The blue color of a matte watercolor remains blue even if you move the paper around, due to the scattering of light by the pigments used to make the paint. On the other hand, both gold leaf and mica paint function similarly to a small pocket mirror.
This is a problem for any camera system designed to deal with the effects of glare. Studios use polarizing filters on both the lamp and lens of each camera to prevent the varnish from flaring; however, these filters also remove the reflection which indicates to the observer that he/she is viewing a metal surface.
The printer adds another obstacle to metallic printing. Since most of the top giclée printers do not use metallic ink, achieving a true metallic print will require an additional component (i.e., a specific type of paper) or the use of metallic foil.
Benjamin meant an original’s presence in a room. With gilded work, much of that presence is the way light slides across metal as people walk by.
Capture Gold And Silver Details With Two Matched Photos
Good artwork reproduction of a gilded piece needs two exposures from the exact same camera position, with only one filter moving between them.
The Glare-Free Frame
The polarizers go on each lamp, and the lens filter is turned 90 degrees to the polarizers. This is called cross polarization. The angle can be confirmed by using a metal spoon as an indicator; when the filter is correctly aligned, the spoon’s reflection will disappear. The frame contains the actual colors. There is a 24-patch color checker located next to the painting.
The Shine Frame
For the second exposure, the lens filter is turned back until reflections return. The gold finally glows, and dark passages pick up hot spots nobody will keep. Lamps also move farther back than usual. Close lights make the center blaze and leave the edges dull.
Merging The Files
A retoucher will layer the two photos and paint a mask to allow the shine frame to show only in those areas of the artwork which contain real metal. As you compare fine art printing services, inquire as to whether or not the service provider maintains the original layered master file in addition to the single layered TIFF. For reproduction purposes, maintaining the layered master file allows the highlights to be adjusted up or down at any time to accommodate a new type of paper.
Oversized Originals
Wall-size canvases rarely fit beneath a copy stand. Contact-free large format scanning systems may record these without placing glass on delicate leaves. However, a single flat pass will rarely capture any reflection. Determine if the system operator can provide an additional glare-on pass for the metallic regions.
Pick The Print Finish That Brings The Shine Back
With a clean master ready, the next decision is the surface. That choice depends on edition size and where the piece will hang.
Metallic Fine Art Paper
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Metallic has been given an ISO 9706 certification by the manufacturer. It is a 340 gsm cotton sheet with a pearl-silver coating. The entire image will have a soft glow. Warm skin tones in portraits may look grey.
Therefore, a small sample should be used as insurance. When large metallic finished art prints are placed behind glass, they can create ripples. Placing these on a rigid board will allow for the reflection to be uniform.
Spot Metallics On Press
Offset presses lay down metallic ink as a separate spot color, usually matched to Pantone 871 C for gold or 877 C for silver. Gold ink printing suits borders and hand lettering on art cards, and silver ink printing holds very fine lines. Plates have to be made before a single sheet runs, which only pays off on larger quantities.
Hot And Digital Foil
Foil has a greater similarity to actual leaves than does any type of ink. Metallic foil stamping applies foil directly onto paper using a hot metal die. This process creates clean cut-outs and leaves a small indent on the paper. Digital metallic foil printing, on the other hand, applies foil directly onto the toner applied during the printing process.
Both methods produce good results on gold leaf art prints when the metal forms distinct patterns, for example, a halo or calligraphy. On the other hand, soft feathered gold is a different matter since foil can be applied with varying degrees of pressure.
Hand Gilding
Many painters create a standard giclée print and then add actual gold leaf or metallic paint to specific parts of the print by hand. Since every print is unique, many collectors appreciate this process. It is important to try out the adhesive on an extra print before you apply it to your final print, as there are some products that can have a negative reaction with inkjet prints.
Set Up Print Files For Foil And Spot Metallics
Most foil trouble that shows up at the press was built into the file weeks earlier.
Foil Layer Setup
Foil areas go in their own file, usually as 100 percent black shapes on a separate page, and the color image is supplied without them. Hairlines and tiny script fill in under foil, so leave them out. If the artist has never built a foil layer.
Coating Tests
In fine art printing, coatings change metallic surfaces more than most people expect. Gloss can push the shine further, and matte can flatten it. Look at both swatches under the light where the piece will hang.
Approve A Physical Proof Under Gallery Lighting
The proof is where artwork color matching for metallic printing holds up or falls apart. Base hue comes from the glare-free frame and brightness from the shiny frame, and a proof that looks perfect under a desk lamp can go dead under track lighting.
Run through these checks before signing off.
- Set the original and the proof side by side under 5000K lamps, the D50 condition in ISO 3664.
- Tilt both slowly and compare how quickly the metal brightens.
- Soft proof the file on a calibrated monitor with the paper’s ICC profile before paying for a physical proof.
- Ask for a test strip that runs through the brightest metallic passage and the darkest shadow.
- Write corrections by area, such as “lift the halo highlight,” instead of words like “warmer.”
Using one art reproduction service for capture and proofing keeps the color chain intact. Ask, too, whether the studio checks its imaging against FADGI, the federal digitization guidelines followed by the Library of Congress scan center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does Gold Paint Look Brown In Scans And Photos?
Polarizing filters eliminate the reflective qualities of gold that give it an appearance of being a metallic surface; therefore, they leave behind only the darker background color. Reproduction of artwork using digital technology can fix this issue by creating a second image with the reflections from the light (glare) captured and then blending those images back together within the area where the metallic effect was lost.
Can A Giclée Print Reproduce Gold Leaf Shine?
Fine art prints use pigment ink that has a color similar to genuine gold leaf, but the surface will always remain flat. If you want your print to appear as if it was created on metallic paper, or if you plan to add a layer of foil or leaf after printing, then you should consider this when choosing which type of print to order. If you want to replicate the appearance of an original gold leaf painting that features clearly defined shapes.
Is Foil Stamping Better Than Gold Ink Printing?
The use of metallic foil is the best option for achieving a highly reflective (mirror-like) appearance. Press inks provide a softer, satin-like finish and are generally more cost-effective than using metallic foils when printing large quantities. Many of our customers choose to combine both types of printing.
Can You Print Metallic Gold On A Regular Printer?
No. Home and office inkjets carry no metallic pigment, so gold prints as tan and silver as gray. Silver ink printing does exist on a few solvent printers built for signage. For gold on short runs, digital metallic foil printing is the usual answer.
Is Metallic Photo Paper Archival?
That is dependent upon the type of base you use. Gallery editions should use cotton rag metallic sheets that meet the requirements of ISO 9706. However, metallic resin-coated photo paper is suitable for display printing. When ordering metallic finish art prints, find out from the company providing the art reproduction services what types of paper and inks they will be using.
Wrapping It Up
Metallic originals reward a little extra patience. Bring yours to Laguna Digital for contact-free large format scanning solutions that handle pieces up to 60 by 80 inches at up to 1200 DPI, followed by proofing and artwork color matching against the original.
Our fine art printing services include archival giclée on canvas and Somerset Velvet paper, and every metallic area is reviewed on a proof before production starts. Request a free quote today and get that first proof on the calendar.
