FAQ: Artists

There's no doubt reproducing your own artwork is an expensive endeavor.  Depending on your goals, the cost of hardware, consumables, and the time demanded to become expert can really add up.  Why go to all that effort?  Two reasons:

1.  Creative control.  We believe art reproduction is just as much a part of the creative process as creating the original.  As your knowledge of print making grows, you will discover new ways to integrate your expression into the printmaking process- opening new doors to creativity.

2.  Margins.  While licensing your artwork out may be simpler, depending on your agreement, the compensation for a print can often be counted in cents, not dollars.  More and more artists are finding that by printing their work themselves they can make a living wage and finally take their work from side-hustle to full-time career.  Even with prorating the cost of a large format printer into your cost, you will find printing yourself to be several times cheaper than paying a print shop to do it for you.

Scanning large artwork is a little more complicated than placing it on a flatbed scanner.  There are many methods, but usually it involves a darkroom with a controlled light source and a DSLR.  Art scanners will take several high-resolution images of each section of a drawing or painting and splice them all together to achieve one color-accurate, distortion free image file ready for reproduction.  If you don't have the space or equipment for this process yourself, many print studios will offer digitization for a flat fee, a sq/ft basis. or an hourly rate.

All BC media is designated by the type of ink it is designed to accept be it water based (aqueous), solvent, UV, or latex.  Check your printer and make sure you know your ink type to ensure media compatibility. 

Generally speaking Aqueous is the preferred ink type for artists and fine art reproduction.  Aqueous ink may be a bit more expensive and the print time may be longer, but the results are well worth it.  Aqueous printers have lower up-front costs and offer the finest detail and deepest saturations.

You may not have heard of us, but ask at your local print shop and its a different story.   We like to think of ourselves as the industry's best kept secret- the old pro's silver bullet, setting their work apart.  We may spend less on marketing than the big brands you're familiar with, but what we don't spend on advertising is diverted into our R&D and manufacturing process.  Our highly advanced and OBA-free inkjet coatings are more expensive to produce than traditional coatings.  Staying manufacturer direct allows us to sell a higher quality product at a fraction of the cost.