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Canvas Printing - Frequently asked questions
Please also see Canvas Print Artwork Guidelines If you are not sure about preparing your artwork to comply with our guidelines then please contact us for an artwork preparation or design quote, this will ensure that you get the best quality and hopefully do not miss any deadlines you may have. Here we have tried to list answers to some of the more frequently asked questions we get asked. How do I place an order? What forms of payment do you accept? How do I send my files for printing? What is a canvas print? How long do canvas prints last? I have a small original artwork, how do I start? I have a large original artwork how do I start? I have a digital photo, how do I start? What is the difference between JPG and TIF formats? Which file formats do you accept? What resolution do my files need to be? If my original file is only quarter of the final poster size, surely the quality will be poor? Do you accept scanned images? Do they need to be in RGB or CMYK colour? What about images created with graphics or photo editing software? What if my image is just not big enough? Will the print colours be exactly what I see on my computer screen? Q. How do I place an order? A. The majority of our products can be ordered securely online and your files can be uploaded to your own online gallery during checkout. This is the preferred method as you will received confirmation and status emails automatically during the production process and when completed and despatched or ready to collect. You can also email, fax or post written instructions of your requirements and confirm any prices taken from our website or printed pricelist. (We are happy to provide quotes on request if you are unsure about any costs). If you have been sent a quote please confirm the quote number. Please clearly state your name, contact details, delivery address and any deadlines you may be working to on your order. Include your images on CD or upload your file via our website. We will then email you an order confirmation showing the final costs inc VAT and any delivery charges, and how to make payment. Unless you have already applied for and opened a credit account with us you will then need to send payment by cheque, call us with your credit card details or pay using our secure online payment form. Q. What forms of payment do you accept? A. We accept all major credit and debit cards except Amercian Express. Credit card payment is the quickest and safest method and can be paid by ordering online, or if ordering in any other way via our secure online payment page on receipt of our order confirmation. We also accept cheques, but if you do not have a trading history with us we would suggest posting a cheque with your order to give it time to clear before despatch or collection. Once you have built up a trading history with us we will be happy to send you an account application form to apply for a 30 day trade account. Schools, Colleges and Government bodies need only to send an official written purchase order. If you already have a credit account and would like to order online on account please simply register as normal, we will then upgrade your profile to allow on account ordering within 24-48 hours. If you need to place an urgent order, contact us to request that your profile be upgraded immediately. Q. How do I send my files for printing? A. The preferred and quickest option is to order online - you can then upload files to your personal gallery area during checkout, making subsequent checking and re-orders very easy. Or you can post a CD, or send via our upload files page. When sending work via upload always ZIP all your files in a folder with your name or company as the folder name. Enter your job requirements in the message box and include your full Name, Address and Telephone number. Please also add any Cypher quote number or job number you have been given to avoid any delays, as we cannot book in or process any work until we have received written instructions. Q. What is a canvas print? A. Also called a Giclée print (comes from the French word meaning literally ‘to squirt’), this refers to the process inwhich the ink is laid down on the paper. Giclée is the name commonly given to an inkjet limited edition reproduction of an artwork,photograph or digitally created work. We print on archival grade artist’s quality coated canvas, with HP Vivera pigment inks offering a lifespan of up to 200 years, using an HP Z6100 eight colour printer. We also use a seven colour Epson 9600 with Ultrachrome inks rated at up to 75 years. Q. How long do canvas prints last? A. This will depend totally on where they will be used. Exposure to UV light (daylight, especially sunlight) will cause ALL inks to fade eventually. Prints in bright rooms or in front of windows will fade sooner than those in controlled conditions such as galleries and museums where there is little or no daylight. However as a guide: we use HP Vivera pigment inks which can last up to 200 years Q. I have a small original artwork, how do I start? A. We need a digital file to print from. We can scan most flat originals, even on rigid board and some mounted canvas prints up to A4 original size (297mm x 210mm) to very high quality inhouse and can enlarge them to much bigger sizes if required. Once we have this file on disk simply order an A4 or A3 proof to check for colour and quality. This can be colour adjusted if required to get it as close as possible to the original, before you order further final prints. You will keep the original file on CD so will always have a copy of your original in future. Originals we can scan include: Slides/transparencies from 35mm to 10" x 8" Glass negatives - even broken ones; we can then photo retouch these if required Anything on paper or flat substrates such as hardboard Photographs - although we avoid 'lustre' finishes which have textured surfaces Pastels and charcoal artworks - we advise use of a fixative first if possible Q. I have a large original artwork, how do I start? A. We need a digital file to print from. Anything over A4 size (297mm x 210mm) is too large to scan. Instead you will need to have a very high quality digital photo taken at a fine art photo lab for the best results*. We have also had good results from digital photos taken with good quality digital cameras by artists themselves - be careful of the lighting conditions - unless you have a photo studio with controlled light then outdoors on a clear day is probably the most suitable, avoid overcast, cloudy or bright sun. We are happy to print from any files from any source - we would simply advise you order an A4 or A3 print as a proof to see what results you will get before committing to a large print. This way if it is not correct you can make changes to your file and try again cost effectively. *We do not offer this as a service as it is very specialised and due to the size of many originals it is usually safer and more convenient to find a local supplier. In the Lake District/Lancashire area we recommend Geoff Harris at Carnforth. Once we have this file on disk we can print a proof for you to check for colour and quality. This can be colour adjusted if required until you are happy with the results, before you order further final prints. You will keep the original file on CD so will always have a copy of your original in future. Q. I have a digital photo, how do I start? A. We would suggest that for the best results you have a very high quality digital photo taken at a fine art photo lab. We have also had good results from digital photos taken with good quality digital cameras by artists themselves - be careful of the lighting conditions - unless you have a photo studio with controlled light then outdoors on a clear day is probably the most suitable, avoid overcast, cloudy or bright sun. We suggest you use the highest resolution setting on your camera and send an unaltered JPG file. Do not try and colour correct on your screen as it will not be accurate. However - We are happy to print from any files from any source! we leave the decision to you as to their suitability for your needs. If we receive a file that is obviously not good enough to print we would not proceed with the order without contacting you first. In all cases you would simply need to send in your digital image to us and order an A4 print as a proof to see what results you will get before committing to a large print. If it is not what you had in mind you can make changes to your file and try again cost effectively. Q. What is the difference between JPG and TIF formats? A. JPEG files are smaller than TIF files but are ‘lossy’ which means that when they are saved, they compress the data, by throwing tiny bits of it away. When a JPEG file is uncompressed it does not always duplicate the original data exactly. It is not a good idea to keep opening and resaving JPEG files as they will gradually deteriorate. However if used as a way of initially storing and sending a file the advantages outweigh the disadvantages which is why this is the standard format used in digital cameras. TIF files on the other hand are ‘lossless’ meaning no data is ever thrown away. The result is that TIF files are much larger than JPEG files but they preserve every pixel that was in the original. Q. Which file formats do you accept? A. We suggest you save as JPG files if sending online, or TIF files if sending on CD. Please do not send RAW format or any other formats of file. Q. What resolution do my files need to be? A. All images must be 300dpi If sending a 100% file then it needs to be 300dpi at 100% If sending a quarter size file it needs to be 300dpi at 25% - if you have fine text or very fine detail then we suggest 400dpi. Higher resolutions will just make very big, slow printing, files with information that will not be used and will not increase the quality of the final result. If your files are excessvely large you may be charged to have them reduced to our specifications so we can process your job. Please be aware when adjusting the resolution that your file size (Mb) should not get bigger, as you cannot add what is not there. Make sure you have 'resample image' turned off in Photoshop (or equivalent) 'image size' dialog box.Changing the resolution from 72dpi to 300dpi will make the dimensions (mm) smaller but not affect the file size (Mb). The table below shows most of the popular resolutions which digital cameras use, and what the final size of print available is in each case. As most cameras save files in 72dpi we have shown what this will be when converted to 300dpi. This is not exact as camera settings and qualities vary. So it is often possible to get a better print from a quality 2 megapixel camera than from a budget 4 megapixel camera. If in doubt take your pictures at maximum resolution and finest quality settings on your camera - you may not get the chance to take the picture again! If in doubt, place your order and send your image to us and we will confirm if your required size is possible from your photo, we will not process a file that is too low in quality before contacting your first.
Q. If my original file is only quarter final poster size, surely the quality will be poor? A. As we can actually print at sizes up to 1500mm x 15 metres it is unlikely that anyone could deal with the size of files generated following the same rules as used in traditional litho print. However we have specialised in large format print for over 12 years and believe us or not your prints will be very good quality if you follow our guidelines. Q. Do you accept scanned images? A. Yes, the same rules as for digital photos apply. Please scan to a minimum of 300 pixels per inch 300ppi or 300dpi. Q. Do they need to be in RGB or CMYK colour? A. We suggest that photos are left as RGB format which is how your camera will have saved them. We can however take either RGB or CMYK so it is not a problem either way. RGB can 'sometimes' offer a wider range of colour, or brighter colours. Please note if you ever send work to us for any other printing services such as exhibition panels, business cards, greetings cards or leaflets etc we will insist on CMYK. So if you think you may ever want any of these it makes sense to use CMYk for everything. Q. What about images created with graphics or photo editing software? A. Please provide images created at at least 300 pixels per inch or 300dpi. If you have incorporated any text we suggest 400-600dpi. Q. What if my image is just not big enough? A. Place your order and send us the image you have and let us know what size you would really like it printed at. We have some very advanced software available to us that can in many cases allow us to enlarge an image far more than should be possible. It does need to be at least 2 megapixels (1600 x 1200) though. We will assess your image and advise what we can do. If it is not possible we would not proceed with the job and your payment will be refunded. Q. Will the print colours be like what I see on my computer screen? A. No... The image you see on your screen is made up of RGB colours and your screen is in effect a big lightbulb so what you see is called additive colour. As paper cannot be lit up, the ink colours do not have the benefit of light enhancing them and making them brighter, this is commonly called subtractive colour. We calibrate our printers so we get the best colour range possible. Many cameras also tend to show a colour cast ie slightly yellow, or blue for instance. If this is very obvious we will adjust your image before printing. if in doubt please order a proof. If you do not order a proof you will be agreeing to accept any final prints unchecked. |
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