You’ve probably heard or seen us mention that we’re Australia’s ultimate “fine art print-on-demand service” – but what does this really mean? Does it matter if you’re printing and framing your art with a service that focuses on fine art?
Today, we’ll be demystifying everything you need to know about what it means to be “archival quality” and digitise, print, and frame your art using PrinTribe’s Frames and Canvases from our Premium range.
There are several factors to consider in terms of what goes into making your art sit at an archival or exhibition-grade level. These factors are what set us apart as fine art experts, including:
- Working with Guild-Recognised Framers
- Paper + Canvas Quality
- Frame Moulding
- Museum-Grade Acrylics
- Matboards and Mounting
We know that all of this can seem a little overwhelming, which is why we want to break things down. We want to help you understand exactly what it means to print and frame your artwork at archival-quality standards, giving you the confidence to choose our Premium Canvas and Premium Frame products to sell your art and guarantee the best quality for your clients to keep them coming back for more.
What does it mean to be a guild-recognised framer? Guild-recognised framers are certified by the Pictured Framers Guild of Australia (PFGA) once they are confirmed to meet certain industry standards. These standards define appropriate levels of framing techniques and materials.
Framers are also required to be aware of issues before framing, where they must ask several questions before framing an artwork. The questions are as follows:
- What is the item to be framed?
- What condition is it in?
- Does it require treatment?
- What Industry Standard category is best suited?
- What materials and techniques are best suited for the category selected?
These questions can give you an idea of how thorough our process is to ensure your Premium Frames from PrinTribe are held to the highest standard and sent to your customers in tip-top shape.
What using guild-recognised framers means for you is the framed finish on your artworks will be good enough for your artwork to hang in a gallery.
We Print Using Archival Quality Paper
Archival quality paper should be used to produce fine art quality prints, and that’s exactly what we use at PrinTribe. In fact, you’ll find the highest-standard paper available on our website to print your art using our Premium range.
To be considered archival quality paper, it must be acid-free, which means that the paper base should be pH 7 or above. The coating of the paper should also be acid-free.
Here’s a summarised look at the important specs of our paper used for our Premium range:
Art Paper Premium:
This matt, bright white paper is perfect for graphic images with crisp details and highly vivid colours on a smooth texture. It has an average weight at 230gsm, is pH-neutral, and produces high-contrast for full colour applications and graphics.
Photo Paper:
As its name suggests, this is ideal for printing photography. It has a white, satin finish for that luxe, glossy look, which means your photos are more vibrant and make a higher impact in terms of image quality. It has a 235gsm weight and is FSC-certified (meaning it’s sustainably sourced).
Smooth Cotton Rag:
If you want crisp details, this is the way to go. This soft white cotton paper is slightly heavier at 280gsm, giving a lightly textured matte finish. Your art can be produced within a vast colour range, and it’s instant drying.
Textured Cotton Rag:
This paper comes in at 315gsm and has a soft, etching texture. This means it adds dimension and enhances lighter areas, giving the print even more of a high-end feel. As with smooth cotton rag, your artwork can be produced within a vast colour range.
Polycotton Canvas:
Available for our Premium Canvas products, this is the thickest paper with a 350gsm weight. It’s water-resistant and tear-resistant, with an aqueous matte finish and perfect colour control.
Premium quality printing is also taken into consideration when determining fine art quality prints. At PrinTribe, we use archival pigment printing, which is more commonly known as Giclée printing. This means your art is produced using the museum-standard of printing with high-resolution inkjet printers. These printers use the latest technology and colour gamut output to ensure exhibition-grade fine art prints every time.
What using archival paper means for you is you is your artwork will be more resistant to deterioration and loss of quality and in ideal conditions may last a century or longer.
We Use Museum-grade Canvas
Canvases also meet museum-grade standards when printing your art. All our Premium Canvas prints are produced using the finest UV printing techniques on 350gsm Polycotton Canvas (as mentioned above) which ensures consistently sharp, crisp, and vibrant results.
By using quick-drying ink and an ultra-violet curing process, your finished product has increased protection against scratches, scuffs, or smudges.
All of our Premium Canvas prints are hand-crafted in Australia by guild-recognised framers. We add a 60mm mirrored bleed to your supplied print file before printing, then stretch and gallery wrap our Premium Canvas products using high-quality, 38mm pine timber stretcher bars.
So, here’s a quick summary of the important things to know about printing your art on our Premium Canvases:
· UV-printed for the sharpest and most vibrant results.
· Hand-crafted frames by guild-recognised framers.
· Quick-drying ink and curing process to make your print scratch resistant.
· 60mm mirrored bleed and 38mm pine timber stretcher bars.
What using museum-grade canvas means for you is that your printed canvas artworks are created on canvas with the perfect amount of colour absorption to give astonishing clarity and colour vibrancy every time!
Frame Mouldings + Sustainability
Not only do we use the highest quality frames to frame your artwork impeccably, but we also ensure that all materials are sourced sustainably to create these frames.
Sustainable resources are used to create frames for both our Premium Framed options and Premium Canvas Options wherever possible.
For example, all Australian Oak from Premium Frames are sustainably managed and FSC certified. To be FSC certified means that our materials come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.
With guild-recognised framers by our side, your art is framed with precision and care every time.
· Click here to view our Moulding range for Premium Frames.
· Click here to view our Moulding range for Premium Canvas.
Sharpest Acrylic Options
Acrylic is yet another integral part of the framing process, as it gives your art a sleek look that customers will love. It’s a look that closely resembles art hanging in galleries, giving your ready-to-hang art that premium edge.
Here are a few other ways our acrylics provide that edge you need when selling your artwork:
· Acrylics provide unmatched clarity and depth of colour, enhancing the vibrancy of your prints.
· You can choose from Standard (with a glossy and transparent finish), Tru Vue® Premium, and Tru Vue® Anti-Reflective Acrylic.
. Tru Vue® Premium and Tru Vue® Anti-Reflective Acrylic block 66% of UV light, reduce reflections, and allow 92% total light transmission for viewing clarity.
· All our acrylics are created with a UV-coating which protects your art and helps it last for years to come.
What this means for you is your artwork will last a lifetime - with excellent clarity and colour, safe from breakages with sharp edges, and free from the cloudiness affecting inferior finishes.
Only the Best Matboards
A matboard sits in-between the glass of the frame and your artwork print. Its purpose is to protect your print from damage, but it also acts as a way to upgrade the way your art is displayed. Think of it like a “frame inside the frame” that draws the eye to the artwork and gives it an enhanced look.
If you've chosen a matboard for your final product, think about choosing a Conservation-Grade Matboard. This is a type of matboard made of pristine virgin fibres. It's acid-free, provides consistent colour, fade, and bleed resistance, and meets PPFA and FATG standards.
Check out the rest of our matboard options available for Premium Framed prints:
No Matboard:
This provides a “full bleed” image – in other words, your artwork is presented edge-to-edge with the frame’s edges. No Matboard typically works best for larger artworks, as smaller artworks often need a matboard for that added oomph.
White Matboard Standard:
Your art print is matted using a museum-grade 4-ply white matboard that is 5cm wide. It’s made from 100% cotton, so it delivers a smooth and crisp surface.
Float Mount:
Here, your artwork is mounted within the centre of the frame and sits 3mm above the mounting board. The 5cm wide white border, exposed edges, and dramatic shadow make float mounting perfect for contemporary art.
Whether you’re a painter, photographer, digital artist, illustrator, or anything in-between, we help you print, frame, and sell your art to the highest standard with our Premium Canvas and Premium Frame products. You can always feel confident that your art is being produced with pure accuracy, with quality so good, your customers will see every detail as if it were the original piece. Explore our products for yourself and start selling your art today!
In Conclusion
When you choose a fine art print on demand service your customers will immediately appreciate the incredible quality of the product they receive - not because they can see every detail that has gone into its production down to the quality of the matboard– but because they don’t! Fine art printing and framing simply makes your artwork standout, front and centre!
