Preparing your art for reproduction

Serving the Arts & Businesses of Our Community

Tips & Tricks

The 1/4" Rule

Remember your mat or frame is going to cover 1/4" all around your art. Be careful that important elements stay at least 3/8" to 1/2" away from the edge (like signatures), or they will be cut off when you mat and/or frame them.

Sign it later

This of course is a matter of personal preference. Some artists leave their signature off their art till after the image is scanned. Then they sign each print individually.

Some forget and want us to remove their signature on the prints. Usually that isn't a problem, but it does take extra time to do.

There are no rules regarding signing your work. There are many different ways to do it. Just figure out what works best for you and you feel most comfortable with.

Think Backwards

When planning your painting or drawing, "think backwards." What size frame do I want to use? Or what is the largest frame I would want to use. How much margin do I want for my mat? We usually start with a 2" mat. Small images may have smaller mats where large images may need more margin to look right.

Once you decide on those two details you can figure what size your art should be.

If you create your art first, like most people do, you may find that it costs more than you expected to have it reproduced and framed.

Write a "blurb"

I'd like to get back to doing this. Several years ago I made quite a few pieces for a show and framed them. I also wrote a short blurb about each one that told a story relating to the image. I can honestly say that many of those writings helped sell the pieces.

Here's an example:

Alone Again

Relationships are hard to mend when they begin to fall apart. Often we carry our problems with us from one relationship to the next. When things go sour and nothing seems right, we fall into darkness and despair. And we find ourselves alone... again.