Prints as objects

[Ed Richards]

I am curious about the importance of the print as object in the sale of fine art prints. What I mean is the fell of the paper and look of the print as you handle it. I tend to think of prints as how they will look behind glass, but if you selling unframed and matted prints, this may be important. With digital there are lots of options, and a number of folks even like canvas - which I still equate with prints on tee-shirts and coffee mugs, but I know I am out of date. How much does it matter to the buyer what the print feels and looks like naked?

[Bruce Watson]

An interesting question.

I've bought a few photographs over the years. Most of them were dry mounted, so the actual naked print wasn't available for touch. The most troublesome for me to frame have been the unmounted "double weight" prints that won't lie flat. So far I've been lucky enough to find a solution that doesn't require dry mounting another artist's print, but I've been sorely tempted!

Inkjet prints, OTOH, are a breeze to frame because they flatten out nicely.

I guess what I'm getting at (it's getting late on a Sunday night, what can I tell ya?) is that this hasn't been much of an issue in the past, even the recent past, because of the need for dry mounting to get a print flat. With the introduction of Inkjet prints, the abilty to have unmounted naked prints is much greater, so the feel of the print becomes more interesting.

But to answer your question, I don't care much one way or the other about the substrate. I'm much more interested in the image itself. To that end, I don't think I've ever asked a dealer or a photographer about the substrate or even how it was processed.

Hmmm... I should add that I do like Inkjet prints on canvas. This technique opens up a whole new set of options for display of the print.

[Greg Lockrey]

For the last 8-10 years everything I do today is inkjet. The wet lab for printing is now dusty from lack of use except for transparencies and B&W film. My prints for sale as "fine art" are on 100% rag, loose mounted on neutral pH foam core with corner tags and covered with a acid free 100% rag white matte that is hinge mounted. These are either framed if displayed and/or in shrink wrap for the "bins". Loose prints aren't an option. My intension is to let the customer decide if they wish to rematte and frame. I never handle the print with bare hands, only with cotten photographer's gloves. So I don't understand this tactile experiance pre se. The most of the prints that I dry mount are those to be used commercially as in trade shows or for displays. These are also laminated. My personnal prints tend to be dry mounted and laminated since most of my photography today tends to be 3D and they get a lot of handling.

I have clients who prefer just to have "original size" posters made on Epson's Enhanced Matte which they sign and number to take to shows it is easier to have these in rolls etc. Surprisingly to me anyway, most of my professional level artists prefer these posters grade prints. The newbies on the otherhand go for the 100% rag until the realities of selling at shows kicks in. I do have to say that 90% of my clients are painters. The photogs that I get need prints larger than 13x and that's why they come to me usually.

I like making prints on canvas as well. Since I provide stretcher bars in the price, the client doesn't have to deal with framing. Many of my canvas photo experiments grace the walls of waitng rooms for doctors and lawyers etc. I would guess a lot of their clients think that they are looking at a "real good painting".