5 Tips for Buying Art Prints as a Gift

Most of us have been in the situation where we want to find a unique gift for someone but searching online renders endless links to the same old ads for gift baskets, bath bombs and candles. A trip to the store doesn't help much either. Wall art can be a great gift if you know what kind of decor the recipient likes but you should be careful when selecting where you buy.

Americans have increasingly been demanding quick, easy and cheap products for a very long time. This has led to a throw-away culture that speeds our consumption of materials and fills our landfills faster than ever. The home decor industry is a glaring example of this excessive, wasteful culture. Stores like Michael's, Target, Home Goods and Wal-Mart sell cheaply made framed art that is created primarily in Asian countries. Most frames from these stores are rarely even wood anymore - They are made from pressed dust and held together with glue and staples. The wood texture is usually a photo printed on cheap paper and glued to the cheap frame. Prints are sealed to hide the fact that it is a mass produced poster. Although the product may look good in the store, when you take it out of the package, you realize why the price was so low. A year or two on your wall and it's time to replace it with another because it is falling apart. Here are some tips to avoid giving a gift that ends up in storage or even in the trash:

1. Before you consider buying art as a gift, be sure you know the person's style and if they have room on their walls. If you can, get a picture of their home decor or take note if they like traditional, contemporary, abstract or specific styles like Southwestern or Asian art. 

2. Budget is a huge factor when buying art. If your budget is under $50, it is probably best to steer clear of art for your gift. A cheap piece of art can be more of an insult, especially if the recipient is an art enthusiast. If your budget is in the thousands, buying an original from a professional artist could give you some huge brownie points depending on who the artist is, however originals can sell anywhere from a few hundred to millions. The reputation of the artist plays a lead role in the cost. If an original is out of your budget, an art print can be a great way to give a high quality piece of art from a talented artist, without breaking the bank. 

3. If a print is made from a high quality file, it shows. Prints like the ones mentioned above are probably not the best for a special gift. The best way to ensure you are getting a high quality print is to be sure the prints you buy are professionally photographed with at least an 80 megapixel camera from the original art and approved by the artist. Many artists upload their own, low quality images to online galleries that make the prints for the artist. Although that can be good for the artist, most of the time, the prints are made by fulfillment warehouses that just take the files and print the most economical way to maximize profit. What's more, they do not know what the original looks like so they can't practice proper quality control for color and clarity. MD Art Galleries currently uses a Fuji GFX 100s 100 megapixel camera to photograph art. In many cases we photograph the art in pieces to ensure we have a file that can be printed any size.. even up to a wall mural!

4.  The materials an art print are made with are critical to ensure the longevity of a print. It is in your best interest to find out what materials the printer used to make the print. If that info is not available, it is likely very cheap paper or canvas is used. At MD Art Galleries, stretched canvases are made with Epson archival canvas and solid wood frames. Watercolor prints are made with 100% cotton rag paper and will not turn yellow over time. In addition we use archival pigment inks to ensure the print will last a lifetime if framed correctly and protected from daily direct sunlight. We also offer a less expensive matte paper but it still has an acid free buffer to allow the print too last. Although you may pay a bit more for higher quality materials, the recipient will notice the difference and will cherish the print. 

5. One last thing to consider when buying an art print is what type of edition the print is. Open edition prints mean the artist can sell as many prints in as many sizes as they want. This factor can bring the price down if you are on a budget because the print is less rare. Limited edition prints, on the other hand, are usually "limited" in how many can be printed and also limited in sizes. Most artists who offer limted edition prints sign the prints by hand and try to keep numbers below 100 unless they are a very popular, nationally known artist. They also may only offer one print size to keep the rarity of the edition and keep the value of the prints higher. MD Art Galleries is currently selling open edition prints but we will soon be adding limited edition capabilities to the site. 

Just one last thought. If possible, buy local and support artists in your area. Maryland has one of the largest populations of artists in the U.S., Buying local ensures local artists are encouraged to sell and puts money back into your local community. Buying art from a big box store is likely encouraging unfair labor in foreign countries and usually has little to do with the art world. We hope this blog was informative. Good luck in your art search!