LFP - Large-Format-Printing
Guarisco Gallery Uses Epson Stylus Photo R2000 To Attract Art Enthusiasts Worldwide
Monday 19. August 2013 - Vivid Photo Reprints Help Potential Buyers View 19th and Early 20th Century Replicas In Hand
The Guarisco Gallery in Washington, D.C., has found a high-quality yet cost-effective way to attract art enthusiasts to its collection of original 19th and early 20th century European and American paintings and sculpture. The gallery uses the 13-inch Epson Stylus Photo R2000 printer to showcase a glossy photo of each piece in a smaller yet vivid format so buyers can view a replica of the work before buying the original.
“We provide the R2000 prints to collectors so they can picture what it’s like to own the artwork and imagine the original on their own wall,” said Mark Korsak, art preparator at Guarisco Gallery. “The gallery-quality Epson prints have become our main sales point to attract interested buyers to original pieces of art.”
Bringing the Original to Life
Each Epson print that lures interested clients into the gallery starts with a digital photograph of the original. After Guarisco selects a painting or sculpture, Korsak unpacks and photographs it, while the in-house team determines the amount of restorative work. “Nearly everything we sell is at least 150 years old and needs restoration,” said Korsak. Before he sends out the original for restoration and cleaning, Korsak works on the digital image, focusing on color-matching the photo to the original.
After photographing the original artwork, Korsak creates Epson print sets to mail or hand out to interested buyers and collectors worldwide. Clients open the packets to find 8×10-inch glossy prints created with Epson’s UltraChrome Hi-Gloss 2 pigment ink and Advanced MicroPiezo AMC print head. Each packet generally includes a printed image of the artwork itself, a shot of the framed painting hanging on a wall in a setting, and a few close-up detail shots.
The printer’s eight-color ink set includes Red and Orange inks along with a gloss optimizer, producing stunning prints with an unmatched glossy look and feel. Each photo’s smooth color transitions and outstanding highlight and shadow detail, produced by AccuPhoto HG screening technology, must stay true to the original work of art.
“It’s very important to us that the prints we use to promote our artwork look like the actual painting and we depend on the Epson R2000 to produce prints that bring the original to life,” said Korsak. “Of course, an 8×10-inch print doesn’t have the same impact as an 8×8-foot original oil painting, but I can still get the colors to be true and the quality of the image on glossy paper to pop like candy.”
Investing in Quality
Guarisco Gallery depends on the print to encourage seasoned buyers or new collectors to stop by the gallery and buy the original art. “We see ourselves as stewards rather than owners, so the work will last for another 200 years, if not longer,” said Korsak. “The Epson Stylus Photo R2000 helps us pass on these exceptional original works of art.”
Founded in 1980 by art collector Laura Guarisco, the 5,000-square-foot Guarisco Gallery is located near the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Art lovers can view more than 600 paintings from every major school of the 19th and early 20th century, including Romantic, Barbizon, Victorian, Belle Époque, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. With 40 years of family collecting and two decades selling to the public, the Guarisco Gallery has developed loyal upscale clientele worldwide. The studio integrated three Stylus Photo R2000 printers and produces up to 800 prints per day.
“The gallery’s focus has always been on collecting and selling original artwork,” said Korsak. “The Epson R2000 is the ideal gallery-quality printer for us to offer potential clients a more personalized way to view each piece.”