| This is part three of a six part series on publishing and | | | | allowed to dry and then the next colour element is |
| marketing your artwork. | | | | applied in the same way. Each piece of paper must be |
| REPRODUCTION METHODS | | | | handled as many times as there are colour elements |
| With respect to the reproduction types we have | | | | to print. Once all the elements have been printed the |
| discussed in the previous part, many different methods | | | | serigraph is complete. |
| are employed commonly today; enough to confuse not | | | | Although not covered here, other common forms of |
| only the art buyer, but also the artist seeking to find the | | | | "original prints" include woodcuts, etchings, stone |
| best way to reproduce their work. | | | | lithographs and monotypes to name but a few. In most |
| Still the most common one is the offset | | | | of these cases, with the exception of better pigments |
| photo-mechanical method. This is the usual printing | | | | and base materials, the process of reproduction has |
| method used by commercial printers to produce | | | | not changed much in recent years. |
| everything from business cards and brochures to fine | | | | New technologies have given birth to much new |
| art reproductions. Complex machinery and computers | | | | terminology including giclee, digital print, ink-jet print, |
| have made the process seem simple. Using a laser | | | | canvas or continuous tone print. Artists are utilizing |
| scanner the original image or a photograph in the form | | | | highend photo copiers, personal ink-jet and commercial |
| of a transparency of the original is digitized and | | | | ink-jet printers, high-end photo and sublimation printers |
| transferred to a processor that translates the digitized | | | | and more. The key to most of these technologies is |
| image onto to a printing plate. This plate is placed on a | | | | the word digital. This is simply the conversion of the |
| rolling drum in the printing press. The drum is then rolled | | | | image into digital or computer language which allows |
| against an ink roller which has been evenly covered in | | | | the image to be translated to many types of |
| a particular colour of ink, and then against a sheet of | | | | reproduction devices. These same devices have |
| paper effectively transferring the image from plate to | | | | allowed for the production of transfer media that can |
| paper. In the usual printing process, four plates are | | | | also assist in reproducing images on 3-dimensional |
| made, one for each of the four separated colours- | | | | objects, gift items and functional objects including |
| Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and Black. Printing presses | | | | plates, coffee mugs, tiles, plastic, metal, fabric and |
| vary from presses that print one colour at a time to | | | | many more substrates. |
| those that can print up to 8 colours at a single pass. | | | | The method you choose for your reproductions will |
| By contrast, a serigraph is produced by laying down | | | | depend on many factors. They include the style of |
| each colour one at a time. A stencil is cut or photo | | | | your work, the medium you use, your marketing goals |
| positive made for each colour element in the image. | | | | and your finances. If you are new to these processes, |
| Those colour elements are transferred to a screen | | | | consider discussing your artwork with your marketing |
| with a fine mesh. The areas that will be printed are | | | | consultant, printer or distributor. One thing that does not |
| open to allow ink through the screen while the areas | | | | change is that quality and longevity will always be key |
| that won't be printed are blocked out. Ink is forced | | | | factors in the value of your reproduction and in the |
| through the screen and onto the paper. The paper is | | | | reputation that you earn in the marketplace. |
