Canon 44" wide-format, 11 color inkjet printer, designed for photography and fine art reproductions.
The Art of Printing
Of course there’s a lot of technology in making a print these days, but nothing replaces human experience, communication, and attention to detail. Printing is still as much art as science.
What are your most worrisome problems with having your artwork printed? Getting the right colors? Selecting the right paper? Unresponsive or unknowledgeable customer service?
Call me and let's talk. I have answers... or opinions attained from decades of printing experience, as the case may be.
Art Printing Services for Commercial Art Buyers and Interior Designers
Most businesses rely on machines; I rely on human communication, experience, and attention to detail to make really great prints. Consider the benefits of working with a small business the next time you want to speak with the person who actually makes your prints instead of a customer service person. Call me, I'm both… and I probably have the answers to your most pressing questions.
The Paper and Prices:
Paper: White, 260 gsm, Luster/satin/semi-gloss finish. Other papers available upon request.
Pricing: 8¢ per square inch
Minimum Order: $35.00
Shipping Charge: $15.00 on orders up to $149.00. Shipping to anywhere in the United States is free on orders of $150 or above.
The Printer:
My printer is a Canon imagePROGRAF 4100, capable of printing on 44" wide roll paper with eleven inks, more than double the number of inks compared to a basic four-color CMYK inkjet printer... producing a greater range of color and subtle shades of gray in black and white prints.
What about corrected vs. uncorrected file services – which is the right way to go?
Most printing companies offer the service of correcting your image files (for a modest increase in price), or printing them directly from your file without any intervention. But is it worth it? The obvious question is: What is correct or incorrect color? For example, suppose I was tasked with printing a photo of the Wicked Witch of the West. Without knowing that the witch does indeed have green skin, I might attempt to "correct" the picture to a normal human skin color. But even then, what's normal?
My approach on this subject is to print the image "as is" when I think the file will make a good print. But if, in my opinion, the print would be improved with corrections, I'll let you know. Most corrections affecting overall color balance, brightness or contrast are quick and easy adjustments. I will always ask first before editing a client's image file, but these simple adjustments are free. If it gets to the point where part of the picture is too red and another part is not red enough, that's different and we can discuss the issue and the cost. Either way, I won't charge for just looking at your files, and only charge a fee after discussing the extent of the work involved. Communication solves a lot of problems.
Am I going to print something that looks exactly like what you see on you monitor?
Probably not. That's because monitors emit light and paper reflects light. Computer monitors are always going to have an inherent luminosity to the image that prints do not. In addition to that issue, printing the same photograph on different papers will look different. The experts in color management try to convince us that printing with ICC paper profiles (which essentially tell the printer how to compensate for the unique properties of different papers) solve all problems, but still doesn't assure that color across different devices and papers will all look the same. Nor should I necessarily want them to. For example, if I use a warm white (natural) paper and apply the manufacturer's paper profile, the software thinks the image needs to offset yellow with more blue ink. But that's not what I want... I want the natural warm tone of the paper to impact the picture, otherwise I would have simply used bright white paper. What I'm driving at is that human judgment still works better than machine judgment... in my opinion.
How do we decide what paper or colors look best for the job?
Obviously you can put five people in a room looking at the same picture and you'll get five different opinions for what looks best. Photographers such as myself are far pickier looking at a photograph than the general public walking through the lobby of a bank or hotel. If you want me to make minor decisions about color, contrast and those sort of things, I'm happy to do so. I've been making inkjet prints for over twenty years, and worked in the commercial printing business for a couple decades before that. Nothing replaces experience. If you have a project though where the client is as picky about colors as I am, the solution is to make a small proof print. I offer them at a reasonable price of twenty dollars which covers my paper and mailing costs. Consider it great insurance when you want absolute control over the look of the finished print.
A word about copyrights.
By choosing me to print your fine art and photography, you acknowledge and confirm that you have the necessary rights and permissions for printing the artwork. All digital images remain your property and I will never sell, lease, loan or reproduce your work for anyone other than you without your permission.