Want to learn how to make art prints for the walls of your home or to sell online? Don’t worry, we’re here to tell you that you don't have to give up the original. Whether you are drawing, painting, printing or creating mixed media art, you can convert your works into printouts or adapt them into posters, postcards or other items. This is how to make copies at home.
If you don't have a scanner or don't want to buy one, you can head down to the local library. A quick warning though, some cheaper scanners may not be able to detect certain colours and tints, such as fluorescent, so you might want to seek out a print store in this scenario. If you use a wide variety of colours in your art or know you will print multiple times, a good scanner is a worthwhile investment. Take some time to figure out the specifications you want for your print and how to get the best results from the printer. Local print shops can advise you on what types of paper are best for your needs.
SCANNING
Firstly, make sure the piece of art is dry before scanning. Give your piece of art the time it needs to set on paper. Also, make sure there are no pencil marks or smudges on it that you don't want to reproduce. Clean the scanner with a soft cloth and make sure it is free of lint or residues from previous work. Secondly, ensure the art on the scanner is correctly aligned. This is especially important if the image is too large to fit in the scanner and you need to scan it in multiple batches. At this point in the process, you can even edit parts of the original image that you don't like so they don't show up in your prints. For example, you might smudge a line with black ink. Connect the scanner to your laptop or tablet and import your scanned images into Photoshop.
PHOTOSHOP
If you don't have Photoshop on your device, download a free 7-day trial to get started. Knowing the basics will be very helpful. If you are doing batch scans, you will need to stitch the parts together in Photoshop. If you're not already familiar with how to do this, have a look at a YouTube tutorial. An important point to keep in mind is the scan size in dots per inch (DPI). The higher the DPI value, the better and higher the resolution of the final prints. We recommend a DPI of at least 300 for standard prints. Anything below and you end up with a distinctly pixelated print.
PRINTING
Do not print an entire batch of prints without a trial print, or you risk wasting a lot of expensive ink and paper. Print a proof copy to see how well the print matches the original artwork. Colours may vary on page, screen or original. If necessary, you can adjust the colour and contrast in Photoshop.
PAPER
There are two things to consider: the paper or surface on which you created the original work of art and the paper on which you print. Whether you choose matte or glossy paper depends on your preference and paper design requirements. Matte paper tends to absorb and diffuse pigments more than glossy paper, so if you are printing a piece of art with fine details, you may prefer the final look to glossy paper.
So, whether for your walls, friends and family, or to sell, we hope this ‘how to’ guide is the first step towards making prints of your art. For all your art needs, think Hobby Land.