Most people arrive at digital fine-art printing as an opportunity to reproduce their own work, or develop new revenue streams for their large-format capabilities. Al Marco brings a unique perspective and requirements. As the owner of Marco Fine Arts, he’s been meshing his print craft with the fine-art market and museums for nearly 30 years. Before digital printing was even on the horizon, he mastered fine-art silkscreening to reproduce exacting copies and limited run series.
“Now, our clients are some of today’s best known artists and photographers,” he asserts. Their prints can be found in private collections, in galleries and on museum walls around the world. Marco Fine Arts offers whatever they require in terms of reproduction services: silkscreening, lithography, serio lithography, and giclée printing.
“Print technology has really come a long way,” he continues. “Digital fine-art printing is an accepted medium now, and most artists know about it and accept it as an efficient, effective tool for reproducing their work.”
At its 40,000-square-foot facility in Hawthorne, California, Marco Fine Arts offers services ranging from image capture though output, finishing, framing, and authentication of a fine-art print or series. Giclée services are rendered with an array of 22 different wide-format printers, including a range of Epson Stylus Pro 9900s, 11880s, and the GS6000.
“We are fine tuned to producing art and we know what machine to go to for which type of work for the most accurate reproduction,” he says, explaining the extensive range of printers. “We can’t accept even the smallest variation from the original.”
For digitizing artwork, the company provides scanning services and has a photo studio where a mounted 4 x 5 camera, equipped, with a BetterLight scanning back, captures a high-res file under tightly controlled and calibrated conditions.
When it’s time to print, clients can choose from a comprehensive selection of media, including acrylic, aluminum, bamboo veneer, and the company’s own proprietary fine-art and canvas papers. “Our paper is something we developed over the last 20 years, a handmade paper with a coating that gives us one of the highest color gamuts possible, he says.
It’s just one more indication of how focused this company is on delivering the best in fine-art reproduction, and the thoroughness of its approach. “Today an artist could buy a printer and computer, calibration equipment, and software to print their own work,” admits Marco. “But they have to put in hours at the computer, walking over dollars to get to some pennies,” as he puts it.
For those who choose to trust in an expert in fine-art reproduction to concentrate on their own creative output, Marco Fine Arts remains a committed partner and solutions provider.
MARCO FINE ARTS
www.marcofinearts.com