Best way to make prints?

dkmr1 · #1 12-13-2005, 09:29 PM

With pastels, how do you make a print of your painting? Do you use a scanner or is it better to take a digital photo? Little worried about putting a piece face down on the scanner. My painting was done on suede matboard and hasn't been fixed at all. Is that something I should do as well?

Thanks,

Donna

Paula Ford · #2 12-13-2005, 09:35 PM

I use my digital camera and tweek it in my computer to make it look as close to the original as possible and then I go here and get my prints made... www.iprintfromhome.com

Paula

Kathryn Wilson · #3 12-13-2005, 10:13 PM

I'm going to move this over to the Pastel Talk forum - you'll likely get more answers there to your question.

KJSCL · #4 12-14-2005, 07:03 PM

Donna

I've done both. I find I get a much better and truer result with the scanner than my 4 megapixel camera.

That being said, 95% of my digital images have come from my camera. Unfortunately, I don't have spot lights and getting even lighting indoors is a challenge for me. Photographing outdoors on an overcast day is supposed to be good lighting but in Calgary, overcast days are usually either too cold or too rainy to be outside in. I've asked for an 8 megapixel camera for XMas but the chances of that are about as good as being able to photograph on an overcast day in Calgary

The scanner has produced very good results and is capable of capturing a larger DPI image than my camera. The bad part is my scanner has a maximum size of 11 x 14. The even worse part is I'm very leary of putting some of my paintings face down on the scanner bed. So far I've been okay, just not looking forward to the one time that backfires!

BTW, I never use fixatives. There are several threads here on the pros and cons of doing so, but my vote is against it.

chewie · #5 12-14-2005, 11:08 PM

what luck!~ i was wanting to know this very same thing!!! thanks paula for the link, i'll have to check on that.

was considering a new printer, but had to take my computer into the shop instead.

had some nasty stuff in there, so now that i'm all up and running again, i would like to look into printers. i don't print big, and not really wanting to either. so i am not thinking i would get my use out of a wide format model. i just want great prints, reg. sized, and do notecards. but i don't want them to fade out in a month either!! if there is anyone who can point me at some printers to consider, i'd be grateful.

Dot Hoffman · #6 12-15-2005, 11:17 AM

The prints from www.iprintfromhome.com are not giclee prints, or are they?

Are these the prints you sell? When I checked the site, it didn't seem like they were, but maybe I'm missing something.

Paula Ford · #7 12-15-2005, 12:39 PM

No, they aren't giclee. Here is what they say about the paper they use.

Quote:

At iPrintfromHome.com, we proudly use Kodak Professional Endura photographic paper to print all of our photographs.

As explained on Kodak.com, Endura Paper provides "State-of-the-art image stability," which means that your photographs will have an exceptionally long print life. Based on various storage conditions, we have included a listing below of the print life you can expect from Endura paper:

100 years in home display

200 years in dark storage

1 to 5 years for commercial display
Kodak Endura paper also offers "impressive color accuracy" that will "faithfully capture the hues and tones of your original subject or scene. The result: Your display prints will truly match your original subject matter."

I'm just ordered 3 prints 12" x 18" and they came out beautifully. I purchased them for gifts, and not for professional purposes.

dkmr1 · #8 12-15-2005, 03:58 PM

Thanks for the replies so far. Will try to take some photos outside since it's usually overcast on the West Coast.

Since my art is done on suede matboard what type of printing paper would be the most suitable since I can't put board into my printer? Would I print onto photo paper or would I have to get some other kind of paper from an art supply store.

Will be going to the art store today so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Donna

scall0way · #9 12-22-2005, 10:25 AM

Hmm, for something like printing as a gift, whatever - rather than for selling the prints, I wonder about other photo print sites. For example I have a Yahoo photo album, and you can order prints through Yahoo, up to a 20x30" size. Yahoo says about their printing process:

"silver halide chemical process is used with Kodak paper to ensure the highest possible quality. Yahoo! Photos prints have the same fade-resistant quality and durability as film-based prints from the best photo-finishing labs."

I wonder what the durability of color prints from the best labs is?

Paula Ford · #10 12-22-2005, 12:27 PM

20x30? Wow, that's big. I'd love to get a couple of prints made in that size.

Debbie, Can you provide me with a link there?

Thank you

scall0way · #11 12-22-2005, 02:42 PM

Hmm, I *think* that you first need a Yahoo Photos album. But this is easy to create if you don't have one, and free, and allows unlimited space for uploading photos. My Pastels photo album is "public" so I *think* you might be able to see this link from my own album to the Photos site:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/scall0way/print_splash

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