How To Upload Artist Scanned or Digital Artwork

How to Upload Scanned Artwork to Thrive Art Gallery

An Eye for Art caters to artists worldwide acting as an art dealer specializing in offering online exhibition services for each piece you create. The best option to send An Eye for Art your artwork is by using a high-resolution scanner.

Scanning a piece of artwork with a scanner involves several steps to ensure you capture the highest quality digital version of your art.

Here's how you can do it:

Preparation:

Clean the Artwork: Ensure your artwork is clean. Dust, fingerprints, or smudges can show up in the scan.
Clean the Scanner: Wipe the scanner glass with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove any dust or smudges.
Check the Size: Make sure your artwork fits within the scanner bed. For larger pieces, you might need to scan in sections and stitch them together later with software like Photoshop.

Scanning Process:

Open Scanner Software:
Use the software that came with your scanner, or a third-party application like VueScan, SilverFast, or Adobe Photoshop directly if it supports your scanner model.

Place the Artwork:

Carefully lay your artwork face down on the scanner bed. If it doesn't have a backing, you can use a piece of non-reflective black or white paper behind it to prevent light from passing through.

Settings:

Resolution: For artwork, you typically want a high resolution. A minimum of 300 DPI (dots per inch) is recommended for prints, but 600 DPI or higher is better for art with fine details or if you plan on making large prints.
Color Mode: Use "Color" if your artwork has colors, "Grayscale" for black and white art with shades, or "Black and White" for purely line art.
File Format: Choose TIFF for the highest quality without compression, or JPEG if file size is a concern (though JPEG is lossy). PNG is another good choice for maintaining quality with transparency.
Scan Area: Adjust the scan area to fit your artwork exactly, excluding any background.

Preview Scan:

Perform a preview scan to see how your artwork looks. This allows you to adjust the scan area, brightness, contrast, and color balance before the final scan.
Adjust Settings:
Based on the preview, you might want to tweak:
Brightness/Contrast: To ensure colors are vibrant but not washed out.
Color Balance: If colors don't match the original, adjust here.
Sharpness: Be cautious with this; over-sharpening can introduce artifacts.

Final Scan:

Once you're satisfied with the preview, initiate the final scan. This might take some time, especially at higher resolutions.
Post-Scan:
Review and Edit:
Open the scanned image in an image editor like Photoshop or GIMP to make any final adjustments or corrections. This might include:
Cropping to remove any unwanted edges.
Further color correction.
Removing dust or small imperfections.
Save Your Image:

Save in your chosen format. If you're using TIFF, you might want to convert to JPEG or PNG for web sharing or emailing, but keep the TIFF for archival purposes.
Backup: Always keep backups of your high-quality scans on external drives or cloud storage.

By following these steps, you should achieve a high-quality digital scan of your artwork, ready for sharing, printing, or further digital manipulation.

How to Upload Digital Photography to Thrive Art Gallery

To upload an art painting to our website using a camera, follow these steps:

Prepare Your Artwork:
- Clean the Artwork: Ensure your painting is clean and free from dust or smudges.
- Frame or Mount: If your artwork is framed or mounted, make sure it is properly secured.
Set Up for Photography:
- Lighting: Use natural light if possible, ideally on a cloudy day or with indirect sunlight to avoid harsh shadows and glare. If indoors, use even lighting from two light sources placed at a 45-degree angle to the artwork to minimize shadows.
- Positioning: Place the artwork against a neutral background, ensuring it's perpendicular to the camera to avoid distortion. Use a tripod if possible to keep the camera steady.
Camera Setup:
- Camera Selection: You can use a DSLR, a good quality smartphone, or any camera that can produce high-resolution images.
- Settings: Set your camera to a low ISO (around 100 for best quality), use a small aperture (higher f-stop number like f/8 or f/11) for maximum depth of field, and focus manually if possible.
- Resolution: Ensure your camera is set to capture images at the highest resolution possible. If selling or showcasing online, you might want to aim for at least 300 DPI for potential prints.
Photograph the Artwork:
- Capture: Take multiple shots from directly in front of the artwork to ensure you get a straight, distortion-free image.
- Check for Reflections: Look for any reflections or glare, adjusting the angle or lighting as needed.
- Detail Shots: Optionally, take close-up shots to highlight details, especially if the artwork has intricate elements.
Post-Processing:
- Transfer Photos: Move the photos to your computer or device where you'll edit them.
- Editing: Use photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop, Photopea, or Pixlr X to adjust colors, sharpen the image, and crop if necessary. Ensure the colors are as true to the original as possible. Remember to adjust for any distortion or color balance issues.
- File Format: Save your image in a web-friendly format like JPEG or PNG.
Upload to Website:
- Upload Process:
  - Select Image: Click on the upload or add photo option and select your edited image from your device.
  - Add Metadata: Enter a title, description, tags, or any required details. This might include pricing if you're selling the artwork.
  - Upload: Follow the steps to submit your image.