Posters and Prints
The benefit of working with a publisher/distributor is that they
take on the expense and duties of printing and marketing. Find out how they plan
to market your work and what outlets it will be sold to before you sign a
contract.
This section lists art publishers and distributors who can publish and market
your work as prints. It is important to understand the difference between the
terms " publisher " and " distributor " before you
start looking for markets within this section. Art publishers work with you to
publish a piece of your work in print form. Art distributors assis you in
marketing a pre-existing poster or print to poster and print galleries,
department stores and other outlets. Some companies function as both publisher
and distributor.
Once you select a list of potential publishers, send for each publisher's catalog, Some publishers will not send their catalogs because they are too expensive, but you can often ask to see on at a local poster shop, print gallery, upscale furniture store or frames shop. Examine the colors in the catalogs to make sure the quality is high.
What to send
To approach a publisher , send a brief query letter, a short bio, a list of
galleries that represent your work and five to ten slides or whatever samples
they specify in their listing It helps to send printed pieces or tearsheets as
samples, as these show publishers that your workreproduces well and that you
have some understanding of the publication process. Some publishers will accept
digital submissions via email or CD.
Signing and numbering your editions.
Before you enter the print arena, you will need to know the proper
method of signing and numbering your editions. You can observe how this is
done by visiting galleries and museums and talking to fellow artists.
If you are creating a limited edition, with a specific set
number prints, all prints are numbered, such as 35\100. The largest number is
the total number of prints in the edition: the smaller munber is the number of
the print.Some artists hold out 10% as artists proofs and number them separately
with AP after the number ( such as 5\100 AP ) Many artists sign and number
their prints in pencil
Original prints
Original prints may be woodcuts, engravings, linocuts, mezzotints, etchings,
lithographs or serigraphs, What distinguishes them is that they are produced by
hand by the artist ( and consequently often referred to as hand-pulled prints.)
In a true original print the work is created specifically to be a print. Each
print is considered an original because the artist creates the artwork directly
on the plate, woodblock, etching stone or screen. Original prints are sold
through specialized print galleries, frame shop and high-end decorating
outlets, as well as fine art galleries.
Offset reproductions and poster.
Offset reproductions, also known as posters and image prints, are reproduced
by photochemical means. Since plates used in offset reproductions do not wear
out, there are no physical limits on the number of prints made. Quantities,
however may still be limited by the publisher in order to add value to the
edition.
Giclee prints
As the new color-copier technology matures, inkjet fine art prints, also
called giclee prints, are gaining respectability. Iris prints, images that are
scanned into a computer and output on oversized prints, are even showing up in
museum collections.