How Do I Buy Art Reproductions?

Historically it has been very difficult to obtain an accurate art reproduction of a painting that you have seen in an art gallery or museum to hang in your home an office. For most people owning an original painting that has hung in a museum or art gallery is just not possible.

For most people the thought of hanging a poster in their home from the museum or art gallery store as a work of art does not even get close to capturing the texture and depth of the original painting or drawing. A more accurate reproduction of the original art is necessary, something that can become an heirloom piece for future generations.

The highest quality and the most cost effective way to obtain a true copy of an original painting hanging in an art gallery or museum is to purchase a giclee print of the original. Giclee prints are produced using a very high quality digital image of the original painting. The print is mechanically printed and then may be given a varnish coating by hand for additional texture. All of the inks used to produce giclee prints are of archival quality. Giclees prints can be printed on either canvas or fine art paper, depending on your preference or to reflect the media the original was produced on. You can also select the size of the print, which does not have to be the same as the original size.

All materials used for producing giclee prints should be archival - including the inks and print media. Archival means that the materials have been guaranteed by the manufacturers not to deterorirate in normal conditons for 100 years or more. A giclee canvas print is produced mechanically using professional printing equipment and a varnish coating is then often applied by hand, using an artist's brush to give some of the texture of the original painting. Most reputable companies that produce giclee prints always use archival materials.

One of the wonderful things about giclee art reproduction techniques is that it is now possible to very accurately reproduce that old master painting that you saw in the art gallery or museum. This is possible largely because the art itself (due to its age) is free from copyright and is therefore in the public domain and there is no restriction on reproducing the art for a broader range of people to enjoy. So whether you would like a reproduction of a George Stubbs equine painting to hang above your fireplace, a Thomas Hart Benton street scene for your office meeting room or a Monet or Alfred Sisley impressionist landscape for your dining room, then you will be able to find a company to provide you with an accurate reproduction of such painting on canvas. When the piece is framed and a varnish brush-stroke coating has been carefully applied by the company it will be very difficult indeed to identify that the print is not an original painting.

The cost of high-quality giclee canvas reproduction prints is very reasonable, considering the quality of the printing. You should expect to pay around $145.00 for a giclee canvas print reproduction that has been stretched over an internal wooden stretcher frame and is ready to frame. Usually your print company will give you the option of receiving your print either with or without a brushstroke varnish coating. Often your print company will advise you to select your print in a size to fit a standard pre-made frame, to avoid requiring a custom-frame to be built to fit the size of the print. You print company will be able to advise you on the appropriate size for your needs, to ensure that the original painting is not distorted or cropped.

The best way to find a company that produces quality gicle art print reproductions of museum and art gallery art is to start by searching using Google for the exact title of the painting that you like. If you do not know (or cannot remember) the exact title of the painting then I would suggest typing the artist's name into Google. Using either technique will bring up a list of websites that offer works by that particular artist. Another good resource is to go to www.artnet.com, which provides details of original paintings that have been bought and sold and usefully includes images of each painting. If you think you remember the title of the painting but are not sure and want to confirm by looking at an image, www.artnet.com is a good way to do this quickly.

Your aim is to fine a company which has a high quality digital image of the painting that you want in their archives. You should however, check the following points with the company you are thinking of purchasing your print from before placing your order.

I have listed below a few questions you might want to ask before purchasing a giclee print: -Check that the company offers a 100% no-questions money-back guarantee if you are not happy with the print. - If you would like your print reproduced in any size other than the original size, then before placing the order for your print you should confirm how the company will adjust the print to fit your chosen size. Reputable companies should not just automatically print and ship your order in your chosen size; they should make sure that this size actually works for the original art that you have chosen. The company should have one of their artists contact you if they are concerned about your chosen size and offer suggestions and alternatives if they see any problem. If you are in any doubt, then ask the company to first email you an image of what the final print will look like in the size you have requested. You can then get a good idea of how the proportions of the piece will look in your chosen size. Of course, this is not an issue if you want the exact size of the original. - Check that the company uses only archival inks (these can be aqueous or solvent based) when producing prints. If you are concerned about the environment you might want to check that the company uses only aqueous or eco-solvent inks. -If you intend to buy a frame from the company as well, check that all the frames museum-quality. Frames should be made entirely from solid wood, rather than wood composites, polystyrene, or plastic, and if the frame has a metal finish make sure that true metal leaf is used (as opposed to foil). - Confirm how the company will apply the varnish coating to the canvas print. Will an artist apply it by hand to match the feel of the original piece, or will it be applied automatically by a spray machine? By hand is preferable to match the original brushwork most closely.