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Rob Piercy / ArtSystems / Senecio -- Success in digital production of Fine Art
Reprinted with permission of Digital Display Printing magazine, July/August 2002


The digital production of fine art print is a specialist, niche industry which has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for individual artists.

It has taken away much of the risk associated with producing limited edition prints via traditional litho printing, where high set up costs mean that long print runs are needed to be economically viable, often resulting in unsold stock.

Now, artists can get their originals digitally scanned and printed, starting with just a few copies and ordering more on demand. Advances in ink jet technology mean that, with the printers and media now available, the quality of the output is extremely high.

And, like Welsh Artist of the Year Rob Piercy, individuals can now make the investment to bring large format printers in-house and reproduce their own work.

Rob got together with specialist fine art printers and equipment resellers Senecio, who have been in the business for 30 years, at this year's Spring Fair at the Birmingham NEC. They were running a show offer, in conjunction with specialist large-format print and imaging solutions distributor ArtSystems.

The package they had put together was the Mutoh Falcon printer run by the ONYX RIP workflow software. It also included installation and training on the RIP, PC platform and printer, which usually takes a day or more from Senecio, as they believe that only with this level of training can people really get the most out of the print solutions they provide. And with ArtSystems being a specialist distributor, dealing only with large-format printing, the high level of support goes right the way up the supply chain.

Rob had previously used offset litho printing for producing his reproductions, printing 500 each of around six of the 150 originals he tends to produce each year. With the NEC show coming up, he felt that if he was also to attend as an exhibitor, he would need a better selection of prints. So he launched a mountain landscape collection with images from Wales, Scotland and the Lake District. And because of the print runs needed to justify litho printing he was left with a great deal of unsold stock.

Rob said: "As a self publishing printer I know my market very well, which is why I usually limit and carefully target the number of my originals that I reproduce. Now I've got the in-house digital printing facility I can produce a short run of an image I'm not sure about and then print more if it does take off, rather than having to produce them all in one go."

With this added freedom and reduction in print costs for each job, the system will hopefully soon pay for itself as well as giving Rob the opportunity to experiment more and possibly increase his market by diversifying what he offers.

As he's selling art from www.robpiercygallery.co.uk the on-demand print facility is a brilliant addition to his studio and web-based services.

Senecio, who have also produced work for artists such as Damien Hirst and Mark Quinn, pride themselves - along with excellent technical back-up support from ArtSystems - on providing all the expertise artists, galleries and publishers need, including those with no prior computing knowledge.

Adrian Lack of Senecio said: "We get contacted by many people who have previously bought fine art large format printing solutions from other suppliers but then find that they don't have the specialist knowledge to help them get the best out of their purchase. With our years of experience we can provide back-up specially tailored for the fine art world. We're not just a commercial printer who occasionally works with fine art."

And this expertise means Senecio are quite exacting about the system configuration they recommend. The ONYX RIP is the only one they will deal with. Adrian added: "Fine art is obviously very subjective - what the final print looks like is much more important than matching it to a cromalin or other proof. ONYX has proved to us to be the best subjective RIP.

"It allows easy global alterations to the image, which is very important when people have no technical knowledge of colour but instinctively know how an image needs to be changed, such as amending contrast levels. As it's so intuitive, artists can be trained to use the RIP themselves and take more control over their work."

Senecio are also specific about which printers and media they use, as clearly fine art prints need to stay in great condition for a long time. The company only sells pigment ink printers and use very specialised media, mostly 330gsm watercolour paper and canvasses. Rob Piercy uses Somerset 100% cotton, acid free paper supplied by Senecio. This combination, dependent on how the art is displayed, will guarantee prints to last for many years.

Cost is also a very important factor. Adrian explained: "The ONYX RIP is very efficient in its use of media, and we've found the Mutoh to be the most affordable of the printers with a good build quality suitable for fine art. So for artists like Rob this makes a great combination."

But where customers don't want to make the capital layout, Senecio can also print their reproductions after scanning the originals. Prints can then be ordered on request, with Senecio storing an electronic copy on file.

Everyone's requirements and knowledge levels are different so Senecio always encourage artists to come and see their production area in action.

ArtSystems Managing Director David Thomas concluded: "Although fine art isn't a huge area at the moment as far as sales from our resellers go, the developments in digital ink jet printing make this a feasible technology for fine art production - and extremely cost effective."

**** Senecio have one Mutoh Falcon and ONYX RIP package available at a bargain price. Call Adrian on 01608 810325 for more details.******

ENDS 965 words
Ref: 02/06/3
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