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Fine art giclée prints Print E-mail
venerdì, 17 novembre 2006

In brief: how to use my fine art print service

  1. Read this page: it explains how I work, what papers are available and how to prepare your files.
  2. Download the price list at the bottom of this page.
  3. Contact me with an e-mail that briefly describes what you needs. I will answer ASAP and I will set up an FTP account for your uploads.
  4. Upload your files. When you are finished, send me an e-mail containing
    1. the number of prints you need with the respective sizes and papers chosen;
    2. your data (name, complete address, phone number - professional users can specify a VAT ID);
    3. which payment method you prefer.
  5. I will answer you with the total amount and the payment details.
  6. Make the payment.
  7. You will receive your prints at the address you specified.

To whom the service is addressed

My fine art print service is aimed to people that needs prints of the highest quality and with excellent archival characteristics. A fine art giclée certificate, reporting the inks, papers and edtion number can be released upon request.

Print technology

Prints are produced with a Canon iPF5000 pigmented inks printer (12 inks). In comparison to “standard” photographic prints (photochemical prints commonly offered in photography shops) my prints offer 
        • more intense colors (wider gamut)
      • darker blacks (higher dmax)
      • higher definitions (optimized sharpening)
      • for monochrome prints, absence of color dominants
The quality differences are such to turn out obvious to the naked eye, even of people untrained in photography.
Moreover, the inks and the papers used in the process guarantee an excellent duration of the prints (in the order of magnitude of 100 years without alterations if exposed to light framed, according to Wilhelm Imaging Research). Prints in museums and art galleries are often realized with this technology.
Prints are done both in color and black and white on several types of paper.

Quality control

Prints are produced and controlled one by one from me. All the process is carried out with a  hardware calibrated monitor and a hardware calibrated printer. At the time of printing, the file us converted in the color profile of the print-paper combination chosen. I use custom-made  color profiles produced exclusively for my printer, used with the different kinds of paper.

Papers and their characteristics

Currently the following papers are available.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308
 		308 gsm
0.48 mm  opaque, slightly rough texture
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Satin 310 (new!)
 310 gsm
 0.50 mm
 opaque, slightly rough texture, satin effect (slight shine) in printed regions
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Pearl 320 (new!) 320 gsm  0.48 mm
 semigloss pearl, warm tone, no brighteners
Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl 285 285 gsm 0.40 mm semigloss pearl
Hahnemühle Torchon 285 285 gsm
 0.50 mm  opaque, watercolor-like texture ("elephant skin")
Hahnemühle Fine Art Canvas 350 (new!) 350 gsm 0.50 mm opaque, coated cotton canvas
Epson Enhanced/Archival Matte Paper 192 gsm 0.26 mm opaque, smooth texture
Felix Schöller Ultra9+ Glacier
 300 gsm 0.27 mm
 semigloss photo paper
Felix Schöller Ultra9 Glossy (new!) 240 gsm 0.24 mm glossy photo paper

Papers highlighted in green, for their first-class image rendition characteristics and archival quality are considered fine art papers. The other papers, although not properly being fine art (e.g for the presence of lignine, which can reduce their duration in time) are however of excellent quality and can last several decades before a degradation is visible.
 
Opaque papers are characterized by an extremely elegant look. Their finish minimizes undesired reflections, therefore they are very suitable for exhibitions. However, they can reproduce less contrast than gloss or semigloss papers.
 
Semigloss and gloss papers can reproduce more contrast than opaque ones, but if exposed in sub-optimal light conditions of light they can show unwanted reflections. They are usually considered less elegant than opaque papers.


Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 gsm

Slightly rough opaque paper, made entirely of cotton fibers, thickness 0.48mm. It is considered the paper of reference in the fine art prints market. This paper has a slightly warm tone of white.  I recommend this paper for all photographic and art works - you can't go wrong with it. [Datasheet Photo Rag 308]
Also available upon request in 460 grammage.

 

 

 

 

Hahnemühle Photo Rag Satin 310 gsm (new!)

This paper has the same beauty and archival characteristics of the well known Photo Rag 308. Its unique feature consists in the special satin coating. Printed regions gain a very special shine, while non-printed zones remain totally opaque. The result is an extraordinary and unusual visual impact. [Datasheet Photo Rag Satin 310]

 

 

Hahnemühle Photo Rag Pearl 320 gsm (new!)

The recently introduced Hahnemühle Photo Rag Pearl 320 has pearl surface, reminiscent of traditional baryta papers, which stands between Photo Rag and Fine Art Pearl. It is entirely made of cotton fibers, ensuring stability in time and compliance to the strictest archival standards. The absence of OBA (Optical Brightening Agents) is an futher guarantee of persistance of the prints, and gives the paper a warm white tone. This, along with the exceptional rendition of blacks, make Photo Rag Pearl ideal for monochrome prints. The exception qualities of the papers are also beneficial to color prints, indeed having one of the largest gamuts. [Datasheet Photo Rag Pearl 320]

 

 

 

Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl 285 gsm

Fine Art Pearl is a lignin-free paper entirely made of alpha-cellulose. It was the first fine paper art with a semigloss finish. Its surface resemble those of traditional baritate paper. Currently, it is the paper with the greatest depth of black and brilliance of colors available. I recommend this paper for photographs which are going to be displayed under controlled lighting situations, in order to avoid too strong reflections. [Datasheet_Fine Art Pearl]

 

 

   

Hahnemühle Torchon 285 gsm

Fine art opaque paper made of cellulose fiber with a "hammered" or “elephant skin” texture, thickness 0.50mm. This paper is suitable of artistic prints of great effect. I recommend it for landscape or abstract photographies or for the reproduction of art works. [Datasheet Torchon]

 

 

 

Hahnemühle Fine Art Canvas 350 gsm (new!)

This is a pure cotton canvas of the highest quality, coated on one side in order to achieve high definition prints with a gamut similar to those of matte papers. The opaque surface emphasizes the beauty of the canvas woof. This canvas excels for portraits, landscapes and artwork reproduction. [Datasheet Fine Art Canvas 350]  

 

 

 

Epson Enhanced/Archival Matte Paper 192 gsm

Smooth opaque paper, thickness 0.26mm. A very nice paper, but not as good as the Hahnemühle ones. [Datasheet Epson Enhanced Matte Paper]

 

Felix Schöller Ultra9+ Glacier

Heavyweight semigloss paper, thickness 0.27mm. It has a quite cold white tone. A very nice semigloss paper, but not at the level of Fine art Pearl. [Datasheet Felix Schöller Ultra 9+ Glacier]

 

Felix Schöller Ultra 9 Glossy 245 gsm (new!)

Upon request of some clients, this high quality glossy paper is now available. Thickness 0.24mm. [Datasheet Felix Schöller Ultra 9 Glossy]

 

How to prepare your files

Files can be saved as single-layer tif or JPEG format. A color profile should be associated to the file (recommended: adobeRGB). Upon request of the customer I can also prepare and print from raw format files (price is defined on a case by case basis).

Retouching

Normally, files are not retouched but only optimized for the size and paper chosen. However, it is possible to ask for more consistent modifications such as alterations of contrast, saturation, selective maskings with dodging and burning, etc. Contact me for a cost estimate of your case.

Sending your files 

Files can be uploaded through FTP, sent by e-mail or sent by regular mail on a cd or dvd, whatever option fits best.
If you need an FTP client I recommend Filezilla (Windows) o Cyberduck (Mac), both freeware.

Print sizes

The shortest side is limited to a maximum of 43cm (17"), while the longest can be any length up to 320cm (126"). A white (non-printed) border is left in order to facilitate framing and to highlight the texture of the paper. The width of the border can be specified by the customer, otherwise I will determine it.

Payment method

Currently I only accept paypal payment from abroad. A small addition will be included in the total amount in order to cover for the paypal fees I am charged for.

Prices 

The price list can be downloaded here: pdf stefano_maggi-listino_stampe_fine_art_v2.0 31/07/2007,07:44 26.49 Kb

 


Last Updated ( giovedì, 21 febbraio 2008 )