How to Photograph or Scan Your Artwork for High-Quality Prints

Whether you’re creating digital reproductions of paintings, drawings, or mixed media work, the first and most important step in the Giclée printing process is digitising your artwork correctly. Poor scans or badly lit photographs can ruin the final result — no matter how good the printer or paper is.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the best practices for photographing or scanning your artwork to ensure sharpness, colour accuracy, and professional-quality results that are worthy of print.

📸 Why Image Capture Matters

A great Giclée print starts with a great digital file. If your original artwork is blurry, skewed, under-lit, or poorly colour-matched, no printer can fully correct that. The closer your digital file is to your actual artwork, the better your final print will be.

Common mistakes we see:

• Lighting inconsistencies (glare, shadows)

• Poor resolution or low DPI

• Washed-out or oversaturated colours

• Distortion or warping around the edges

Taking time to do it properly — or getting it done professionally — will pay off in quality, consistency, and customer satisfaction.

🖥️ Option 1: Scanning Your Artwork

✅ Best For:

• Artwork up to A3 (297mm x 420mm)

• Flat media (pencil, ink, watercolour, digital illustration)

• Maximum sharpness and control

🧰 Equipment You’ll Need:

• Flatbed scanner (preferably at least 600 DPI optical resolution)

• Image editing software (Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP)

• Calibration tools (if possible)

📐 Scanning Steps:

1. Set Scanner Resolution

Always scan at 600 DPI or higher for print-quality results. If your final print will be larger than the original, you may need to scan at 800–1200 DPI.

2. Use a Clean, Flat Surface

Clean your scanner glass before scanning. Make sure your artwork is free of dust or smudges. Use acid-free tissue or clean hands to handle originals.

3. Turn Off Auto Adjustments

Disable any built-in scanner enhancements like auto colour correction or sharpening. These often do more harm than good.

4. Scan in RGB Mode

Even if your artwork is black and white, scan in full RGB colour for best tonal range and editing flexibility.

5. Stitch Large Pieces

For artwork larger than your scanner bed, scan it in overlapping sections and stitch them together in Photoshop. Use guides and the Auto-Align Layers tool for best results.

6. Save as TIFF or PSD

Save your master file as a TIFF or PSD to preserve image quality. Avoid JPEGs unless you’re creating web previews.

📷 Option 2: Photographing Your Artwork

✅ Best For:

• Larger works (over A3)

• Textured or 3D media (oils, acrylics, collages)

• When scanning isn’t practical

🧰 Equipment You’ll Need:

• DSLR or mirrorless camera (preferably 20MP+)

• Tripod

• Two identical light sources (ideally softbox or LED panels)

• Grey card or colour calibration chart

• Editing software (e.g. Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop)

📸 Photography Steps:

1. Set Up a Controlled Lighting Environment

Position two lights at 45° angles on either side of the artwork to evenly illuminate the surface and reduce shadows. Avoid using on-camera flash or overhead lights, which can cause glare.

2. Use a Tripod

Keep the camera exactly parallel to the artwork to avoid distortion or keystoning. A tripod ensures consistency and sharpness.

3. Use Manual Camera Settings

• ISO: 100–200 to reduce noise

• Aperture: f/8–f/11 for sharpness

• Shutter speed: Adjust to exposure (use remote or timer to avoid shake)

• White balance: Set manually or using a grey card

4. Shoot in RAW Format

This preserves all image data and gives you full control over white balance and tonal adjustments later on.

5. Avoid Reflections & Glare

If your artwork is glossy or varnished, angle your lights slightly or use polarising filters to reduce reflections.

6. Check Focus and Edges

Zoom in on your photo before packing away your setup. Make sure the entire artwork is sharp and evenly lit, including the corners.

🎨 Editing and Colour Matching

Once your artwork is digitised, you’ll likely need to make some small adjustments to prepare it for Giclée printing.

Key Editing Steps:

• Crop and straighten the artwork to match your intended print area.

• Adjust white balance so white areas appear neutral.

• Match colours to the original using a side-by-side view, ideally on a calibrated monitor.

• Clean up dust, scanner shadows, or specks using a healing brush or clone tool.

• Sharpen gently, if necessary — avoid over-sharpening.

💡 Pro Tip: If you’re working with highly colour-sensitive pieces, consider using a colour calibration chart (e.g., X-Rite ColorChecker) during photography. This gives you reference points when correcting colours later.

🗂️ File Formats, DPI & Export Tips

Once your master file is complete:

🤔 Scan or Photograph — Which Should You Choose?

If you’re unsure, send us a photo of the piece and we’ll advise on the best digitising method.

📤 Submit Your Files for Printing

Once your digital file is ready, you can send it to us via:

• Email: info@gicleeuk.com (for files under 25MB)

• WeTransfer or Dropbox: For larger files

• WooCommerce Upload Tool: (Coming soon to our new site)

We’re always happy to check your file before printing and can run test prints to help you fine-tune things if needed.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Digitising your artwork properly is the single biggest factor in producing stunning Giclée prints. Whether you’re scanning at home or photographing with care, the effort you put in will reflect directly in the quality of the finished product.

Need help? We offer scanning, colour correction, and proofing services — just reach out and ask.

Your art deserves to be seen at its best. Let’s make sure your prints live up to your vision.