Do you want to know how to get the most archival copies of your artwork?  I highly recommend creating high resolution digitally produced copies that provide accurate color reproduction and have ‘archival stability,’ lasting up totwo hundred years! How do you this, you might ask?

Some background information…

Just thirty years ago the only way to achieve an archival copy of your artwork was to shoot a Kodachrome slide of it and keep it in temperate dark storage, and for that you’d get fifty years out of it. It was known, it would store for up to 185 years; but there would be a 20% shift in the yellow dye layer. The prints derived from the slides were not nearly as archival.

The other option was to shoot a black and white negative of your original artwork, process it and the subsequent print from it in an archival manner; which typically meant adding two wash baths. Finish out of the print would mean to print it on photo paper, not RC, and mount it to acid free board using acid free photo corners. The obvious drawback, this would only work well for black and white subject matter.

Today’s opportunities…

Now enter the world of digital technology, especially noting inkjet printing and the arrival of Epson’s Ultrachrome K3 inks.  With these specialized inks, you can receive up to 200 years of stable color; maintaining the look of your original in a color or black and white print.

So, where and how do you get these top quality, long lasting reproductions of your artwork?  The service you should  be googling is “Giclee’ prints” also known as fine art reproduction services. The word “giclée” comes from the French derivation of “to spray” or “to squirt” and describes a process where graphic images are generated from high-resolution digital photography and scanning. More specifically, you will want to ask your Giclee provider if they use they use Epson’s Ultrachrome K3 pigmented inks.

Here is what Epson has to say about its Ultrachrome K3 ink series:

“Epson UltraChrome K3 ink has improved print permanence characteristics that provide lightfastness ratings of up to 108 years for color and over 200 years for black and white under rigorous industry accepted display conditions*. Epson UltraChrome K3 ink and Epson Genuine Media perform as a perfectly matched system that provides the industry’s best combination of quality output and longevity enabling the display and sales of prints to the most demanding clients.”

So, if you are looking for immediate assistance with your current needs or have further questions about this process, contact us.