How To Print Digital Download Art

I sell a lot of digital download photos, collages, linocuts and paintings. I've bought

a fair amount of it as well. Most of it is very inexpensive, since you do the work of downloading, having it printed, buying the frame, etc. You're not paying for a high-quality giclee print or a lithograph, so there is a discount inherent there. That being said, whether you paid $1, $5, or even as high as $20, there is definitely a process to getting your money's worth from your download, so here is how to print digital download art.

In every digital file I sell, I include both the art and a page of printing instructions to help you get the best results. I will include that information here as well.

Once you pay for the art, you will see a "thank you" page that will have your download link. You should also receive an email with the link.

From there, you have two options for printing it. You can print it at home, if your printer can print at the size you want using the paper you want – check first if it will take heavy paper like card stock or photo paper. Many will not. If it does, you’re all set – print away!

Otherwise, you will want to outsource, and there is a cost to do so. However, if you’re not going for a large poster size, it will often be less than one or two dollars to print, so it shouldn’t be too bad.

Depending on where you live and the printer you choose, you can either have it delivered to you or simply run out to pick it up.

Choose your printer – local? Walgreens, Walmart, Staples, Fedex/Kinkos? Snapfish, Moo, or Vistaprint? If it’s one of the large chains or online services, they’ll have a website that will allow you to navigate to their printing service.

Upload your file, choose the size and paper you would like, pay, and submit!

Each Holga 120 photo I sell will create a 300dpi print at 5 X 5 unless it's an older one, in which case, it's 4 X 4 and 8 X 8 enclosed.

Each 35mm photo, block print, or collage I sell comes with sizes 4X6, 5X7, and 8 X 10 included.

Good papers for printing are usually thick, matte paper, smooth card stock, or giclee art paper, however, you can go with whatever you prefer.

Do not apply color correction, if that is offered as an option.

These instructions should hopefully help you to get the best results from your purchase.

If you have any questions or better practices, shoot me an email at magicatticcurator@gmail.com!