A proof is an inexpensive test print that is made to to check that the final print or prints are going to be successful. It is also a preliminary print that is made to check the quality of the file. Really it’s like any other print but it’s made on cheaper paper and done in anticipation of making a final print on more expensive paper. It’s done to save money and avoid waste. We usually do 2 proofs per image one is the whole thing at reduced size around 8” x 10” and one cropped section of the final at 100% scale.

 

 

You can but it is provided for your benefit so we don’t recommend it. If you skip the proof and are unhappy with the final then you missed an opportunity to correct the problem. You will also still be required to pay for the print you’re not happy with.

 

 

We get asked this a lot. Our answer is that it’s pointless so no we don’t. There are so many stages at which the color can get skewed between camera phones and screens that it can only distort the perception of the print not aid in assessing it.

 

 

Yes we can! We ship by FedEx ground. Please see our fulfillment page for costs.

 

 

As we said it’s really just a print. Can you get a print made? Yes of course! Can you get a print made for free or for the same price as a proof? Well not really, but it depends. Here is how it works: We make proofs to ensure that the final print you intend to make will be successful. If you just get a final print made then it’s not really a proof so we will charge you for it as a normal print. Unless the reason for not proceeding is a failure in which case the proof has performed its function of avoiding waste and disappointment. We will still charge $10 for a proof on proofing paper or 50% of the price of a print on final paper. In the latter case proofs on final paper are only offered for editions or large quantities of identical prints.

 

 

Yes you can but how we charge you for it will depend on a couple things. If we do a reduced size and a crop then you will pay 50% of the cost of a print on that paper at that size. If we do a full sized ‘proof’ on final paper then really it’s no different from a final print unless it’s a test print for an editions or large quantitiy of identical prints.

 

 

You can call it what you want once we’ve printed it for you but if it’s the same as a final print then it will cost the same.

 

 

Different forms of printmaking all have they own unique traditions based on what is required to get a good print. In giclee printing we are much more like a photo printer than a traditional etching printer. A file is like a negative so when you hand it to a printer we make one print or many depending on what you need. Etching presses take a huge amount of work to set up and run and so you need to go through a lengthy period of testing to make sure everything is good. Once you are there it makes no sense not to run many prints and at the end of the day you have many prints—some final and some tests—the best of which are published as the edition and the second best are considered proofs. We don’t have second bests.

 

 

In this instance we will charge for it as a proof if the first one is dissatisfactory and you still need to make changes to the file or paper after we have run it. Bear in mind that this only counts for an edition that is about to be printed not for one you intend to print sometime in the future. We charge 50% for proofs on the final paper at the size printed.

 

 

We can print it for you but that isn’t a proof, it’s a test print and we charge for those at full price. We recommend you use a less expensive paper if you think it might not yet be ready for exhibition or are concerned about costs.