Digital Prints

A seasoned printing professional has seen it all and has an in-depth knowledge of materials
and artistic approaches that have been tried and tested, and, accordingly, can act as
your aesthetic guide and advisor. New Mexico printmaker Lynn Lown of New Media Arts
notes that he has artists consistently tell him that he has helped them to take their work
to the next level. “I do that by listening to them and by showing them the possible ways
to go with their work,” he explains.
Geoffrey Kilmer, president of Photoworks Creative Group in Charlottesville, Virginia,
which offers both wide-format inkjet and photographic LightJet printing, says that “When
you have a group of people working in digital output on a daily basis, it only makes sense
that they have the potential to hold a much greater reservoir of knowledge in this area.
And, an artist can learn some very valuable lessons in the process of working with such a
professional provider.”
I’ve used several inkjet printmakers in all corners of the U.S., and, without exception, they
have all taught me something about digital printing I hadn’t known before. Each outside
printing project was an eye-opening experience that improved my own imagemaking
process. For this reason alone, I recommend working with a professional printmaker, at
least once or on an occasional basis.
Quality
Unless you are an experienced, long-time self-printer, an outside printmaker will usually
be able to give you higher-quality prints than you can do on your own. The fact is, first
attempts at digital printing are typically not perfect. It takes a lot of trial and error as well
as gallons of ink and boxes of paper before the printing process is humming along producing
top-quality output.
Chapter 10 ■ Using a Print Service 313
Bair Art Editions in Salt Lake City, Utah, is affiliated with InkJetArt.com and is an all-Epson wide-format shop specializing in fine art print reproduction.
Shown are Ted Van Horn (left) and Stephen Bair.
Courtesy of Bair Art Editions/www.bairarteditions.com