“What’s so special about an art print?”
“How can I get a good one?”
“Do they cost a lot of money?”
These are all questions that many artists have asked themselves at some point. The answer to these questions is not always black and white, but there are certain rules to follow to make sure you’re making the most out of your artwork.
This post will walk you through the basics for getting the best prints possible!
- Choose a good quality paper to print on
- Use an image that is not too complicated
- Make sure the colors are balanced and complementary
- Use a size that is proportional to the wall space you have available
- Purchase from an artist or company with good reviews
If you’re looking for a fun and innovative way to spice up your home or office, then consider getting an art print. Art prints are great because they can be customized with any image that you want. Whether it’s a favorite painting or photograph, you can create something truly unique.
If you’re an artist or thinking of becoming one, you know the importance of having your artwork displayed in a gallery. But if there’s no space for you at the local gallery, what can you do to get your art out into public view? You could create and sell your own prints!
In both cases, this blog post is for you!
1. Choose a Good Quality Paper to Print On
Many people think that the paper they use when printing their art is not important, but it makes a world of difference.
A good quality paper will have a smoother surface and less show-through, which makes it perfect for higher quality art prints. Which type of paper you use depends on what you’re printing.
The best paper for a good quality art print is one that doesn’t contain any optical brighteners. What are these things and what do they have to do with an art print?
Optical brighteners can cause your printed artwork to look washed out, even if the original colors in the image were vibrant. This is because the chemicals in optical brighteners reflect light back at you, making colors appear brighter and more vivid. They also make whites whiter! The problem is that this effect also extends into other areas of your color spectrum. For example, blues will get bluer-looking when they come into contact with these compounds – which means that reds will become less prominent than usual, too! When it comes to choosing a paper for printing your next print, opt for ones that contain no optical brighteners.
Glossy or Matte Paper?
If you’re printing on glossy paper, don’t be surprised if it’s reflective. Glossy papers are typically used for making display prints, such as posters or advertisements that will hang in the window of a store and need to catch people’s attention from far away! Matte paper is better suited for documents because they have a more tactile feel.
What’s the Best Way to Store Paper?
When it comes to storing your prints, keep them away from direct sunlight and heat sources as much as possible! Otherwise, they may fade or become discolored over time. It also helps if you can avoid humid places because moisture is a big enemy of printed materials – even if it’s just a little bit of humidity in the air.
Like any other paper product, you should also expect prints to curl over time and need some help staying flat. It might be worth investing in an archival-quality photo album or sleeve to store them all!
2. Use an Image that is not Too Complicated
Choosing a good image can be difficult. It’s often hard to know which images will work best for your type of art print, but there are some things you can do to make this process easier. To get started, try and think about the following questions:
- What is my target audience?
- What would they like?
- How many colors does it need to have?
- And what size should it be printed on?
Once you answer these questions, you’ll find that choosing an image gets much easier.
The best art prints are the ones that speak to you. They don’t have to be complicated or busy, they can just be simple and beautiful.
For instance, if you’re looking for a modern abstract art print, try searching images with words like “modern” or “abstract,” and use those keywords to find your perfect piece. The best sites to find these images are Designspiration, Pinterest, and Tumblr.
If you’re looking for a more traditional art print, try searching with words like “painting,” or “oil painting” to find what you’re looking for. The best sites to look at in this case are Artsy, Google Image Search, or Flickr.
3. Make Sure the Colors are Balanced and Complementary
The colors in an art print are not just there to look pretty. There is a science behind the use of color that can enhance or detract from the meaning and emotion you want to convey through your artwork.
However, it’s not uncommon for prints to be ruined by poor color balance and complementary colors.
The most basic way to check the colors in your print is to hold it up against a white background and make sure that there are no color casts. There should be plenty of contrast between the darkest darks and lightest lights, so they do not become muddy looking. This may take some tweaking until you get it just right by moving around the different color layers.
You can also get a more formal assessment by printing the design onto coated paper and holding it up to both white and black backgrounds, with natural light overhead. The colors should be balanced across these two contrasting backdrops.
If adjustments need to be made for your art print, you will want to start with the darker darks and then move up to the medium tones, followed by lights.
The most effective way of fixing color issues is to make sure that all layers in your design are sending balanced amounts of ink through their respective nozzles. You can use a process called trapping or overprinting if you need more control with individual colors, but this will require a higher level of skill.
4. Use a Size that is Proportional to the Wall Space you have Available
Our homes have to be designed for our lifestyle. One way of making this happen is by using art prints that are proportional to the wall space we have available. This can be done by choosing a size that you know will fit on your walls, or one that will not overwhelm it.
The most common sizes are 36×36 inches for smaller spaces and 48×48 inches for larger ones. There are also prints in other dimensions such as 24×24 inches or 30×30 inches- but this doesn’t mean they’ll fit better in your space! In fact, these formats might work better with a different type of artwork than what you had planned originally.
The smaller-sized art print will also make your room seem larger and brighter because there’s less color blocking everything else out!
On the other hand, a bigger one can make a room feel more inviting and cozy, but it’s also important to think about how much wall space you have available.
For instance, in a bedroom, it’s best to use a smaller size so that it doesn’t block the window or door. On the other hand, in an entryway, bigger artwork might be more desirable because of the amount of space is available for installing art on your walls!
5. Purchase from an Artist or Company with Good Reviews
If you are looking for the perfect artwork to hang on your walls, then you should try purchasing art prints from a company with good reviews. This is one of the best ways to ensure that you are getting quality work at an excellent price and without any risk.
The most popular websites offer competitive pricing and easy return policies in case something goes wrong with your order or if there is some sort of issue with the product. Allowing consumers to purchase directly from artists also offers many benefits such as helping them get their name out there, providing exclusive content, and increasing their exposure on social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter, etc.
There are so many stores that sell prints, but it’s hard to know which ones have quality prints. So we did some research and found out that there is one place that always has beautiful, high-quality prints: Anthropologie!
What makes this shop unique is its partnership with illustrators from all over the world who create original artwork specifically for each location. This means you can find something truly special just about anywhere in the world! Anthropologie is also a great place to buy gifts for the holiday, like Christmas or Hanukkah sweaters and prints that are perfect for decorating your home.
The clothes, furniture, and gifts are beautiful on their own but they also make the perfect backdrop for that one-of-a-kind piece of artwork you just can’t live without! They have a wide selection to choose from so there’s something for everyone, whether it be a modern abstract print or an antique map of a distant land.
Anthropologie is also known for their wide selection of gifts and home decor so you’re sure to find something perfect for that certain someone’s style or personality! They have everything from books, clothing, and jewelry to tableware, cookbooks, and more.
For those who really want to make an impression at the dinner table this holiday season or add some pop into any room in your house, they carry plenty of tabletop decorations such as plates with classic prints.
Conclusion
As you see, creating a good art print is not as easy as you might think.
You need to consider the size, framing, and placement of your artwork for it to be successful in its environment.
In this blog post, we’ve gone over some of the rules for a good art print so that you can get started on building yours right away!
Knowing the basics for a good art print is important. With this knowledge, you can make an educated decision about what’s best for your home or office space!
Now it’s time to get started making your own art print.
Just let your creativity spread out!
