MDI Mainer wrote:
The real problem is that an artist will never be satisfied with the color rendition of ANY reproduction of their work -- be that print, slide, digital, etc. Nor are they ever satisfied with the color rendition of the actual work under different gallery lighting scenarios.
Since I have several in the family, I know this to be true from personal experience.
Plus, for digital, each display or monitor will reproduce the colors differently to some extent, and you have no control over what people will see.
The real problem is that an artist will never be s... (
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This could be true as to satisfaction UNLESS you tell the artists, up front, that there will always be some discrepancies as to EXACT color reproduction. There is also a matter of budget and process. Problem is, as I alluded to in my previous post, as to differentials between paints, pigments and other mediums are not the same as dyes in film, papers, inks, or the color properties of pixels. You can get pretty darn close but exact replication is not always possible.
I have been dealing with this for a lifetime, not only with art pieces but with product photography, fabrics, and fashion work. If the client understands the limitations, their expectations will not be over the moon.
Another problem in my offering advice or suggestions, I have no idea in the OP's case, what the usage and final disposition of the copied images will be. Are they going to be made into high quality/high-resolution lithographic prints such as limited edition offerings, or what is known as a library or poster quality for items lie promotional postcards or inexpensive posters? Is the reproduction for books, magazines, advertising brochures or expensive "coffee-table" editions? Will they only be view online or on screens. Perhaps made in short-run (ink) prints. Each of these eventual usages has different degrees of color accuracy and much of the quality is budget-associated. Painting issues suicha as screen size, color-process- (how many runs thro the press) pre-press operation and treatments all facto in. Even a perfect digital file will not maintain its color integrity when reproduced in an economy priced printing process. Oftentimes a lower budget printing process will suffice nicely.
I have been through the entire process hundreds of times with color transparency, color negative, C- Prints, color separations, Xerography, and may kids of lithography as well as screen displays. It's just a matter of kind the final disposition or display type and presenting realistic expectations for the client.
I always tell artists that I am going to produce a reasonable representation of their work, but I am not trying to create a counterfeit knockoff. Most of the time they are very pleased with the results and are amazed at the degree of replication.
Weh the images go out online and end up on uncalibrated monitors, unfortunately, it's the wild wild west. 2-4-6-8-Don't forget to calibrate!
Under promise and over deliver- keeps the clients happy!