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Help needed - How to print 33inch wide Chinese painting

apsheng

Member
Thanks everyone in advance for your help.

I have a digital image of a Chinese painting that I would like to print. It is 33x38 inches, so I need to send the digital file to an outfit with a wide printer. I would like it to match the original. So I have adjusted the file to print on my Epson 3880 (using gloss paper) to match the original as much as possible. My questions are:

What is the best paper to use to match the original Chinese painting which is on a paper similar to those used for watercolor but much thinner ? The original has a light background so a whiter paper is preferred.

Is sending them my sample print the best way to match the original ?

Recommendations for a printing outfit that can do the job and is willing to put in the effort to match my sample.

Any other aspects I need to pay attention to ?

Thanks again,

Alan
 

alajuela

Active member
Thanks everyone in advance for your help.

I have a digital image of a Chinese painting that I would like to print. It is 33x38 inches, so I need to send the digital file to an outfit with a wide printer. I would like it to match the original. So I have adjusted the file to print on my Epson 3880 (using gloss paper) to match the original as much as possible. My questions are:

What is the best paper to use to match the original Chinese painting which is on a paper similar to those used for watercolor but much thinner ? The original has a light background so a whiter paper is preferred.

Is sending them my sample print the best way to match the original ?

Recommendations for a printing outfit that can do the job and is willing to put in the effort to match my sample.

Any other aspects I need to pay attention to ?

Thanks again,

Alan
Hi I don't know if this is helpful but I have used rice paper on an Epson 4900. It is very thin, and does have some lose lint sometimes.

Otherwise I think you would have see what is finish on your painting, my wife paints and usually it is not a true white and certainly not glossy. See how a cold press natural matches up

Thanks

Phil
 

Mike Z

Member
Hello Alan,
I have been reproducing artwork for more the 15 years and think I can offer some good advise.
If you are going to send a proof to your chosen printer to match, I would suggest that you try to make a proof on paper similar to what the final print will be on.
Expecting that a printer can match your glossy print to a print they would make on say rice paper is a bit unrealistic. Glossy prints always seem to have more "punch" then matte papers.
We have reproduced a lot of Asian water colors on Hahnemuhle Torchon paper with very good results. The texture seems to suit Asian water colors very well.

Rice paper always seems to be the best choice however my experience has been that unless it is a coated paper designed for inkjet printing it can be difficult to obtain the full color gamut you might want.

Another point to consider is, supplying a proof from your Epson is a great idea but bear in mind that most professional printers are using RIP software for printing. This means that even if the people you work with are using Epson large format printers, their software will very likely map colors differently then your printer.

I think you will have to expect to pay some proofing cost to obtain accurate results.

I don't know where you are located but there are most likely printers in you area that specializes in artwork reproduction.

I would work with a local company where you can go in and look at proof that they produce to be sure you get the results you desire.

Hope this helps,
Mike
 

apsheng

Member
Thanks Mike, Phil, and James for your advice. I finally got back on this project after Easter. Found a fine-arts printer in Berkeley, CA and was able to get a satisfactory result after several tries using Epson hotpress smooth rag on Epson printer. The print shop was very accommodating and ran several samples. I printed a 17x22 on Canson Plantine fiber rag doing the best I could to match the original art work and used that for the print shop to match. Color match was good and deviations are not too obvious from the original.

Mike's suggestion of using Hahnemuhle Torchon paper is interesting. Do you think it would look better for Chinese art than the Epson hotpress smooth rag?

Again, thank you all for your advice. This is my first venture trying to print fine art.

Alan
 

Mike Z

Member
Hello Alan,
I'm sure that from a technical standpoint the epson paper can do a very good job.
The reason I like Torchon paper is that it gives a feel for oriental art that a smooth paper does not. While the paper is much thicker then rice paper it does have a look that is quite nice. Your printer could do a proof on Torchon for you to see how it looks and I think it would be worth the effort. I think that the Torchon is a bit brighter white than the epson rag which is also nice.
After doing art reproduction for 20 years I've found that taking that little extra step, such as looking at different paper, can really improve the quality of the final product you offer your client.

Mike
 
Thanks Mike, Phil, and James for your advice. I finally got back on this project after Easter. Found a fine-arts printer in Berkeley, CA and was able to get a satisfactory result after several tries using Epson hotpress smooth rag on Epson printer. The print shop was very accommodating and ran several samples.

Alan
If you found Rob Reiter at the Lightroom, you made a great choice. He's a fine printer, a good photographer in his own right, and an expert at art reproduction; and he has a very nice gallery too.

Kirk
 

apsheng

Member
If you found Rob Reiter at the Lightroom, you made a great choice. He's a fine printer, a good photographer in his own right, and an expert at art reproduction; and he has a very nice gallery too.

Kirk
No, it wasn't him. But I'll give him a try next.
Thanks,
Alan
 
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