Artist’s Frequently Asked Questions
What is a digital file? In order to reproduce a painting, a digital 'capture' must first be taken of the art piece. This can be done with a professional drum scanner, or a professional digital camera. The difference between the professional and those used for home use is the pixels per square inch or ppi. The higher the ppi, the higher the quality of the file. We need a minimum of 300 ppi at original size.
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What's the difference between a 72 ppi file and a 300 ppi file? A 16"x20" at 72 ppi is about 140 KB. A 16"x20" at 300 ppi is about 78MB, a much larger file!
Can I send in large jpg files for approved images? It is not preferred. While jpg files are great for use on the Internet, but are not appropriate for art reproduction. They are a 'lossy' file type. They degrade a little bit each time they are opened. We prefer .giff .tiff or .pdf or Raw as these types do not 'degrade' with repeated use.
How can I get high quality digital capture of my art? Many large format print shops will offer a digital capture service. They put the files on a disk for you (like they do at Longs or Walgreen's when you get your pictures developed). Another option is to take your paintings to a local photographer with a high pixel digital camera. Have them photographed and put on a disk.
Can I request a sample contract? Yes. Send your request via our 'Contact Us' link and we'll send you one.
Will you take paintings used in limited editions? No. We sell open editions. It would be unethical to ‘open’ a limited edition.
What if I only have 1 or 2 paintings to submit? That's perfectly o.k. Each artwork is accepted on a piece by piece basis. Some artists have one, some five, some twenty. Show us what you have!
What if I don't see a category suitable for my painting? Submit your work anyway. We create categories as needed.
Can I submit a painting I have already sold? Only if you have high quality digital capture of the piece or the ability to obtain it.
Do I have the right to licence images of a painting I have already sold? Yes! The only circumstances that you would not have that right, is if you sold your copyright or have entered into some agreement in which you gave up your copyright. Otherwise, if you painted it, you own the copyright until you die. Even if you sell the original.
Do you licence photographs? No. At this time we are only accepting Acrylic & Oil paintings. No mixed media, water color, charcoal, pen & ink and so forth.
Once I sign the contract, how much time do I have to get my digital files in to you? 90 days.
Why do I need to use the drop box to send in approved files? Because it is a secure way to send them. We use email at
Artist@fineartcastle.com for small jpg file samples only.
My large image files are too big to email! Yes they are. You need to upload them using the
drop box
Is Fine Art Castle a licensing agency? No. We are a company that licenses artwork for our own product sold in this store.
Why am I unable to fill out the Fine Art Licensing Agreement using Echo sign? You must have Adobe Reader installed to fill out the document. You can download Adobe Reader for free at
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html You can request a fax-able version of the contract, if your prefer. If you are on a Mac, you need to make sure to open the document with Adobe (not preview).
Who keeps track of my sales? We do. Our accounting system keep track of sales by each Artist. We send a quarterly statement (whether or not your work has sold) and a check for your share when it has.
How much money can I expect to make? Only time will tell. We are a new business, just getting our start on the web, so we make no guarantee how much, or if, your work will sell. Although we'll do our best for the benefit of both parties involved! At minimum, your work will be featured in our monthly Decorating & Design Newsletters, your work will be advertised at no cost to you and you'll get a back link to your site.
Do you change the color of my artwork? No. We match the color of the print as close as possible to the files you send.
Will my images be severely cropped? No! Paintings done in standard sizes will have very minimal or no cropping at all. Some may need a minimal amount of cropping in order to offer a variety of sizes. The integrity of any image will not be sacrificed to offer any particular size.