Art Copy Matters

by Kate Dardine

Every day I field questions from prospective customers. The number one question from artists is: Can you print from my digital file?  The answer to that question is a definitive…maybe. Sometimes the artist will say, “It looks great on my monitor, so I’m sure it’ll print ok.”  The problem is, even though the image looks good viewed on your computer screen, doesn’t mean it will print well.  Why?  Because your monitor displays images at 72 ppi (pixels per inch) while printing resolution is 300 ppi. So if you have a file that is say, 15 x 30 at 72 ppi, once it is converted to printing resolution, 300 ppi, it becomes a 3.6 x 7.2.  Not exactly a large print!

If you use the best materials to create your artwork, and you are going to invest in getting prints of your work, why wouldn’t you want to start with the very best scan possible? Yes, it is an added expense. But unless you are an experienced photographer with good equipment, you will save money in the long run and gain peace of mind AND a high quality digital file that can be used for creating beautiful prints that do your painting justice.

If you don’t want to send your artwork, I recommend you find a local professional photographer who is knowledgeable about the art of art copy. At the very least, the photographer should have a studio set up with daylight balanced lights, a tripod and a DSLR camera. At Fine Print Imaging we use a Betterlight® Super 6K2 digital scan-back with a Calumet 4x5 view camera, equipped with a Rodenstock 240mm lens to take ultra-high resolution Direct Digital capture of your art work.

This camera, lens and scan-back system is set up under daylight balanced studio lighting (we use the North Light HID copy light system) and literally scans the art, capturing all the nuances of your original; the highlights, shadow details, brush strokes and even the texture of the canvas or paper is captured in stunning detail. A scan can take up to 15 minutes and produces up to a 300mb file.

If you are still sure you want to do it yourself, and your artwork is small, this You Tube video will give you tips on the best way to capture your artwork. Bear in mind that the resulting file will most likely need adjustment in a photo editing program such as Photoshop or Picasa to more accurately represent your original. Also, keep in mind that unless you have a newer, calibrated monitor, chances are what looks “correct” on your screen may look much different on our calibrated monitors. And, two last caveats: 1.) if you are shooting your own artwork, and it is larger than 11x14, you will most likely not be able to make quality prints at the original size and 2.) if your camera is an older digital point and shoot, the lens and sensor may not be of a high enough quality to create a sharp image.

Compare prices. In many cases, Fine Print’s art copy costs are less than what your local photographer charges – and for a significantly better file. And, with our premier art copy scans, you get a color-corrected proof on your choice of substrates to use for your portfolio or as a guide for future prints. Give us a call and let us know what you need. We can probably get you set up for much less than you’ve imagined.

Want more info on our art copy services? Visit our website, email us or give us a call (800.777.1141). We’re always happy to help!

 Kate Dardine has been helping photographers and artists market their prints for over 26 years. She is currently the newsletter editor and new customer liaison at Fine Print Imaging, as well as a professional artist selling original paintings and prints.Her website is www.katedardine.com

First Impressions

Kate Dardine

Your website is often the first introduction prospective buyers or galleries have to your work. As your mother probably told you, you only have one chance to make a good first impression.

As a marketing consultant, I work with aspiring professional photographers and artists; however, the first part of this article will pertain mainly to artists who create on paper, canvas, board, etc. 

Through my job, I spend a lot of time “meeting” artists through their websites. Within 30 seconds I form an opinion about whether the artist is a professional or an amateur by the quality of the digital images displayed on the website.  No matter how “good” the work might be, if I see blurry images, images out of square, images with obvious color-casts or “flat” color, images that were taken with a flash (especially if a flash was used on a piece framed under glass!), images that show a partial frame  – my first impression is that this artist is not ready to present his or her work.  If I feel this way, imagine how a gallerist will feel – or a prospective buyer.

Take a minute to visit your website and look at the images through the eyes of a buyer.  Are the colors clear? Are the images sharp? Are they in square? Do they just show the image, or can you see the easel or the wall or the kitchen in the background? Are you Proud of what you see?  If not, take action NOW!

So, let’s talk about your images first. If yours have any of the problems I mentioned above, your first job is to replace them with quality images.  If you’ve had art copy done by Fine Print Imaging, you can call us and request jpegs  sized for the web. The cost to do that is just $5.  If you are putting up images that you are not planning on having prints made from, then you can either hire a local photographer who is well versed in copying artwork OR, with a little preparation and a decent digital point and shoot camera, you can do it yourself – watch this video to learn how to shoot your own artwork for web upload.

Once you’ve got a good, sharp image, you’ll need to crop out any unwanted background in the photo. There are several free online software programs that allow you to resize, color-correct, sharpen and crop. Try www.picasa.com (you download onto your computer) or www.pixlr.com (online editing).

Good! Now you’ve got some mighty fine looking images to put on your website. So, let’s look at your website.  Many of the “entry level” websites I view look just like that – entry level. They are hard to navigate, or look like they haven’t been updated in years.  Or they are so “flash” heavy that they take forever to load. Or they look like they are more suited to selling car parts than fine art.

These days, you don’t have to spend $$$$$$ to set up a decent website, learn html or hire someone to do that for you. There are some great “template” sites out there and if you can upload an image to facebook or use “Word”, you can have a great looking website for a small monthly fee.  My personal favorite is Fine Art Studio Online. They have hosted my website for years and just keep getting better. With the ability to send out a bulk e-newsletter, blog, change images, sell directly to the customer using PayPal, integrate with all the social media sites, have a direct domain name, background SEO and more – this site has much to offer.  Plus, you get a free 2 month trial just by clicking here.

There are other sites that have other strengths, so I advise you to check them out.  Try http://www.artistportfoliowebsite.com, http://www.indiemade.com/, or www.photoshelter.com (if you are a photographer) .  I’m sure there are others out there – if you know of an easy to use, professional looking template site for artists or photographers, feel free to post a link in the comments section!

Kate Dardine has been helping photographers and artists market their prints for over 20 years. She is currently Marketing Director at Fine Print Imaging, as well as a professional artist selling original paintings and prints.Her website is www.katedardine.com

Don't Shoot Yourself in the Foot

I guess I should start out by introducing myself and telling you a little about what you can expect to find in my blog postings.

My name is Kate Dardine, and I’ve been working with professional photographers and artists at Fine Print Imaging for over 20 years. I started out part time in the finishing department, dust spotting photographs, and gradually worked my way through customer service to my current position as Marketing Director. Along the way I also started and continue to grow my own business as a fine artist, selling my work in galleries and over the internet.

I will be writing on topics from two vantage points – that of an artist “in the trenches” and that of someone who has 20 years experience in helping artists and photographers market their prints. Future blogs will contain entries such as “Ten Steps to Promoting Your Art on Facebook”, “I’ve Got Great Images – Why Can’t I Get into a Gallery?”, “Building an Art Identity”, “Writing an Artist Statement”, “How to be a Big Fish in a Small Pond” and other topics I haven’t even thought of…yet. In fact, if you have a topic you’d like me to give my 2 cents on, let me know!

Today’s blog is geared toward artists. A lot of artists I know – myself included – are looking for ways to cut costs, save money, make do. The one thing I won’t compromise on is the materials I use to create my art. But, I start thinking, well, maybe I don’t need to have my painting professionally shot. Maybe I can just prop my painting up and take a picture with my digital camera. So what if it’s a little out-of-square? I can fix that in Photoshop. And if it isn’t tack sharp? Well, that’s okay. It’s good enough. Good enough for what? To display on my website? To submit to juried shows? To make postcards to mail out to collectors? Really? Who am I kidding? I might end up shooting myself in the foot with the "good enough" mentality.

If I care enough to use they very best materials to create my artwork, why wouldn’t I want to have that artwork professionally copied, so that everywhere I display that image, it looks its very best? I think of it as an investment in myself, in my art. I cringe every time I look in an art magazine and see an ad that an artist took out using an obviously self-shot photo. I know that artist spent good money (and lots of it!) to put that ad in – and I know that artist will be disheartened when the ad doesn’t result in a sale, or even any interest.

Not long ago, I entered and was accepted into a juried national show with a digital file taken with my own camera. I have to admit, I’ve gotten pretty good at shooting my own work. But here’s what happened to make me vow to always get my better work professionally shot. The piece sold at the show. And I had two people contact me wanting canvas giclée prints of the painting. Guess what? I only had my little 2 Mb file. Certainly not big enough to print a 10x10, let alone the 30x30 that one of the buyers wanted! Luckily, I was able to contact the buyer of the original and make arrangements to have the piece shot at Fine Print before being delivered to her home. But, it could have turned out differently, and I could have lost two sales. So I learned my lesson.

I recommend that each time you finish a piece that you are proud enough of to want to offer for sale, you get that piece shot by a professional photographer who is knowledgeable about the art of art copy. At the very least, the photographer should have a studio set up with daylight balanced lights, a tripod and a DSLR camera. At Fine Print Imaging we use a Betterlight® Super 6K2 digital scan-back with a Calumet 4x5 view camera, equipped with a Rodenstock 240mm lens to take ultra-high resolution Direct Digital capture of your art work.

This camera, lens and scan-back system is set up under daylight balanced studio lighting (we use the North Light HID copy light system) and literally scans the art, capturing all the nuances of your original; the highlights, shadow details, brush strokes and even the texture of the canvas or paper is all captured in stunning detail. A scan can take up to 15 minutes and produces up to a 300mb file.

Compare prices. In most cases, Fine Print’s art copy costs are less than what your local photographer charges – and for a significantly better file. And, with our premier art copy scans, you get a color-corrected proof on your choice of substrates to use for your portfolio or as a guide for future prints. Give us a call and let us know what you need. We can probably get you set up for much less than you’ve imagined.

Want more info on our art copy services? Visit our website, email us or give us a call (800.777.1141). We’re always happy to help!