Fine Art FAQ

FAQ -- Fine Art Prints

Q: What is a Premium Giclée paper print?  Giclée (“Zhee-Clay”) comes from the French word “gicler” which means “to spray”. A Giclée print refers to a high resolution image produced on archival art or photographic paper by high-end specialized large format inkjet printers. Giclée prints and canvas wraps are accepted by galleries and museums throughout the world as some of the finest photographic prints available. Q: What is a Metal print? An image printed by specialized dyes coated directly onto aluminum. This gives images more saturation and contrast, and they often seem to pop off the wall in a kind of 3D effect. Metal prints offer a sleek, thinner design and presentation, and are scratch resistant. They are lighter than traditional framed prints, do not have glare from framed glass, are very stable and easy to hang. There are two basic types of metal prints — images printed on metallic paper that is then mounted on metal, or printed by a dye sublimation process that heat-infuses the image directly to the metal. Depending on the image you want and how/where you want to hang it, we can recommend the best choice for you. Q: What is a Canvas Wrap Giclée?  A Gallery Wrapped Canvas Giclée uses the same printing process as a paper print but prints onto high quality, museum grade canvas. The canvas is then tightly stretched around a wooden frame. You can choose whether you want the sides of the wrap to show a portion of the image or just be white or black. You can also choose whether you want an exterior frame around your gallery wrap , or save some money and display it as is. All of our canvas giclées are coated with a protective sprayed finish which makes the canvas cleanable and less prone to damage from UV light (sun). They should only be cleaned with a slightly damp porous cloth and very light pressure. Do not use any solvents or cleaners other than water. Q: What kind of image looks better printed on canvas?  Anything that looks great on paper will also look great on canvas. However, canvas has texture to it and gives the image a bit of a 3D effect. It can be particularly effective for images that have “layers” to them or different perspectives within them. It also depends on the qualities of your living area that may have some relationship or consistency to a “warmer” textured canvas feel. Your choice of canvas may just hinge on intuitive, personal preferences of the look of prints vs wraps. Q: How should I handle my Canvas Wraps and are they waterproof?  Each giclée print and wrap has been inspected before it leaves our printer. If you keep them out of direct sunlight, they should last over 100 years. Avoid putting pressure on the surface of the print, especially in the areas where the canvas is in contact with the wooded stretcher bars. Pick up by the wire on back; avoid touching any print or wrap directly with your hands — ideally wear gloves as you handle them for matting or hanging  , touching only the back and sides of a gallery wrapped canvas. Q: Can I order the Canvas wrap unmounted (rolled)?   Yes, you can order the canvas prints unmounted and get them mounted closer to your home. This may save you some money on shipping, but you will still have to get them stretched before hanging. Based on our wholesale costs and the fact that we do not mark up framing costs, you may save a little on shipping, but your retail mounting cost closer to home might be more. We recommend getting the Gallery Wrap printed and frame-stretched here for the highest quality and to preserve your guarantee. We cannot guarantee framing quality if we do not do the framing. </font color> Q: What is a Limited Edition print? A Limited Edition print is a custom printed set of images calibrated and matched in quality to provide a dependable value to collectors. Limited Editions often go up in value as the end of the print run is reached. Usually, no additional editions are printed, and the original number of prints on the market becomes fixed. The image may also become much more valuable due to world or market conditions surrounding the subject of the image or the artist. The Limited Edition is often signed by the artist and each individual print is numbered. The numbers on the print denote the individual piece number in the edition over the total edition size. For example, a print numbered 10/150 would be the 10th print made in a series of 150. Tbe prints and canvas wraps offered on this website are not Limited Editions. Please contact us separately if you are interested in our small run Limited Edition prints for our best selling images.    Q: Will my finished print or canvas look like the image on my computer monitor?  Probably. In most cases, the difference will be minimal.The way a picture appears on your screen depends on your screen settings such as contrast, brightness, color profile, etc. The same picture may appear different on different screens and different printers. Your computer monitor most likely does not display the same colors as a professional color calibrated monitor and printer. Unless you are using the same monitors, calibration devices and color profiles that we use, the printed image will differ slightly from your monitor’s view. The print or canvas you receive from us will more closely match the true colors of the original photo than what may appear on computer screens. Q: What is a Certificate of Authenticity?  A Certificate of Authenticity, included with Limited Edition Prints is the an assurance to the purchaser that they have bought an authentic individually supervised print, produced under the direction of the photographer. It includes a registration number that is kept on file with the photographer in duplicate, it adds value to the photograph and protection to the owner if there is any question as to the genuine nature and origin of the print. Q: How long will prints last? If you keep your prints out of direct sunlight in a room with average temperature and humidity, they can last 100+ years. Print stability and longevity varies with display conditions — direct light intensity, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. Q: What are the shipping costs? Shipping is included free for prints sent within the United States. We ship USPS insured priority, which takes about 1-2 weeks. If you would like your print(s) faster, contact us for a minimal courier shipping charge if you would like your prints within a few days. Multiple prints ordered at the same time can save on shipping. International orders will pay all shipping costs to their destination. Contact us ahead of time if you wish to order in quantity and we will give you the maximum discount available for your choices. We do not mark up any shipping charges so you will only pay what we are charged to ship. Q: Can you ship prints internationally? Yes. Contact us for a customized shipping quote. Though it will cost a bit more, we do not mark up any of our shipping charges. What you pay is what we pay for shipping to you. Any customs fees, local taxes and duty charges, though, are still the responsibility of the purchaser. Back to Fine Art Print Page

FAQ -- Fine Art Prints

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