Artists Alley Information Thread

Selling at Cons is best during the...

Spring	11.6%	[ 83 ]
Summer	30.3%	[ 217 ]
Fall	7.0%	[ 50 ]
Winter	5.3%	[ 38 ]
Any time!	45.7%	[ 327 ]
Total Votes:			[ 715 ]

[Kyousouka]

I recommend giving them 300dpi files of the size you're printing or bigger. So, if you're making 8x10 prints, it should be at least 2400x3000. This'll eliminate the jagged edges.
The colour issues are exactly not their fault, it means your monitor isn't set up to match their printer. If you print the images on your home printer, they'll likely have the same problems.
Don't lower the opacity, raise the brightness. Raise it as much as you think the image got darker. It depends very highly on the image.

[Fullmetalrunt]

Thank you for the tips!
Wow, 2400x3000 DX;;
So if I wanted to make 11x17, what size would you recommend?

[Kyousouka]

300dpi, so multiply by 300.
11x17" -> 3300x5100

These are good working sizes anyway, they hide your mistakes when you size the images down for the web.

[Fullmetalrunt]

Thank you so much for the help! ;u; <333333

[Death T-2]

It also wouldn't hurt to check the gamut [View>Gamut Warning in Photoshop]. That'll show you which colors won't print well in your image , as RGB monitor versus CMYK printer yield very, very different results. Once you know what colors don't work you can make the right changes.

And just as a note to newbies reading this, increasing dimensions doesn't increase DPI, but it is a good idea in case you ever want to print something out larger than planned.

[Fullmetalrunt]

?It doesn't? I don't really get this...D:

So how would you be able to draw a High res picture thats ready to print? I thought it was just drawing it in bigger dimensions...

[Kyousouka]

Larger dimensions AND larger dpi. Setting the DPI varies from program to program, and some don't allow you to mess with the DPI at all.

When you set/change the dimensions of your image, don't think in pixels, think in inches and set the pixel dimensions to be that dimension * the resolution (300dpi or whatever).

[Fullmetalrunt]

OH man, thank you both so much! I never even noticed the DPI thingy in SAI~
You guys are such experts this is really helpful for newbies like me ;u; heart *throws confetti*

[Seijaku_Ishida]

Kyousouka

Larger dimensions AND larger dpi. Setting the DPI varies from program to program, and some don't allow you to mess with the DPI at all.

When you set/change the dimensions of your image, don't think in pixels, think in inches and set the pixel dimensions to be that dimension * the resolution (300dpi or whatever).

...By the way, Kyousouka...are you cosplaying Feffiroff?

[Kyousouka]

Yeff.

Don't have the eyes though. Angelic Manner doesn't work with the teef

[Seijaku_Ishida]

Awesome. Shame Angelic Manner doesn't work with the teeth, though.

...I'd love to see an IRL Feffiroff cosplay.

[Vicemage]

I'll add to the problem with the printed matter... you should be able to calibrate your monitor, and get it at least CLOSE to print-accurate. On my desktop, on my old settings (I'm still fixing it from its upgrade), everything looked pretty much 100% accurate, but I could see clearly where other people's monitors were set WAY off--the pictures they were posting were very, very dark.

My laptop... I can't calibrate properly, sadly, so I frequently have to compare by either bringing an image onto the desktop or just plain printing it out...

[Fiammetta Rey]

I don't think I'm going to apply for a table at Tekkkoshocon. I'd be more likely to get in there than AnimeNext... but I can't get there in time for it to be a good idea. I'd get to the con on the second night. So... that would kind of fail.

[Manic March]

Wow this topic is epic. I'm selling at my first Artist Alley in April and I'm both excited and terrified.

[Cetriya]

calibrating, I keep hearing, say I would do it, end up not doing it.

for some reason, my printing ends up with different colors depending on the printer and the paper. Office depot holds my colors well but for others I tend to switch it to cymk then back and resaturate about 5-10%. If its a dark picture colored digitally then I lighten then saturate by 10% if Its a traditionally colored I play around with levels.

What happens mostly is the tinting, some pictures comes out more red or blue then the screen. No biggy really as they do come out nice.

Now if people cared to pay more for prints I do offer my home printed color accurate gloss prints for more money. Printing at home is expensive.