How I create art prints and other questions answered!
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- Опубліковано 15 лип 2024
- How do you make your prints? Do you use a service? Do you ship prints flat or rolled? Why do you offer the option of a digital signature?
.....these are just a few of the questions I've been asked recently and I'm answering all of them right here for you in this video.
who I prefer for art prints: iprintfromhome: bit.ly/3qWLe1g
Studio equipment/supplies I use to create and prepare art prints for shipping (some are Affiliate Links):
✨Rollo Thermalprinter: amzn.to/2vCvLpj
✨the printer I use for creating my art prints: amzn.to/2ULaTWV
✨Carl Paper Cutter: amzn.to/2PCgzS2
✨ Canon All in One Printer for scanning my work and office tasks: amzn.to/2Y15nl7
✨ rigid mailers for 5x7 prints: amzn.to/2Hd1Hqw
✨ rigid mailers for 8x10 prints: amzn.to/2PTOcin
✨ rigid mailers for 11x14 prints: amzn.to/2VHzLn5
Find me on Etsy here: www.etsy.com/shop/EllenBrenne...
Visit me on Facebook here: / ellenbrennemanstudio
My Website: www.ellenbrennemanstudio.com
Instagram handle: @ellenbrennemanstudio
All of the opinions I share in this video are based on my personal experience which may not be the same as yours. Please contribute to the conversation but let's all be respectful of one another.
☑️ Write to me here:
Ellen Brenneman
PO Box 8251
South Bend, IN 46660 - Навчання та стиль
So informative! I am an oil painter just starting to add paintings, prints and giclees to my Etsy site. Everything you are saying is a gift 🎁 of wisdom, trial and error and I am very grateful ❣️
Thanks so incredibly much for sharing so much information with us. Honestly, as an artist who is struggling to keep up with new technologies and platforms, it can feel like reinventing the wheel to learn how to do this. What a blessing you are, and your art is amazing. Could I ask who your drop shipper is? You obviously have a good relationship and history with them. Thank you.
I have to say you are so sweet and so generous to take the time and share with all of us the wealth of information you have collected throughout the years. It takes a wonderful person to share the good.... it takes a strong person to share the fails. I believe you have an amazing talent and also a great personable way to speak to your audience while we all know you are just talking into a camera. That is truly appreciated. I am now painting full time... doing something I began 30+ years ago and loved what I did since... but now, it is time to do what I truly enjoy and take care of my body and mind.... long story.... but this phase is the right thing to do at this time in my life. I have the talent... I just have to draw inspiration and knowledge from others. I want to thank you for being one of those blessings I came across as I have watched your videos. I am working on my social media at this time... website... products... business plan...etc.... I am not bored one bit. lol! Your videos have been very helpful. I am grateful. Have a wonderful day. Rose
I greatly appreciate your kind words, and I'm happy to know that my videos are resonating with you. It's been a long road and I've learned much. Hopefully some of what I discuss will help you avoid the mistakes I've made :)
You have a pretty dog! So loving. Thanks for the info!
Thank you, Rebecca! She's a diva dog 😂 She's always sound asleep until I begin filming!
Great to see you again, Ellen! Such a wonderful video! ❤😊
Love to you, Maike - always so nice to hear from you! 😘😘
always appreciate your videos !
Thank you, your explanations were perfect. Love your videos.
Thank you kindly, Ava! :)
Great information. You are so nice! Thank you, Ellen.
Thank you so much for creating these binge worthy informative videos. I also have a large dog who wants to help. I can relate to your comment about painting in your pajamas and not realizing you didn't eat breakfast or lunch- I call it Art Zone Brain, good for focus, bad for your body. I retired from nursing because my neck couldn't handle all of the computer work and lifting without realizing that painting (my original love) is hard on your body as well..... My nurse brain wants to make sure everyone knows that some dog foods have linseed oil in them. I researched this after my yellow lab ate a full new tube of burnt umber oil paint that was completely boxed and wrapped. In her mind according to her nose, a treat could be inside. It looked like a body massacre had occurred in my living room. Thank goodness for Dawn dish soap, all paint on carpet and dog came out completely with much scrubbing and dog soaking. She did not get ill but pooped what looked like oil pastels for a couple days.
Omg Emmy is beautiful & sweet! Thank you for all the good information in this format, much appreciated. Have a wonderful weekend :)
From one Ellen to another - thank you! 😉👍🏼
Thank you so much for the videos!!!!
I was at Comicon a few years ago where a successful fantasy artist did a workshop. He prints at Costco and does his own shipping.
I never even considered Costco for this; worth looking into - thank you Carolyn! :)
The dog!
You're very welcome - glad you found it helpful!
Appreciate your gift to fellow Artists Thank you
Good down to Earth info. Thanks.
Good info! And love your dog!
Thanks Ellen
Hi, highly appreciate your tutorials and may I say they've been of great help to me and find them very informative. Kindly help me about the best in house art printer for making both paper/canvas prints.Thanks in advance
Hi, George 😊 I don't print on canvas so I'm afraid I can't give a good answer to that. If you're interested in purchasing a printer, I have done a few videos on this which you can find on my channel. Thanks for your comment!
Super informative videos. Thank you! Pretty dog...
Thank you for helping other artists navigate the printing process. How do you create digital signatures?
@Ellen Brenneman Studio Thank you for being authentic in your video content. I learned so much from your demos and in-detail explanation of how the business-side of art goes. I have a few questions:
How do you seal your artwork so it last long time?
Do you have suggestions on paper media for acrylic paint? (currently using canvas boards but I foresee the hassle my future customers will have to go through framing my work)
Do you suggest a certian artist-grade acrylic paint that is economic and suitable to making a profit?
What resources have you used to educate yourself on filing taxes properly on the income you recieve from your art business?
At what point an artist should consider claiming their business as LLC? Does it have to return a certain level of profit before it can be claimed as so? What are the pros and cons for LLC?
How do you handle a complaint from a customer? How often you have customers returning your art to Etsy? How did or would you deal with that professionally and emotionally?
Do you believe customers still have a taste for authentic handmade art amid the booming of digital/machine made designs and prints?
How do you feel about artwork sold really cheap on Amazon that is made overseas and compete with us here in the US?
I thank you again, and respect your prospective going about your art business. Take care.
Thank you for your kind words, and for your questions. I keep them all tucked away for future videos so that I can answer them in depth which is much more beneficial than a line or two :) I should have my next Q&A available within the next few weeks!
Hello Ellen! Thank you for all this information, it’s helpful as always. My question was about why you choose to print with a dye based printer versus a pigment based printer?
Hi, Kitty! When I acquired my printer several years ago I opted for a dye based printer because they had the broadest color range needed to match the colors in my paintings. These days however, there's been a lot of progress in pigment based colors and when my current printer is no longer working out for me, I may consider switching.
MOGWAI: The Canon Pro 100 uses the new Chromalife 100+ inks, which will last about 3 of my lifetimes! And 300 years in an album. But actually 100+ years on a wall is plenty for me! I have this printer too. The colors are stunning. Another reason to choose this printer is that pigment printers are much bigger and not everyone has the space for them. Plus, the inks are way more expensive. Not to mention the high price of the printer itself vs. the Pro 100 (now the Pro 200). Actually no one knows how long a pigment print will last, but the Chromalife 100+ longevity is plenty long enough for me and those who buy my prints. I think the Pro dye printers are a great choice.
This is one of the most informative art videos I have watched. I have been looking for a starting point in getting my art printed. Is your canon printer the professional 100 series?
Josephine Herrera my printer is the canon pro 100 😊
Do you have issues with the color heads clogging up? I was going to buy one and it’s reviewers talked about the clogged heads.
@@josephineherrera8508 I've had my printer for several years now; personally, I have not had any issues with clogged heads.
The consensus is, they only clog if you don't use the printer, regularly. You should print at least once a week, to keep heads clean - even if it's just a test page.
I just happened upon your channel. I love your art! I also noticed you are in southbend :) you are so close! Hi from culver!!
Somehow I missed seeing this comment until now, I'm so sorry for the lateness of my reply - wonderful to connect with a local!!
Ellen, what art auction groups would you recommend looking in to?
I've never attempted Ebay but I have run into many artists that do quite well there. I am a member of an auction group on FB and we have roughly 1600 members as of this writing (Nov 2019) but the trick is you either have to be invited or start your own.
Thank you! This was really helpful. Emmy is adorable.
Thank you, Kathleen! She loves being on camera! LOL
Hi Ellen. Thanks for sharing your advice. Can you comment more on the Art Auction site that you use to sell most of your prints? Thanks. H
Hi, Heather! The only art auction site I am active in is a group on Facebook that I, along with 4 other artists created. Each month we offer our original art and select prints of our work to our members, then donate a portion of those proceeds to a different charity each month.
Beautiful work and such informative videos, they have been so helpful for me! Im new to scanning artwork and was just wondering if you save your scanned art as a TIFF file or JPEG or if it makes no difference. Thanks!
Hi, Suzanne! Saving as TIFF files will grant you the option of creating much larger sized prints that will be crisp and clear. PNG files are good as well if you cannot afford the space that a TIFF file will take, but I wouldn't save any work under 300 dpi. I do not recommend saving any of your work as JPEG because you will lose a lot of valuable data information that you'll want to have in case you do want to increase the size of your images for prints. I hope this helps!
@@EllenBrennemanStudio thank you that is so helpful to know!!
Thanks for sharing so much useful information. I'm curious about the online art auction group that you mentioned for selling your originals. Are you able to tell us more about this group?
Hi, Lee! FB art auction groups are formed by collective groups of artists that network together to sell their work auction-style. In our group there are six of us; we hold an auction once a month and donate 20% of our proceeds to a charity of our choice. If you search FB for art auction groups you should see several come up 😊
I love your videos ..
I'm so glad you are finding them helpful!
Thanks for sharing! What kind of paper do you use to print the copies of your art?
Amanda Contreras I use archival matte paper by Lexjet 😊
What’s your ink cost per print or how many prints do you get per cartridge
hahahahaa your dog is so cute !! :)
OMG. I love your doggie.
Thank you! All of my rescues have made an appearance in my videos at one time or another, lol!
Look into the HP Instant Ink program. It's approx. $11 if you print around 300 pages per month, and you get 200 rollover pages if you don't use the 100 pages. As much ink as you need, they don't charge you by the ink cartridge, they charge by the page.
I was unaware of this program. Thank you for the information! 😊
What paper do you use in your canon 100 for your prints?
Hi, Jason! I use Lexjet Archival matte paper which I get directly from their website :)
The 100 series will print 14" wide if you use manual feed. Arizona is in Zone 8, zone 8 is the most expensive to ship to in the continental US.
Thank you for this info!
Hi Ellen, when you say ‘digitally signed ‘, do you mean an electronic signature that the printer has access to? Because a digital signature is something different, I think. You are very generous with your time, thank you.
Thank you for your comment, Gerda. I'm not sure what the proper terminology is; the signature is mine, but it is an overlay. I have not been able to find a good definition of what to call it. Perhaps someone reading this can help!
Hi Ellen, Thank you for another in depth video. What do you mean by a digital signature? Is that when you sign a piece and then send it out to printer as in the case with larger formats? What do you do if you have been selling prints of an original and then someone requests to buy that original? Can you as the artist continue making and selling prints of that piece since you still have the digital image?
Hi, Mary :) What I mean by a digital signature is really a transparent overlay of my signature that I add to my images, then have prints made.
Because I own the copyright to every piece I create, it is my decision whether to sell prints of those works. If a customer purchases an original, I still continue to sell prints of that painting if I so choose. Thanks for your question - hopefully this was helpful!
@@EllenBrennemanStudio Thank you Ellen! Yes that is helpful. Good to know about the print reproduction after selling the original. Would that also apply to licensing the artwork? Can you do a video on creating digital signatures?
Hi Ellen, a question about envelopes. Do you have envelopes custom made for your cards (such as the Robin Redbreast cards on Etsy for example), or do you create your cards in the size as the envelopes you were able to find?
Hello! My envelopes come with the cards.
Hi Ellen. If you sign your canvas with paint, then make limited edition prints, should you sign the limited edition too resulting in 2 signatures? Or should i clone the painted signature out of the limited edition image?
Hi, Sonia! I feel that part of what makes special edition prints unique is having an actual signature from the artist; two signatures would be confusing to a customer, imo.
I appreciate your sharing such practical knowledge. I m looking to buy a printer for making my art prints. Which printer do you recommend is it archival quality?
I use a Canon 100 series printer. inks are archival 50-100 years depending on conditions 🙂
@@EllenBrennemanStudio Thank you very much for taking time to respond. 💐❤
Have you ever had a print that was drop shipped and the printing wasn’t good? How do you handle that situation?
It has happened maybe 2 or 3 times over the years. I ask the customer to send me photos for quality control purposes, then contact my printer. They have always replaced prints that were misprinted by error from one of their machines.
What is the most popular size for prints and do you print your own?
Every year it's different for me; trends usually dictate what will sell. Last year it was 11x124 prints; this year it is 8x10 prints. And yes, I do print my own :)
Hi Ellen, Just wondering what service you use to print your designs on mugs and other items?
I use Printful for much of my merchandise.
@@EllenBrennemanStudio Thanks so much Ellen
More great information, thanks! I’m curious if you know the cost breakdown of printing your own prints on your printer vs. using a print vendor. I’m trying to decide if purchasing a printer is right for me and how long it would take to recoup the initial investment. Thanks!
Great question. To gain an extremely accurate number I had to tally every ink cartridge and every print I made for a full year and while printing from home does save me money, where I REALLY save is in the shipping compared to a drop shipper.
I'm very new at this, but what type of results would a laser printer give (using a commercial printer like Staples?)
While I've never used a laser printer, if I were considering it for prints I'd ask about the lightfastness of the inks and longevity of the paper. If it's not meant to hold up over time you could still sell prints but it would be important to let your customers know. Great question!
On your Facebook site, are the originals that you are selling also being sold as prints on your Etsy store? Just wondering if you feel that is worth doing and if so, do you charge more for the original that has not been made into prints? Thank you for being so helpful with advice!
Yes, I make prints of nearly every original I create. I absolutely feel it is worth doing so, but it all comes down to personal preference and what your ultimate goal is as an artist. I decided a long time ago that I wanted my art to be available to whomever wanted to own it, whether that be in print form or by owning an original. Offering both allows me to reach everyone. And yes, if there is a specific piece that will not be made into prints I do charge more and make sure a potential buyer knows that he/she is getting a one-of-a-kind. Hope this helps!
It sounds like you aren’t able to use a local print shop for your larger prints. That way you could avoid the extra shipping costs and more importantly you could proof the prints in person to ensure better color consistency for your customers. I work at a print shop but I’ve also been doing freelance work professionally for about 30 years. On some of these wide format machines a full set of ink tanks will rival the cost of the printer itself.
Ron Ward So true! And you are right, I don’t have a local printer that produces the type of prints that I feel comfortable selling… Wish I did. Thank you for your comment!
What kind of paper do you use for printing?
fasstdraw I use Lexjet archival matte
Where do you outsource your prints?
For larger sized prints I use Finerworks.com :)
Hello Ellen! Currently selling on Etsy, but I'm looking to work out the kinks in outsourcing some of my prints. Haven't had the best of experiences with 2 different companies. If you don't mind, what is the print company you use?
I have used Finerworks for years.I feel their prints to be of wonderful quality and their customer service is very good. ☺️
@@EllenBrennemanStudio beyond excited to here from you! Thank you for the recommendation. Just wanted to let you know you've already contributed significantly to how I approach selling my art, in the 6 or so months I've been working at it. So thank you.
That is so nice to know, thank you! Very glad you're finding this info useful ☺️
How do you price prints? Can you sell prints of a piece after you sell the original?
I sell prints from my originals on a regular basis. Copyright is non-transferable with purchase, so even if a customer owns an original, he/she is not allowed to sell copies of that work, but I can if I choose to. There are exceptions, such as when I used to paint commissions; I'd rarely create prints from those unless the client felt comfortable with me doing so.
I always recommend checking out other artists on social media who are comparable (roughly the same number of followers, art experience, etc) and price prints accordingly.
Hi Ellen, Do the 11x14 prints include a margin for matting and framing or is that the actual image size?
Personally, I do not include margins - I print from edge to edge. This is a personal decision, however. My customers have told me repeatedly that they prefer I print this way, so I do.
@@EllenBrennemanStudio Thank you Ellen!
I was comparing printers and saw that the Pixma 100 series doesn’t use archival ink. The 10 series does but it’s a lot more expensive. Do your customers usually know the difference or ask for archival prints? If they did, would you outsource that? Or is this something that would only be important for limited addition prints?
Pamela Conley dyes may not be as permanent as pigments but these inks still boast 100 year lifespan and the paper I use is archival. A print should live up to that expectation if properly stored. I only outsource if a customer requests a Giclee print, which some do on occasion. I will outsource for these types of requests. 😊
@@EllenBrennemanStudio YES. I completely agree. 100+ years is quite long and my customers are very happy with that. Is the Sistine Chapel archival? NO. And people claim pigment inks are? Even pigment inks will fade. I have found that to my customers 100+ years (Canon dye inks) vs. 300 years (pigment) is of no concern to them. 300 years is not guaranteed, only a guess based on tests. I have been thrilled with the Canon Chromalife 100+ inks. They are in fact, more vibrant than pigment inks. I'm not trying to get my prints into a museum where they insist on pigment. But think about this. Museums accept Fuji Crystal Archive prints that have an estimated longevity/fade resistance that is LESS than Canon Chromalife 100+ inks! Fuji claims 100, but in Wilhelm Research tests it is only around 40. Yet museums accept them! So much of this is marketing. Thanks for your wonderful videos, Ellen, your honesty and common sense!
Pamela Conley: It's only important to museum curators and collectors. The average person just wants something they like that looks good on their walls. Canon's 100+ years longevity inks vs pigment does not matter to the average person. At least that has been my experience with my customers. I sell fine art prints using archival, acid free paper with 100+ inks. My customers love them. I have not had one ask what kind of inks I use. If they asked for pigment I would outsource the print order. But the market I sell to would not want to pay the high price I would have to charge for a pigment print. And even the 300 years that pigment ink manufacturers boast is not a guarantee. GOOD dye inks, like Chromalife 100+ are superb and just keep getting better. I am stunned by the quality and will keep using them, confident that I'm giving my customers an excellent product.
May I ask what paper gsm brand and quality do you print on? Watercolour?
Jaine Jackson I use archival matte paper by Lexjet which you can get directly from their website.
Thank you kindly but I cannot find that on the Australian site, only hp heavy weight matte. Can you advise what gsm and size please
When I Google this paper here is what is states:
LexJet's Premium Archival Matte Paper is a smooth, neutral-white, matte paper for high- quality fine art, photo ... Paper Weight, 230 gsm.
When you mail a print, do you wrap it in tissue?
Normally I don't wrap prints in tissue unless it has been tagged as a gift for someone, then I will. I do slip all prints in cello sleeves for protection, though. Thanks for your question :)
Ellen Brenneman Studio thank you so much! I figured they had to be protected.
What is the business name of the drop shipping service you are using ? Can you talk more about printing services? Thanks
I use Finerworks.com for printing larger works. I have a playlist in which I discuss printing/shipping topics. If you are interested you can find it here: ua-cam.com/play/PLp9VXy4mobAg0wjo9F2FozSaICFrgVlGD.html
What kind of paper do you use for your prints and what kind of finish are the prints ??
I'm thinking of selling prints of my work but I don't know what kind of paper is used
I use Lexjet archival matte paper. You can get it right from the website. I have several videos on how I print/ship my art prints which might help you with your decision. Good luck!
Hi, Thank you for this wonderful information. What is the name of your printer in Texas? Thank you.
Hi, Claudia! I use Finerworks.com 😊
@@EllenBrennemanStudio Thank you!
What type of paper do you use?
I use Lexjet archival matte paper for my prints.
11x14 is kinda big...do you ship that size rolled as well?
11x14s are the largest size I can ship with no worries about damage. Anything larger than that and I always end up running a risk.
You can take your canvas painting off it's frame and send it rolled. No harm will be done (in my experience) and the person on the other end can have it re-stretched.
Thank you for adding this great tip, Carolyn!
Ellen what paper do you print on?
And also is the ink and paper archival quality?
Chris, I use Lexjet archival matte paper. :)
What kind of computer do you use for printing your prints and for your business?
Hi, Michele :) I use a Mac
@@EllenBrennemanStudio Thanks Ellen. My computer died and I'm looking at purchasing a new one.
Wow...imda 1st..ha haaaa
Have you had any complaints that it is not Giclée?
Personally, in all the years I've been selling prints I've been asked only a handful of times to accommodate by offering a Giclee. The demand is just not there for me.
What is the name of the company that you outsource your 16x20 prints...? And how much they charged you?
I use Finerworks.com for my larger prints. They have several different price points depending on which type of paper is used.
@@EllenBrennemanStudio ok. Thank you for the information.
This is great info, thank you for sharing! You mentioned an auction site you sell your art on. Can you share where that is? Thanks again!
Hi, Nicole! I am part of a Facebook art auction group that currently has 6 core artists who sell. Ours is called 'The Creative Kind'. ☺️
@@EllenBrennemanStudio Ah, thank you! I have toyed with selling/promoting on Facebook but Instagram is my main focus right now. One day!
I have the same printer as you do! My hubby bought it for me one Christmas. It's great! Something I do to kind of defray the cost of using my printer, is I send an enlargement order to Walgreens when they have a good sale. I think it's cheaper for me that way and makes my ink last longer. They do a good job. I have printed as large as 20x30 and they turn out wonderful. I usually print out a 12x18 because it gets in my whole photo. Then I put it in a 16x20 mat. I also have a website and the photo printing company that I use for it sometimes has a great deal on printing my enlargements through them. So I take advantage of those two options as well. Hope that info is helpful.
Rosemary Clark thank you for sharing! 😊
Hi dear, i realy love your videos and artwork thay are beautiful. If i can ask you just one question because i don’t know who to ask. What to do when you don’t feel happy with creating art? When you are in so much problema in your life, you have to take care for another familiy member and you barly have a time for your self and when you het that free time you are not happy creating art. :(
There have been several times where creating art has been difficult, either because I've had to care for my mother who was ill, or because of physical injuries that prevented me from painting. For me, I have learned not to force it. If I feel like painting, I find the time, even if it is for a few minutes because sometimes those minutes end up causing me to crave more. Other times I put my supplies away and wait until I feel it calling. So far I am always called back to create, be it a week or a month later. I'm sorry you are struggling to find the desire to create 😞
I'm curious how close your prints are to the original.... I really don't want to outsource / drop ship and I've discovered that my local shop (who supposedly specializes in fine art prints) is terrible even when I let them scan and edit. Colors are off, my prints look yellow and washed out etc. My home printer does better but not great (epson workforce) I think I need to calibrate my screen bc colors again are way off..... I guess my real question is how picky can I be about the prints being similar to original and how much do I have to just let it go. I know watercolor has very nuanced colors, but It just seems like I should be able to get a better print! I've even considered buying a Cannon 1000 which is expensive, but I'm not not sure I'd get my money back out of it and ink is also ridiculously expensive 😔
PS let Emmy stay! She's such a gorgeous pup 😍
SO many good points and it is very frustrating when prints don't match the painting. I had trouble with that early on but now my prints are practically identical to the original. I will admit that it's much easier to match colors when my background is mostly white. I find that I have to edit very little when I scan from my home printer - and calibration is extremely beneficial, too. I hope you find a printer that works for you! 🤞🏼
@@EllenBrennemanStudio thank you so much ❤️
Pretty lady and pretty dog.
Why do ppl ask such dumb questions? If they want to know what you sell on etsy why not look at your shop? Obviously you sell prints of originals or you would need to paint 10hrs a day. How long does printer ink last!?? Good grief