Anybody know a cheap way to reproduce color drawings?
Kelly Patrice Collins
Hi -
I do a number of drawings for my friends and family. I would like to
know if there is a cheap(er) way to reproduce colored pencil drawings
(they look more like paintings to the uninitiated). I called about art
prints and they want between 200-800 dollars (sight unseen) and this is a
bit steep for a struggling student. Besides, I do not know if I want to
go out and start trying to sell. Does anyone have any suggestions on
this? I am also thinking of putting these on stationary, etc....but I am
not sure how cheaply it can be done. It has been suggested that I could
scan them into a computer and do whatever I wanted with them, but I am
pretty much of a purist and the thought makes me feel kind of uneasy. Is
this accepted for the most part now?
Doug Lawson
In article <4q0vlh$l...@news.doit.wisc.edu>, Kelly Patrice Collins
<kpco...@students.wisc.edu> wrote:
> Hi -
> I do a number of drawings for my friends and family. I would like to
> know if there is a cheap(er) way to reproduce colored pencil drawings
Are there any copy shops in your area. While Kinko's might do color
copying, I would try to find a higher-end place. You might find a place
that does great color copies on your choice of paper at a reasonable
price. Good luck.
GettBent
Go to a copy store..color copies range from 1 to 3 bucks a piece..you can
also have them resized for an extra (usually) nominal fee. The color
reproductions are usually pretty good quality too.
Rose Madder
In article <4q0vlh$l...@news.doit.wisc.edu>, kpco...@students.wisc.edu says...
> It has been suggested that I could
>scan them into a computer and do whatever I wanted with them, but I am
>pretty much of a purist and the thought makes me feel kind of uneasy. Is
>this accepted for the most part now?
a reproduction by any other name is still a reproduction -- whether you print
it on your computer's printer or photocopy it on a color photocopier or have it
printed as a Hallmark Greeting Card. It is the QUALITY of the reproduction
that seems to be your concern. For high quality art reproductions, you will
pay a high price. And remember, many forms of reproduction are not very
permanent when you are considering color -- especially inks used in color
inkjet printers.
--
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Flat Black is more colorful.
~ Rose Madder ~
++++++++++++++++++++++++
mcol...@frontiernet.net
> permanent when you are considering color -- especially inks used in color
> inkjet printers.
This isn't entirely correct - I think people have been guessing that the
printer ink is more fragile than watercolor or ink and spreading the rumor
without doing the work to test that theory.
I actually did a fluorescent light test for a few days with Dan'l Smith
Quinacridone burnt scarlet, quinacridone gold and ultramarine blue and a
Deskwriter 660C version which matched the scanned in watercolors as
closely as possible and printed on the same paper as the actual
watercolor. It's hard to be perfectly scientific with those
differences,but I did not discern any more deterioration in the printer
ink than in the watercolor.
Obviously I don't intend to spend the rest of my life testing all the
colors on a calibrated monitor/printer set-up, but my initial evidence is
compelling enough to make me doubt the folklore.
I've been trying to get HP customer service on a day when I don't have to
wait long distance (on my nickel) to see what measured evidence they have
on their ink's long-term permanence.
I understand the work being done on large-format printers, Iris, etc.,-
called giclee - is sometimes varnished for longevity; but I'm still
looking for the scientific evidence that it's necessary.
I'm very interested in facts about computer-printer inks because I'm a
printmaker and there is no philosophical difference between a print
produced from an original plate or stencil and a print produced from an
original art work on a computer screen.I'm not talking about
reproductions, mind you; I'm talking about original prints for which the
art work was designed to be seen as fine art multiple impressions.
There is a book in print now, whose author I can't remember, that reports
on his tests of the colorfastness of all the major watercolor hues. If
somebody would do that with all the major printer inks and color laser
toners, wouldn't it be wonderful!
Rose Madder
In article <mcolling-170...@usr10-144.frontiernet.net>, mcol...@frontiernet.net says...
>I'm very interested in facts about computer-printer inks
The only facts I can give you are those as they relate to my own
experiences with a HP Inkjet printer which I have been using for
over two years with the proprietary ink sold by HP under their
own label. Without question, blacks produced by the mixing of
their three colors have faded -- some badly, where exposed to
sunlight on my bulletin board. Alongside the mixed color blacks
are blacks produced from the black ink cartridge and those
remain as un-faded as when originally printed -- as far as I can
tell by comparison with the faded blacks. And pure colors used
and grey tones have faded EVEN WORSE.
--
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Colorful but fugitive.
LestatLair
Take the piece to your local Kinko's copies & ask them to copy it on their
Cannon color copier. It's about $3-7 per copy & does a respectable job of
reproducing color. Good luck to you.
Amadeo.
mcol...@frontiernet.net
Thanks for responding.I don't want to bore other people with this, but I'm
interested in more about your experience. My color printer is an HP 660 C
with a black cartridge separate from the color set. Apparently the setup
is same as yours.
I printed 32 bit color at "best" resolution on Japanese handmade paper
acid free, and suspended the whole thing about 4-6" below the fluorescent
bulb for ten days-2 wks. When I remembered, I moved the mask sheet down;
and there were times when somebody turned off the light, so it's not
exact. As I said, there was no big difference from start to finish or
between watercolor and printer ink in that time. I checked it with a
loupe. I can[t depend enough on the sun in Rochester to bother setting up
for sunlight.
Did you perchance have anything in watercolor on your bulletin board at
the same time as your computer printed stuff to compare?
Also, most people know enough not to hang works on paper in direct sun or
fluorescent light. Do you have anything you printed a couple of years ago
and just left in a drawer?
I just got the color printer a few weeks ago ($250 - I think they came out
at nearly $600, didn't they) because I wanted to do color mailers. On the
one hand, it's not a bad idea if the ink fades on advertising so it can't
be misused as "art." But, on the other hand, the immediate results off the
printer were so incredibly beautiful and far above and beyond what I can
do by inking an etched plate (with none of the filth involved), I'd be
just thrilled if the computer printer could equal etching ink, pen ink,
and/or watercolor over the long term - given the proper tender care.
MK
J.R. Dailey
that I etched I've made 4 proofs while I was etching and putting thu the
acid baths ,I am new to this procedure but a friend of mind thought I
should try it.I need to know how much it would cost and were to find
some place( hopefully close to seattle) to print the editions.I know
that the plate wears thin and it takes the old presses ,most print shops
don't know were to go maybe a university?you can see the picture at my
web page http://www.wolfe.net/~images,if you can't help maybe you know
some one who can thanks j.r. :)
Vidas
I have found that color pencil drawings (which, as you say, can look like
paintings) can be successfully reproduced by laser color copier. The
colors don't match the drawing exactly, but if the purpose is to
distribute to family and friends, this is fairly inexpensive - roughly $2
per copy.
cyli
I can't help with your problem, but I can say I liked your site and your
art.
'If I die of curiosity, who will entertain
you with naive questions?'
Rose Madder
In article <mcolling-180...@usr6-174.frontiernet.net>, mcol...@frontiernet.net says...
>Thanks for responding.I don't want to bore other people with this
If its boring, they need not read it. Others who are concerned about the
quality of the work they produce should find the discussion interesting
and should participate too.
> and suspended the whole thing about 4-6" below the fluorescent
First of all, it is ULTRAVIOLET wave length that seems to do the most
harm -- both to paintings and to skin. Fluorescent lights CONVERT the
ultraviolet so that it is minimized -- the phosphor coating inside the bulb
does the conversion. In other words, fluorescent lights do not give off
much, if any, UV and therefore are NOT the light you want to test color
fastness with. Bright sunlight is the best test, and that is how paint
manufacturers test the light fastness of the paints they produce. They
send samples to sunny climes and mount them in frames that see the
sun most of the day.
> I can[t depend enough on the sun in Rochester to bother setting up
>for sunlight.
Then you may wish to use a UV sunlamp instead of fluorescent if you
insist on testing yourself.
>Did you perchance have anything in watercolor on your bulletin board at
>the same time as your computer printed stuff to compare?
Watercolors are generally MORE lightfast than any of the COLORED printer
inks that I have experienced. The answer to your question is "no," but I have
exposed watercolors to sunlight for long periods before without noticeable
fade -- but then I wasn't doing a test and don't remember having a sample
to compare with.
>Also, most people know enough not to hang works on paper in direct sun or
>fluorescent light. Do you have anything you printed a couple of years ago
>and just left in a drawer?
MUCH stuff. and colored photos and negatives. If they are going to "fade"
they will do so out of sunlight. It is, after all, a purely chemical reaction and
UV or other radiation only acts as a catalyst or promoter for the reactions
that otherwise might proceed more slowly. And as with any chemical
reaction, heat is a factor, speeding up or aggravating the reactions.
If you are really interested in the
subject of fade resistance, you need to do more research in a good library.
You can also find some stuff by browsing the World Wide Web. If you have
access to an online encyclopedia, you can find some stuff there. Try going
to http://www.search.com/ if you need an introduction to searching the Web.
When I have more time, I will find something and copy it and post it here.
> I'd be
>just thrilled if the computer printer could equal etching ink, pen ink,
>and/or watercolor over the long term - given the proper tender care.
We'd ALL be thrilled. I have some invaluable and irreplaceable 35mm slides
that were unfortunately shot with Ektachrome film that have almost faded
into oblivion -- and they have never seen the light of day except on the rare
occasions when being viewed. On the other hand, Kodachrome shot in the
same era are still in good condition -- we'er talking 30-40 years here.
I have no idea how Hewlett Packard's printer inks will look after that same
time period. What I do know about etching, litho, and relief inks is that
they are much more permanent generally, EXCEPT for those inks called
PROCESS COLORS which are the inks used for the CMYK printing
technique. The PROCESS COLORS cyan and magenta are both very
fugitive.
There is another thing that happens with some colors. They may not
be fugitive in the sense that they fade, but they may be fugitive in the sense
that they darken, or when mixed with other pure colors, they adversely change
from the original hue in time to something more neutral.
Rose Madder
In article <31C79F...@wolfenet.com>, ima...@wolfenet.com says...
>hi, my name is j.r dailey and I am also a artist ,I have A synic plate
>that I etched I've made 4 proofs while I was etching and putting thu the
>acid baths ,I am new to this procedure but a friend of mind thought I
>should try it.I need to know how much it would cost and were to find
>some place( hopefully close to seattle) to print the editions.
Do you mean ZINC (re: synic) plate? I imagine that's what you mean.
If it is 'A' plate, meaning ONE plate, then it should be no trouble finding someone
to print it for you. I would first try hiring a student at Univ. of Washington
in Seattle art program, or look in the phone book for fine art ateliers in the area --
there are many in Seattle. Look in yellow pages of phone book under
PRINTERS.
Rose Madder
In article <4q9dda$8...@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>, Fugi...@large.com says...
>If you are really interested in the
>subject of fade resistance, you need to do more research in a good library.
>You can also find some stuff by browsing the World Wide Web. If you have
>access to an online encyclopedia, you can find some stuff there. Try going
>to http://www.search.com/ if you need an introduction to searching the Web.
>When I have more time, I will find something and copy it and post it here.
As promised, here is "something"
BOOKBINDING AND THE CONSERVATION OF BOOKS
A DICTIONARY OF DESCRIPTIVE TERMINOLOGY
COLOR FASTNESS
That property of a pigment or dye, or the leather, cloth, paper, ink, etc.,
containing the coloring matter, to retain its original hue, especially
without fading, running, or changing when wetted, washed, cleaned; or
stored under normal conditions when exposed to light, heat, or other
influences. Color fastness in paper is measured with a fadeometer, and in
cloth by a launderometer. See also:FAST COLORS ; FUGITIVE COLORS .
FUGITIVE COLORS
Pigments and dyes that fade, especially those that lose color relatively
quickly when exposed to natural light. Although still commonly used, the
term is misleading because it implies that FADING represents the flight of
color, rather than a chemical change.
FADING
The gradual loss of color of a pigment or dye that is chemically unstable.
Unstable dyes or pigments become colorless (or at least less highly
colored) compounds when they undergo chemical reactions upon exposure to
the ultraviolet radiations of natural light, and to the oxygen, moisture,
and other elements of the atmosphere. Dyes and pigments subject to these
reactions are generally referred to as FUGITIVE COLORS .
THERE IS NO KNOWN WAY OF PREVENTING THE FADING OF UNSTABLE COLORS.
Andrew Werby
Kelly Patrice Collins <kpco...@students.wisc.edu> wrote:
>Hi -
> I do a number of drawings for my friends and family. I would like to
>know if there is a cheap(er) way to reproduce colored pencil drawings
>prints and they want between 200-800 dollars (sight unseen) and this is a
>bit steep for a struggling student. Besides, I do not know if I want to
>go out and start trying to sell. Does anyone have any suggestions on
>this? I am also thinking of putting these on stationary, etc....but I am
>pretty much of a purist and the thought makes me feel kind of uneasy.
Is
>this accepted for the most part now?
>
interest among artists, but galleries are somewhat leery of them, partly
from conservatism and partly because there are no inksets for computer
printers that resist fading very well. Probably your best bet is to use
a color laser copier. These machines are quick and fairly cheap (down to
about a dollar per 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheet. It is possible to find
larger-format machines as well.) The inksets, while not archival, are
supposed to resist fading and color-shift better than ink-jet inks, with
stability about equivalent to that of most color photographs.
Andrew Werby - United Artworks
Tracy C Skinner
In article <mcolling-180...@usr6-174.frontiernet.net>,
<mcol...@frontiernet.net> wrote:
>Thanks for responding.I don't want to bore other people with this, but I'm
>interested in more about your experience. My color printer is an HP 660 C
>with a black cartridge separate from the color set. Apparently the setup
>is same as yours.
I'm using a 550C basically the same setup.
>loupe. I can[t depend enough on the sun in Rochester to bother setting up
>for sunlight.
Being in Tucson gives me plenty of access to sun. I left a couple of
sample prints in direct sun for 2 weeks and there was practically no
image left, almost white paper again.
>fluorescent light. Do you have anything you printed a couple of years ago
>and just left in a drawer?
I have some pieces that were in a sketch book for a couple of years now
with very little change.
Tracy
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##### Any opinions expressed in the above...were. ######
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Homepage: http://radon.gas.uug.arizona.edu/~tskinner
Ltemerty
Depending on the use.
Offset Lithograhs are expensive but you can reproduce limited editions to
resell. Photographic prints are a better solution for a small no of
prints. But get them done by a pr. with a 5x4 camera.