The print that fits your work and the market segment

Door: Cick Geers

Printing; it’s not always easy to make the right choice here. How should you print and what exactly is the difference between types of prints available on the market today? Do you really get the best results and can you fully rely on the information provided by the print provider? We will discuss this with Erik Stoffers. Erik is an authority in the field of fine art printing, with his company Wilcovak the only company in the Netherlands allowed to produce Diasec®. We looked him up in Hoogeveen. Here Erik works, together with his partner Sandra and their team of professionals, in his art finishing studio.

As a photo artist, you have to think carefully beforehand about what a really good ‘Art Print’ is for you. This is the basis for the success and high quality of your work’. Erik Stoffers clearly attaches great importance to good preparation by the photo artist.

“There are a number of basic points to consider when choosing your prints.
When you have that basis in place, you are able to consciously make a choice of the material and the execution that suit you best and with which your work can stand out best “.

Museum quality

For the printing of art prints, for example, the added value of the print is very important.
Erik continues. After all, you have a lot of time in preparation to get that perfect result. If you then focus on high quality finishing, you come to the conclusion that you are looking for a print with museum quality. It’s a waste of all your effort to settle for an ‘average print’. Especially if afterwards the work is nicely framed or glued in Diasec® and will hang in a gallery. Long durability is an absolute requirement for this kind of work! I say: welcome to the inkjet era; in the meantime it has become clear that this technique – in the photographic field – has by far the longest lifespan!

Erik explains that the goal must be for a collector or museum to have a high-quality product in its collection. High quality in creativity and execution! In my view, every step in the process should be right; starting with the artist’s idea, through recording and printing to the final art property in a collection. The choice of paper – OBA’s – UV protection – pigment or dye – long durability and in addition the method of printing are an essential part of this’.

Expert eye

But printing is simple, isn’t it? You could say that you ‘just’ do ‘Cmd-P’. There are providers of prints that work this way. But, one thing is for sure: the result is corresponding. Price can be a motivation to choose to order from a “regular” print service. However, you have to realize that the print is mostly done without an expert eye. If your basic points and considerations show that this is sufficient: just do it. Choose the print service that suits your work and your market segment.

In addition to print, the choice of paper is also a consideration for a high-quality execution of photo art. We will talk about this in a next blog with Erik Stoffers