To ensure the highest digital image quality it is almost always a good idea to have it done professionally. This is more true for artists with larger physical originals than for a photographer working with transparencies.
Scanning or photographing large pieces of art requires specialized equipment, precision, and optimum lighting conditions that are very difficult for the average person to achieve. Selling professional quality prints requires very high quality digital images.
Even with photography one should consider that the final output size of a print will ultimately be limited by the available size and resolution of a digital file. For example, an original photographic work, or even a photo of a painting with a 10 mega pixel camera will only yield a file around 3872 x 2592 pixels. A file that size would only facilitate a print of about 38x25 inches MAX. Using even a “prosumer” grade scanner on your film negatives has a very similar limit. So get your work professionally captured – it’s worth the investment.
There are three major types of frequently asked questions: