Frequently Asked Questions
Giclée Print Service and Art Scanning Related Questions
Q: What is your turnaround time?
Q: If you scan my original, can you print it a different size?
Q: Do you do rush orders?
Q: Is there a minimum order fee? Why?
Q: What resolution or how many megabytes should the file be?
Q: How should I prepare my files? What file formats will you print?
Q: How long do you store my files?
Q: Do you offer any kind of warranty?
Q: Do you provide canvas stretching?
Q: Can you accept digital scans or digital files directly?
Q: How is my artwork captured, or scanned?
Q: What kind of papers do you print on?
Q: Can you tell me if my file is going to print poorly?
Q: Do you do art restoration?
Q: Can you print from film if I no longer have the original?
Q: What if I can't send my original, and the art is too large to scan?
Q: What kind of medium reproduces well using giclée?
Q: Are there paints or paintings that don't reproduce well?
Q: Can you reproduce iridescent colors?
General Questions
Q: How do you pronounce giclée?
Q: What is your green policy?
Q: What is giclée?
Q: Is giclée just the same as a bubble jet printer?
Q: Where does the word giclée come from?
Q: What kinds of inks do you use?
Q: How long do giclée prints last?
Q: What are the advantages of giclée over lithographs and serigraphs?
Q: What about copyright considerations?
Q: What is Art? (we have the answer)
Q: What does it mean to color manage my computer?
Q: Where is a good art supply store in the Seattle/Bellevue area?
Q: Can you recommend some canvas pliers?
Q: What monitors are best for graphics and photography?
Q: I'm making a portfolio. Do you have any recommendations?
Q: I'm going to be displaying my work at a show. Should I frame it?
Q: How can I participate in your artist galleries?
Q: Do you do picture framing?
Q: How do you pronounce giclée?
A: Do you feel silly because you're not sure how to pronounce giclée? Well, you're not alone. This is perhaps the most common question we get, and possibly a reason for people being shy on the phone. Giclée is pronounced (jee-clay). Here's a little sound file for you to play:
A: Giclée is a fine-art printing process that uses very high-end bubble jet technology to reproduce fine art graphics. The first giclée printers were produced by Iris Graphics in the 1980s, and was first used as a system to proof commercial pre-press before going to plate. However, Nash Editions in California saw the new machines as having potential to be more than just proofing devices, and started using them to reproduce fine art prints.
Since that time giclée printing has come a long ways, and many improvements have been made in the accuracy of the printing technology, and the longevity of the inks. The leading printer manufacturers such as Epson, HP, Mimakia and Roland have all spent millions of dollars perfecting the ink technology, creating archival inks to assure rich color and longevity.
Giclée is now the leading method of fine-art printing, for self publishing or small-print editions. It combines the brilliant color and archival qualities of traditional printing methods with an ease of printing that was never possible before. Almost all high-end prints for sale through galleries or independent studios are now giclée.
For further reference see:
A: We strive to be green wherever possible. We are continually adding green substrates as they become available, such as the Hahnemühle bamboo and sugar-cane papers. We also use recycled paper for wrapping and things like invoices, and we recycle our ink cartridges and packaging. Finally, every fine art print is personally inspected by a Northwest Spotted Owl, and then hugged by a free range tree squirrel.
Q: Is giclée just the same as a bubble jet printer?
A: No. There are many differences that make giclée printing superior to a standard home printer. First, the large industrial printers have finer print heads, and are capable of using thicker and more varied substrates. In fact many of the top art paper and canvas manufacturers have made special paper just for giclée printers, that better hold the ink and ensure longevity and archival quality of the prints. Secondly the ink is different, and is of a much higher quality than standard printer ink. Lastly, the printers themselves are very large, allowing for printing of up to 44" wide, with virtually no limit to the length.
Q: Where does the word giclée come from?
A: Giclée is a French word that means to squirt, and is pronounced 'ghee-clay'. The reason it is call giclée is because the printers digitally dispenses tiny squirts of ink onto canvas or paper in a million droplets per second. This produces a print with a resolution higher than the traditional lithograph and with a wider color gamut than serigraphy. None-the-less, the word was in fact coined by marketers who feared the art world wouldn't accept this new medium as being valid. These days, however, much of the limited edition art you see in galleries is produced using giclée, and many of the top name artists use this method of printing.
Q: What kind of inks do you use?
A: We use Epson HDR Ultrachrome archival inks. We always use new cartridges. We only use the best archival inks. Some giclée printers will use boxed inks and refill cartridges but we always use new factory sealed ink cartridges from reputable distributors.
Q: How long do giclée prints last?
A: We use Epson K3 Ultrachrome archival inks and only the finest acid free substrates, so you can count on your print lasting for well over 100 years. If your print is framed and hung in a location with no direct sunlight, it will last even longer.
A: Currently we do not offer picture framing. We're not a framer, although we've often considered merging with a frame shop or purchasing one, we're currently offering only fine art scanning and fine art printing.
We offer some standard framing options for our metal prints, and canvas stretching for our own canvas prints, as well as some finishing options, but we're not a full-on frame shop at this time. We have several recommendations as follows:
Bellevue Art and Frame
(We like these guys)
13131 NE 20th St
Bellevue, WA 98005
(425)453-8959
The Hangup Frame Shoppe and Gallery: They have no website, but they're a great local resource for framing, located just next to the QFC in Factoria.
3540 Factoria Blvd. Suite C
Bellevue, WA 98006
tel: 425-747-8807
Aaron Brothers
www.aaronbrothers.com
Q: How long do giclée prints last?
A: We use Epson K3 Ultrachrome archival inks and only the finest acid free substrates, so you can count on your print lasting for well over 100 years. If your print is framed and hung in a location with no direct sunlight, it will last even longer.
A: We have high end graphic scanners that use ICE technology to digitally capture your film or slides. The quality and size of the negatives we receive will dictate how large your work can be printed. This needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis, and we will consult with you and make recommendations on the maximum printing size, and give you expert feedback on our evaluation of the final quality and size of print that can be achieved.
Q: If you scan my original, can you print it a different size?
A:Yes. One we have scanned your artwork, it can be printed in various sizes. In general we discourage people from
enlarging their artwork too much. Even if the resolution is great, it becomes like looking at a painting through a magnifying glass. You
start to see all the little imperfections, dog hairs, close-up brush strokes etc. But it's very easy to take a scan and make various
smaller sizes. This is very helpful for selling artwork, as many times buyers won't have room for a large painting in their house or
apartment.
The only thing to keep in mind is aspect ratios! This cannot be emphasized enough. When making various smaller sizes of an image,
it needs to be reduced proportionally. For example, you cannot take a 24" x 36" painting, and make an 8"x10", unless you crop off
two inches. From a 24" x 36" painting, you can make an 8"x12", as both have a 2:3 ratio. An 8"x10" has a 4:5 ratio.
If you don't understand this (which is understandable for those of us who don't like doing math), we have a very handy aspect ratio
calculator on our website. Look to the left in the side menu and you'll see it. It says "aspect ratio calculator". You can use it
to calculate the different sizes at which your image will print. All you need to know is the original size in pixels, cm, or inches, or
feet. Then you put in either the length or width of the reduced size you want and it will calculate the other dimension. Give it a try.
Q: Can you accept digital scans or digital files directly?
A: Yes. We have a file uploads page so that artists and photographers can upload their files for us to print. It's very easy to use and you can simply drag and drop your files into the web browser, type us a message and upload your files. Of course we can't do direct color matching without the original, but we will always do our best to produce a great looking print.
Artists and Photographers who submit their own digital files are responsible for the quality and integrity of the images. We print what we get, although we do our best to review the file and make sure it will print correctly, but digital submission is considered "as is".
Q: What if can't part with my original, and the art is too large to scan?
A: You can take the art to a photography studio, and have a positive transparency made using large format cameras. In this case we want a 4x5 transparency with a color card and or 18% gray card to allow us to do color matching.
Q: What kind of medium reproduces well using giclée?
A: Virtually all mediums reproduce well using giclée, and if done well they are hard to distinguish from the original. Oil paintings with high relief and texture will not look like the original due to texture. However, most oil paintings reproduce well, as do acrylic, pencil, pen & ink, watercolor, collage, charcoal, pastel, monotype and photographic mediums.
Q: What are the advantages of giclée over lithographs and serigraphs?
A: One of the greatest advantages of giclée over lithograph and serigraphs is that you don't have to do a full print run all at once. If you want to offer limited edition prints, but don't want to commit to the upfront cost of doing a large print run, then giclée is for you. The first couple of prints you sell should easily pay for the initial digitizing and printing costs, and then you can place additional orders as they are needed, without the cost or hassle of maintaining large stocks of prints.
The initial setup costs of lithography and serigraphy are very high, and often cost-prohibitive for artists beginning their careers, or artists who only want to produce small print runs. However, if you are selling hundreds of prints at a time, then you may wish to consider lithography, and we can certainly help by introducing you to a good printer locally. Also, if you start with giclée, and then find a particular piece is selling extremely well, and want to create a limited edition using lithography, we can give you the digital file all ready for the printer to use, thereby reducing setup costs.
Q: Are there paints or paintings that don't reproduce well?
Beware of silver, copper and gold! Some colors will not reproduce well, or at all using the giclée print process. Although giclée printing has a wider gamut than four plate lithography, certain colors can't be produced with a printer. Things like iridescent colors, duo-chrome, and fluorescent colors are out of the printer's gamut. Another way to think of it is non-natural colors.
Metallic paints are also problematic and can't be reproduced, as they represent the reflective properties of a metallic element, as opposed to a color range. Any silver, gold, copper, or metallic car paints won't reproduce well at all, and should be avoided. However, some options for reproducing metallics, foils, iridescent, fluorescents and such is serigraphy, hand touched giclée, or offset lithography using extra plates for the colors in question. All that being said, we've managed to produce a few that looked spectacular, but in general non-natural colors will not print or scan looking like the original - especially gold!
Q: Can you reproduce iridescent colors?
No. This should be explained in the previous question, but we're getting this question a lot due to increased availability of iridescent paints, especially acrylics.
First, it's important to understand what iridescent is; it is an optical phenomenon characterized as the property of surfaces in which hue changes according to the angle from which the surface is viewed.
Iridescence is caused by multiple reflections from multi-layered, semi-transparent surfaces in which phase shift and interference of the reflections modulates the incident light by amplifying or attenuating some frequencies more than others. 1
From a physics standpoint this is rather uncommon behavior, and in man-made objects this is usually only found in paints that are specifically designed for this effect. Therefore, iridescent behavior is the behavior of a special property not found in regular pigment or dye based inks. Also, because the apparent image changes with the angle of observation, iridescence is not fully reproduced by conventional photography.
If we do reproduction work and your image includes iridescent paint, then you will get whatever color the camera sees when the work is perfectly perpendicular to the artwork. We have real samples in the studio of paint chips and paint samples that we've scanned and printed that show exactly what an artist can expect with certain types of paint.
Q: Where is a good art supply store in the Seattle/Bellevue area?
A: There are several art supply stores in the Seattle area. The largest local chain is Daniel Smith, which has stores in both Seattle and Bellevue. Their website is www.danielsmith.com. There is also Ultrecht, and the newly arrived Blick Art Supply.
Q: Can you recommend some good canvas pliers?
OK. We don't know what the deal is with canvas pliers, but they're either really cheap and fall apart (like the Fredrix Canvas Pliers), or they're really expensive. There seems to be no middle ground for canvas pliers, and we looked high and low. So as strange as it is, the canvas pliers we chose were the Holbein Extreme Pliers, made of molybdenum-alloy (whatever that is). At $130.00 they had better be durable! So far we've had no problems.
We also found this guy on the Internet, John Annesley Company, who makes canvas pliers. We haven't tried them yet, but the description of why he went and designed custom pliers matches our experiences. There just is no middle ground. His canvas pliers aren't cheap, but they look fantastic.
What monitors are best for graphics and photography?
Increasingly PCs (Windows) and Macs can use the same monitors, so what follows is applicable to both platforms. Linux as well I'm sure...
Since CRTs are nearly a thing of the past, we'll focus as well on just LCD monitors.
Monitor types: There are IPS panels, VA panels, and TN panels. The IPS monitors have the best color resolution, and the best viewing angle of all the monitor types. S-IPS (In Plane Switching) panels are generally considered the best overall LCD technology for image quality, color accuracy and viewing angles, however they are very expensive. They are well suited for graphics design and other applications which require accurate and consistent color reproduction. The Apple cinema displays are all IPS LCD monitors.
VA (Vertical Alignment) Panels can also have high quality image ratings, but have issues with contrast degradation at viewing angles greater than 160 degrees. VA (Vertical Alignment) technology such as S-PVA/MVA are middle of the road LCD panels. They offer better color reproduction and wider viewing angles than TN panels, but have slower response times.
TN panels (Twisted Nematic) are the cheapest, but are the most popular with consumer based systems, particularly Windows systems. The response time, however, is generally faster on the TN panels, which meets the demand of gamers and home media systems.
Hardware calibration: allows a calibration device and software to create a unique ICC color profile to that monitor and computer, which best displays colors accurately. Some monitors do not allow for hardware calibration. The Apple monitors, for example, do not allow for hardware calibration (In most cases they don't need to).
If you're work flow requires you to have very fine control over your CSM (Color Managed System), then you'll want to pay close attention to this, and select a monitor that allows color calibration with systems such as xrite (greytag macbeth)products like the the eye one, Colorvision's monitor Spyder, and others.
Monitor Brands:The monitor brands to watch for in our opinion are NEC Multisync (LCD2690Wuxi), La Cie, and Eizo. The Eizo is the top of the line, but at thousands of dollars of cost for slightly better color performance, most people wouldn't know the difference. So if you need a good graphics monitor that can be hardware color calibrated, this should give you a starting point.
Q: I'm making a portfolio. Do you have any recommendations?
A: Absolutely. You should make a portfolio and keep it current. It should include quality prints of your work, and should be clean and simple. Have business cards to pass out as well. You can't expect to generate interest in your work commercially unless you represent yourself well, and a good portfolio leaves a great impression. Its also very important to maintain an up to date online portfolio.
Q: I'm going to be displaying my work in a show. Should I frame my work?
A: The question of framing comes up a lot. Framing is expensive, and many artists want to avoid the cost of framing, especially for art shows and exhibitions, as the costs can sometimes be prohibitive.
While it's understandable that artists want to save money on framing, there are none-the-less good reasons to do so, including a nice presentation of one's work, and of course preservation. Anytime a work is being moved around from one place to another the risk of damage increases. From a strictly practical viewpoint, framing is about conservation and protection.
If you stick to standard sizes, it's more affordable to purchase ready made frames to present your work. Aaron Brothers, Ikea, Michaels and others have discounted frames that will save you time and money if you can't afford or justify museum quality framing.
Q: What does it mean to color manage my computer?
A: Color management is the black-art and science of matching all of the input and output devices so that color is consistent. This means that your monitor displays the same color that you see when you print, and when you scan a color document, the resulting image looks the same on your screen, and again output from your own printer.
There are a number of tools you can purchase to calibrate your equipment, and if you're serious about digital art and photography, you should definitely invest some money in doing some simple calibration. The simplest tool is a monitor calibrator, and they range anywhere from under $100, to thousands, depending on your needs. We use the i1 by X-Rite, but you can search for monitor calibrators on ebay and find decent ones for $100-$200.
Q: Do you offer any kind of warranty?
A: Yes. First we guarantee you will be satisfied with the quality of the print and/or scan, or we will remake it or refund your money in full. We believe in the quality of our work and stand behind it 100%
Secondly, we guarantee the longevity of the print. We use the finest giclée papers and Epson K3 archival inks that will last at least 100 years. We also offer finishing services that include protective coating on top of the finished paper or canvas. All of this combined adds up to a quality print that will last a lifetime or more. If for any reason the print fades or displays imperfections, we will replace it.
Q: Do you offer canvas stretching?
A: Yes. We do offer canvas stretching. We have various canvas stretching options. You can have a standard wrap (white on the sides), a gradient wrap, or a cloned image wrap. We offer stretching on both standard stretcher bars (3/4" thick) or medium stretcher bars (1 1/2" thick). We offer stretching in any size. Unlike some of the online retailers that offer canvas prints to the masses, we are able to make and cut our own stretcher bars to any size you need, and we aren't limited by standard sizes.
The options for stretching (standard, gallery, museum) look like this:
| Standard | Standard Gallery Wrap | Museum Wrap on 1 1/2" medium stretcher bars |
|
|
|
Q: Is there a minimum order fee? Why?
Yes. We have a minimum order of $50 for walkins and $25 for online orders. We have a $25 minimum order per paper type for Print on Demand via our uploads page. We don't always enforce this, but this is our disclaimer. The reason for the minium order is that we're not setup like a self-service photo lab to do quick, small orders from a kiosk, and all of our papers are on rolls, which requires that we print enough that we don't waste paper.
Q: What is your turnaround time?
A: Normally our turnaround time is 1-3 business days depending on our queue at the time. We guarantee a 5 working day turnaround time.
Q: How can I participate in your artist galleries?
A: We will only add artists to our galleries who have scanned their images with us, and we're very selective about the artists in our gallery. Our galleries are intended as a showcase of artists and photographers who use our services, and in most cases are also represented by art galleries, licensing firms and design firms.
For artists who participate in our online art gallery, there is no charge for having your work added to the galleries. Artists and Photographers receive 80% of the commissions above print cost, and Bellevue Fine Art Reproduction maintains the galleries and handles all order-fulfillment. Artists have a clear view in their account of who purchased prints along with sales details.
We have assisted many artists in finding prospective buyers through other channels, such as galleries, interior designers, real estate staging etc., when we receive requests to display or retail artwork throughout the area. We're always working to help our clients find sales and networking connections in various art sales channels and through participation in local shows and events.
A: Yes and no. Everyone is always in a hurry and we understand that. If you're in a hurry and need the job done immediately, please ask us and we'll work with you to meet your deadline. We usually don't charge extra for "rush orders"; we simply balance your needs with our other clients needs and get the job done when you need it within reason.
However, there is a caveat to all this. Remember the saying, "You can have it right, or you can have it now, but you can't have it right, now"? All the work we do requires attention to detail, and the more we try to rush the process, the more likely it is that something will go wrong.
If you are up against a deadline and you are ordering prints or scans at the last minute and find a problem, such as a misprint or error that we didn't notice, then we may or may not be able to fix any issues in time for your deadline. We make our very best effort to help you because we like and respect our clients, yet we need to ask for your understanding and cooperation when it comes to "emergency printing and scanning". We're not Kinkos, and we're not the fire department, but we will do our best with the resources we have.
What we agree to, is to do our best under the constraints of the circumstance.
Q: How long do you store my files?
We promise to keep your files for up to 2 years if there is no printing activity. This is our liability disclaimer (although we make no claim for liability for loss of your files if you lose your copy). The reality is that as of 2012, we have over 5 years of files, and have never discarded or lost any of our scans. We have off-site backups as well, so chances are pretty good that your files are safe with us no matter how long it's been.
We do discard files after two years that were uploaded by clients if there has been no activity, but we keep files that we have created (our scans).
Clients are advised to keep a copy of their files and treat them as you would other valuable electronic documents, photos or heirlooms. Replacement CDs or DVDs and file recovery after 2 years if you have lost your copy are $20.
Q: What about copyright considerations?
We keep your images strictly confidential. Bellevue Fine Art Reproduction does not allow any images to be printed without the artist or copyright holder's authorization. Artists maintain copyright over their own files and images. We make no copyright claims to an artist images and we provide artists their own copy of the high resolution images.
We're often asked if we require artists to sign a form stating that the work is theirs. In general the answer is no. We generally don't check, and we can't really be the copyright police. However, if it's quite obvious that you don't have rights to it, then we can't reproduce it.
We do have some copyright release forms for various reasons, and if we're not sure then we'll ask you to sign a liability release form, and you're on your way.
The exception to this is art collectors who have rare pieces in their collections and want to have a digital backup and a copy for various reasons. In some cases collectors need high quality scans to show in catalogs on the Internet, or for portfolios, which may fall under fair use. In some cases older works are no longer copyright protected, and the owner is free to do what they want with them. Collectors also want high quality scans of valuable artwork for archival and insurance purposes, which is a legitimate use.
Q: How should I prepare my digital files? What image file formats will you print?
Some artists scan and prepare their work themselves, and send us the digital files. There are other "digital" artists who's work is computer generated (CG), such as fractals, Photoshop collages, Corel Painter images, etc. And of course there is no shortage of photographers out there who want to see their work printed on high quality art paper, canvas, or on large format photo paper.
If you are one of these people, then the answer to this question is for you!
First, we prefer files that are 300 ppi (pixels per inch) at the size at which they will be printed. Files can be as low as 150ppi and in most cases will still print well. But lower than that and we may recommend the file not be printed.
We accept jpg, ai (Illustrator), tif, pdf, and psd files. We prefer high quality jpg files, or uncompressed TIF format images. Please send flat files and remove alpha channels.
All images should be saved with an embedded ICC profile. In most cases this will be your working profile. In some cases it may be derived from your camera profile. In Photoshop when you "save as" you will see a dialogue that comes up to save the image with an ICC profile, like this:
The next dialogue you'll see (in Photoshop, other programs will vary) is the compression. Select no compression, and IBM byte order.
This is where JPG files can yield sub-standard printed images, as JPG files compress the image, and in many cases degrade the image quality. If you can, go TIF.
JPG files should be saved with Quality set to Maximum (12 in Photoshop).
Note: We will NOT print the following file formats: .bmp, .png, .wmf, .doc, .ppt.
Q: At what resolution should I scan my work? How many megabytes should the file be?
A: This is a question of great debate, and you will get different answers from different people. But in general, a 300 ppi file will produce excellent results. A 270 ppi file will produce very good results. A 150 ppi file will produce decent results depending on the subject matter. As for file size, the size of the file in megabytes will depend on the amount of detail in the file, the amount of color and the color depth. What is really important is that you pay attention to the DPI, or PPI (dots per inch, or pixels per inch).
So for example, if you have a file that is 3000 pixels by 2000 pixels, then it will print with excellent results at 10" x 6". A good 8 Mpixel camera like the Canon 20D will produce a file that is 3504 x 2336 pixels, and you can make fine prints of up to 20" x 16". In that case you will be printing at 175 dpi, and that's about as high as you can really go with that format and still have it look good and crisp. But fine art is usually more demanding, and if at all possible we would prefer to print images within the 240 to 300 ppi range. Anything lower than that and you'll often get quality degradation.
But there are other factors as well, such as file compression and bit depth, all of which go far beyond the ability of this FAQ to explain. In short, scans should be 300 dpi with at least 8bit depth, and should be saved as TIF, or JPG with no compression. In the best of all worlds your file will be 300 ppi at the size you want to print.
File Resolution Chart
The table below shows an image resolution chart to help you understand at what size your digital image can be printed and still get good results. Optimal printing occurs at 300 ppi. 150 dpi usually yields very good results. At 72 dpi we can't guarantee that the image will yield a great print. While most online print operations will print this for you, we will evaluate the image and warn you before printing.
| Print Resolution | Fair (72 dpi) |
Good (150 dpi) |
Excellent (300 dpi) |
| dimensions (width or height) | Number of Pixels | ||
| 5" | 360 | 750 | 1500 |
| 6" | 432 | 900 | 1800 |
| 7" | 504 | 1050 | 2100 |
| 8" | 576 | 1200 | 2400 |
| 9" | 648 | 1350 | 2700 |
| 10" | 720 | 1500
|
3000 |
| 11" | 792 | 1650 | 3300 |
| 12" | 864 | 1800 | 3600 |
| 13" | 936 | 1950 | 3900 |
| 14" | 1008 | 2100 | 4200 |
| 15" | 1080 | 2250 | 4500 |
| 16" | 1152 | 2400 | 4800 |
| 17" | 1224 | 2550 | 5100 |
| 18" | 1296 | 2700 | 5400 |
| 19" | 1368 | 2850 | 5700 |
| 20" | 1440 | 3000 | 6000 |
| 21" | 1512 | 3150 | 6300 |
| 22" | 1584 | 3300 | 6600 |
| 23" | 1656 | 3450 | 6900 |
| 24" | 1728 | 3600 | 7200 |
| 25" | 1800 | 3750 | 7500 |
| 26" | 1872 | 3900 | 7800 |
| 27" | 1944 | 4050 | 8100 |
| 28" | 2016 | 4200 | 8400 |
| 29" | 2088 | 4350 | 8700 |
| 30" | 2160 | 4500 | 9000 |
| 31" | 2232 | 4650 | 9300 |
| 32" | 2304 | 4800 | 9600 |
| 33" | 2376 | 4950 | 9900 |
| 34" | 2448 | 5100 | 10200 |
| 35" | 2520 | 5250 | 10500 |
| 36" | 2592 | 5400 | 10800 |
| 37" | 2664 | 5550 | 11100 |
| 38" | 2736 | 5700 | 11400 |
| 39" | 2808 | 5850 | 11700 |
| 40" | 2880 | 6000 | 12000 |
| 41" | 2952 | 5904 | 11808 |
| 42" | 3024 | 6048 | 12096 |
| 43" | 3096 | 6192 | 12384 |
| 44" | 3168 | 6336 | 12672 |
Q: How is my artwork captured, or scanned?
A: We scan original artwork using our Better Light large format scanning back camera. We have invested many thousands of dollars in the finest fine art digitizing equipment in order to ensure that your artwork is captured perfectly. We are even capable of scanning very large pieces of artwork with our equipment.
The scanning back camera uses a 4x5 large format camera, and specially calibrated equipment to ensure that the camera lens and the artwork are at perfect right angles. We also have special lighting that produces full spectrum light, and cross-polarized panels and lenses, in order to accurately capture the full color spectrum in your artwork without problems commonly associated with scanning or photographing artwork, especially oil paintings, such as spectral highlighting (little white reflections).
With very small detailed drawings and artifacts, we use macro lenses with the scan back to capture the image at super high resolution. Extra charges may be associated with special art scanning that requires custom setup.
Below is a short video of the scanning process:
Q: What kind of papers do you print on?
A: We print on archival art papers, photo papers, and canvas. Although brands may change due to availability or quality issues, we keep the following categories of media in stock: photo papers, art papers and canvas. We have a huge stock of papers and canvas to choose from. In fact, we probably have one of the widest selection of papers and canvas to choose from that you'll find on the Internet. In some cases if an artist wants a specific paper we're able to special order it and keep it in stock. We love nice fine art papers and canvas, and spare no $$ when it comes to our substrates. For more detail see our papers and canvas page.
Q: Can you tell me if my file is going to print poorly?
A: Usually we can warn a client if a file doesn't look like it will print well. We are not a massive online printer that goes straight to the printer with no human intervention. This and our overall service and attention to detail for discerning artists and photographers is what sets us apart from cheap discounters. At Bellevue Fine Art Reproduction you're actually dealing with human beings, and we actually look at everything we print. In some cases we can't tell if what we're seeing was intended or not, but we'll always ask if we have a doubt.
Without asking us to look at your file, the best indication of whether or not it will print well, especially when printing large prints, is the number of pixels you start with. Regardless of what the file DPI says, it's the total number of pixels that will make or break a large format print. For example, if you have a file that is 1024 x 761 pixels, it's not going to print well beyond a 5" x 7" print, and there's nothing you can do to change that. Nothing. Nada. You can increase the pixels in Photoshop, but you'll end up with something that's terribly disappointing. If you have a file that's 5000 x 3000 pixels, and you want to print beyond the file's natural size limits, we can often "upres" the file to increase the number of pixels, and still get a good print. But you absolutely need a high resolution file with enough pixels to start with in order to create a beautiful print that you'll be proud of.
A:Yes, we do digital restoration. That is to say, we can scan an in original painting that is damaged, then digitally remove cracks, fire damage, fading, and other problems before it is printed. We can also restore photographs in this way, as well as damaged artwork. It's quite common for artists or collectors to bring us artwork for scanning and digital restoration, removing stains from artwork, cracks, tears etc.
However, if you're looking for a service that does art restoration on the original, then you're probably looking for someplace like http://Restoration/.
If you have questions that are not addressed on the FAQ, please go to the contact page and send us your question. We will answer your question promptly and in many cases add the question and answer to this FAQ.
Answering all your giclée questions and fine art printing questions for artist and photographers. We specialize in reproducing Watercolor, watercolor painting, oil paintings, charcoal paintings, pastel, chalk, pen & ink, and other hard to reproduce artworks. We work for artists who present their work at art fairs, art shows, art galleries, galleries, art exhibitions, and more, for nude art, figure drawing, figure painting, acrylic paintings, acrylic, pigment inks, giclée, fine art prints, giclée prints, photographers, photography, photo lab, inkjet, digital printing, artwork, artists. Art scanning is our specialty. Fine art reproduction is our specialty. We do museum quality scanning, art scanning, preservation, restoration for art collectors and museums.
