How to Print a Digital Illustration
Thank you for purchasing a digital illustration! To make this process a little easier, I will try to help demystify the many possibilities of fine art prints for you. I offer a few digital downloads, some more complex than others. Below are a few ways to bring the illustration from your screen to real life:
Printing Sources:
Home Printer - Quick, less detail, muddied color - The easiest product is to simply print the file on you home printer. Most home printers will capture the illustration’s clean lines, however the details in the bird are often lost and the colors will be a higher contrast. The gray and black tones may also have a tint to them depending on the type of ink your printer takes.
Tip: use a light cardstock paper to get the feel of a fine art print
Office Printer - Quick, good detail, muddied color - If you have access to a commercial printer or go through a local chain (Office Max, FedEx Office, Walmart, Etc.) this will produce a clean print but often will still muddy the color from the tones intended.
Tip: Ask for matte finish paper
Online Print Services - Order Online, lots of product options, quality varies - There are a lot of online print services and many offer additional products beyond the traditional art print. Below are a few sites that I’ve found to be fairly reliable (These are not paid promotions)
Fine art prints - www.finerworks.com
Canvas - www.canvaspop.com
Mugs & other products - www.printful.com
Local Print Shop - Support a local business, best service and customize to your needs, high quality - The best route for a fine art print is to make friends with your local print shop! Usually with a quick google search of “Fine art printing [Your City]” or “Giclee printing [Your City]” you will be able to narrow down a print shop or two that is familiar with fine art prints. Call them up and pop your file on a USB and head over to chat through printing options in person!
Tip: use a light cardstock paper to get the feel of a fine art print
Office Printer - Quick, good detail, muddied color - If you have access to a commercial printer or go through a local chain (Office Max, FedEx Office, Walmart, Etc.) this will produce a clean print but often will still muddy the color from the tones intended.
Tip: Ask for matte finish paper
Online Print Services - Order Online, lots of product options, quality varies - There are a lot of online print services and many offer additional products beyond the traditional art print. Below are a few sites that I’ve found to be fairly reliable (These are not paid promotions)
Fine art prints - www.finerworks.com
Canvas - www.canvaspop.com
Mugs & other products - www.printful.com
Local Print Shop - Support a local business, best service and customize to your needs, high quality - The best route for a fine art print is to make friends with your local print shop! Usually with a quick google search of “Fine art printing [Your City]” or “Giclee printing [Your City]” you will be able to narrow down a print shop or two that is familiar with fine art prints. Call them up and pop your file on a USB and head over to chat through printing options in person!
Custom Gundogs
These files are formatted to print 11x14” with a 300DPI. I don’t recommend printing any larger than 16x20”, you will begin to lose detail since this is not a vector drawing. You can print as small as you would like but I find that the detail starts to get lost any smaller than 5x7”.
Home Illustrations
These are linework and thus you do not need to be as concerned with loss in detail. Often these can be printed at home and still look great once in a frame. 16x20” is the largest I would print these, the linework may look a bit fuzzy if blown up more than that. If you want a file formatted for a larger size please reach out and I can help!
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