Digital Prints

Disagreeing with me on this is digital artist Ileana. “Printmakers have to match the artist’s
vision,” she says, “and that takes a lot of communication and know-how. To me, it is also
important that they be digital artists themselves. This may not have anything to do with
their actual printing expertise, but I think that they will be much more sensitive and understand
the highs and lows of working with this medium.”
So, again, it’s important to carefully determine the printmaker’s background.
The Artist/Printmaker Relationship
The ideal imagemaker/printmaker relationship is a true collaboration. The photographerartist
provides the image, and the printmaker provides years of experience in helping the
artist best realize his or her vision. To repeat the apt phrase mentioned earlier: “The artist
is the eye, the printmaker is the hand.”
Photographer Paul Eric Johnson sums up this idea well. “I’m all in favor of the digital revolution,
but I only want to know as much technically as is necessary to produce my desired
results. After several years of working with print providers, I wouldn’t even think of doing
this without my trusted artistic partners.” (See more about Johnson’s relationship with
Calypso Imaging in “Digital Photo Print.”)
Even if you’re only sending off digital files to a remote commercial business, two-way communication
is vital. Are you able to explain what you want, and, conversely, are they understanding
you? Print provider Geoff Kilmer adds, “The artist should realize there are
limitations to what can be done and should respect the fact that the printmaker is also trying
to make a living in the process of rendering the service. Generally, the same ethics that
make up any mutually beneficial business relationship apply to an artist and a printmaker.”
Chapter 10 ■ Using a Print Service 325
Artist/printmaker JD Jarvis outputs a
large-format edition on an HP 2500CP
inkjet printer in his home studio in Las
Cruces, New Mexico.
Courtesy of JD Jarvis
dunkingbirdproductions.com