We specialize in fine art printing, giclée prints, and art card production for artists in Victoria, BC and across Canada. Below are answers to common questions about our services, consultations, and how we work.
FAQs
& ANSWERS
FAQs
& ANSWERS
FAQs
& ANSWERS
- All
- Archival Paper Prints
- Art Cards
- Canvas
- Digital Press Prints
- Ordering
- Print Products
- Scanning / Photography
- Shipping
It’s important we use the best quality image files possible to print from, as the finished print can only be as good as the image we are given!
If you are scanning or photographing your art piece, we have some tips to help you achieve good results in our Artists’ Handbook.
Your image files should be in .tiff, .PSD (Photoshop) or .jpg format at 300 – 400 dpi at 100% size, in Adobe RGB colour space.
Digital layouts (print ready) should be provided as InDesign or as high quality .PDF files (with bleed if applicable).
No. We are a consultation-based fine art printing studio that works primarily with artists. While we are open to the public during listed hours, most services are provided by appointment so we can give each project the time and attention it requires.
Our main focus here at Art Ink Print is reproducing fine art such as acrylic and watercolour paintings or pencil drawings.
While we do sometimes print photography on lustre and metallic papers using our giclée pigment inks, our set-up and proofing structure makes printing small batch photos cost-prohibitive.
A photo lab is better suited for photography printing.
Yes, we can give these to you! Unlike most print shops, we do not withhold your image files.
We are confident that our clients will choose to print with us due to our level of service, expertise and print quality; we understand artists like to keep a back up of their files.
If you like to share your work online or on social media you can use our ‘web ready’ files. ‘Web ready’ files are scaled down thumbnails which look great on screen, yet are too small to use to download and print!
We normally email a link from which you can access and download your image files, but we can also write the files to a compact disk (CD) or a USB memory stick. We always keep back up copies of all your print files, both on- and off-site.
*Please note we do have a charge for de-archiving files which are no longer in our ‘live’ system (typically after 3 years of non-activity).
Re-orders of prints can typically be ready for collection or shipping within 2 to 4 business days.
New print files require additional time for set-up and proofing, usually an extra 2 business days for prints, up to 4 business days for art card designs and layouts.
Prints on canvas can take 7 to 10 business days to complete due to time required for varnishing and stretching.
Please let us know if you have a deadline to meet and we will advise you of how long your specific order will take!
*Please allow time for your proofs to be mailed to you by Canada Post for approval before we can print your order.
We ship orders by Canada Post Expedited mail, with insurance and tracking.
Cost is based on the weight and size of your order, along with your location in Canada; in accordance to Canada Post’s pricing.
For clients ordering large volumes we compare costs with sending by courier, and use the most cost efficient and timely service.
Generally speaking self shot images are typically only suitable for art cards, this is because the camera sensor is small and doesn’t capture enough detail for the image to be printed any larger.
However, if your photo is good quality and the lighting is even we may be able to print up to a size of 11’x14″ – we can look at your image file and advise you first.
*We have a top of the range camera and a professional lighting system in our studio, enabling us to take crystal clear evenly lit photo’s of your work for print reproduction.
We prefer e-transfers to avoid fees but also gladly accept MasterCard or Visa payments.
Cash upon pick up is another option, but we can not process Debit payments.
Please note we do not accept American Express / Amex cards.
We always show our clients a print proof before continuing on to any production for an order. If you are located outside of Victoria, we can mail the proof out to you and if needed adjustments can be made for a small fee.
Set-up and proofing of new image files starts at $15 for digital press prints and art cards. Giclée proofs start at $20 (for print ready digitally created art / photo test strip) and $35 for images of original paintings.
We strongly recommend making use of our digital capture service using precise and controlled photographing and/or scanning of your original artwork for the best results.
Please note that the appearance of colours can vary widely when viewing on a screen compared to in print, and the accuracy of colour matching is dependent on the quality of the image file and the lighting / camera used.
Please see our pricing estimators at the top of this page. You can enter the quantities and sizes of prints / cards you are interested in and see a total price, set-up fees are extra.
If you have a special request or are looking for an item or size / quantity not listed, please fill out our contact form and a member of our team will get back to you!
We can supply you with envelopes and plastic sleeves which fit your cards perfectly!
Prices for these are dependent on the total quantity ordered, we have prices on our ART CARD PACKAGING & SUPPLIES page.
You can also use our Art Card Price Estimator (above) to calculate the total cost of your cards with envelopes and sleeves.
Please note, we only carry these supplies to offer to clients whom we print for.
We take great care when producing art cards and prints, making sure the colours consistently match the proofs which we keep on file for every single order we print.
Due to the high level of attention and time required to make adjustments to the printing press for colour matching, we have minimum order amounts and price breaks based on orders per image.
Therefore minimum order amounts cannot contain mixed images.
This is because the same amount of work is involved for setting the files up for print and colour matching, no matter if we are printing 50 cards or 5000 cards.
We guarantee repeat print orders will always match the print proof, which is part of our set-up procedure for new orders. Our clients are invited to come and view the proofs at our studio in Victoria, or have them mailed.
Unfortunately at this time we only ship to customers within Canada as we have found the charges involved in shipping and duty fees to send to the USA and beyond to be cost prohibitive.
We print and ship directly to artists who are ordering at a wholesale level, and they distribute the prints to their customers.
At this time we don’t offer a print on demand and fulfillment service.
The word ‘Giclée’ (pronounced “zhee-clay”) is derived from the French verb ‘gicler’ meaning “to squirt or spray”.
This digital fine art printing method combines superior quality pigment inks with archival papers for the most accurate reproduction of art work, thanks to our diligence in colour profiling and print proofing.
Giclée are considered to be the best quality digital prints available, ideal for limited edition print runs.
You can read more about this type of archival print in our Artist’s Handbook
All of our stock comes from sustainable sources and is Forestry Stewardship Certified, see our Ethical Printing page.
Our paper and card stock is not only higher quality than recycled material, but also more Earth friendly.
You can find out more about our PRESS PRINT and GICLÉE PAPERS in our artists handbook.
We only print Art related items, we can print certificates of authenticity to accompany limited edition prints… but don’t offer a document printing service.
We take great care to package your order safely and securely. It is extremely rare for items to be damaged in transit. However, if there is a problem with your delivery please take photographs of the outside of the package and the damaged items inside, then email the pictures to us. Include a list of the items damaged and we will re-print then send them out to you as quickly as possible.
All orders are shipped by Couriers or less commonly by Canada Post Expedited Mail, and comes with insurance and tracking for your peace of mind.