As an artist, the first time you ever need to print and frame your work professionally, you may assume it will be an easy task, but from some of our experiences, that’s not always the case!
Finding a local spot to print your work can be difficult and when working in custom sizes with your prints, it can be tricky to get the artwork framed just right.
So, whether you're a digital artist or a traditional artist looking to print and frame your work, there's a few things we have found that are helpful to keep in mind:
1. The first and most important thing is to find both a printing house and a framing business long before a deadline unless you are able to do these tasks yourself.
While these services used to be more common, many businesses have closed their doors, although online print-on-demand services have become more popular, with many offering framing as well. That doesn't mean you won't be able to find a local business, but you may find yourself on the other end of your city, or possibly in the next one over.
Print-on-demand services can be very convenient and cheap, but we have found it to be imperative to read reviews and even order samples to ensure the quality of the company’s work. This is especially wise if you’re ordering in bulk. No one wants to order 50-100 hundred prints that look pixelated!
2. When framing your artwork, it's easiest when your artwork fits a standard dimension that can be placed into a ready-made frame by a framer or yourself.
If you work with non-standard dimensions, custom framing can be a little more expensive, so we highly recommend finding a local independent framing business. They're often cheaper and are able to give you a more personalized care to your work since they have the time and skill to discuss what would work best with your piece.
3. You should always ask your chosen printing house which colour profiling THEY require, before sending your document to print.
Throughout the trials and tribulations of printing your work, it can be easy to overlook the more technical side of printing, i.e. colour profiling. Asking your chosen printing house which one they require, CMYK or RGB, can save you time and energy, as their answer may surprise you! More often than not, we’ve found printers asking to leave files as RGB instead of converting them to CMYK due to the newer types of printers that they are using. Times change, and so does technology! For more in-depth information, see the links below: Printing artwork yourself or with print-on-demand services -> https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/157630 Standard print sizes -> https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/photography/discover/standard-photo-sizes.html#print
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