Hey hows it going?

I remember the first time I walked into a print shop and asked for art prints. I was asked what format do I need? What DPI? Do I need Giclee?

I could answer NONE of these questions and so shuffled out of the shop feeling like I had fallen at the first hurdle. Here is what I can share so you don't have to suffer the same fate! :D

1 Preparation First of all you will need to do your research online and check out local printing firms. Ensure they are used to doing fine art prints as not all printing firms are set up for doing them. Think about whether you want standard prints or Giclee quality. Make sure you read their reviews and don't be afraid to ask other artists for recommendations. Most will be pleased to help.

2 What is Giclee? Giclee is the quality that is used for museums and art galleries. Where a standard print might last 20 years, a Giclee will last 100 or more thanks to the use of archival ink and excellent quality paper. The colours will be a true match to the original piece of art. It is considered the gold standard of art prints and only selected printers can offer it as a service. If you go for Giclee it will cost more to create but you can charge more for the end product. It is a good idea to find a printer that will do small batches or even one at a time so you can print them to order.

3 Technical details Once you have found the right printer for you, you will need to take in your artwork and a USB stick. I don't varnish or sign my artwork until it is scanned for prints just in case I want to turn the artwork into something else. For example if someone approached you to create wallpaper from the design, or you wanted to make print on demand coasters or tshirts. A signature wouldn't look right in a repeating pattern, so keep your options open.

Ask for the file to be scanned in 300dpi that means dots per inch. This gives you a good enough print quality without having a huge file that takes ages to load. I always ask for the format to be JPEG which is the file type. It means it can be easily be opened in editing software such as Photoshop or Gimp and then turned into prints or products.

Good luck and let me know how you get on! Tag me in your posts @plantbasedpaintings and I will happily share your work in my stories so you can get seen by my audience too.

All the love,

Kat Xx

For my weekly newsletter, blog posts and access to secret sales, subscribe here to join my mailing list