Many people are drawn to the complicated mix of passion and heartbreak that is entailed in being an artist. Whatever their medium, they seek to communicate a deeper artistic truth to someone looking at their artwork. However, achieving commercial success is far less simple.

In this article, we are going to talk about one of the most effective strategies for achieving a commercial return on your artwork. We will give a step-by-step guide to the process of fine-art reproduction onto canvas. We will also discuss some of the reasons you might choose to have you art reproduced in this way.

Won't it devalue my work?

Many artists are opposed to the idea of turning their masterpieces into limited edition giclee canvas prints. They seem to feel that the countless hours spent with the paintbrush or drawing tools will be somehow diminished, or that reproduction will lessen the economic value of their work.

It is important to remember that a quality canvas reproduction requires an experienced printer using good quality inks and textured canvas. Physically reproducing the image also requires dedicated equipment and the right expertise. The considerable artistic skill and time taken to produce your reproduction usually results in something that is indistinguishable from the original.

What are some of the benefits?

For artists wanting to achieve commercial return on their work, the giclee reproduction process is a flexible way to sell your work.

Companies offering canvas reproduction will sometimes offer a 'print-on-demand' service. Once the original image has been captured they will produce a new canvas print only when you have a pre-existing order. This saves the time and expense of producing artworks and then trying to sell them.

The process also allows consistent replication of your artworks. For art that requires complex and labour-intensive methods of production, this can be of considerable assistance.

How will they be reproduced?

Many people see digital printing as appropriate only for digital photograph. However, almost any type of flat artwork (including paintings, drawings and collages) can be reproduced through this process. There are two main methods used by fine art services to produce copies of your images.

Smaller artworks are often scanned on dedicated large-format high-quality scanning machines.

Large works, works using considerable textures, or works that are delicate are usually photographed in in-house studios. The printing company will usually use sophisticated lighting set-ups to ensure flat even lighting and seamless reproduction.

What do you do next?

At this point, the image can be printed on large-format printers on textured, high-quality canvas. Most printing companies will also offer gallery-wrapping services in which the canvas is physically wrapped around a hardwood frame (this is different from traditional framing methods)

The printing company can either keep your image on file - or provide a copy on recordable media. This can be used at any point in the future to produce a colour perfect canvas reproduction of your original artwork.

A final word

Achieving commercial success as an artist can be difficult, frustrating and heart-breaking. The passion and time poured into producing your art will not always result in the appreciation or sales you deserve. Fine art reproduction services are a flexible solution to providing consistent, timely on-demand pieces of art for interested collectors.