Services
This is where YOU, the artist, and I, your printer, collaborate to produce the best
giclee reproductions of your art.
If you already know what fine art printing services you need, contact us to get started.
If you’re unsure of what you need or why you should entrust your art to us, please explore the rest of our site.
(Digital Capture
Fine art printing services begin by digitally capturing your original art. Digital Capture is the process of converting art into a digital file. Nothing ever touches the art except light, thus your original art is untouched and unharmed.
There are many ways to convert art to a digital file, ranging from small scanners to huge (and hugely expensive) single purpose cameras. Giclée Yoshimatsu uses a Pentax K-1 full frame, 36MP digital SLR with an SMC Pentax-D FA 100/2.8 WR lens. We specifically chose the Pentax because it uses Pixel Shift Resolution Technology (click for geeky explanation) to produce accurate color and sharper details equivalent to a 144MP camera. In addition, we couple it with a lens specifically chosen for its lack of distortion. While any shops still use older, purpose built digital scanner-cameras, newer technology equals or surpasses their quality. Using a Pentax K-1 with an appropriate lens surpasses the quality of 10-20 year old technology that cost $10K-$20K. Some shops still use film and scan the resulting slide, a slow, time-consuming process.
We bill stand-alone (no prints) Digital Capture at $200 (rebated as discounts on future prints) for single frame images. Some images require two frames to be “stitched” in photo editing software. This takes more time, thus we ask $250 for wide or tall images. For large pieces that require more than two frames, please contact us for a custom quote. Generally, but not always, large art requires more time and care in the setup process.
If you want to create your own digital file, click HERE for step-by-step instructions. You can also print this document for a photographer of your choice as a guideline. We cannot guarantee final results from outsourced digital files.
Color Correction & Matching
Not all devices capture, display or print color the same. For example, take a photo of an easily identifiable color such as Coca-Cola red or Pepsi blue with any digital camera and compare what you see on the LCD to the original. You will see that your camera and your eyes don’t interpret color the same way.
Color management controls for this anomaly. We match every color recorded by the camera to the same color on the display. Then we assign the same color in the printer. This is akin to Grandma’s cooking with “pinches, tads & dashes.” “Red” from a digital camera may be “orangey” on the display and print as “yellowish.” An essential part of fine art printing services, color management enables us to create accurate giclee reproductions of your original art.
The image above is from an uncalibrated workflow
The image above is from a calibrated workflow
We provide Color Correction & Matching service at $150 per image. Both small and large pieces require the same labor intensive process. Consequently, image size doesn’t make a difference unless the file is huge.
Our Color Correction & Matching service includes up to 3 proofs sent to you for evaluation and approval. Please understand that a digital image can never 100% match an original because the processes are inherently different. Therefore, the best that can be achieved is matching the critical colors of your palette. As a result the main colors will be very close. However we may have to compromise on colors of secondary or tertiary significance.
You can perform Color Correction & Matching yourself with the correct equipment and technique. Click this LINK for step-by-step instructions for color correction & matching. There’s also a PDF version you can download to give to a local photographer/photo editor to color correct & match your photos.
Something that we ask for is a palette of the colors you used while creating the art. With this palette on hand, we can more closely match the colors of the print to the original.
Giclee Fine Art Printing Services
Printing is the final step in producing a fine art reproduction print. Our goal is to produce prints that replicate your originals in detail and color fidelity. We strive to produce prints of the highest quality that warrant your approval and motivate customers to buy.
Color management is, above all, the key to matching what we see on our display with what the printer prints on the media (canvas, paper, metal, etc.). After the image is color corrected and matched, the printer must now print those exact colors.
It is important to note that multiple variables control this process, including the ink, media, printer settings, printer quality and, of course, digital file accuracy. All these components are unified via an ICC (International Color Consortium) profile. ICC’s mission is, “…to promote the use and adoption of open, vendor-neutral, cross-platform color management systems.” In other words, ICC establishes standards by which disparate devices “play nice.”
Giclée Yoshimatsu adheres to these standards to ensure that files from virtually any camera with appropriate resolution can be printed to meet any artist’s vision. Although we are willing to work with each artist according to his/her requirements, we usually recommend OEM (original equipment manufacturer) media and inks be used. In many cases, most modern printers can’t even use 3rd party inks due to strict security controls built into the printer. In the case of media, there is an abundance of 3rd party choices but, bottom line, OEM media is still the best choice unless the artist has a specific “look” or “feel” in mind. Most fine art reproductions are created for sale. OEM media and ink virtually eliminate the chances of surprises and delays.
In conclusion, Giclee Yoshimastu provides all the fine art reproduction services you need to ensure your prints are of the highest quality, allowing you to command the best prices. Please see the Pricing page for more information regarding Giclée Yoshimatsu printing services.
Fine art giclee printing can also be done at home. For step-by-step instructions, please follow this LINK for Part 1 of the Fine Art Printing article. Follow this LINK for Part 2.
