The diversity of digital print technologies used in the creation of high quality Fine Art

The Centre for Fine Print Research in Bristol UK undertakes research into print technologies from the traditional 19th Century to the latest digital capture and print. Outcomes of this research are often realised in collaborative projects with well-known artists. The breadth of technologies used in the creation of printed digital art is huge, and often mixes analogue and digital techniques. At the CFPR we print artwork using digital photographic technologies that range from, fired enamel on metal for largescale public art projects, continuous tone photo-ceramic relief panels, digital moulds for glass artists. On-glaze ceramic print, Digital photogravure, flexographic print both intaglio and relief, Helio-relief, collotype and Woodburytype, as well as large-scale digital inkjet for Blue chip artists such as Richard Hamilton. In order to understand and quantify colour and surface print quality differences between each process, colourmetric measurement is available alongside microphotography to support and back up the subjective analytical data that is collected during a project. Examples from this data will be used to illustrate the differences between digital print techniques and explain why the artist has chosen a particular print technique. In order to fully explain the breadth of technologies available this paper will also demonstrate the work other studios from Europe and the USA that develop projects using digital technologies to print artists work