have any of you made prints of your artwork?

[Former_Member]

have any of you made prints of your artwork? how did you do it? via your own printer at home, or like vista print or what? please & thank you!

[Former_Member]

Victoria---you may want to look into iprintfromhome.com. I am very satisfied with their work. If you decide to place a small order to see how you like the prints, be sure to request free samples of the different types of finishes

I like luster for my matted prints, but use glossy for my greeting cards

Hope this info helps

[Former_Member]

Producing reproductions can be tricky at home unless you have a really good printer and are prepared to spend a lot on ink as printing eats it up.

Also, you need to be really sure of your market to invest in having reproductions done professionally. They could just become dust catchers.

I go with the print on demand route and use Fine Art America. I simply upload a high resolution image and they do all the work and send me money when pieces sell.

[DELdreamart]

I make photo copy prints at my local office service store.
They do it for me and make sure the coloring is has close has possible to the original . I take the work with me stay with him while he makes the prints then bring it all home. There is no leaving precious Art over night or mailing it somewheres.
Works out great has long has the painting is a small size...

[Former_Member]

yes! I use costco to print my images...very affordable!

[Former_Member]

I have a local digital arts company do photo captures and then print them for me. Their quality blows away anything I can do here at home and in the sizes I can't make without dropping a small fortune on a large format printer. I have a cool relationship with them that I can just order as needed and I have a couple of prints of each in my inventory.

[Former_Member]

after shopping around for affordable printing companies online for a while I just ended up buying myself an Epson stylus printer and printing my reproductions myself. it does a great job...right now I'm experimenting on paper choice though. that seems to make quite a difference in the colors.

[Former_Member]

I use printmakersinc dot com

They are a nationally recognized company that just happens to be 20 minutes away from me. So, I have been able to actually meet face to face with them, and they are TOPS! They've been in business for over 20 years, and have all the state of the art equipment.

I have my photos and artwork prints done there. They use kodak endura lustre or metallic paper for photos, and many choices of specialty papers for giclee prints, etc. You can also have canvases, etc made.

I had bought all the best/fancy/shmancy paper, ink, etc. By the time I print it out, it costs me more than just having the prints done by them! And if my printer jams, I'm stuck eating the cost. By having them do the printing, I get 100% perfect prints.

(I am not affiliated with them, nor do I recieve any compensation, etc. I am just a very happy customer, and love to share any resources with fellow artists)

~Linda

[DreamOutLoudArt]

Thank you for inviting me to the group! :) And, thank you, Victoria for asking this question, it is something I have been wanting to do as well. Thank you everyone for great answers!
@Doris - does your office supply store have the ability to print on heavy paper - like watercolor paper, for example? This is one of the things I've been wondering about.

[Former_Member]

I hand make reproductions on 8x10 canvas boards using decoupage paper and gesso. It's fairly simple but does require a good printer. I print the image on the decoupage paper (generally purchased from lazertran.com), remove the backing and apply the image to canvas board that has been thinly coated with gesso. I use a roller to delicately flatten the image and allow it to dry. Once dry, I apply another thin layer of gesso to the image and let that dry.

I then sign the reproduction, add 3D objects, frame it or whatever strikes my fancy and POOF! Handcrafted, unique and quite easy. I also use the same paper for shadowboxes of my paintings (check out my shop to see what I mean). It's a great way to give new life to a painting!

[SummerWeeds]

I agree that making your own prints at home can end up costing you more than going with a pro if you dont know a lot about printers, imaging and digital output.

I sell mostly 8x10 prints in my Etsy shop. Its also nice to offer a framing option.

[Former_Member]

I will reiterate what others have said about making your own prints. It will end up costing you more in materials than it would just going through a good printing service. California Premier Printing (www.californiapremierprinting.com) is who I go through, and I have been extremely happy with them. They do pretty much everything and are not nearly as expensive as other places I've looked at. Plus, their quality is spot on. They do require a minimum purchase, but it's only 10-25 if you go digital, and still a lot cheaper than going to local places or Kinkos to get them done. The only downside is that somethings (like canvas or non-paper goods i.e. flashlights, coasters, etc) you have to contact them directly for because they aren't listed on their site, but it's not really that difficult. Just an e-mail or two.

Hope that helped! =)

[OlliffStudio]

I have a local printer that does my giclee prints. I was luck to find them and I consider them almost like family they are so good to me. The have excellent prices and stand being their work. Of course they ship so if you are interested I can recommend them:

http://www.theprintmaker.net/

If you need quality printing of other things such as notecards, Christmas cards or BCs then I use no other than 48HourPrint. Another great resource with excellent customer service. They also run regular sales with as much as 30% off which makes it possible to get more for your printing money.

http://www.48hourprint.com/

[Former_Member]

Joshua Hullender, Thank You so much for inviting me to the Art Group and Thank You, Victoria, for asking the "Print" Question, as I am too looking for inexpensive quality prints. Currently I use a Photo Shop to print in gloss and matt for my art and sell them as collages. I also frame them on 5mm foamcore with black or white double matting in the front, where my customers have the option to frame them for additional effect. I get the double matting and foam core cut at a local Framing Gallery.
I am also looking for a printer who prints quality on canvas at affordable prices. The printers around me charge more for a Canvas Print than I can sell my paintings for.

[MoonDanceStudios]

I have a printer from Epson that I use for printing most of my prints, but it is only 17 inches wide, so there are many sizes I can't do. I have used some other places and been quite happy with them. One is www.ezprints.com. I started using them a long time ago and found they do a wonderful job color matching at a good price.

I have also used www.iprintfromhome.com and really like them for their selection of papers.

Recently someone told me about www.giclee-factory.com. They have the absolute best prices I have ever seen. I plan on giving them a try, but have not had a chance to order from them. (just heard about them yesterday! Will be trying them soon!!)

Carolyn

[Former_Member]

Some very interesting ideas/suggestions. I've looked at printing my own greeting cards for ages now but never got it done. You guys are inspiring me!

[Former_Member]

Wow! The giclee factory site knocked my socks off. The local place I use for photography prints can't be beat... but I think when it comes to giclees, this place might be exactly what I've been looking for! Thanks for that link, Carolyn!!!

[Former_Member]

I also use iprintfromhome.com for my larger than 8x10 prints and catprint.com for my photocards. Their quality is always impressive. For my 8x10 prints I print from my own Canon printer and use photo rag for my prints from paintings and Canon matte photo paper for my digital prints. It took a lot of experimentation to get to this point but so far my customers have been very happy with the quality of the prints and cards and I feel that I save the most money going this route.

[Kokabella]

I recommend Millers Professional Imaging {http://www.millerslab.com/}. They were referred to me by a Hollywood photographer who has a beach house just down the way from me. He shoots all over the world and told me at a recent trade show that he doesn't use anyone else.

I do have a wide format printer for last minute rush jobs which is from Canon's professional line of printers. Yes, the ink is costly as is the paper if used as an everyday printer. The colors are vibrant and quality is outstanding though and saves me when a last minute order comes in.

I have yet to find a source for 4x6 prints although I have found some great suggestions here that I am going to order samples from.

Have a beautiful, creative day!

Terry-Anne
http://kokabella.com

[Former_Member]

I almost only sell prints. Every once in awhile I'll list an original, but I charge a lot for my originals.

[MoonDanceStudios]

You are welcome Hallowedhill......I am thinking of ordering from them soon before they come to their senses and jack up their prices!!!!

Carolyn

[Former_Member]

I only sell prints of my original artworks. Sometimes I digitally enhance them by changing the background. I print them myself on my own printer.

[rainbowofcrazy]

I print from my own printer, which I think works best for me because I like having the ability to make a print as I need it, rather than stocking up on prints that may or may not sell.. I also like being able to convert a piece of new art into a print immediately.. I'm impatient that way, lol.

[Former_Member]

If it's in your budget, and you're willing to take a little time to learn how to do it, it's definitely better, in the long run, to invest in your own small giclee printer and create your own high quality prints. However, for alot of artists just starting out, investing in your own equipment and materials isn't a feasible option. For artists and photographers who can't invest in their own equipment, we always recommend that you start by searching for a local giclee print shop in your area. When you work local, you'll be able to build a good relationship with your printer, which is never a bad thing. You're going to get great advice and recommendations, and most of the time, better prices and faster turn-around times. Definitely the way to go!

Now, if you can't afford your own equipment, AND there aren't any good print shops in your area, obviously you'll have to resort to an internet company. There are plenty of them out there, and quite a few of them have already been listed in the responses above. But, if you're looking for an internet print shop that offers you all of the benefits of the small local printer, please check out our shop. We are a small husband-and-wife print shop, and we offer all of the same benefits of your small local printer (advice, recommendations, quality, price, and turn-around time). And, we ship everywhere!

If you ever have any questions regarding printing equipment, materials, sizes, papers, etc, etc, please don't hesitate to ask us. We're always happy to help out fellow Etsians however we can. Even if you don't order prints from us, we're still happy to answer any questions, or offer any advice that we can.

Good luck in your search! I hope you're able to locate a good source to have some prints made.

[Former_Member]

I go to any local office store to have them printed. I'd much rather have them professionally printed. My printer at home isn't capable of making great prints.