Into to Printing Your Artwork
When comparing different companies/sources to make fine art prints, be aware that not all prints are created equal. Even the term “Giclee” is not a guarantee of quality, as this term can be applied to a wide variety of prints, despite significant differences in quality. We have had artists tell us that they are going to use online sources for their prints, because these companies often offer very low prices, and we always try to warn these artists about the cons of using online companies. Even if you give them our digital image of your artwork, which is top notch in color quality and detail, you may still receive a subpar product, or prints that look so different from your original artwork that you may not even want to show them to potential customers. Printing artwork requires skilled technicians capable of creating the highest quality prints possible.
Examples of our giclee prints, exact matches to the original artwork by Bill Walsh
Establishing your quality and image from the beginning is a very important aspect in successful sales. In our opinion, if you are not ready to sell high quality prints that compare to the quality of your art, then it can be better to not create prints at all until you can afford a quality that compares to your originals. The prints that you offer become part of your brand as an artist, and if your prints are noticeably subpar next to your original artwork, this will affect your sales. Customers often buy prints from artists because they love the work but cannot afford the original, so if your prints do not compare in quality to your artwork, they may lose interest in buying the print.
We often get the first impression from clients that our prints are too expensive. We generally have to spend time with each client reviewing all that we offer and review with artists. The cost of the prints we make here is not excessive, and what many people don’t understand at first is that when you make prints with us you partner with us. We will spend whatever time it takes to make sure you have thought of everything you will need to be successful in print sales.
Spending this time with us, tapping into the knowledge that we have cultivated from over 20 years of experience helping artists develop successful strategies to implement selling fine art prints of their work, will save you years of trial and error. We will sit down with you and talk about everything we mention on our Digital Print Consultations page, as well as any other questions you may have. We will never try to rush you out, or tell you your time is up. This kind of one-on-one service is not something you can get from an online company, and they are not going to available and willing like we are to answer any questions you may have down the line.
We have many artists come to us to develop successful strategies to integrate printing while also trying to begin selling original artwork. We have established strategies with many artists that involve trying to get as much money as possible for your originals as well as your prints. As a new artist, this is the perfect opportunity to ask a little more for your original artwork, while having high quality prints to help sell the originals and vice versa. Often times artists tell us they can’t sell prints at a high enough cost to afford to print with us, because their original artwork is priced low. The quick answer is “raise the price of your original”. All it takes is confidence in yourself as an artist, and being secure in the knowledge that you are offering a high quality product that is worth the price. We are here to help you integrate fine art prints into your sales strategy, and once we sit down and coach you through what you can ask for your prints versus your originals you will feel really great about how the prices compliment each other.
What we offer at Old Town Editions is catered to artists and repeat limited edition fine art printmaking. We encourage you to wait until you are ready to sell high quality reproductions of your artwork, instead of selling a low quality product in the meantime. We have seen many artists try the cheap route first, only to wish they hadn’t and ultimately come back to print with us. If you are interested in making truly high quality reproductions of your artwork, please come by our studio, talk to our staff, and take a look through all of our print samples. We are ready to help you be as successful as possible.
Print reproductions coming off the printer. Artist: Brad Hudson