Understanding Print Quality
Learn about our premium printing processes, materials, and techniques to make informed choices for your artwork.
Our Printing Process
Giclée Printing
- What it is: Fine art printing using archival pigment inks on museum-grade papers
- Quality: Exceptional detail, smooth tonal gradation, and rich, accurate colour
- Longevity: 100+ year fade resistance with proper care
- Where we use it: Every art print and framed print in the gallery
Canvas Printing
- What it is: Archival pigment printing on poly-cotton canvas, hand-stretched over a wooden bar
- Bar depths: 19mm slim profile or 38mm gallery depth
- Edge finishes: Image wrap, mirror wrap, clean white, or solid black edges
- Metallic canvas: A shimmer poly-cotton option for pieces that suit a subtle sheen
Made to Order
- No warehouse: Every piece is produced for your order, within 1–3 working days
- Professional production: Printed by specialist fine-art print partners on professional-grade equipment
- Consistency: Colour-managed production keeps output faithful to the artwork
Paper & Media Options
Fine Art Papers
- Hahnemühle German Etching: 310gsm textured matte — museum-grade giclée with a beautiful tooth
- Hahnemühle Photo Rag: 308gsm, 100% cotton — smooth matte, a fine-art classic
- Cold Press Watercolour: 315gsm cotton with a textured surface that suits painterly work
- Enhanced Matte Art: 200gsm smooth matte, archival — a refined everyday choice
Photographic & Smooth Papers
- Lustre Photo Paper: 240gsm satin with a subtle pearl finish and excellent colour saturation
- Smooth Art Paper: 240gsm smooth matte for clean, contemporary reproduction
Specialty Surfaces
- Acrylic Panel: Artwork face-mounted behind glossy acrylic — vivid colour and real depth
- Cork: A natural cork surface with warm, organic character
- Silver Foil: A metallic foil finish that catches the light
Colour Accuracy
How We Keep Colour Faithful
- Colour-Managed Production: Every print runs through a professionally colour-managed workflow, so what we approved is what gets printed
- Print-Ready Files: Each artwork is prepared and checked at print resolution for its available sizes before it ever goes on sale
- Pigment Inks: Archival pigment inks hold their colour far longer than everyday dye-based printing
Screen vs Print
- Different Media: Screens glow with RGB light; prints reflect it — so a print reads slightly softer and warmer than a backlit screen
- Lighting Matters: The same print looks different in warm evening light and cool daylight; both are the artwork behaving naturally
- Matte Character: Our fine art papers are matte by design — rich and glare-free rather than glossy
Sizes & Detail
- Sized Per Artwork: Each piece is offered only in sizes its detail fully supports — we'd rather not sell a size than sell a soft one
- From Intimate to Statement: The range runs from around 20cm pieces to works well over a metre wide
- Viewing Distance: Large pieces are viewed from further away, and the sizes we offer take that into account
Frame & Finish Options
Frames
- Finishes: Natural oak, walnut, matte black, white, silver, gold, dark grey, and light grey
- Ready to Hang: Framed prints and stretched canvases arrive with hanging hardware fitted
Canvas Edges
- Image Wrap: The artwork continues around the sides
- Mirror Wrap: The edges mirror the artwork for an uninterrupted front
- White or Black Edges: A clean, solid border on the sides
Choosing the Right Combination
By Artwork Style
- Painterly & Textured Work: German Etching or Cold Press Watercolour papers echo the texture
- Clean, Graphic Work: Photo Rag or Smooth Art Paper keep lines crisp
- Bold, Vivid Colour: Acrylic panels and lustre paper give colour maximum punch
- Soft, Atmospheric Pieces: Matte cotton papers suit gentle tonal work beautifully
By Room
- Living Rooms & Bedrooms: Any format — choose on look and budget
- Bright, Sunny Rooms: Matte papers minimise reflections; all our inks are fade-resistant
- Kitchens & Bathrooms: Acrylic and canvas cope better with humidity than paper prints
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between giclée and regular inkjet printing? Giclée uses archival pigment inks and fine art papers, while regular inkjet may use dye-based inks and standard papers, affecting longevity and quality.
Why do colours look different on screen vs print? Screens emit light while prints reflect it, so prints read slightly softer than a backlit screen. Our colour-managed production keeps every print faithful to the artwork itself.
How long will my prints last? With archival inks and papers, properly displayed prints can last 100+ years. Our care guide covers how to keep them at their best.
Which paper should I choose? All our papers are archival grade, so it's a question of feel: German Etching for texture, Photo Rag for a smooth classic surface, lustre for photographic punch.
Is canvas or a framed print better? Canvas gives a soft, contemporary, frameless look; a framed print feels more classic and gallery-like. Both arrive ready to hang.
Do you check quality before dispatch? Yes — every artwork is prepared and checked at print resolution before sale, and each order is produced on professional fine-art equipment under colour-managed conditions.