In addition to my tinkering with this website and making original artwork, I’ve put a lot of time and energy into the products I offer. And I do all the work myself. Being able to proffer prints, stickers, and other art items takes a lot of extra consideration and preparation. Sometimes too, it takes a lot of personal resources to produce inventory. So I thought you might be interested in how it all comes together.
Scanning: For every image I publish, regardless of whether the original is already owned, I have to invest in a super high resolution scan of the image. Many of my originals are quite large, so a special process and equipment are required to get a quality image. These digital scans become the basis for any giclée or commercial printed items as well as the images I use for this website.
Product Design: While I had help for the first couple of products, I’m now doing all the layout for the posters, stickers, banners, and other products I offer. It’s part of the process I enjoy the most (except when I realize bad moves or choices).
Printing: I work with several printing companies to create the various products I offer. Canvas and paper giclée are produced where I live in Salt Lake City, so I can be meticulous about color matching and print quality. Hours of additional time goes into adjusting a digital image to appropriately print on the canvas (or paper) and end up with the correct final colors. I also pay extra to get the best quality materials for stretching and finishing to ensure product durability. I also hand retouch all canvas giclée.
Other products are manufactured by various printing companies located throughout the United States. These companies are selected in part because they only use earth-friendly and sustainable business practices.
Framing: All framed prints are mounted and framed where I live in Salt Lake City. Most of the canvas giclée come with the same or very similar frame as the original artwork. Framed items are professionally finished and ready to hang.
Packaging & Labeling: I’ve invested a lot of energy and cost into appropriate product packaging. And then I package each item by hand. This requires combining packaging sourced from various companies and assembling the product into a final package. Giclée prints also contain certificates. Some products go into envelopes, some go into shipping tubes, but all are packaged and labeled by hand and to ensure your art is well protected for transport.
With a sincere commitment to ensure my products do not harm the environment, I spend a little more to buy compostable, vegetable based clear covers and recycled packaging. Check out my Earth Friendly Art page for details.
Storage: Lots of product takes up lots space. Just to offer my current selection, I have to keep track of hundreds of inventory items worth many thousands of dollars. So I’ve adjusted the way I offer products (like prints) so I don’t have to keep a large inventory on hand. Not only is a lot of inventory prone to damage, aging, etc., it takes a lot of space. I already have an entire closet set aside just to hold the posters. That’s one of the reasons I won’t do large run prints on posters or other items. It’s also why higher price items like banners and canvas and paper giclée are manufactured at the time you order them. Everything is made in small batches and stored for only a short period of time, if at all. This ensures your product is brand spanking new when it’s delivered.
Delivery: When an order is filled through this website the notification goes straight to my inbox. I process and package your items personally and it will be me who drops your shipment off at the post office (generally on my way home from work).
[spacer size=”40″]So it’s true that I’m personally involved in every aspect of what you get. I want to ensure every part of the process goes well. Plus, having the perspective of an MBA and nearly a decade working as a project manager, I really enjoy being able to touch all aspects of the business process—from product design and development, costing, website development, sales, accounting, quality assurance, warehousing and inventory, packaging and shipping, and customer support. -am. Nov 2013