Under used and overlooked is the virtual inventory system that we have at FinerWorks. When you sign up for an account you have access to a valuable time saving tool which allows you to store frequently ordered prints and products so that you don’t have to upload your files and setup your prints each time you want to order them. Below I share two examples of why it is so useful for many.
Let’s take for instance Christine, one of our users. Christine is one of our frequent customers, ordering a couple times a day to have us fulfill her Etsy and Shopify orders for her art prints. She has about 20 different images she sells in several combinations of styles and sizes for framed giclee prints on fine art papers as well as canvas prints. Overall though about 10 images were her top sellers.
Recently she said that the time to setup each print every time she needed to order was taking a toll and asked us if we had any suggestions. The first question we asked was if she had taken advantage of the virtual inventory system we have. Sadly, she had overlooked this feature and had not take advantage of it. When we explained that she could save the prints she frequently ordered, she immediately started to take advantage of it. She started by uploading the images she had us print the most often and followed up by adding the print products for those images which she had us fulfill frequently.
Now whenever she has an order she just selects the appropriate product/print in her inventory and adds it to her cart. She said that when she does not have the item in her inventory yet, she adds it there before ordering it intending to eventually have all her inventory items saved.
Another, example is the marketing department of a large home developer here in the U.S. The builder is constantly adding new neighborhoods all over the country, sometimes up to 4 a month. Each time they do so, they build a model home which is also where their realtors locate their offices.
Inside those offices they will display interior signage as canvas prints with everything from company logos and slogans to a stock images displaying happy families. Total is about a dozen large canvas prints which they have us crate and ship to the model homes.
Since their marketing department does not have time to setup 12 canvas prints each time, they set them all up only once. Now they can quickly select all the prints from their virtual inventory, add them to their cart and checkout with the delivery location.
Even if you are not like Christine or a large home developer, and only place an order occasionally, there might come a time when your order volume increases, and you become just like Christine. So, taking advantage of this tool now will help a lot.
Is the virtual inventory feature for everyone? Not at this time since many of our customers do commissioned on demand prints that might be personalized and shipped to their customers. Unless they anticipate their customer will later order additional copies there is no sense to store it as an inventoried item.
There are some limitations on inventory items. Checkout the frequently asked questions below which address some of the common questions surrounding the virtual inventory.
Fine Art Papers
The following items can be ordered ready to hang or will have hanging options available for ordering:
- Framed Prints (Canvas or Paper)
- Stretched & Mounted Canvas
- Wood Prints
- Acrylic Glass Prints
- Acrylic Prints – Floating Framed
- Metal Prints
- Dibond Prints
Yes, you can. When creating your print, make sure you include a border on your print. Matting options will be found below sizing.
Yes. We offer some special request media types for high volume offline orders. Check the options list and make sure you contact us for a quote when you have an opportunity to place a very large order with FinerWorks.
We do not recommend this. We cannot guarantee any paper print that has been embellished or has had paint applied to it. Unlike canvas, many of the papers will wilt and warp like most papers when saturated with any sort of liquid base. While some customers have reported success with both acrylic and oil paints when embellishing their fine art paper prints others have reported negative results. If you think you want to try doing this you should consider ordering smaller prints to test and practice the technique that works best for you before attempting with a larger print. Most artists that attempt this will pre-coat their print with either a spray fixative or spray lacquer based coating to seal the print first.
In addition to the standard canvas and art papers FinerWorks offers for online ordering, customers can also choose from a wide range of name brand media types when ordering larger quantities offline. View options here
More and more fine art photographers are turning to giclée prints since in many cases, photos look better and have a wider color gamut than you might normally experience with traditional photo prints. This was not always the case but advancements in inkjet technology over the past 10 years have allowed the right image with the right paper to offer a superior color gamut and better contrast and depth.
Yes. The fine art paper prints are printed with a method we refer to as giclee printing. This is a technology that has evolved since the late 20th century to use primarily aqueous wide format printers with archival inks on archival media.
Order samples of our giclee papers and canvas here.
In most cases your prints will not be coated and definitely not laminated. In some instances we may need to coat prints which have large expanses of dark colors in them such as solid black backgrounds. This is to help alleviate potential scuff marks that are visible within the print if not looking at it behind glass or a clear plastic sleeve.
Some papers have more difficulty in flattening out than others. This is especially true during the cooler months but can happen during any time of the year. The papers the prints are produced on are originally in rolls and the prints are printed on these rolls. In most cases we will ship prints up to a certain size flat so that they have had time to lose their curl and flatten out however this is not a guarantee. Thicker or heavier weight papers may still need more time to flatten out. We have a blog posting on our site which discusses this in more detail as well as some solutions.
To extend the life-span, store you giclee fine art paper print out of direct sunlight and avoid extreme temperature changes or exposure to humidity. It is recommended that paper prints be framed behind glass or acrylic glazing when on display. If kept in a retail environment unframed, you should keep the prints sealed in clear, acid free bags. we offer these bags on our website.
While our staff will be happy to offer suggestions sometimes the best choice won’t be obvious until you view the image printed on the paper. There are four characteristics that affect how an image will appear on any of our varied fine art papers: ink absorption, brightness, texture and gloss levels (if any). A good start is test printing small prints on different papers. You can also order one of our starter kits to see and feel our different paper types.
Both Epson and Canon promote their inks as being resistant to fading over time. Over time we have used both wide-format printers from both companies. Our parent company FinerWorks has been producing canvas prints since around 2001. In that time, we have had no one contact us and indicate their print had faded.
A giclée print is a way to classify a professionally produced print using inkjet technology; primarily printed on canvas or fine art paper with archival-grade inks. While the process is only several decades old, it has quickly become the method of choice for both artists and photographers. Read more…
We have built in volume & bulk discounts that will cover most scenarios; however, if the scope and size of the order is not listed when checking pricing, please contact us with the details of what you want to order and the time frame so that we can work out the fulfillment and pricing of the order.
Most people order online via our website’s Print Online Setup Tool. Using this method, you will upload your image file(s), select the product type, styles, and size of print you want, then add the item to your shopping cart.
Some businesses that use us may have their websites connected to us, either through our Order Fulfillment App or one of our legacy integrations, which allow for batch order submissions.
FinerWorks is unable to accept orders by phone or email.
Home printers and many local shops can’t match the precision, quality, and archival-grade materials we use. Plus, we offer scalable solutions, professional packaging, and integration options for online sellers—saving you time and helping you grow your business.
Nope! You can order just one or as many as you need. Whether you’re creating a custom gift, testing a new design, or fulfilling an order for your online store, we’ve got you covered.
However, you can likely save when ordering in bulk since many of our products have built in volume discounts.
There are 3 ways you may want to try. Since different monitors and screens can be adjusted differently, you may see variations compared to a print, especially if the device you are viewing the file on is not properly calibrated.
The following article lists 3 common ways you can proof your image files before submitting them for print.
Artists and photographers will have varying levels of expectations as to what is acceptable and not when it comes to accuracy.
It’s also important to understand that different printing processes can also have varying results. When it comes to color accuracy, giclee fine art prints, photo prints, and canvas will tend to be able to achieve the greatest accuracy because of the nature of the printers and inks used. Other items and surfaces may be more limited in their capacity to achieve the same level of color accuracy or even detail, so testing on varying types of print products can be key.
Acrylic Glass Prints
Transform your space with our sophisticated Acrylic Glass Prints, featuring exceptional clarity and durability to showcase photography, art reproductions, or commercial applications with modern elegance.