Making Prints From Originals

Making Prints From Originals Expand Your Opportunities For artists who want to reproduce their original paintings — whether for prints, archival records, or digital portfolios — the first and most critical step is capturing your painting accurately. Done properly, a digital capture can become the foundation for stunning giclée prints, high-quality marketing materials, or even licensing opportunities. However, done poorly, it can misrepresent your art and undermine your brand.

This article will break down the different methods of digitizing your paintings, from DIY approaches using flatbed scanners to professional scanning and photography setups, plus post-processing steps to ensure your final file is truly print-ready.

DIY: Digital Flatbed Scanners

Home or Office Flatbed Scanner

For small paintings, a good-quality flatbed scanner is a surprisingly effective tool. Such scanners most commonly come in one of two standard bed dimensions: A4 (8.5" x 11"), A3 (11.7" x 16.5"). There are many great scanners on the market, but I am not going to list any, as the models come and go and change so often. Just do your research on Google, Amazon and YouTube. However, most scanners offer high resolution (up to 6400 dpi) and can capture fine details and color depth with minimal distortion.

Tips for using a flatbed scanner:

• Cleanliness is key: Always clean both the scanner glass and the artwork surface to avoid dust spots.

• Multiple passes for texture: If your painting has texture (e.g., heavy brushstrokes), you may need to experiment with different resolutions and scanning angles to minimize shadows or glare.

• Scan in RGB mode: This maintains maximum color data for later adjustments.

Stitched Scans for Medium & Larger Paintings

For artworks larger than your scanner bed but still manageable, you can use a method called "stitching." While stitching can work on the above-listed sizes of scanners, if you find that most of your work has a dimension larger than 24 inches, you might want to invest in a scanner with a bed dimension of 18" x 24" or 24" x 36" that are manufactured for more specialized applications. You’ll also want to find a scanner that has a removable lid, otherwise, you’ll have to carefully remove the lid by cutting the hinges with something like a Dremmel tool, which will end your hinged lid scenario (not the end of the world by any means).

How stitching works:

• You scan the painting in overlapping sections (with about 25% overlap).
  

• Each section is captured at the same resolution and color settings.
  

• You then merge these scans together in software (such as Adobe Photoshop) using the Photomerge function or manual layer alignment.

Challenges with stitching:

• Precise alignment is crucial; even slight shifts can cause visible seams.
  

• Color consistency across sections can be tricky due to scanner lighting variations.
  

• It's time-consuming and may require patience and experimentation.

You can find lots of tutorials online regarding the practice stitched scans and stitching the scans together. It’s not nearly as difficult as you might be thinking. You can also see my follow-up article entitled, Stitch Perfect — Piecing Together Large Painting Scans.

One last thing regarding scanning . . . always make sure you are scanning in RGB color mode. RGB is the color space for digital images and preserves the most color information, which is crucial for accurate reproduction. It can represent more colors than CMYK, which is important for capturing the full range of colors in your original artwork.  RGB is essential for retaining the most detail and vibrancy, which is essential for high-quality reproductions. If CMYK is required for any reason with regard to printing, the original RGB file can be easily converted to CMYK. DIY: Digital Photography

Cell Phone Cameras: An Accessible Option

Today’s smartphones (iPhone 14 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Google Pixel 7 Pro, and many other phones) feature advanced cameras with high megapixel counts and improved color science. Some artists (including yours truly) have successfully used phones to capture paintings, especially for social media or basic online portfolios. I have even gotten lucky a few times and used such captures to make prints. It all depends on the actual painting for the most part.

Keep in mind:

• Sensor size and lens quality still limit color accuracy and detail fidelity.

• Avoid using built-in HDR or beauty filters that distort true colors.

• Use a tripod and ensure good, even lighting to minimize distortion and glare.

• You'll definitely have a fair amount of post processing (cropping, settings, etc.)
  

Digital Cameras: The Professional Route

When aiming for print-ready captures, a dedicated digital camera remains superior. Recommended options include:

• Canon EOS R5 or Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

• Nikon Z7 II or Nikon D850

• Sony Alpha a7R IV

These cameras offer high resolution (up to 60+ megapixels), large sensors for dynamic range, and interchangeable lenses that allow fine control.

Lens choice is important:

• Use a prime lens with minimal distortion — e.g., a 50mm or 85mm fixed lens.

• Avoid wide-angle lenses as they introduce perspective distortion.
  

Lighting Considerations

Proper lighting is crucial for accurate color capture and avoiding shadows or glare.

Types of lighting:

• Daylight-balanced continuous lights (5000K–5500K): Mimic natural light, ideal for true color capture. Brands like Godox, Westcott, or Aputure make excellent LED panel lights.

• Softboxes or diffusion panels: Soften the light, reducing harsh shadows and highlights.
  

• Polarizing filters: Both on the camera lens and light sources (cross-polarization setup) can help minimize surface reflections on varnished or glossy paintings.
  

Setup tips:

• Position two lights at 45-degree angles to the artwork on each side and one light straight on.
  

• Ensure the painting surface is perfectly vertical (if on wall or stand) or horizontal (if on table).
  

• The camera sensor plane must be parallel to the painting surface to avoid keystone distortion.
  

Most Important! Regardless of whether you try the cell phone camera option or utilize the digital camer method, the the most important factor with both methods is that the camera and the painting need to be properly aligned and perfectly straight in every aspect (no tilt side-to-side, no tilt top-to-bottom and no tilt front-to-back). Suggestions: - Here are my preferences regarding the painting placement for the photo: hang it on a plain white wall (my preference), lay it on a flat white surface, or set it on an easel that has been painted white and in front of a white wall (most difficult to align and my least preferred method). - Make sure the camera is on a stand and use a remote control to take the photos. Use a quality tripod stand if taking the photo of the painting on an easel or mounted on the wall (best option). Use an overhead-style stand and crossbar setup to mount (hang) the camera from if laying the painting on a flat surface. PRO: Digital Photography Studios There are many fine art studios that specialize in capturing your original paintings and digitizing them for prints or archiving. These business have perfect static setups that make it as easy as bringing your print to them and they simply place your painting into their rig setup and take the perfect photo for reproductions. However, keep in mind that it’s not an in-and-out process, as they are usually very busy and your project wil fall into a rotation along with other clients. PRO: Cruse Fine Art Flatbed Scanner

For large or highly detailed works, a professional flatbed scanner like the Cruse Synchrontable Scanner is the gold standard. However, at a cost of $200K+, unless you have money to burn, you’ll be taking your paintings to a facility that has this machine and does the scanning for you.

Why Cruse Scanners?

• Capable of scanning very large works (up to several meters).

• Advanced lighting systems reduce glare and capture surface texture.

• Accurate color reproduction through built-in color calibration.
  

Considerations:

• Typically only available through professional art reproduction studios or print shops.
  

• Substantial cost per scan - $100 to $245 on average depending on the size of the painting.
  

Post-Processing

Once your painting is digitized, either via scan or photography, post-processing ensures the final image is clean, accurate, and ready for printing.

Software:

• Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard for editing, stitching scans together, and color corrections.
  

• Lightroom can also be helpful for batch adjustments, especially for photography-based captures.

Essential adjustments:

• Cropping: Remove any background or edge distractions.
  

• Perspective correction: Fix any minor distortions so edges are perfectly square.
  

• Color correction: Match the digital file to the original painting under neutral lighting. Use physical color reference charts (e.g., X-Rite ColorChecker) if precision is critical.
  

• Spot healing or dust removal: Clean up any stray specks or imperfections.
  

• Sharpening: Apply carefully to avoid exaggerating texture beyond what is natural.
  

Saving files:

• Always save a master copy in a lossless format, such as TIFF or PNG, at a minimum of 300 dpi at the final intended print size.
  

• Keep an unflattened PSD or layered file for future edits.
  

• Create smaller JPEG versions only for web use, where lower resolution is acceptable.
  

Final Thoughts

Digitizing your paintings is more than just taking a photo — it’s about faithfully capturing your creative vision in a form that can live on, whether as prints, promotional materials, or archival records.

While DIY methods can work wonderfully for small, medium or slightly larger works, investing in professional scanning or professional photographic setups pays dividends in quality and authenticity. Remember: the better your capture, the better your print — and the stronger your reputation as an artist who values craftsmanship at every stage. Appendix 1 ✅ Detailed Step-by-Step Checklist

Before capturing

• Clean artwork surface (dust, fingerprints, stray fibers).
  

• Clean scanner glass or camera lens thoroughly.
  

• Set up neutral background (if photographing) to avoid unwanted color reflections.
  

• Prepare color calibration tools (e.g., X-Rite ColorChecker).
  

Scanning (flatbed)

• Confirm scanner is set to RGB mode, highest optical resolution.

• Disable automatic color correction in scanner software.

• Scan overlapping segments for large pieces (if stitching).

• Save raw scan files in TIFF format.
  

Photographing

• Position painting vertically or horizontally, fully stable.

• Set up two lights at 45° angles.

• Confirm even, diffuse lighting — check for hotspots or glare.

• Mount camera on tripod; use remote shutter or timer to avoid shake.

• Match camera sensor plane exactly parallel to painting surface.

• Check focus manually; use live view if available.

• Take multiple shots with slightly varied exposures for safety.
  

Post-processing

• Crop tightly to painting edges.

• Correct any keystone or perspective distortion.

• Adjust white balance and match colors to original (use calibration reference).

• Retouch dust spots, scratches, or reflections carefully.

• Save master file as TIFF or PNG at 300 dpi minimum.
  

Appendix 2 ⚠️ Common Pitfalls & Mistakes to Avoid

• Using automatic phone or camera filters: These often boost saturation or sharpen artificially, misrepresenting true color and detail.
  

• Lighting too close or uneven: Creates hotspots, shadows, and glare — always diffuse and measure evenness across the entire surface.
  

• Not aligning the camera perfectly: Even slight misalignment causes distortions difficult to fix later.
  

• Scanning textured works at too high dpi without test: Extremely high resolution on textured pieces can exaggerate paint ridges or shadows, creating unrealistic impressions in prints.
  

• Saving only compressed formats (JPEG): Leads to permanent data loss; always save a lossless master.
  

• Skipping color calibration: Prints may look completely different from your original painting if your monitor and capture aren't calibrated.
  

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