Printing

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It’s the responsibility of the artist and not of those who print when the printed picture is on the wrong paper, has the wrong size. It’s not the first time that I wanted to get my pictures printed on dem paper and I got them on glossy ones or the other way round. One must check the results.

Today I got another picture printed. When I returned home I realized that it was printed on another paper than the pictures that I got printed yesterday even though I mentioned that I’d like to get the same paper like yesterday. Nobody wants to have 5 different papers in a portfolio. I even explained my project and why I need the same paper. I had asked the last time, but I didn’t insist enough to get an answer about the company who produces the paper that they use and the thickness of the paper. I wanted to have glossy paper in addition.

Everything that could go wrong went wrong already:

  • I got the wrong paper size. I was told that the one who would frame it can cut it. But I want to put the picture in a file.

  • I got dim paper instead of glossy one.

  • Each time the thickness of the paper was different.

As said it’s the responsibility of the artist to communicate correctly.

This is the second print company that I try. The first one was expensive beyond imagination. It took 3 weeks till I got one picture printed and then it was printed on a paper with a wrong size. On the sides of the picture was a tiny white rim.

I know now why I avoided this last step. To get to prints is a stony path plastered with mistakes. It’s a trial and error adventure. It can get expensive and time-consuming.

One must probably distinguish between print companies and copy shops. Printing companies have different clients. Most people probably want to get a few copies and go to a copy shop round the corner. They want to get the diploma printed i.e.. Advertising companies might go to different print companies that offer a higher standard. They might not be interested in printing a single picture every week. The printer of the copy shops are usually of high quality these days. Yet a copy shop has different expertise than a company that offers fine art prints.

Hahnemühle is a leading paper company. I consider to buy my own paper. Hahnemühle also offers high end boxes to store the pictures. That way I can at least control a tiny part of the printing process.