Watercolor Painting & Sketching Group, Community, and Blog › Forums › Selling Your Art › Prints, prints, prints.
Tagged: printing
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People ask me a lot for prints.
I have zero clue how to do this. I mean, I have a good camera, but I use it to take pictures of my dog, and even those come out blurry, so I think taking my own is probably beyond my skill set.
My scanner decided to implode a while back, and I’ve been looking for another option. (The one I had, an HP all in one dealie, wouldn’t scan if the lid wasn’t completely closed, and I didn’t want to rip things out of books just to scan them.) Suggestions gleefully accepted.
Is there a “right way” to get images for prints? A way that doesn’t involve three hours of pulling out your own hair and inventing new curse words? (That may just be me.)
Also, once the images are procured (probably via black magic and a sacrifice involving pie), do y’all have any good resources for getting them printed?
Have you looked at getting them printed by an outside source? I’ve never done that, but I know others have.
Yeah, that’s kinda what I mean — I’ve got a black and white laser printer at home only. (I had a bit of a NOPE moment a few months back when my stupid ink jet finally annoyed me to the point of lighting it on literal fire. I generally only print in black and white anyway, and that whole “one color is out, so you have to replace ALL THE COLORS before we’ll print in black, muahahahaha!” thing just drove me insane. Extortion, I say! So, my husband literally melted the printer with a flamethrower. Literally.)
Ahem. I digress. I need more coffee this morning. 😀
But yes, I’m definitely wanting someone else to do the printing, but I need to get the images *to* the printer, too, which has just seemed like way too much confusing work, and I’ve been slacking. 😀
Do you have a printing company in mind? I know that with many you can just email the image with instructions. I’d google any you are interested in and see if they have that information listed. Don’t I sound like I know what I’m talking about? That ability has served me well in life, lol. Got me into a lot of trouble, too!
You need a decent scanner in order to make prints, and a good printer, unless this is just for a friend — like I say, “I would love a copy of that!” I can scan a smallish original (legal size paper) but do a high resolution and create a larger image on my own Epson printer. These are less expensive than the professionals do, but still good quality.
Scanning quality is half the issue. Print/ink/paper is the next.
See this page of mine for the info: https://dkatiepowellart.com/shop-prints/
I can tell you more sometime in person…If I am having them scanned professionally I use these people, they are easy to deal with, friendly to artists (discount so make sure they know you are one), and helpful:
Pushdot Studio
2505 SE 11th Avenue Suite 104, Portland, OR 97202
503-224-5925 studio / info@pushdotstudio.comBTW, I have an HP and it doesn’t have to close to scan so maybe it was an older one?
2014? It was an OfficeJet, I think. Some kind of superfancyschmancy thing that was a four-in-one (print, scan, copy, fax). When I first got it after the tornado, it scanned fine, but a year and a half later, it wouldn’t even scan with the cover shut half the time.
(It was out of warranty by then, of course. I think it started having problems, like, the day after it was out of warranty. Soooo not impressed with HP at this point.)
Ah, technology. Making our lives easier, one headache at a time. 🙂
Metz, I will tell you the secret of having great computer success. Keep a large heavy hammer nearby in view of the electronic objects. I keep the old dead electronics in a box and every so often, just to make sure the new working electronics know I mean business, i will smash one in front of the others. Totally works.
Hi!
I have going to acprinter here in the Baltimore area who scans art work, Archival Arts. They scan your work digitally. Make a proof for you to,approve, then upload the scan to your flash drive. You can then have prints made from the scan, use the uploaded scan for your website or shop, or to send to jurying, etc. I can call or email the printer and have any scanned art printed. Look around, and compare prices. Some printer charge a lot for a digital scan, and less for prints. Some printers charge less for scans, more for prints. They always give price breaks for 10 or more prints. And my printer has a sale twice a year.
I usually never sell the original, but have prints made, and sell those. If I sell a painting, it is in a show, matted and framed. Sometimes paintings are available in my Etsy shop. Anything I think I might enter into a juried show or contest is never sold.
Hope this helps.
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