What is the best way to send art?

It depends on how big the original artwork is, how it was created and whether it is framed or not. Also, if it is on paper or canvas, can it be rolled?

So, let’s deal with those  points individually:

If your art can be rolled, this is the safest way to send it, providing you use an 8cm+ thick-walled tube. If it can’t be rolled, then ‘sandwich’ it between two sheets of thin MDF, making sure you protect the face of the work, and seal it down to ensure nothing ‘moves’. Wrap in brown paper and seal all the edges with packaging tape. It’s good to also wrap the ends, where the most wear will happen. Mark the package with ‘Handle with Care’ stickers or tape, and remember to add your ‘sender’s address’.

For small art that’s under 61 x 46 x 46 cm, it’s best to use Special Delivery via the Post Office. Again, package it well.

For big art - over the size the maximum Special Delivery size, you'll need to use ParcelForce or one of the Courier companies, DHL, FedEx, etc. Again pack the art well and be aware that most packages are machine-handled, so make sure you package is robust and will withstand part of the journey on a conveyor belt with lots of other packages! Bubble wrap on the inside of the package is ok, but not on the outside -  as this can cause the package to ‘snag’ during processing.

Pastels, deep impasto oils and montages are the most difficult to pack and ship, if in doubt speak to your local framer, they will have a lot of experience packing and shipping art. They might also stock the expanding boxes that are great for shipping - we have a few, but not all sizes. The two biggest risks for shipping art of any size are; the package being ‘punctured’ by another package, and things inside a package moving about and damaging the contents.

To insure your package or not? 

The issue here is whether you’ll be paid out what you think your art is worth. Just because you take out a ’£1,000.00’ cover doesn’t mean you’ll get £1,000.00 in compensation. The compensation is normally calculated on what the item was worth in the eyes of an insurance assessor. This can be the sum of the material costs balanced against the proven retail value, minus any profit. And ‘proven value’ means documentation to establish the value. To quote the Post Office: “Proof of the items value which must show what it cost the claimant to acquire, purchase or manufacture the original item”. Therefore, an artwork which you hope to sell for £1,000.00 might only achieve £150.00 in compensation!

To realistically insure your artwork in transit, you need to speak to a specialist insurer or ask advice from the Fine Art Trade Guild.

Who sets the price for art?

At what price should I sell my art?

This dilemma is not exclusive to art. Anyone who creates something new is faced with the same question. But, as with sculpture or a ceramic pot, you really need to start by establishing how much it costs you to create the work, a level below which you would loose money. This has to include all the materials, promotion costs, packaging and maybe framing. Plus you need to add your time, which has a value, and don’t forget the ‘fixed costs’ - lighting, heating, travel, location/studio. Once you have this basic cost established, you then need to factor in any possible commissions that Galleries or Agents might expect, plus any other ‘selling’ cost.

Now you’ve got a realistic basis to work from, the rest should be your profit. As always, how much profit depends on how much a buyer is prepared to pay for your work, and this depends on how much appeal you’ve created for your work. For example, most of the ‘Old Masters’ made very little profit from their work because they were bad at ‘creating appeal’ - or marketing as we now call it. Those who did make the money from their work were the people who bought the work and then sold it; plus the auctioneers and agents, and they made a lot of money! Its the same today, if you get the marketing right, you can set the price as high as your buyers are prepared to pay. There is no ‘correct’ price for art. Get it right and you’re onto a winner, but unless you want to known as ‘cheap’, don’t sell your art cheap!

What is ArtSure?

ArtSure is basically a register of prints that meet the Fine Art Trade Guild's highest standard for printing. All prints that meet the criteria are given an individual registration number and can be viewed on the ArtSure section of the Fine Art Trade Guild's website: http://www.fineart.co.uk/artsure/

The benefits for the Artist are that the registration establishes the quality of the prints and differentiates them from all the 'cheap' reproductions on the market today. It also reassures their buyers that the print is going to last and remain a faithfully reproduction of the original. There's an additional but not stated benefit for the Artist; it establishes the date of the work - important for copyright.

The benefit for the buyer is mainly that they can be sure the print they've bought won't fade or discolour, and it'll hold a realistic value. It will also sit comfortably in a frame with no 'cockling' or distortion over time. But the biggest benefit is that it will look good, so good that you'll think it was the original!

Can you print from any picture file?

Technically yes. But the quality of a print is dependent of the quality and resolution of the image file. Many images are captured at ‘screen resolution’ - 72dpi.To achieve a good print you need an image of 240-360dpi. There can also be problem with images shot as JPEGs and heavily compressed to make the file smaller, this reduces the overall quality of the image and colour detail.

Do giclée prints fade?

Yes, in time, but nowhere near as fast as other methods of printing. This is because they use pigments inks rather than dyes, and this makes them colourfast. Displayed correctly, that is behind glass and away from direct sunlight, they should remain pristine for a ‘lifetime’.

What is giclee? 

Giclée is the name used to describe a method of high-resolution ink-jet printing that uses specially coated paper or canvas and 8+ colour pigment inks. Giclée printing is recognised for delivering the finest quality for Fine Art and Photographic prints.

New for 2016 - My blog is going to be dedicated to answering all your questions about giclée printing. If you have question either respond to this blog or email me at: john@salt-of-the-earth.biz