More and more of you have been in touch asking about the possibility of purchasing prints and, I have to admit, this opens up a whole array of options, not least the many different ways of customising art to suit your wall or budget and, if you are on the other side of the world to me then, the shipping can be far easier too.
Having compared the many options out there, I have decided to go with the platform offered by Fine Art England, a subsidiary of the well-respected Fine Art America. My print shop is now open for business! Through their portal, you can customise print options to include many different types of framing (or none at all) and print surfaces that range from a choice of seven high-quality papers through canvas and into metal and acrylic. You can even print to protective iPhone and Galaxy cases and, whilst I was initially a little cynical about these, I have to admit I am pleasantly surprised by the possible results!
Cards are also available and can be tweaked to include the whole image against a black or white background or zoomed in to show a detail of the artwork – all very playful and open to personal preference.
Yes, these prints are currently produced out of a centralised operation in the US (though I’m told that the possibility of a more local set-up to the UK is being looked into…) yet the international shipping costs are so affordable that I know I have spent more on transporting prints and originals within the mainland UK in the past than they charge from across the Atlantic – in fact, all of the costs involved are so very reasonable which, as I see it, is one of the many advantages of using a large-scale operation like this to outsource my printing, going forwards.
Added to that, a 30-day customer satisfaction guarantee is offered so that you can take your time to make sure you are happy with the results (subject to terms and conditions on the purchase page which, unsurprisingly, state that shipping is not included but that full production costs will be reimbursed if there is an issue). With any distance purchasing, there is always an element of “is this really what I want?” and yet the ability to zoom into the online image for a full-resolution preview, to really scrutinise the quality of the print you are getting, is an added bonus and as I scan all of my paintings rather than using a camera, the standard of reproduction is as good as it gets, with close attention to detail right down to the thread of the canvas and texture of the paint!
I have to say, so far I am really impressed with the new print platform and so offer this Helen White Print Shop as a fully-operational launch this week, with links already added to almost all of my backlog of work on my website so that purchases can be customised direct from the relevant page. I leave you to explore the endless possibilities.