Christmas gifts for an artist, made from their own work
Christmas gifts for artists start with their own work: a print of a finished piece, made from a file or a photo of it.
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Their own work is the present
People who paint or draw buy their own supplies and have firm views on them, so a set of brushes is a gamble. What many of them lack is their finished work printed at a size they can hang. We print the artwork you upload, or a photo of a painted miniature, and change nothing unless you choose a scene. Making a gift from something they made covers asking the artist first.
Christmas gifts for artists, by the work they make
Start from what the artist makes, because the surface should suit it. A watercolor or an ink drawing sits best on paper: the art print is unframed, off-white archival paper, with sizes from 8 x 10 in to 27.6 x 39.4 in. A painting made on canvas suits a canvas print, which starts at 11.8 x 15.7 in and tops out at 23.6 x 31.5 in. Digital illustration with strong color suits a rigid metal panel or a 4 mm acrylic panel. A painter of miniatures has a route of their own, described further down.
Younger artists and beginners follow the same rules. A child's drawing goes through the same upload, and the tick box asks only that you have permission to reproduce it.
Print the finished piece as it is
For a painting or a digital illustration, direct printing uses the file unchanged. Ask the artist for the original file, or for a careful photo of the piece. Use even, indirect light. Hold the camera square to the surface and avoid glare. The plain choice is the art print, which arrives without a frame so the artist can pick one. The upload checks the file against each size, and sizes it can't carry can't be selected.
How to prepare the file
Accepted files are JPEG, PNG or WebP, and each may be as large as 10 MB. You must also tick a box to confirm that the image is yours to print or that you have its maker's permission. A screenshot, or a copy saved for social media, is usually too small, so ask for the original export. For a piece on paper or canvas, how to photograph artwork covers the light and the angle.
Each size is graded on pixels. The check counts them against the print file for that size and withdraws the size when the result would fall below 140 dots per inch. For the flat paper prints we worked the minimums out ourselves from the print-file sizes in the catalog: at least 1,202 by 1,682 pixels for the 8.3 x 11.7 in print and 3,903 by 5,556 for the 27.6 x 39.4 in print, short side by long side. The print file is a little larger than the named size because it includes a margin for trimming. Changing the dpi label in an editor adds no detail, so a small file stays small.
A painted figure in a new setting
For someone who paints miniatures, the optional scene studio takes a photo of the figure and builds a new setting around it, with the display base removed. Photos under 800 pixels on the short side are refused, and you verify an email address before the studio makes a preview. Every preview carries a watermark, and each visitor gets three free previews a day. Nothing goes to print until you approve one, and the finished piece is made from the clean version of the composition you approved, not from the watermarked copy.
A new setting can change small details, so set the preview beside the original photo and check the face first, then any freehand work. See checking your scene for the rest of the checks. If no scene suits the figure, print the photo as it is. A scene can go on any format the direct route can, and the block below shows the art print price.
Which format for which artist
Sizes below are in inches, taken from the catalog.
- Art prints: 8 x 10 in up to 27.6 x 39.4 in, unframed.
- Framed prints: 11.7 x 16.5 in or 16.5 x 23.4 in, in a black frame or a natural wood one.
- Canvas prints: four sizes from 11.8 x 15.7 in to 23.6 x 31.5 in.
- Framed canvas: 7.9 x 9.8 in, 11.8 x 15.7 in or 15.7 x 19.7 in, black frame; the frame adds to the outside size.
- Metal prints: 11.8 x 15.7 in to 19.7 x 27.6 in. Wood prints: 11.8 x 15.7 in or 15.7 x 19.7 in. Acrylic prints: 12 x 12 in or 16 x 20 in.
- Mug: 11 oz. Bottle: 17 fl oz. Tote bag: natural or black, with a 10 x 10 in print area.
- T-shirt: white, 12 x 16 in print area. Hoodie: black, 12 x 12 in print area.
The paper sizes guide gives exact A-series dimensions, and choose your format compares the objects.
Who should get which one
Match the object to the way the artist lives. Someone who frames their own work would rather have the plain art print, and a painter with no wall space left may prefer a mug. The mug's printable area is smaller than the mug, so keep to one clear subject placed centrally. A tote suits an artist who carries a sketchbook around. On a T-shirt or hoodie the full image goes on the garment along with its background, so a pale panel behind a figure shows up as a pale rectangle on a dark garment. A digital download suits an artist who already has a printer or framer they trust.
Ask for the file first
Ask the artist before you order, because you need two things: a file or photo to print and their agreement to it. The tick box in the upload is your statement that you have permission, so make it only when that's true. A surprise still works if only the product stays secret: ask the artist for the file, then keep the choice of format to yourself. Add the time it takes to get the file, and to photograph a physical piece, to your plan. For a painter, gifts for painters sorts ideas by the kind of painter.
Ordering for Christmas
Everything is made to order through our print partner, and production location and shipping time depend on the product and your address. Prices are in US dollars and exclude shipping: checkout shows the live standard rate and, when available, an expedited one. Items in the same order may arrive separately. Allow time for production and shipping, and remember that a scene needs an approved preview before anything is printed. A digital download has no shipping: after payment we email a link that stays live for 30 days. If a printed order arrives damaged or incorrect, email us within 30 days of delivery with your order reference and clear photos, and we reprint or refund it. Read shipping and returns before ordering for a fixed date, and see tabletop gaming gifts for the rest of the table.
The gifts in this guide
Questions and answers
What are some unique gifts for painters?
A print of one of their own finished pieces. Brushes and paint are a guess, while a photo of a painting they made can be printed on paper or canvas. Ask them first, and use the original file or a well-lit photo.
How can I turn my artwork into prints?
Open the print page, upload an image file of up to 10 MB, tick the box confirming you have permission, and choose a format and size. The upload shows the crop and the price before you pay, and it withdraws any size the file falls short of.
How much does it cost to get an art print?
It depends on the format and size. Every price is shown in US dollars on the product pages and on the shop page. Shipping isn't in that price: checkout works it out from your US address, and a digital download has none.
What are good Christmas gifts for watercolor artists?
A print of their own watercolor on the art print, which is 250 gsm uncoated, off-white archival paper and comes unframed. Photograph the painting in even light with no glare, since the print can only match the photo.
