Fine art scanning: what to bring and what you get

We capture your original artwork as a high-resolution, colour-managed digital file, ready for archiving or for giclée reproduction. This page covers what we can scan, how to bring your work in, and what you receive back. Want the background first? See our fine art scanning blog.

What we can scan

  • Works on paper: watercolours, drawings, pastels, prints and similar.
  • Paintings on canvas or board, including stretched canvas, in acrylic or oil.
  • Dry and unframed. Please take your work out of its frame and glass before bringing it in. We never scan through glass, as it softens detail and adds reflections.
  • Very fragile work, very thick impasto, or anything still wet: please talk to us first.

Sizes we can handle

  • Up to A4 is captured in a single pass.
  • Larger works, up to 30 × 20 in (either orientation), are captured in overlapping sections and stitched into one seamless, full resolution file, with no loss of detail.
  • Larger than that? Email us the dimensions and we will tell you what is possible.

Film and photographs

We also scan photographic media: negatives, slides, transparencies and photographic prints. These are scanned at a higher resolution than artwork, because film is enlarged far more, so the standard artwork setting below does not apply.

Resolution and detail

  • We scan artwork at 1200 ppi as standard, which captures paper texture, brush marks and fine detail faithfully.
  • Very large pieces may be scanned at a lower resolution, to keep file sizes manageable.
  • Film and photographs are scanned higher, as above.

Colour

  • Our scanner is profiled to an IT8 target and we work in Adobe RGB (1998) throughout, so colour is captured accurately and stays consistent through to print.
  • This is the same colour space we use for giclée prints, so a scan made here is ready to reproduce with no conversion. See how to prepare your artwork for giclée printing.

What you receive

  • Your archival master: a 16-bit TIFF at 1200 ppi, in Adobe RGB. (A lower ppi on very large pieces, as above.)
  • Everyday copies: 8-bit JPEGs at 600 ppi and 300 ppi, handy for sharing and quick use.
  • Delivered by transfer link, or on a USB stick for large files.
  • We keep a copy on our system for convenience, but please treat your own copies as the masters. We cannot guarantee long-term storage, since hardware can fail, so keep them somewhere safe.

Bringing your work in

  • Drop-off and collection in person only. We do not post or courier original artwork. If it is lost in the post, it is lost for good.
  • Please email us before you come in, so we can expect your work.
  • Your artwork is left with us at your own risk. We take great care with every piece, but we cannot accept liability for loss or damage however it happens. Full details are in our terms and conditions.

Reproduction rights

If you are having work scanned in order to reproduce it, you are confirming that you own it or hold the right to have it copied. We cannot scan and reproduce work you do not have the rights to.

Seeing it on paper

Want to check the result before ordering prints? We can run an A4 proof on request. Remember that on-screen colour depends on your own monitor, so a proof on paper is the truer guide.

Turnaround

Scanning usually takes 1 to 2 weeks, so please plan ahead, especially for larger stitched pieces. We will confirm a timeframe when you get in touch.