Printing Digital Downloads

You may have just purchased some new digital downloads off Etsy, or maybe you just want some tips about printing. Here's the scoop.

It's not as intimidating as it may seem to print those digital downloads you might be thinking about purchasing. You can find various types of beautiful art work in the form of digital downloads at places like Etsy or a local artists website. This is a great option to continuously change your art work through out your home seasonally at a low cost.

Digital Download Printing Tips

Printing Options.

There are many options when it comes to where to print. First, you can easily print at home. I'd say most people in the U.S. have a printer that prints an image size of up to 8.5" x 11". Depending on the size you want, this may be a perfect option for you. Outsourcing may be the way to go if you want a larger size image or maybe you want to print on canvas, metal, acrylic, etc. Places like Walgreens, Shutterfly, FedEx, Target, Mpix will offer some of these options. I am one to support your small local business, so don't be afraid to check around your area for printing services. This also allows you to be able to go in and feel the paper you want to print on and learn more about your paper options. Awesome little perk. Local printing shops may actually offer better printers also. Standard printers do not hold as many colored ink cartridges as a higher quality printer which may alter the coloring from its original format. A higher quality printer has more colored ink choices it can grab while printing to create a more vivid piece of work. Depending on the printer it may also offer dye based ink that creates not only a vivid piece of work but mixed with archival paper, you will now own a piece of art that lasts a lifetime and is museum grade. Another option may be to contact the artist you are purchasing from and see if they offer printing for an additional cost. All are great choices, it's what works best for you and your needs.

Type of Print Options

Paper choices: Matte or glossy? This differs on the look you want to achieve. A matte paper will offer a professional look that you would find when buying from most artists. I tend to sway towards a good matte paper. Which also helps with glare. However, if your prerogative is a good glossy paper, roll with it. Glossy paper will offer a rich color experience and looks just as great in a frame. More options you may find are canvas prints, metals, acrylics the list goes on. So take your time and look at your options on what will fit your perfect print.

Scaling Size/Print Ratio

Take note of the listed scaling size by the artist/shop seller. This will be listed in the details and sometimes in the images offered. Why is this important? If you are looking for a 10" x 10" , which happens to be a 1:1 ratio, buying a 24" x 36" is not the way to go. You wont be able to scale the image properly with out cropping large pieces away or having a skewed white space. The seller will list the ratios and what it can be scaled to normally.

Send a note to the Seller

Don't be intimidated to send a message to the seller if you are looking for a different size. A nice quick message to the seller stating your wants will go a long way. They will most likely happily be able to work with you and adjust the differences you are looking for. Perfect reason to support local artists and shape up the space you are redecorating. :))

Rights

Keep in mind the rights that are given when purchasing works of art in any form. A lot of seller's on Etsy keep their work to personal use only. This means being able to use the digital for decorating for personal use. Respectfully, this includes no further: distribution of the files you purchased, using them in a commercial manner or trying to use them to profit in any way. If you are looking to use them in a commercial manner try sending a message to the seller. Most artists will work with you and may extend a license for commercial use at an additional cost. Please, always be respectful of the artist's work, this is there livelihood. :))