where to printing artwork

[davi]

how much do prints usually cost to actually make

like a 4x8" print? $10 maybe?

just want to know the actual price of the procedure.

[pvrhye]

That fits on an 8.5 x 11 paper. If somone charges you 10 bucks I would figure they are insane.

[oglzogl]

.. seems like I pay around $10 per square foot at my local color house. But I only use them for oversized stuff. For the size you are talking I would just get some photo-paper and output from a decent home printer (most printers have specific paper brands they are supposed to work best with. Not sure how true that claim is though).

I have an HP 940c and it cost less than $100. The photo paper is probably around $1 a sheet. Output quality from my printer on the highend paper has really impressed me anyway.

[jwo]

check the phone book for the local guys, seduce them into being your friends and become your exclusive printer.
maybe you could make a davi artbook ;) .
then kinos.

[Forge]

two days ago i went to a Canon showroom to see printers... they print 20 a3 of my work for nothing... i like showrooms!

[davi]

ok very cool tips, i'm not sure a printer would be what i'm looking for, seems kind of unprofessional to click a few buttons, lol.

i've heard that you can get printing places to actually print your art on canvas, now that is something i would love to attempt

[nova]

ahh kinkos. don't trust them, besides you have to do the printing yourself and try each of their printers..

try to find someone who specializes in digital prints. those are the guys who sometimes print on canvas, and will make your colors look pretty in cmyk.

[oglzogl]

i'm not sure a printer would be what i'm looking for, seems kind of unprofessional to click a few buttons

I you feel better paying somebody else to click those same buttons, thats cool ;)

All kidding aside, I understand your point.. even a year ago I would have agreed with you. But, like everything else technilogical, quality goes up while price goes down. The home printers that are avaiable now can output some very professional stuff.

[I.was.ink]

Originally posted by oglzogl
The home printers that are avaiable now can output some very professional stuff.

That's true. I have a friend, who bought this sweet printer about 6 months ago($300 or so) and it prints on 14 x 17 paper. It's a great printer, it also prints on canvas paper which is great!

-i-

[Fury]

I guess it would depend on what you are wanting to use your prints for.

If you're just wanting a print to put in a portfolio, and it would be kept in a protective sleeve, I'd certainly go with getting high res paper and printing it out yourself if you have a printer that is good enough.

You can get good quality with an inkjet, but the risk there is that the color inks are almost never permanent, and can get messed up very quickly. So, if you are wanting the prints to sell or for a more professional presentation, I would definitely go to a printshop.

I'm assuming you aren't looking for limited edition lithographs, right (as that's a whole different ball of wax there)?

Two digital printing options available are glicee (which is now a perfectly acceptable fine art medium), which can be pretty expensive but provides you with all sorts of options regarding what it can be printed on (high grade cotton rag, canvas, etc); or just going to a copy and print shop and having them pull the prints off on the big color photocopiers (which can produce some damn fine results). These are laser printers, and far more durable than inkjet but you're gonna have very little options as to what it gets printed on.

If you go that route, do avoid places like Kinko's. Look through the phone book and find a locally owned printshop that advertises color copies. They're small, and trying to keep business from the national chains, so you have more leeway in being able to request a sample of what a print would look like before you lay down any cash.

As far as the actual cost per print.... for a 4x8, depending on the place you get it done, you are probably looking at a max of $2.50 per copy.... and that would be considered stupidly expensive (or it was the last time I checked it).

Hope that helps, and hope I didn't sound too much like a know-it-all....

[bRyaN]

Originally posted by I.was.ink


That's true. I have a friend, who bought this sweet printer about 6 months ago($300 or so) and it prints on 14 x 17 paper. It's a great printer, it also prints on canvas paper which is great!

-i-

what kind of printer(ie company...specs etc..)?