Resources
Articles for Artists
Over the course of many years of consultations with our clients, we started gathering a list of the questions we would get asked most frequently. We’ve taken each question and expanded our answers into full articles to create an online resource for our clients and artists everywhere. These articles are a great starting place for arists who are new to the world of art reproduction and selling prints, as well as a great resource for more established artists looking to fill in the gaps in their knowledge, or just learn something new. We hope you find the info you’re looking for; if you’d like to speak more in depth about a topic, feel free to give us a call or make an appointment to come by our studio to learn more about working with us!
Most Popular Articles
How to Price Your Giclees
As many artists have experienced, pricing giclees incorrectly can leave you frustrated from lack of sales. The most important thing to realize is that not everyone’s giclees are going to be priced equally. If you price your giclee prints based on the correct factors from the beginning, you should have a lot more success. Two of the most important factors that affect your pricing are the quality of your giclees and your reputation as an artist.
Giclee Print Sizes and Edition Quantities
“One of the best strategies for success with print sales is to limit your edition numbers and sizes. If you aren’t familiar with limited edition prints, just keep reading!”
Choosing Standard Print Sizes to Reduce Framing Cost
“Standard sizes are the popular pre-made frame sizes that your local art supply store will carry.”
Finishing Your Fine Art Canvas Prints
“There are a lot of options when finishing your digital fine art canvas prints for exhibition. Canvas prints can be displayed just like an original painting, having a very similar look and feel.”
Presenting Your Fine Art Prints for Sale
“One of the keys to successful sales is your presentation. Artists find that presenting giclees in a way that preserves the quality while displaying them in a refined manor sells more prints.”
Can I Photograph My Own Artwork?
Photographing artwork yourself can leave you with a low resolution file that could have glare and tones that do not match the colors of the original artwork. These are the most common reasons that artists we know do not shoot their own work. One must be careful with subpar art photography because people will judge your work online, in juried competitions, or in print publications.
The Basics
Are All Giclees Created Equal?
“The simple answer is no. Quality has never been a determining factor in whether prints are considered giclees.”
Sheet vs. Roll Printing for Digital Fine Art Prints
“Many print shops prefer to use the roll paper because it requires less effort to use and less space to store. We feel that the benefits of printing on the sheet paper outweigh the convenience of the roll paper.”
Giclee – Benefits to the Artist
“Advances in digital printing allow artists to make more beautiful high quality reproductions than ever before.”
Things to Consider When Oversize Printing
“Oversized prints pose obstacles that a standard sized prints do not. Some of the obstacles to overcome are shipping, delivery, installation, framing, and stretching.”
Intro to Printing Your Artwork
When comparing different companies/sources to make fine art prints, be aware that not all prints are created equal.
What is a Digital Fine Art Print?
We argue that to make a “digital print” a “digital fine art print”, it must have more factors considered than just printer, paper and inks.
Technical Details
Handling/Shipping
Presenting Your Prints
Signing Your Art Prints
“Generally paper prints are signed just below the image area. The edition number is on the left, title of the artwork in the middle, and signature on the right.”
Presenting Your Fine Art Prints for Sale
“There are several ways to present your prints and originals professionally. You can offer prints framed, matted/backed/bagged, or just backed and bagged.”
Finishing Your Fine Art Canvas Prints
“There are several ways to present your prints and originals professionally. You can offer prints framed, matted/backed/bagged, or just backed and bagged.”
Giclee Print Sizes and Edition Quantities
“As an artist or photographer it is important to plan out a strategy for print sales.”
Why Embellish Giclees?
“A hand embellished giclee is a giclee print on which an artist has applied their unique touch with their particular art medium or mediums.”
Art Photography
Image Capture for Your Original Art
“Getting a high resolution digital file of your original art can be one of the most important investments you can make as an artist to preserve your copyright and maximize your profit potential from each original you create.“
Can I Photograph My Own Artwork?
“Having a professional photographer familiar with photographing artwork make a file is generally far better than shooting your paintings yourself.”
How Well Does Dimensional Art Reproduce?
“If your digital art reproduction studio is doing their job, all prints, even heavily dimensional art, will look almost exactly how the original looks when hung on the wall with natural looking shadows.”
Marketing
Choosing Standard Print Sizes to Reduce Framing Cost
“If you are currently custom framing your own giclee prints or original work before you sell you could save quite a bit if you consider switching over to standard sizes.“
How to Price Your Giclees
“Two of the most important factors that affect your pricing are the quality of your giclees and your reputation as an artist.“
An Artist’s Many Uses for Digital Fine Art Reproductions
“Making reproductions is always an artist’s decision even after the painting has sold, unless their client explicitly purchased the painting with the rights.“
What is Wrong With the Word Giclee?
“The word giclee has been abused and misused over the last several years since it originated in the 1990s.“
Where to Sell Your Giclee Prints
There are many opportunities available to sell your giclee prints directly in person, through a third party, or online. The best sales strategies for your digital fine art prints may include a combination of these methods.
Consider Yourself as a Brand
Applying business models to your strategies as a career artist or photographer can strengthen your image. Consider yourself as a brand because branding is key when selling products of any kind.
