Art prints are a fantastic way to have museum-quality art reproduced in your home, making it accessible to all to enjoy or collect without actually owning the original. But do you know what goes into taking that original painting or drawing and turning it into a print? Really interestingly, the process of creating an art print invests much time, care, and attention to detail, with much artistic and craftsmanship work.
These are the reasons why, as an artist, I have always ensured that my art prints really echo the beauty and spirit of the originals. Whether you’re looking to expand your art collection or simply interested in how it’s done, take a behind-the-scenes look as original artworks are reproduced into stunning prints ready to grace your home or office.
1. Choosing the Right Artwork for Prints
Not all artworks are created equally when it comes to prints. Some pieces lend themselves better to the reproduction process than others. For example, abstract paintings with bold colors and defined shapes tend to come out very well in prints, while very textured or intricate works may lose some of their depth.
When I create pieces with prints in mind, I like to think about what each may look and feel like at different sizes and mediums. Many works may work best when they are large prints, while others might have a perfect pitch if printed small and intimate. This process aims at ensuring the print of the original maintains visual and emotional impact.
2. High-Resolution Scanning or Photography
Making an original piece of art into a print first requires digitally capturing it. Most of these are achieved through high-resolution scanning or professional photography. This stage is very critical, since the whole concept revolves around ensuring that even a single detail regarding the texture of the strokes or the vibrancy of the colors is well preserved.
A good scanner or camera can reproduce even the minute details in a work of art. Two, and probably most importantly, the resolution of the digital file has to be very high; the higher the resolution, the truer the reproduction will be to the original. This is most especially so if one desires large prints, on which deficiency in detail would be evident.
3. Color Correction and Proofing
Once the artwork is digitally captured, color correction comes in. Even with high-resolution imaging, colors in a photograph or scan might turn out a bit different from the original because of the light, camera settings, or even the nuances in the displays of computers.
That is where color correction steps in. I will, therefore, be involved with printers to make the colors in the print match the original artwork as much as possible. It may take a couple of rounds of proofing to get it just right. Proofing means there are test prints of the artwork to see how the colors, contrast, and details go onto paper or canvas. It is time-consuming, but the aim is to secure a print that is almost not differentiable from the original.
4. Choosing the Right Paper or Canvas
The choice of paper or canvas will become a vital factor in the final look of the print. Options vary, each having its characteristics that allow different enhancements to the artwork.
Fine Art Paper: High-quality, archival-grade fine art paper is a common choice for art prints. It comes in a texture and weight which make the print feel highly luxurious-museum quality, if you would say so. The paper is made in such a way that it retains very vibrant colors without losing the minute details of the artwork.
Canvas: Printing on canvas gives the art a textured, painterly effect. Ideal for prints that you want to feel more like an original painting. Canvas prints can also be stretched and framed to give it a finished, gallery ready look.
The nature of the print material will determine what colors look like. For instance, matte paper gives a soft, subtle finish, whereas gloss paper makes the colors pop. Other factors I consider when choosing materials are how they complement the artwork and what they will do in a customer’s space.
5. Printing the Artwork
Once the proofing process is completed and the material chosen, actual printing can take place. Art prints are normally carried out with high-quality inkjet printers or by a method called giclée printing. Of these, giclée printing is a preferred method in fine art reproductions. This would involve pigment-based inks and archival-quality paper or canvas to ensure a long life for the prints with great colour saturation and excellent detail.
Giclée prints are durable and do not fade or degrade over time. In fact, this process produces prints that are as long-lasting as the original and almost perfect in appearance, which is what any art collector would want.
6. Finishing Touches: Signing, Numbering, and Certificates of Authenticity
Most of the art prints are signed and numbered by the artist to make them more personalized. In this case, for instance, collectors highly demand limited edition prints because of the issue of scarcity. Every print in a limited run has a number that makes it show how many were in that particular print run and what serial number the print is.
It is, nonetheless, a personal touch for both the artist and the buyer of the print-being close enough to put one’s signature on it. Many artists, including myself, give a Certificate of Authenticity with each limited edition print. It is documentation that this indeed is an authentic print of the original created by the artist.
7. Packaging and Shipping
Lastly, the prints are made, then carefully packed, to ensure they arrive in good shape. The rolled prints go into the protective tubes, and the framed or stretched canvas prints are wrapped to avoid damage during the shipment. As the artist, I want to ensure the piece arrives at the new home pristine and ready for display.
Conclusion
Art printing is a labor of love that entails a perfect mix of technology, craftsmanship, and some form of artist vision. From choosing the perfect art right down to ensuring perfect color reproduction, every step of the process is ensured to produce prints that honor the beauty and integrity of the original piece.
Whether you’re a person in search of inexpensive means by which to bring art into your home, or whether you’re an accomplished collector adding to the series within your gallery, an art print strikes the perfect balance between accessibility and artistry. And now that you understand what goes into making them, you’ll enjoy them all the more when they grace your walls.
If you’re interested in exploring my latest collection of art prints, take a look at the shop [here] and find the perfect piece for your space.
