Below is a list of valuable and affordable products that I use to create my own art prints. You can find many of these things online or at regular stores.

**Before creating any prints, make sure you have a good quality image. I recommend using a resolution of 300 dpi or more. The key is to capture a high quality photo that matches your original. You may need to place your original artwork under good lighting and use a good camera. (The latest smartphones can take high quality pictures.) You can also use photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop to help you touch up your images.

1) PRINTER:
There are two printers on the market that are not only affordable, but can produce great quality art prints. I use the Canon Pixma Pro-100 printer to make my 4″X6″, 5″X7″, and 8.5″X11″art prints. It can actually print up to 13″X19″. The Epson Artisan 1430 is also a great printer for the price. It can also print up to 13″X19″. (There are ink refill kits available at www.precisioncolors.com for both printers that will save you lots of money on printer ink. I will go over them in another post.)

2) PAPER:
The Canon Luster is an excellent photo paper that goes well with the Canon Pixma printer. It makes the nicest prints that are not too glossy and not too flat. The lower costing Canon Matte Photo Paper is also good for all purpose color printing. For high quality fine art printing I use the Canson Infinity Edition Etching Rag Paper. It comes in 8.5″X11″ and 13″X19″ sizes. Just remember to download the ICC profile for the printer on the Canson website. The Epson Premium Presentation paper works best with the Epson Artisan Printer. And the Red River Polar Matte paper works well for fine art prints. You can visit their website at www.redrivercatalog.com.

3) MATTS:
For my 5″X7″ and 8″X10″ prints I use these great black & white mats that also come with a backing and protective plastic bag.

4) PLASTICS:
For all my 8.5″X11″ fine art prints I use the ClearBag plastic bags. It comes in a packs of 25. I also buy the EcoSwift Chipboard for the backing. It comes in a packs of 50. For my 4″X6″ prints I use these clear protective bags. They come in a packs of 100.

6) PAPER CUTTER:
The Guillotine trimmer works best for cutting paper. It’s lighweight and easy to use. There is the 12″ and 15″ size.

7) ARTIST TAPE:
When using mats, I like to use artist tape to put my photos in place. It has a good strong adhesive.

8) LABELS:
Having a label on your art prints is a good way to show important information such as your name, the title of your artwork, the price, and your contact information.