What is Member Art?
What is print-on-demand?
What is Giclée printing?
What media types are available for print-on-demand?
How can I tell which is the best paper for printing my photographs and artwork?
What is the Classic Collection?
What is a print on canvas?
What is Gallery Wrap?
What is Museum Wrap?
What is Custom Framing?
What are United Inches?
Why do I occasionally see errors in the frame engine that say things like “Image too big to be framed” or “You cannot use this frame for this image, the resulting dimension is too large. Please select another frame.” ?
What are the frames made of?
What kind of mats do you offer?
What types of Glass and Acrylic do you offer?
What is the difference between Glass and Acrylic?
What is a Canvas Transfer?
What is the difference between a canvas transfer and a print on canvas?
How is a Canvas Transfer made?
Can you custom frame a Canvas Transfer piece?
What are greeting cards?
What size are the cards?
What are the cards printed on?
What’s on the back of a greeting card?
How do I sell my images as greeting cards?
Can I specify that only a few images be available as greeting cards?
What does it mean to allow my images to be cropped?
Can a message be printed on the inside of a greeting card?
How are greeting cards shipped?
Can I price my cards individually?
What is Member Art?
Member Art is art Imagekind members have uploaded and posted in the public Member Art gallery and is part of our print-on-demand service.
It includes art such as photography, digital art, and high-resolution scans of paintings and prints. We print the art here in our offices and provide a range of size options and paper and canvas choices for our shoppers.
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What is print-on-demand?
Print-on-demand is a service that allows Imagekind members to easily and inexpensively create fine art prints from their uploaded images. Whether you want prints made from your latest vacation photographs or wish to create fine art prints from your digitized artwork, it’s all possible with print-on-demand. All Member Art is available for print-on-demand. Imagekind offers black and white and color printing on a variety of papers and canvases to meet your needs. Prints are made using the Giclée printing process with archival quality, pigmented inks, and acid free media to ensure that with proper care, they will look as good 70 years from now as they do today. We use the finest fine art printers available for production of these products.
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What is Giclée printing?
"Giclée" means fine art ink jet print. The term was coined to differentiate fine art prints from commercial proofs made from similar equipment.
Giclée differs from other traditional printing methods. Posters are usually produced using offset lithography, which uses 4 colors of differing size dots to produce the colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). Newspapers are produced the same way. Giclée prints have the different colors of ink mix on the surface of the paper, so the colors are bright and uniform, even when examined close up. Our Giclée printers use 8 colors of ink (cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, yellow, black, light black, and light light black), so we are able to produce a wider spectrum of color than a traditional print can. For more information on our inks and papers, click HERE.
Traditional prints take a longer time to set up, and generally require a large amount of prints to be made at one time to make up for the cost. One of the benefits of Giclée prints is that they are Print On Demand. The prints are not made until you order them, so you can order them one at a time or many all at once. Giclée prints are especially convenient for artists who would like to offer prints, as they do not need to purchase a large quantity up front.
Giclée prints are the perfect choice for those seeking a quick turnaround time and low overhead costs, but not sacrificing detail and quality.
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What media types are available for print-on-demand?
We have ten different media types available for print-on-demand, including Enhanced Matte Poster, Premium Photo Glossy, Somerset Velvet Fine, UltraSmooth Fine Art, Hahnemuhle Torchon, Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308, Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl, and 2 types of print on canvas media, Premium Gloss Canvas and Pro Matte Canvas.
Compare Printing Papers with the IMAGEKIND PAPER SAMPLE KIT
We offer an Imagekind Paper Sample Kit, a sampling of all our printing papers, so you can see and feel the difference between them. Similar papers have the same image to make this even easier. Our Kit sells for $15, and includes a coupon worth $15 on your next print order, so it's essentially like getting the paper samples for free. You can order it here.
Here is a detailed description of each of our Print on Demand papers:
Enhanced Matte Poster
For artists and photographers seeking a flat matte surface, EPSON Enhanced Matte Paper is the ideal choice. This bright white paper is perfect for images that do not require gloss. It yields highly saturated images, while maintaining excellent highlight and shadow detail. Professional photographers, digital artists and amateurs alike will find EPSON Enhanced Matte Paper a remarkable choice for any project.
Premium Photo Glossy
Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper offers the highest gloss level of any Epson resin coated photographic paper. Producing vivid life-like images that rival those of traditional silver halide prints, the ultra glossy finish, coupled with a 10 mil thickness and extremely wide color gamut, make this paper a favorite among discerning photographers. Its instant drying and non-cockling characteristics make use, handling, and display of the finished output trouble-free. It creates highly saturated prints by offering maximum ink coverage and high D-Max for true photographic reproductions. This paper can also be easily laminated to provide protection from light and moisture.
Premium Photo Luster
Wedding and portrait photographers have traditionally used luster paper for their photos. This popular surface is now available to digital printmakers via Epson’s Premium Luster Photo Paper. This instant drying paper produces vivid, lifelike images that rival those of traditional silver halide prints. Premium Luster Photo Paper delivers highly saturated prints by offering maximum ink coverage and a high D-Max for true photographic reproductions. Its 10-mil RC base gives prints a photographic feel, and keeps the paper cockle-free. Ideal for use with all Epson Inks.
Somerset Velvet Fine Art
Somerset Velvet is a delicately textured fine art paper engineered to give you the highest resolution and color saturation possible. It has always been the first paper choice among serious artists and printmakers dating back to the 1700’s and the days of handmade paper. Somerset Velvet is 100% cotton, acid-free paper with luxurious weight, texture and finish that truly delivers museum quality appearance.
UltraSmooth Fine Art
Artists and professional photographers require true archival print media in a variety of weights and surface textures for their digital fine art and photography. Epson UltraSmooth Fine Art Paper is a 100% cotton hot press paper that is coated on both sides and is not only acid, lignin, and chlorine free, it is also pH buffered with calcium carbonate for a true archival sheet. This paper is engineered to give you the highest resolution and color saturation possible.
Hahnemuehle Torchon
Torchon by Hahnemuhle, is an acid free cotton rag watercolor paper with a parchment or pastel paper surface. Especially suitable for reproductions of oil, watercolor and pastel paintings. The printed side of this paper has been specially coated for excellent image sharpness and optimum color graduation. The coating also offers a very high level of water resistance. Common applications include fine art reproduction, business cards, greetings cards, post cards, novelty applications, certificates and presentation prints for display purposes.
Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308
A smooth bright white 100% rag based paper specifically designed to meet the need of photographers or artists using digital photographic output. The heavier 308 gsm paper provides the weight of an art paper with a smooth calendared surface, which picks up every detail captured in the photograph. The coated side of this paper provides excellent image sharpness and optimum color graduation. The coating also offers a very high level of water resistance. Common applications include photographic and fine art reproduction, business cards, greeting cards, certificates and bookmaking. It is also ideal for computer generated artwork.
Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl
FineArt Pearl 285gsm is a triple coated, lignin free, 100% alpha-cellulose paper. The result is an age resistant paper with a surface that is remarkably similar to a traditional silver gelatin double-weight photo paper. Hahnemühle FineArt Pearl proved to be significantly superior in D-Max, white point and surface structure.
Premium Gloss Canvas
Gloss Canvas Finish. Made from a durable blend of 65% Polyester and 35% Cotton, Premium Gloss Canvas is a heavyweight, quality canvas utilizing a tight weave that is ideal for photographic, fine art and everyday printing alike. It offers a high resolution coating that is pliable enough to withstand stretching over bars, and displays a subtle texture for a true artistic appearance and feel. Combined with incredible color reproduction, PremierArt Water Resistant Canvas for Epson provides a high gloss finish, instant dry versatility, and water resistance to allow for all applications that require the highest image quality and an archival display life.
Pro Matte Canvas
Made from a durable blend of 65% Polyester and 35% Cotton, our Pro Matte Canvas is a heavyweight, quality canvas utilizing a tight weave that is ideal for photographic, fine art and everyday printing alike. It offers a high resolution coating that is pliable enough to withstand stretching over bars, and displays a subtle texture for a true artistic appearance and feel. Combined with incredible color reproduction, our Pro Matte Canvas provides a matte finish, instant dry versatility, and water resistance to allow for all applications that require the highest image quality and an archival display life.
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How can I tell which is the best paper for printing my photographs and artwork?
You can order our Imagekind Media Kit. This is a sampling of all ten of our printing papers, so you can see and feel the difference between them. Similar papers have the same sample image to make this comparison even easier. Our Media Kit can be purchased for $15, and includes a coupon worth $15 on your next print order, so it's essentially like getting the Media Kit free. You can order a Media Kit here.
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What is the Classic Collection?
Our Classic Collection is comprised of images from classical masters, famous and well know painters, photographers, and illustrators. For example, you'll find Van Gogh, Ansel Adams, Renoir etc. We have collected this art through partnerships with leading Fine Art publishers from around the world. This art is sent to us as pre-printed lithograph or serigraph fine art poster prints, therefore, various print-on-demand paper choices are not available in the Classic Collection. This is in contrast to the print on demand service we provide for member art.
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What is a print on canvas?
The print on canvas option allows you to select an image from your personal digital files and print it on to high quality canvas. Prints on canvas are water resistant, require no glazing and can be stretched using either a museum or gallery wrap. The maximum size for printing on canvas is the Massive size at 44 x 60 inches (104 UI). However, the maximum size for a print on canvas to be stretched is the Grande size at 36 x 48 inches (82 UI) due to shipping constraints.
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What is Gallery Wrap?
Gallery wraps are a streamlined, contemporary way to display art on canvas. The canvas is folded over the edge of a wooden stretcher frame and is attached to the back. The picture flows cleanly around covering the sides. When the art is hung, it presents a continuous display of the image, uninterrupted by a white margin or side staples.
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What is Museum Wrap?
Museum Wraps are a standard way to present art on canvas. Only a small amount of the art folds over the edge and the sides are left white, maximizing the image presentation for framing. Museum Wraps look best when paired with a frame.
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What is Custom Framing?
We offer over 160 frames and 140 mats from the best manufacturers in the world. Only the highest quality products have been selected for each grade of framing. Materials are available in both conservation and non-conservation categories, so that you can choose from a rich selection of components that will fit both your style and your budget. We are not selling pre-made frames with low –grade materials like those you may find in department or furniture stores. We provide a broad range of options so that your art is just as unique as you are. Now you can imagine it, and create it!
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What are United Inches?
United Inches is a unit of measure used to determine costs of certain framing materials such as moulding. To calculate united inches simply add the width plus the height of the unframed print. An unmatted 8x10 image would have 18 united inches.
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Why do I occasionally see errors in the frame engine that say things like “Image too big to be framed” or “You cannot use this frame for this image, the resulting dimension is too large. Please select another frame.” ?
Errors are generated by our framing engine for a variety of reasons. For example, shipping requirements limit the size of glass. Acrylic must be used instead on larger items to prevent breakage. Some mats are only available in smaller sizes. When the mat size limit is exceeded by a design, a message will let you know to use smaller mat borders, or to select another color option. Errors also pop up to let you know you must select a different frame. Smaller wood frames in particular are not designed to be used with larger pieces of art. Over time the stress of hanging and the weight of the components can cause a frame to break apart in the corners. The maximum size for a piece to be framed is 84 united inches (image and mat), so an error may be generated because the size exceeds what may be custom framed. The bottom line is that we want to make sure that your framed art not only arrives in great condition, but that it also looks great and is built to last!
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What are the frames made of?
Our frames are made of wood, metal and wood composite materials. Some have elaborate hand finishes, embossed textures and even metal leafing. The large variety of materials, colors and styles guarantees that you will find just the right selection to complement every framing design.
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What kind of mats do you offer?
We offer over 140 different mats to choose from, including rag, conservation and acid free paper mats.
Rag Mats
When the highest degree of conservation is required, consider only rag matboard. Rag mat is made from cotton fibers which are naturally acid and lignin free. It is the matting and mounting material preferred by museums and preservationists. Affordable and beautiful, rag mat has a smooth surface with solid color from the surface through the core. Bevel cuts on window openings have an uninterrupted flow of color. Eight-ply rag mat has an especially luxurious deep bevel.
This mat is created with technology to slow paper degradation, neutralize acid by-products and protect against damaging pollutants. It is also fade and bleed resistant. Rag mat is recommended for use on original art, fine art prints, historic or valuable documents and photographs.
Conservation Mats
Conservation matboard provides a standard level of conservation quality and is available in a wide range of colors and textures. Each is made from 100% alpha cellulose, and is fade and bleed resistant. Alpha cellulose is produced from buffered wood pulp specially treated to remove acids and lignins.
The conservation mat collection offers an extensive selection of design elements. Fabrics, metallics, patterns, vivid and soft hues add color and textural interest. This range of options allows greater flexibility to create a unique look which complements the art while reflecting your personal style.
Conservation mat is recommended for use on fine art prints, limited edition prints, precious documents or photographs.
Acid Free Paper Mats
Acid Free Paper is an excellent choice when conservation is not an issue. A buffered core keeps bevels on window openings white, and slows damage caused by acids and lignins. Available in a wide range of colors, Acid Free Paper is an attractive and practical mat to use in creating distinctive designs for replaceable, interchangeable or decorative art.
The Acid Free Paper mat collection is only recommended for open edition prints, and posters.
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What types of Glass and Acrylic do you offer?
We offer six different choices of Glass and Acrylic for your framed piece: Glass, Non Glare Glass, UV Glass, Acrylic, Non-Glare Acrylic, and UV Acrylic.
Glass
Premium clear is a non-conservation glazing that is made from the highest quality grade of regular glass available. It is a standard general purpose glass and blocks 45% of harmful UV rays. This glazing is recommended for use on open edition prints, interchangeable or replaceable art. No special cleaners are required.
UV Glass
UV glass is conservation glazing that offers additional protection to help shield art from harmful UV rays. This glass has a 98% UV blocking capability, and minimizes fading. Both indoor and outdoor light sources emit UV rays, and cause irreversible damage. Conservation glazing can be used to protect not only original, limited edition and sentimental pieces, but should also be considered for use on decorative art to preserve color. Only ammonia free cleaners should be used on conservation glass.
Non-Glare Glass
Non-glare glass reduces distracting glare and makes art easier to view in high light settings. Light can also create mirror like reflections, especially with darkly toned art or mats. Using non-glare glass allows you to view your framed art without glare distortion. The etched surface of this glass can reduce the visibility of fine detail when used with multiple mats. It is not recommended for use in designs with more than two 4-ply mat layers, or one 8-ply mat.
Acrylic
Acrylic is lightweight, durable and resists breaking. It also blocks 80% of harmful UV rays. A solution of warm water mixed with liquid detergent may be used to clean premium acrylic. Do not use any cleaning products that contain ammonia. Use only soft cloths that are free of debris when cleaning acrylic to prevent scratching.
UV Acrylic
UV acrylic is conservation quality and blocks 98% of harmful UV rays. It is lightweight, durable and resists breaking. Conservation acrylic may be cleaned with ammonia free glass cleaner. Use only soft cloths that are free of debris when cleaning acrylic to prevent scratching.
Non-Glare Acrylic
Non-glare acrylic reduces distracting glare and makes art easier to view in high light settings. Light can also create mirror like reflections, especially with darkly toned art or mats. Using non-glare acrylic allows you to view your framed art without glare distortion. It is also lightweight, durable and resists breaking. The visibility of fine detail is reduced when non-glare acrylic is used with multiple mats. It is not recommended for use in designs with more than two 4-ply mat layers, or one 8-ply mat.
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What is the difference between Glass and Acrylic?
Both glass and acrylic are used to glaze (protect) your framed prints. Glass is heavier and more scratch resistant than acrylic and is only available for framed pieces up to 20” x 24”. Glass can be micro-etched to provide anti-glare properties and coated to provide anti-reflective properties and UV protection which keeps your art from fading.
Acrylic is much lighter than glass and is shatter resistant. Standard acrylic also has greater UV blocking capabilities than standard glass. UV coated glass and acrylic have the same UV filtering ability. Acrylic is optimal for art that will be hung in areas where safety is an issue such as children’s rooms, boats, motor homes or public venues.
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What is a Canvas Transfer?
Canvas Transfers allow you to select a print and transfer the image onto canvas so that it resembles an original painting. You can choose to keep the canvas smooth or you can enhance the final piece with custom brushstrokes to add texture. Brushstrokes follow the contours of painted lines to create the illusion of being an actual painting. Photographic art looks best without embellishment, while posters made from images of paintings look best with the added texture of brushstrokes. Choose from our broad selection of museum art to customize the perfect piece for your décor!
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What is the difference between a canvas transfer and a print on canvas?
The canvas transfer process allows you to choose a poster from our Museum collection and transform it into a work of art on canvas. A print on canvas option allows you to select one of your personal digital images or Member Art piece and have it printed directly on to high quality canvas. Both are water resistant, require no glazing and can be stretched on to stretcher bars for framing. You can choose to add brushstrokes to canvas transfers. This option is not available for prints on canvas.
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How is a Canvas Transfer made?
Canvas transfers are a great way to affordably transform prints on paper into works of art on canvas. The print is coated with a special film that bonds the image. The resulting ink film is then carefully separated from the paper and transferred onto a high quality canvas. The laminate film is water resistant and offers maximum UV protection. Transfers are stretched over bars in the same fashion as an original painting. You can also choose to add brushstrokes to the transfer. Brushstrokes are applied to the canvas and follow the contour of painted lines in the poster image. Photographic art looks best without embellishment, while posters made from images of paintings look best with the additional texture of brushstrokes.
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Can you custom frame a Canvas Transfer piece?
Yes, we custom frame canvas transfers in the same manner we would frame a fine oil painting. Canvas transfers do not require glass, and are not matted. Canvas is traditionally not glazed and is exposed to highlight texture and color. You may choose to add glazing, if you desire, to any framed canvas transfer to add an additional layer of surface protection .
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What are greeting cards?
Greeting cards are landscape or portrait folded cards, created using images from our members of your personal collection. Cards are printed using Imagekind's high-quality printing standards. Choose from one of our three fine-art quality papers: Satin, Matte, or Magnolia (our premium brand).
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What size are the cards?
Greeting cards measure 6.30" x 4.50" (160mm x 114mm) when folded.
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What are the cards printed on?
We offer three fine-art quality papers for greeting cards: Satin, Matte, and Magnolia.
Satin. Luster finish creates a subtle shimmer to this paper and enables the maximum brightness and total range of colors.
Matte. The flat, smooth finish of our Matte paper shows vivid colors and blacks to perfection.
Magnolia. This ultra high-end product adds a touch of class to any greeting card. Magnolia is an old world, mould-made paper with a smooth finish that works exceptionally well with detailed work and fluid, watercolor-like images.
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What’s on the back of a greeting card?
The back of the greeting card contains a thumbnail of the image, a copyright notice attributing the image to the artist, “All Rights Reserved”, the title of the image, and the artist’s Imagekind URL. You can see a close-up of the back of a greeting card on the Greeting Cards page.
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How do I sell my images as greeting cards?
To sell all your images as greeting cards, log into your Admin, and click on the Profile tab. Check the check box that says “I would like to sell all my images as greeting cards.”
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Can I specify that only a few images be available as greeting cards?
Of course - you can make as many or as few of your images available as greeting cards as you’d like. To sell all the images in a single gallery as greeting cards, log into your Admin, and click the Gallery tab. Click on a gallery to select it, and the click on “Edit this Gallery’s Details” from the menu on the right. Check the checkbox that says “I would like to sell all images in this gallery as greeting cards.”
To sell individual images as greeting cards, log into your Admin, and click the Gallery tab. Select a gallery, and then select the image that you want to sell as a greeting card. Check the checkbox that says “I would like to see this image as a greeting card.”
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What does it mean to allow my images to be cropped?
For starters, cropping applies to greeting cards only; fine art prints cannot be cropped. If you allow cropping of images on your greeting cards, a customer can move the image around or zoom in to allow only certain parts of the image to fit on the card. If you don’t want to allow cropping, simply do not check the box. Your entire image will fit on the face of the card, vertically or horizontally, with a white border around it. A customer can choose to have a horizontal or vertical layout even if cropping is not allowed.
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Can a message be printed on the inside of a greeting card?
There are so many things you can say in a card that we’ll leave that up to you. At this time, our greeting cards are blank on the inside, waiting for your personal message.
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How are greeting cards shipped?
Cards are pre-folded and include a bright white envelope. We ship greeting cards worldwide using the United States Postal Service.
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Can I price my cards individually?
Just as you can price your prints individually, you can do the same for your greeting cards. Log into your admin, and click on the Pricing tab. Click the Images tab, and then follow the instructions to select and price individual images.
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