How to Make Fine Art Prints of Your Art

If you’re an artist exploring the possibility of offering prints of your work, it’s safe to say there are a number of potential benefits to expanding your practice in that way. Apart from providing an additional revenue stream, prints also make your work accessible to a wider audience, some of whom may not be ready to purchase an original piece. They’re also ideal products for art fairs and markets because they can be easily reproduced, stocked and displayed. How you choose to produce your prints will depend on several factors, including your budget, how much time you have to commit to the process of making your own prints, and the volume you’ll need. In this article, I share my process for creating professional-quality prints in my studio, including the tools I use and tips for achieving the best results when printing artwork yourself. I hope this information helps you decide which avenue is most appropriate for you and your business.

Watch a Step-by-Step Video on My Print Process

Why I don’t outsource printing (at the moment)

Colour Accuracy

All of my prints are currently made to order in my studio, giving me full control over colour, detail, and overall quality. I scan and fine-tune the digital files before testing (often multiple times) to ensure the final prints remain true to the original artwork. I find that having the freedom to test-print as many times as necessary in the comfort of my own space makes this process much easier.

Time

Time is another factor in my choice to create prints in-house. For me, it has always been faster and more convenient to manage the printing myself, rather than making repeated trips to a print shop to review proofs before feeling confident that the final print is as close to the original as possible.

Cost-Effectiveness

I prefer not to print in bulk as holding inventory that may or may not sell can often result in wasted time, effort, money and materials. Printing on demand or in small batches also helps to keep costs down while allowing me to assess which products resonate with my audience. This helps to guide future decisions about which images to continue offering and where to make larger investments.

The Equipment & MATERIALS

Scanner

I use an Epson Perfection V600 Photo scanner and I’m pleased with the images it produces. When I first began making prints, I used a DSLR camera to digitize my work. While this is certainly a viable option, I’ve found that scanning makes the digitization process much faster and more streamlined. It also virtually eliminates any issues with uneven lighting, insufficient image detail and distortion that I experienced when using a camera.

Image Editing Software

Once my artwork is scanned, I use Affinity Photo to clean up and colour-correct the images before printing. There are also other programs available that you can use to edit your images, including Adobe Photoshop as well as some free apps.

Printer

I print with a Canon Pixma Pro-10 professional inkjet printer, and while it’s not the latest model on the market, it still produces beautiful, gallery-quality images. This machine has 10 ink channels and uses pigment-based inks (as opposed to dye-based). This is important for creating archival, fade-resistant prints. If you decide to invest in a fine art printer for your business, it’s recommended that you get one with 10-12 ink channels which allow the printer to reproduce smoother gradients and a broader spectrum of colours accurately.

Fine Art Paper

I tried out a few different types of paper before choosing ones by Epson and Moab for my prints. They are Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper, Epson Cold Press Natural and Moab’s Entrada Rag Natural 300. All of these are 100% cotton and acid-free. As a bonus, the Moab paper is printable on both sides, which helps to save paper when test-printing. The Epson papers, however, only offer single-sided printing.

The Process

STEP 01  |  SCANNING
When scanning artwork, image resolution is critical. I generally scan my art at anywhere between 600-1200 DPI and export the files in TIFF format for sharper, more detailed work that can be enlarged without a loss in image quality. I also set the machine to scan at 48-bit depth to ensure that the maximum amount of colour information is captured. This helps to preserve colour details and achieve smoother transitions between tonal values.

STEP 02  |  EDITING
Once my art has been scanned, I import the image into my photo editing software to make any necessary colour or contrast adjustments and to clean up any stray or distracting marks.

STEP 03  |  PRINTING
Exact printer settings will vary by machine and paper type, but I generally select the highest print quality and choose the media type that most closely matches the texture and finish of the paper I’m using. This part of the process often requires some trial and error to get the best results possible. An important factor in achieving print colour accuracy is the use of ICC profiles. Without getting too technical, ICC profiles tell devices how to correctly interpret colour. With regard to printing, these digital files instruct your printer on how to reproduce colours on specific papers, allowing for more accurate and predictable colour output. These files can often be downloaded from the paper manufacturers’ websites. Once you’ve found and installed the appropriate ICC profile for your printer model and paper, simply select that profile in the colour matching (or similar) section of the print dialog box when you’re ready to print.

STEP 04  |  PACKAGING
The final step is packaging the prints. I first cut them to size if necessary and slip them into plastic sleeves with sturdy chipboard backings to prevent bending. I also include small inserts with tips on how to care for fine art prints and finish off the packages with branded labels.

TIP: Consider wearing cotton gloves when handling your prints to avoid accidentally transferring fingerprints, dirt or oils onto the paper.

There are many effective ways to create prints from your art. It’s just a matter of finding what’s best for you and your business. This is my process and I’ve found it works well for my needs at the present time. If you have any questions about anything mentioned in this article, feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.