Blurb - making a hard copy & online catalog

My new project, Chuck Larivey Editions reopened a need for a fresh marketing solution, including a hard copy catalog, an old fashion concept for sure. But we still use wish-book catalogs and magazines even though we may actually prefer online shopping and purchasing because it's easier and ships to your doorstep. Whats not to like about that!

The concept

 
Books, catalogs and magazines convert well to our smart phones and laptops. I wanted both options, so I knew where to start, Blurb! They have a flexible magazine template that might work and is available online too. I wanted the kind of pages that you actually flip as though you are reading it naturally. I wanted it downloadable and on my website. I'm not sure Blurb can do this particular bit yet - it may require a different conversion app.

I started on the hard copy to establish a product base line

The basic stuff, images and text information and some content text to get the ball rolling. I explored various page layouts, actually a fun experience, a little different from painting, but the rules of a focal point, flow and visual rhythm hold true even here. I settled down on one and ordered a single hard copy as a proof to see actual scale of fonts and quality before jumping in too far.

It took a few weeks

My single copy arrived safely. The quality was excellent, especially the image quality and colour . I ended up with 52 pages plus a cover. Its more a soft cover book or an exhibit catalog than a typical magazine we think of. They do have a step down quality (lighter paper weight) that would probably work as well for my purposes as a handout.

As suspected there were a few things to move around for better flow and consistency. Font size had to be reduced and some written text revised or omitted altogether. It was well worth the time and small cost because I did learn a great deal from the whole process. It was a good basic first step.

Online catalog research - page flipping

This is where I leave the Blurb train. You can order a nice PDF file when ordering your Blurb books or magazines, which I did. Blurb does have internet options to sell your eBooks on third party sites. I wanted more control of it on my website, blogger, email and social platforms..... if I can.

I'm really new at this, so I googled eBooks page flipping looking for an app.  Lots of choices and they all cost quite a bit (monthly fees billed annually) Even if they say PDF conversion is "free"..... not so! However, the conversion from PDF to HTML5 is remarkably painless. I'm on several 15-day free trials testing things out;  which I actually did with an incomplete proof PDF (no cover) example here.

UPDATE 12/13/18 

THE FLIPPINGBOOK FREE TRIAL ENDED AND THE SAMPLE CATALOG WAS DEACTIVATED

Flipping book is a very neat app, however costly for the basic service of $44 per mo. The trial used the $89 per month plan. The maxed out version is $179. The evolution of my project Chuck Larivey Editions actually made it obsolete. The free trial was worth the time. If it were a major component to my project perhaps. I'm finding most programs and apps are in subscription form. Programs we once could buy are now on a rental basis only. When you start adding all these small pieces up in our daily tech life....... WOW!

There's no question after hours of research I want a page flipping catalog function on anything I can! I want it more than a hard copy catalog, magazine or whatever. Basically it's a PDF file conversion to HTML5, which gives you a copy and paste-in code. Also interactive with multiple user functions.

FASO, my website host, added it to my website on the face page under the slide show. Aside from the fact it is an incomplete presentation, it worked remarkably well.....

Update 

All this R&D changed my market thinking a bit. I do like page flipping technology, wonderful for email marketing, a website or social media sites. Importantly something a client can easily download and use at will, also easily updated. A hard-copy is not. Perhaps the heavy monthly cost associated with most if not all page flipping apps is worth it. Perhaps not!

The real problem is the construction of the original PDF catalog file. I spent a great deal of time in various programs looking for an alternative to Blurb - in most cases a serious learning curve.

eCommerce  sales platform?

My attention was diverted when I began to realize all this could be covered with a robust online sales platform similar to what the big retails use. Not a typical artist/exhibit website I use now in FASO. Which allows selling but lacks most services any good retailer would need.

More to come.....

Flamingos, canvas 1272

It took more than a month getting back into this painting. The longest pause in 10 years an ominous thought for a daily painter.

The last SIP weekend at Crossroads is were it stalled and then sat on my studio easel.  

I didn't stop because of the painting, there was something else more interesting to do and never got back to it.  Not a very good excuse.

 Completed painting "PAIRS"

PAIRS 30x30 oil on linen (12-4-18 canvas 1272)

Closeups

"Remember its just paint and canvas until the artist gives it life. Enjoy your time Swimming-in-Paint, it won't last forever but your art might!"

Chuck Larivey

More deleting than posting

I have this unfinished canvas on my easel pressing the 4th week being ignored. I suppose one or two more sessions would see it complete. However, I don't feel like painting.

SIP (swimming-in-paint) is in recess until next year....... sounds like a long time but not. Our driveway is being replaced, Sunshine (RV) is happy about that. Yesterday it rained hard most of the day. When I got back from a quick trip to Northern Virginia the crew was still hard at it, yes in the rain..... so at the moment we have a very nice pond. The ground never dried out this year with all the rain.

So, whats this about deleting. 

I suppose if one keeps noodling with a post like a painting it becomes old news, not relevant and ultimately deserves the delete key! Also true of ones work place, my studio needs a good sweep out. The last few months were spent securing digital captures of my larger works, and I'm not near finished. As a result I have frames and paintings stacked everywhere. Probably why I'm not to keen on adding more.

My unfinished canvas is not close to a Red "X" or being trashed, because I never moved on to another. This is just a pause until I clear all my finished paintings out of sight or there may be no reason to pick it up again. 

Artist dividends, Fine Art Reproductions

Copyrights

Its been a long time since I chatted about the reproduction copyrights we artists own, and its long term value to us and our estate. The copyrights stay with us and our estate long after the original work is sold, it does not transfer at time of sale.

A missing piece, affordability 

I realized after a solo exhibit some years back there was a missing piece, affordable small works or a take home memento like an exhibit catalogue. My exhibit was not about small works nor did it fit into the narrative...... not that I didn't try. I and the gallery were asked more than once on opening night "Do you have prints available?" Until then that possibility never occurred to me! Not even an exhibit catalogue! Exhibit guests were left with nice memories, a first class presentation by The Richard Stravitz Galley...... and it was!

The Stravitz exhibit was first class 

Richard Stravitz Gallery - Singular Focus Exhibit) Opening

Back to the real reason for this blog post.

Artists, because the supply is limited, will have more admirers than original works. So collectors who might like to own an original or someone beat them to it or out of their financial reach, are left out. Both valid reasons to make or consider making high quality reproductions of key paintings to share as an alternative offering.

My observation

They really want paintings that best represents the artist work they admire. So, it was an easy choice. I got on board and had a group of key paintings professionally shot and converted into high quality digital captures. That was three years ago. The biggest benefit to date, a reproduction can be resized to match a need. Again, and not to my surprise, small reproductions on canvas under 30x30 didn't sell well against larger counterparts. Framed canvas reproductions 30x30 or larger, enhanced with a finish top coat was hands down the most preferred purchase. Gallery wraps with floaters on larger works  fared better than without.

Do it yourself digital captures

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Many of today's DHL cameras are able to capture high quality images... excellent for internet use and print files up to a point. I often use Photoshop's merge tool to stitch multiple segmented shots together for larger works, and create some reasonably large (tiff) print files. A tiff file prints all the digital information captured by the camera. The standard JPEG file reduces and merges digital information to keep files smaller.

Professional high quality digital captures

It almost goes without saying, you need the highest quality equipment to digitally capture and reproduce the essence of the original art work available. Professionally shot digital captures are hard to beat when it comes to fine art reproductions. After the original, the digital capture (tiff) print file is perhaps the most important thing an artist owns going forward or to pass on....

I use the services of Old Town Editions out of Alexandria, Virginia and couldn't be happier with the results. There is no finer method of direct image capture than with a Better Light scanning back in large-format camera. Better Light files are cleaner, sharper, and more accurately capture every detail and nuance of the original art work.

Example

Take 5 36x36 oil on linen

  DETAILS

 

 

 

 More About The Better Light Scanning Back

“As their name implies, Better Light’s digital scanning backs do not capture an image of the subject in front of the camera all at once, but rather by physically moving a unique, highly-optimized trilinear color image sensor smoothly across the image plane, building up the image one line per color at a time.” betterlight.com
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Marketing options

Well, vast is the best word I can think of once you have the print files. Collect royalties by licensing printing rights to art publishing companies. Bricks and mortar retail, your gallery system, collectors, possibly the design trade, both residential and commercial, as in hospitality are within reach. Internet Global if you have the right product.

Limited Editions

Signed limited editions are well received and have a serious collector base to boot. Its important to research this market carefully before jumping in. There are important standards in place, and long term limitations that could effect future use of the image. Something to keep in mind. A limited editions value may increase over time but it won't benefit you or your estate in the future unless there are still unsold prints in those editions.
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Exhibit catalogues

Another marketing opportunity that's not necessarily a give-away either..... a good exhibit catalogue is well worth a small fee.  However, it does take time and money to do and perhaps why it can easily be overlooked. These catalogues are also collectable and a nice reminder of an artists work whom they spent some time with!

Good quality images are needed for exhibit catalogues, our websites and internet sales platforms we expect to sell from. Digital images of our work is the only thing judges see when we enter prestigious juried shows.

"Remember its just paint and canvas until the artist gives it life. Enjoy your time Swimming-in-Paint, it won't last forever but your art might!"

Chuck Larivey