Digital Downloads
A note about printing: I’ve done darkroom and now digital printing since my college days. I know how to make a good print and I know what is my favorite print equipment. I know what are the good papers and the good inks.
I have long been leery of the digital format as a threat to intellectual and creative property (so easy to copy) but I have also been stunned by its enabling power (so easy to create)
My bottom line is that all of this is mediated by the relationship between the artist and the audience. Mutual respect, honesty and trust.
I am in the process of evaluating and deciding options for making my work available as digital downloads in a responsible way.
This thought was given impetus by two recent discoveries. The graphic designer I work with, Jean Cousins has had success on Etsy with a set of digital designs she created and made available for digital download.
And, I purchased a $200 Ecotank all in one printer by Epson (model 2800) - this is new territory for me, the other printers in my studio cost $2,000 and up.
I popped a sheet of my favorite coated card stock paper, 8.5x11, into the 2800 printer and out came an archival print of one of our calendar covers that is 99% of the quality I can print on the more expensive equipment.
The lesson I take away from this is “you can try this at home- and get a good print”. This means that my audience can make a print at home that I am happy to have shown as a piece of my work .
if you can make a good print of my work at home with a $200 printer and the right paper (that 8.5x11 sheet cost $0.30), then I am happy to make my work available in sizes 8x10, 8.5x11, and 11x14 as digital downloads for you to print at home.
And I will support your efforts as much as I can without a physical visit.
As for the the other artists I publish, I will be talking with them individually to understand their wishes. We’ve all had instances of our work being appropriated without permission or compensation, so I respect their sensitivities and judgement.
- Robert