Rule #1: In order to get a high quality giclee print, you need a high quality capture of your image. You should have it either professionally scanned or photographed for best results.

Picture Salon can digitally capture your original art.

The advantage of shipping the art to us vs. having it photographed or scanned locally is that we will have it as a reference for color correction. You will get a more accurate print as a result.

However, if you do not wish to pack and ship your original art, here are the two main approaches:

#1. Scan your artwork - an economical way to go

• Watercolor: excellent media for scanning. No problem whatsoever!



• Pastels, Pencil: need to be permanently fixed, otherwise they may smear.



• Collage: can be done but may need a clear acrylic sheet to protect image.



• Oil and Acrylic on board: good results!



• Oil and Acrylic on stretched canvas: can be done with mixed results. If you are willing to remove the canvas from the stretcher bars, scans can be very good and less expensive than photography, with high-quality results.

Typical Yellow Page listings for scanning services are:

• Reprographics, Copy and Duplicating services
• Commercial photography lab
• Sign, banner companies

#2. Photograph your artwork - more expensive

If your work is on stretchers or is thicker than foam core, then you will need to take a picture.

We highly recommend using a professional photographer who has done this sort of work before. We also recommend that you have it done on a large format camera (4x5), not a consumer grade digital camera.

Do-It-Yourself Photography - least expensive if you own the equipment

We have started to see fairly impressive results from digital cameras that are 8MP and greater. Just make sure to use the highest resolution setting and light as evenly as possible.