What defines a Fine Art printer?

[bill t.]

"Fine art" is too ambiguous to be useful, except when making price tags and for wasting words.  At an art opening somebody put gold star stickers on some of my price tags.  That I can understand.  I make Gold Star Art and here's exactly what that means.  And BTW my prints are really good, but I hope it's the image you find attractive.

[Jeff Grant]

Thanks one and all. It's hard to beat getting good information with a little comedy for free.

[Mark Lindquist]

Fine Art

What you see is what you get.

What you say is what you get.

Finally, what you do, is what you do.

[Ken Brayton]

If your able to sell it, it's Fine Art.
If you can't sell it, it's Bad Art.
If you don't try to sell it, it's Your Art.
Ken

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

^^^

Ha! Excellent!

[Mark Lindquist]

If your able to sell it, it's Fine Art.
If you can't sell it, it's Bad Art.
If you don't try to sell it, it's Your Art.
Ken

Really?

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Really?

Well, at least in the same historic moment. With the passage of time, Bad Art might turn into Fine Art, as your Van Gough example shows. Even Your Art might turn into Fine Art (e.g., Vivian Maier).

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... In short...

Really?

[ErikKaffehr]

The bad thing is that you need to cease to exist before the greatness of your work is acknowledged.

Best regards
Erik

Well, at least in the same historic moment. With the passage of time, Bad Art might turn into Fine Art, as your Van Gough example shows. Even Your Art might turn into Fine Art (e.g., Vivian Maier).

[dwswager]

The bad thing is that you need to cease to exist before the greatness of your work is acknowledged.

Best regards
Erik

That's what I'm counting on because the greatness of my work is currently only appreciated by me! 

[Phil Indeblanc]

Besides owning a fine art capable printer, I would think a fine art printer, at least I expect a good one, to have sourced out some papers or media type that he/she has mastered with the set of inks used to a point that there is a noticeable improvement using the profiles and methods when compared to default output papers and methods. A printer that is not afraid to print over a few(after the thousands initially) times if the result is not that extra edge. Someone who has seen his standards in practice so much to a point that he/she can "read" the image colors and contrast to know what to push to give it that extra edge of difference.

Otherwise I think Andy Warhal is sadly right.

[JRSmit]

Phil what you say is so true. Many can buy a good inkjet printer. Few go for the effort to maximise the printresult for each paper they offer.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi, I could live with that definition…

Best regards
Erik

What defines a fine art printer?
Focus. Doing that and just that.
When someone says he is a fine art printer I expect the following:
1) He only prints art. No "express printing service", no banners, no advertisement pieces. Just art.
2) He does that for living, it's not a hobby.
3) He uses the best equipment, inks and paper to deliver the best image quality and the longevity expected when producing a piece of art.
4) He is versed in art and has the ability to understand the expectations of his clients and helps them to achieve their goals.

That is just the minimum to be called a fine art printer IMHO.

[Phil Indeblanc]

What defines a fine art printer?
Focus. Doing that and just that.
When someone says he is a fine art printer I expect the following:
1) He only prints art. No "express printing service", no banners, no advertisement pieces. Just art.
2) He does that for living, it's not a hobby.
3) He uses the best equipment, inks and paper to deliver the best image quality and the longevity expected when producing a piece of art.
4) He is versed in art and has the ability to understand the expectations of his clients and helps them to achieve their goals.

That is just the minimum to be called a fine art printer IMHO.

I agree as it being the minimum requirement....
And I agree with at least two of the four on the list :-) I'm a little more giving on #1, and maybe #2.
This last bit is not in relation to what I personally do...Just to be clear for those wondering the perspective of the opinions given.
I don't consider myself a "consistent fine art printer", as I still make a good amount of mediocre prints I often end up trashing :-)
I still strive for that print that will get me outside and light up a cigar.

I can see a possible situation that contradicts my exception to Geraldo's #2....

If a photographer is doing the printing, it introduces a variable of the different images they work with.
This can force the printographer (my coined term: defined as someone who envisions a "great print" while taking the photograph) to select another image before seeing the potential of the first.

While a dedicated printer has only the client image. So the time the printer takes in that image maybe more dedication to one image over a very large pool of images.
This of course is not a set likelihood, but a possible situation worth mentioning to illustrate the difficulties involved in making a fine art print.

[Czornyj]

What defines a fine art printer?
Focus. Doing that and just that.
When someone says he is a fine art printer I expect the following:
1) He only prints art. No "express printing service", no banners, no advertisement pieces. Just art.
2) He does that for living, it's not a hobby.
3) He uses the best equipment, inks and paper to deliver the best image quality and the longevity expected when producing a piece of art.
4) He is versed in art and has the ability to understand the expectations of his clients and helps them to achieve their goals.

That is just the minimum to be called a fine art printer IMHO.

Goddammit, I always knew I should stop printing all these lousy posters, roll-ups, wallpapers etc. on my mighty Canon iPF

[Wayne Fox]

Goddammit, I always knew I should stop printing all these lousy posters, roll-ups, wallpapers etc. on my mighty Canon iPF

yeah, who cares about paying the rent ...

I don’t think 1 and 2 factor in at all.

[Geraldo Garcia]

Goddammit, I always knew I should stop printing all these lousy posters, roll-ups, wallpapers etc. on my mighty Canon iPF

Guys,

Don't get me wrong. I never said an amateur printer or an artist who prints his own work or a general (mixed type) printer would not be able to print in a competent way. Actually if he is skilled he will probably make better prints than a fresh "fine art printer".

I just said that when I hear "fine art printer" I expect those four things. Same thing with other professions like, for instance, photographers. There are some excellent amateur photographers or out there, many producing much better images than some pros, but when someone says "photographer" I expect a professional photographer.

To my eye a printer is someone who does that for living. A fine art printer is someone who prints "fine art" for living. If it is a hobby the word "amateur" should come first. If printing art is only a small part of his job he should not name his craft after it. If he is an artist who only print his own work... well, if that is the case calling himself "printer" or "fine art printer" is a stupid understatement because he is producing his art from start to finish and that is way more relevant (and cooler) than being just a printer.

That is just how I see things.

[Jeff-Grant]

I'm glad that I didn't ask what defines a fine art photographer: http://petapixel.com/2015/02/22/photographer-peter-lik-has-sold-nearly-half-a-billion-dollars-in-prints/

[Mike Guilbault]

This has been one of the best threads I've read in a while.

[Plateau Light]

What defines a fine art printer?
Focus. Doing that and just that.
When someone says he is a fine art printer I expect the following:
1) He only prints art. No "express printing service", no banners, no advertisement pieces. Just art.
2) He does that for living, it's not a hobby.
3) He uses the best equipment, inks and paper to deliver the best image quality and the longevity expected when producing a piece of art.
4) He is versed in art and has the ability to understand the expectations of his clients and helps them to achieve their goals.

That is just the minimum to be called a fine art printer IMHO.

Well so far that sounds a lot like me.

I would add that a fine art printmaker is capable of making a reproduction that is very difficult to differentiate from the original with respect to giclee.

He should also have some industry recognition and would have no problem seeing prints selling for thousands.
He would understand that there is no Swiss army knife printer as different medias require different approaches.
He would be the consummate ICC profile guru and profile tweeker.
He would be bald or greying from the hair ripping rite of passage.
He could make canvas, photo paper or art paper ROCK!
He would love dye ink.