Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Own Art Prints

People who love creating art, either by painting them or designing beautiful pictures digitally, usually want to display their art. Some want to hang their masterpieces in their homes, some want to give them as gifts, and some artists want to explore making money with their art. One way to make money off art is to retain the original piece and make prints of the piece. It allows artists to make money repeatedly from one piece, increasing the chance their artwork will be profitable. There are several different ways to make art prints.

Types of Art Print Processes

Most people think about art prints as being a paper-based medium. Although paper is still a popular option, many ways to make prints now exist. You may want to consider a different printing process depending on the medium of the art. Different pieces will look better when printed using different processes.

Paper

The paper used for art prints should be of archival quality and acid-free. It's important because this paper will help prevent discoloration and decay over time.

Giclée Printing

Pigment-based inks are used to make giclée prints. These inks have more depth and also last longer. Although most giclée prints are done on paper, some printers can also use the technique on metal or canvas.

Metal, Canvas, or Acrylic Prints

There are many different reasons why an artist might want to have their prints made on a material other than paper. Artists who make font-based art or art based on vintage signs might want to use metal to make their work look more authentic. Other artists might prefer canvas so their works present more as a painting and less as a print. Acrylic prints look sharp and glossy, which appeals to some photographers.

Making Art Prints

Many artists are intimidated by making prints of their works. However, it's quite easy to understand. It only takes artists a little practice to become proficient with the process! It requires a scanner, access to a high-quality printer, and image editing software like Adobe Photoshop.

Prepare for Scanning

There are a few ways to get access to a scanner. Many artists purchase their own. Even very high-quality scanners are fairly affordable. You can also find places that rent out time on scanners, and you might find you can borrow computers that have design software pre-installed. Once you get access to a scanner, the first thing to do is make sure the scanner bed is free of dust and completely clean. Check over the artwork, making sure it is clean and free of smudge marks. Set scan quality to the highest DPI (dots per image) possible. The higher the DPI, the higher quality of the eventual print will be after printing. Very large pieces will need to be scanned in sections. Each scanned section can then be merged using photo editing software.

Editing Art Prints

After scanning the artwork and editing the scan, you can begin preparing for printing. Although most people use Adobe Photoshop, other options are available, like PicMonkey or Canva. All three programs offer a free trial so artists can try them before committing to a monthly subscription fee. Watching some video tutorials to learn how to use the program effectively and how to set bleeds, combine images, and prepare files for printing is a good idea.

Guaranteeing Print Quality of Art Print

After preparing the digital file, the next step is to make a test print of the art. Whether the artist is printing the art themselves or using a service, a test print is vital to ensure the print is high-quality and meets the artist's vision. It's very common to need to make further edits. The most common edit is color correcting so that the print matches the original as closely as possible.

Printing Fine Art Prints

Doing test prints until the artist is satisfied is the most important step in making a quality print. After receiving the prints, make sure they are properly protected. The perfect way to store each print is to buy acid-free whiteboards and clear, archival-quality bags. They will be safe in their packaging and look attractive when customers see them in person or receive them in the mail. Some artists focus on selling their prints at craft shows, while others make websites or sell on sites like Society6 or Etsy.