While this is the first time that I’m having a print sale, it’s not my first time printing. Any image you see here is for sale and all you have to do is ask. That being said most people don’t ask which is fine and has allowed me to hone in on papers, labs, and media that I’m am truly happy with. Anyways, I want to make this post to share with you the thoughts and decisions I made for the first summer print sale I’m having. If everything turns out well and people are interested I have plans to do a summer print say each year. I guess we’ll see…
The prints this year are largely from Idaho in the Stanley/Donnelly area with images from Colorado and India as well. I chose images that I thought would complement the paper I chose and images I thought are of the highest quality. The two goals I have with this print sale is to make the highest quality prints possible yet affordable and to make them have the least environmental impact possible with a sustainable lifetime cycle. Finally, with everything going on right now I want to take a portion of the proceeds to help people in need.
The photos below are the 20 images I am going to print for this years print sale. They will be 8” x 10” inch prints done at a professional lab here in Boise and will come professionally packaged. Each print will come with a small letter describing the print and how it was made, that will be finished with a small doodle from me. I’m hoping to get these sent out by early September but I’m not going to put a specific time down until I have the prints in my hand.
Paper/Printing
I was looking for three things specifically when I choose paper: quality of final printed image, archival stability, and sustainability of the product. I’ve printed enough images from cheap online labs or at home on an all in one printer that I know it would be unfair for me charge people for this type of print. So I spent some good time finding what’s best for a final print I want to sell.
The paper I’ve chosen is a super premium natural fiber inkjet paper from Hahnemühle. This paper has everything I’m looking for and more! Hahnemühle is a German paper company that has been around since 1584 and have focused on making fine art papers since they opened. They were the first company to make inkjet specific papers in the 90s and are still known as the premier fine art paper company. (Many art galleries only accept prints on this paper!) The coatings on this paper allow for a perfectly even and dense coat of ink important for high resolution prints and to prevent fading over time. In addition to the coatings, having a natural fiber base ensures that these prints will not fade for at least 100 years and with the right printer maybe even 300 years. Finally, Hahnemühle papers are made out of all natural fibers including cotton, bamboo, and even agave. While this is more expensive to make the process requires less water, chemicals, and overall energy to produce.
I’ve also chosen to work with a local lab in downtown Boise so I can be more involved with the printing process to ensure the final print quality before doing a run. I also think it is important to cut down on shipping costs along the way if they aren’t necessary. I’m going to share more about the lab I use in another post after all the prints are shipped so look out for that.
Packaging/Postage
The packaging is another important part of the process because if the print doesn’t arrive safe then what is the point of going through all the trouble. I decided to go with a semi-rigid 90% recycled cardboard mailer. These are great because they should protect the print from bending, but still lets me ship them in an economical way through the USPS. I also specifically chose USPS because they need our support as they have been beaten and battered the past couple years. They are a pivotal service our government offers and in my opinion still the best and most reliable option there is to send mail.
In addition to the outer packaging it is important to protect the print more directly in the cardboard mailer. As an artist who wants the prints to come in the most premium way I really wanted to use a plastic sleeve to protect a bit against moisture, finger prints, and abrasion. At first I thought I could find a recyclable sleeve but I guess those don’t exist. I also looked at PLA plastic sleeves which are “biodegradable” but they were also a bad choice. It turns out that PLA degrades in the “wild” in 100 to 1000 years so it will most likely still contribute to plastic pollution and will actually contaminate batches of recycled plastic if recycled. It’s also only biodegradable in the right industrial composting conditions that some composting facilities don’t even meet. Finally, these plastic are made from biofuels like ethanol which exacerbates agricultural problems like over use of man made pesticides, algal blooms, and many others.
In the end I chose to use glassine paper because it is recyclable and acid free meaning it’s an archival way of storing your print. As far as I can tell isn’t made from recycled material but it is a low density paper that can be reused for packaging, storage, or just recycled. The one downside is you can’t see the print through the protective sleeve but like all sustainability efforts you must make sacrifices.
Philanthropy
Our world has changed immensely in just a couple of months and there are a myriad of issues that need to be addressed. I’m am privileged to be able to spend my time in Idaho making very little money and being able to work a little for my parents. The point of this sale is not to make a huge profit or really profit at all my hope is that this money can do three things: cover the expenses of printing and packaging, fund developing film, and to contribute to philanthropy. In short I want to be able to pay for my art and to help those around me.
For this summer sale I want to make a donation to Outdoor Afro. They are a national non-profit working to inspire Black leadership and connections in nature. I chose them because while I’ve been lucky being at the College of Idaho where I could share my passions with a diverse group of people, my upbringing was nothing like that. Before this year and recent discussions, I never really realized how disportionate Black and Brown people of color are represented in the outdoors. My goal is to donate 15% of the profits and even more if all the prints get sold. For more information on Outdoor Afro clink the button below.
How to order
Currently I am working on the best way to order these prints so that I can update you all when the prints are sold. Remember there is only one of each print available and it will be first come first serve! My current plan is to post each picture on my instagram story and have people direct message me on there. I will also try to have a form to fill out on my blog the day the prints are released on my Instagram as well. To make a payment I’m going to try and use only Venmo and PayPal once you have messaged me. My hope is to have the prints up for sale by the end of August and ship early September! I’ve never done something like this so the process might not be super smooth so bare with me.