Recently I posted a question on social media if I should make digital prints or postcards for some of my artwork.
Of the ten's of people who saw them, only three responded. And they all said 'yes'. Not that I was expecting a 'no' but at least some constructive response would've been helpful (but then again this is the internet. Who bothers?).
So while the response rate was a dismal 1-3%, it was still nice to think at least three people thought it was a good idea.
I kinda knew I wanted a scanner to be honest, but the options are confusing as heck. If you want to make art that sells, shouldn't there be a base quality level? Why make the initial low-budget investment if it's not going to meet the minimum standards for a good quality scan/print for art?
What's wrong with taking photos?
Two words: colour correction.
Presenting Exhibits A and B. From the same notebook. In the same light setting. With the same carbon pencil. On two consecutive nights.
I assure you my paper is not this yellow. Nor blue. It's just a netural plain white. And Adobe Lightroom can only fix so much.
Back to the plot.
Should I get an A4 scanner that's at a mid-tier range (the Epson Perfection 600) or an A3 version (PlusTeck OpticPro A320E)? Why are their scan specs so different?! What do these models have that the budget-friendly ones like Canonscan LIDE 400 or Epson Perfection V39 II don't? Or should I bite the bullet and get an Epson Perfection 850 that's gonna be 10 times more than the low-budget range?
Decisions, decisions. Breathe.
Let's take a step back and look at the actual minimum requirements for a good art scan.
4800 dpi
48-bit colour depth
A4, since (1) most of my work at up to A4. if theyr're bigger I'll probably either stitch them or take a photo. Also I have aboslutely no space to accommodate anything larger than A4.
Scanning speeds aren't a priority at the moment since I'm not on an archiving project (and most of my stuff have been thrown out anyway).
So PlusTek may not be an option for me, so here goes the search for the Espon v600.
It's discontinued. And there's no substitute between the V39 II and V850.
Narrowing my options even farther and I've concluded that the CanonScan LIDE 400 may be the better fit for me. Suitable for beginners. Budget-friendly. Portable. Takes good quality scans.
The inertia.
Herein lies the crux of my hesitation. Getting the scanner is the easy part. Having the confidence to put what I have up for sale feels like jumping over a 100-foot hill only to find that the view on the other side is pretty shitty.
I find myself having to remind me that:
(1) I am a boss bitch.
(2) I am allowed to make shitty art.
(3) I have a good sense to share when the art is actually good.
(4) The worst case scenario is that no one buys my stuff, despite investing a shit ton of money on art supplies, and I am the sole benefactor of my own creation.
(5) I didn't invest all the time and money into my craft only for it to remain stagnant.
There is no satisfying conclusion to this post. The fight continues, and I will share my progress in the coming weeks. Or the near future.
Comments