ORIGINALLY, THE TERM “FINE ART” WAS USED TO DIFFERENTIATE AN ESSENTIALLY ARTISTIC PRODUCTION FROM THOSE MADE FOR OTHER PURPOSES (BE IT COMMERCIAL, MEMORIAL, ETC.). IN OTHER WORDS, “FINE ART DESCRIBES SOMETHING THAT IS CREATED FOR ITS AESTHETIC VALUE ALONE.

WHEN IT COMES TO PHOTOGRAPHY, CONTEMPORARY AS WELL AS IN ITS EARLY STAGES, THE TERM SHOULD BE APPLIED IN THE SAME WAY – REFERRING TO A PHOTOGRAPH MADE PURELY BY ARTISTIC AND AESTHETIC IMPULSE, AS OPPOSED TO A PHOTOGRAPH MADE FOR DOCUMENTARY OR ADVERTISING PURPOSES.

UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO, PHOTOS WERE PRINTED, TO ANY ACCEPTABLE DEGREE, IF DEVELOPED BY PHOTO LABS OR THROUGH OFFSET PRINTING. THEIR METHODS, HOWEVER, WERE UNABLE TO REACH THE COLOR RANGE NEEDED TO EXPRESS ALL THE NUANCES OF A PHOTOGRAPH. THE PRINTS WERE ALSO PRONE TO FADING AND COLOR CHANGES OVER TIME.

IN FINE ART PRINTING, THE DEVELOPING PROCESS IS EXCLUSIVE FROM START TO FINISH. A SPECIAL PRINTER IS REQUIRED TO REPRODUCE A MUCH LARGER ARRAY OF COLORS THAN A REGULAR PRINTER WOULD, WHICH ONLY USE 4 WHILE THOSE THAT WORK WITH FINE ART TAKE ON 12 COLORS. THE RESULT ARE BEAUTIFUL PRINTS WITH COLORS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE IMPOSSIBLE TO GET WITH ANY OTHER TYPE OF DIGITAL PRINTING.

IN ADDITION TO THESE UNIQUE PRINTERS, THE INKS USED IN FINE ART PRINTING ARE JUST AS SPECIAL. UNLIKE THE DYE-BASED ONES IN COMMON PRINTERS, THE INKS USED IN FINE ART PRINTING ARE BASED ON NATURAL DYES WHICH PROVIDE BETTER ADHESION, FIXATION AND COLORING. THIS MAKES FOR NOT ONLY MORE BEAUTIFUL, BUT EXTREMELY DURABLE COLORS.

BUT THE SECRET ISN’T ONLY IN THE PRINTERS AND DYES. THE PAPERS USED IN FINE ART PRINTING ARE ONE-OF-A-KIND AS THEY ARE MADE OF COTTON FIBERS, ACID-FREE ALPHA CELLULOSE OR TOP QUALITY NATURAL FIBERS. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO MEET DIFFERENT CONSISTENCY, DURABILITY AND COMPOSITIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE NATURAL DYES – ALL WHILE KEEPING THE COLORS AND CONTRAST AT AN EXTREMELY HIGH STANDARD. THE PREMIUM QUALITY OF THESE PAPERS ENSURES THAT AN IMAGE IS PRESERVED WITH NO VISIBLE FADING FOR WELL OVER 250 YEARS.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE FINE ART PRINTING PROCESS IS MUCH MORE COMPLEX AND METICULOUS THAN ANY OTHER KIND OF PRINTING, BUT DELIVERS AT A MUCH MORE SUPERIOR QUALITY. THAT IS WHY IT’S PREFERRED BY MAJOR MUSEUMS AS WELL AS RENOWNED ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS… IT IS USED TO PRODUCE WORKS OF ART.