Giclee printing is much easier and more accessible for artists today than it has been in the past.

There are three simple steps needed to create your giclée print.

1. Digitizing
2. Proofing (Optional)
3. Printing

1. Digitizing:

For the 2D Artist - Art Print Express would be happy to "digitize" your artwork

There is a $30 charge for digitizing your piece.
Local Artists: You will need to bring the original into the studio during regular business hours (10-6 Tuesday-Friday and 10-1 Saturday) to get it properly photographed. This price includes color correcting to match to the original and a copy of the final, edited images on a CD for you and one 5” color proof. I ask that you allow us a couple of days to properly shoot, color correct, and print a color proof for you. We want to make sure we have the proper amount of time to get your images perfect. We call you to come in again to approve the color proof. Although we do everything we can to insure a perfect reproduction. This is the only way that color is guaranteed.  Turnaround time depends on current workload in the studio. 

Artists outside the NE Kansas Region: You will need to first contact us via email, then ship your original to the studio with return shipping, your piece will be shipped back in the same box it was shipped to us. (1047 SW Gage Blvd. Ste B., Topeka KS 66604) Invoicing and queue placement starts with this contact. We will do the same as the above but we will send you a digital proof (soft proofing) which relies on your device (PC, Phone, Tablet) color accuracy and send you a 5" color proof in the mail which will need to be approved before any printing will be done.  Once approved we will upload your digital file to your account on our site where you can order prints on demand and we will return ship your piece.  Turnaround time depends on current workload in the studio. 

For the do it yourself type, two options are available, photograph or scan your work.  If you own a scanner you can simply scan the work or photograph it with your own equipment or another service provider. If you are sending your own file Art Print Express will print the piece as is and will not color correct it. Having not seen the original in person it will be difficult to make these kinds of changes. However it is recommended that the proofing process provides additional confidence through the process and we can guarantee the color quality. A 5" sample proof will cost $10. You might want to take a look at "Megpixels Explained" section of the website.

Photographers and Digital Artists: All that you need to do is upload your images via our upload through the “Digital Photo Printing” section of the ArtPrintExpress.com website. Acceptable formats are JPG. For larger files such as TIF, PSD, and PDF you will need to contact me directly and we will set up a Dropbox for these larger files.  Keep in mind, the larger the file, the larger the print can be. Digital art and photography does not generally require proofing. However it is recommended that the proofing process provides additional confidence through the process and we can guarantee the color quality. You might want to take a look at "Megpixels Explained" section of the website. We also recommend using the sRGB1996 color profile for your images.

2. Color Proofing:

​You may want to proof your work first before making a final print.

We strongly recommend proofing your photograph or artwork if:

a. It is of an original painting (i.e. watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastel) or it is a photograph that has very critical colors and it has been digitized by anyone other than Art Print Express. There is a $10 charge for color proof of your own submitted photograph/scanned work.

b. If you are placing a large order of prints of the same image at the time of digitizing. With an order larger than 150 the color proof is complementary.

Digital Art and Photography does generally not require proofing. However, we will recommend proofing if we feel that you will not be happy with the final print.

The proof you will receive is 5” color sample on the long side on our Vibrance Matte Paper showing the whole image.

3. Printing:

There is no need to print a huge quantity, it is totally ok to print only one. Pricing depends on the medium and size you choose rather than the number of prints created. Please refer to our FAQ page Mediums and Papers section to get a general idea of what is available.
 

NOTE: When printing a piece we recommend printing the piece at the same size or smaller than the original piece. Enlarging the image more than 10% bigger than the original is not recommended even if the file size and quality allows for a crisp enlargement.  The reason for this is that the texture of the surface and brush strokes also becomes enlarged and the piece begins to become off putting to the viewer in a wax museum type of way. The incongruity is picked up by the eye and the brain, although the viewer won't necessarily know why it doesn't look right, they will know something is wrong. The only situation recommended for an enlargement is if the viewer was going to look at the piece at enough distance that the perspective allowed for it to seem close to the same size as the original, like on a billboard. Or if the artist simply wants to give the viewer the willies - which is ok by us too. We just want to make sure you knew about the effect before considering an enlargement.

Once a print order is received (or proofing process has been completed), the printing process itself generally takes from 3 - 5 days depending on volume in the studio.

Paper prints are usually ready to ship in 2-4 business days.

Canvas orders can take 5-7 business days to complete.

The volume of prints that we are producing at the time of your order can vary and may also affect turnaround time.

Art Print Express reserves the right to charge a "rush" fee for orders that fall outside of our normal turnaround time. We will notify you in advance of any such fees.