter and one darker.

Now you'd think that I would ever get with the nearest match but not always. I often choose a slightly darker print. This is because the reflective light from an original can differ from a print.

My work is in graphite and the sheen gives a depth that is not always credible in the print. One-stop darker is commonly enough to compensate for that anomaly.

Offset litho is not as authentic every bit giclee in practice. That's ane of the drawbacks. You volition not become 100% identical prints. Some will be slightly too dark and others too light.

Yous will have to discard the extremes and settle for the center ring. Even and then, you must allow for a ten% margin of adequate error. That'south the shop-floor reality.

A proof for giclee printing is more than straightforward. When you accept agreed on the proof it should be identical every time you reorder.

A proof should human activity as a bounden contract only in my experience this is seldom and so. Sadly many printers have piffling fourth dimension for artists 'picking holes'. This is why y'all MUST utilise a specialist printing company, one that deals with artists daily.

'Cool Waters' A Express Edition Print from a Pencil Cartoon by Kevin Hayler

Earlier you sign off the proof check the image thoroughly:

• Have they cropped information technology badly?
• Is your signature withal there?
• Do you want a thin deadline effectually the image or not?
• Is the font right?
• Is the font also calorie-free or too night?
• Cheque the spelling
• Check the spacing
• Is the paradigm centered on the paper?
• Accept they 'cleaned' the background properly (specks, unwanted texture)
• Check the color, dissimilarity, and tint.

You tin't give the thumbs upwards so complain that something's wrong after you lot receive the prints. If you approved information technology, information technology's your fault.

If you practice desire to print a title and/or a borderline, don't choose black. Tone it down to about 60%. Grey is softer on the center and will look better.

And go the file. Yous need information technology. Brand sure yous get the raw scan, the modified Tiff file, and a PDF. Practise not assume your company will safeguard your files for you.

I've had businesses non go along good records, go bosom, and lost some files in a fire. If I hadn't insisted on every file I would have lost a lot of my work.

Getting The Printing Job Washed

Y'all've accustomed the quote, approved the proof, and given the thumbs up. Woohoo!

If your printing company is local, take your original abode as shortly as they have finished with information technology. Don't trust them to await after it properly. Improve to play safe.

Picking Up Your Giclee Prints

If you have ordered giclee prints, there volition exist only a few to examine. Y'all can collect them yourself. Bring the proof and see that they friction match.

Giclee prints are the nearly reliable and they are unlikely to become incorrect simply however, in that location are some things to expect out for:

• Has the ink streaked?
• Inkspots
• Paper blemishes
• Finger marks
• Scratches

Giclee prints are easily damaged. Make certain you treat them as kindly as an original. Keep your hands off the surface.

Picking Up Your Litho' Prints

If you lot've ordered offset litho prints you should exist more than diligent.

There will be too many prints to check each and everyone, and your printer volition ever put the best images at the height of the pile.

Check the remainder at random. Go through the pile and select a few. There will be a slight variation only this should be within the 10% leeway. You will accept a few rejects, it's inevitable when yous social club a large batch, but don't get as well worked up about that. Factor it in.

My current printer ever prints another 10% beyond my original order to cover for whatsoever defective prints that got through.

I learned near the importance of checking my prints the hard fashion. When I beginning started out, I put my trust in everyone to have my best interests at heart, that was naive.

I had 12 stacks of prints, each containing thou copies and I simply checked the tiptop few in each pile. I happily signed them off and arranged the delivery.

I was at dwelling when I discovered the junk hidden in the middle. I lost a chunk of my order but that never happened once again.

How to Brand Prints of Your Art – Final Thoughts

Printing is a minefield but if you get it right it can be your springboard to success.

For usa mortals, the only mode to capitalize on our efforts is to calibration upwardly with reproductions. A musician must sell their recordings, a writer must sell their books, and the artist must sell their prints. There's no deviation.

And just like the other arts, there are pitfalls and obstacles everywhere. You will brand mistakes and lose some money trying to get things washed properly. If your eyes are open and you tin accept that things rarely get smoothly, you'll exist fine.

If yous are intent on selling your art for a living you lot're an entrepreneur, and as such, your mindset must be reset to succeed. If you run across a problem, you discover a way around it. It'due south an obstacle, not a defeat.

And with that in mind…

Why not accept the bull past the horns and go for it?

If you like my manner of cartoon and want to use the same tools, here's my kit: (Amazon chapter links)

• Pentel Mechanical Pencils 0.3mm
• Derwent Graphic Drawing Pencils
• Daler-Rowney Heavyweight Cartridge Paper
• Jakar Battery Eraser
• Tombo Mono Eraser Pen
• Faber Castell Putty Eraser
• Blu Tack

Or check out Arteza (chapter)

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No one said business organisation was easy and that'due south why y'all need a guide. I'll show yous how to do everything. This is the help I needed twenty years agone!

If You Want to Sell Your Art

Check this out!

Psst…information technology's only $12.99!

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• Can Y'all Copy Art and Sell a Painting of a Painting? I Found Out
• What Are Express Edition Prints and Do Artists Really Need Them?
• How to Negotiate the Price of Your Art Prints and Brand Money
• What Kind of Art Sells Best? The Secrets Revealed
• 12 Wildlife Art Bestsellers (Use These Subjects to Brand Money)
• 25 Platforms for Artists to Sell Their Fine art and Make Money
• How to Price Art Prints: Practical Advice For Beginners

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