Contact us to discuss your ideas. We have experience ranging from traditional offset printing to hand made artist books and print on demand options. The cost of publication varies considerably; how do you want to publish, how many copies, and how much prepress work is required are just a few considerations. We can help you choose an option that is aesthetically appropriate and cost effective.

 Ideally an image file should be:

• Processed to completion. Image density, contrast, color balance, retouching and any restoration work should be finalized. Processing is most exact if you are working on a calibrated and profiled, color managed system.
• Size the file at a printing resolution of 360 dpi. Do not include a margin area around the image (unless the margin is designed to be part of the printed area). If the image file does not allow 360 dpi at the physical dimensions you desire, try 240 or 180 dpi. Use only these three dpi settings! If your file(s) requires upward interpolation, contact us; we have specialized software that may solve the problem.
• Sharpen the file as you please, but do not sharpen for output. We'll do that for you.
• True 16-bit files are always preferable to 8-bit. If possible, maintain a 16-bit workflow throughout your image creation, processing, and printing workflow.
• Use either Adobe RGB (1998) or ProPhoto RGB as your working color space. Do not use a CMYK color space in the digital darkroom.
• Grayscale image files can be submitted in any standard Photoshop grayscale working space.
• Save the files in the TIFF format (Jpeg is also acceptable) and burn to high quality CD/DVD for delivery to us.

If you have legacy image files that do not correspond to these specifications, email or call us. 
We'll help you evaluate and prep files for submission.

This is an excellent question that gets to the heart of color management in the digital darkroom. 
There are several things you can do to increase accuracy:

• Work with a quality display in a properly lit environment and make sure the video card in the computer is adequate for the display.
• Routinely calibrate and profile the display using a software/hardware kit made for this purpose (it is virtually impossible to accurately calibrate and profile a display by eye).
• Configure Photoshop's Color Settings correctly for the digital darkroom. Work either in RGB or Grayscale, not CMYK. If you process images in CMYK, or have legacy CMYK files, contact us for instructions on prepping the images for submission.
• If possible, include a match print with your order.

Be aware that the laws of physics do not allow a truly exact match between an image viewed on a computer display and the print. There are two basic reasons for this: 1) the image on screen is viewed via transmitted light, the print by reflected light, and 2) every imaging device--cameras, scanners, displays, printers and prints--has a unique color signature that requires the information in a digital file to be mapped, as accurately as possible, from one device to the next. K2 Press implements rigorous professional color management to keep the translation process as controlled and accurate as the technology allows.

This, too, is directly related to color management but is affected by a number of other issues including the printer, ink, and paper used. K2 Press offers two solutions:

• We can print on a variety of matt papers up to 44 inches using Cone K7 Sepia inks. This ink set produces beautiful warm toned prints without the metamerism or color crossover issues often associated with color inks.
• The K2 Press color management system, including professional profiling solutions and dedicated RIP's for both color and grayscale printing, allow us to print neutral or tinted grayscale images with either Cone Color or HP Vivera inks on a wide variety of matt, bartya, and RC inkjet papers.

Rigorous color management is the only way to produce a grayscale print, using color inks, that does not exhibit color shift (which the human eye is exceptionally sensitive to).

We can provide high resolution 16-bit digital files from film, two dimensional, and three dimensional art. Photographers may have a choice to scan either an original film image or a print.

Typically, K2 Press will produce digital files and forward them to you for processing. If you prefer we can design a turnkey project to include digitizing, processing, and printing to your specifications.

Working with artists is one of our strengths. We can translate existing two and three dimensional work into digital files and inkjet prints. We can also help you control the reproduction of work by providing a complete range of prepress services including image retouching and restoration. 

Properly made an Imacon 16-bit Raw scan from a film original is equivalent to a Raw capture with the best professional digital cameras. A BetterLight 16-bit Raw scan can exceed the capabilities of traditional film. Our goal when scanning is to preserve the most image date possible, giving you more options for editing, processing, and repurposing. If you prefer we can provide scan files that have the black point and white point corrected, and all scans made from color negative are auto-corrected to eliminate the amber/orange base tint of the film stock.

We constantly evaluate printing papers, coated for inkjet or not, and other media. Matching the right paper or media to a given ink set is an important consideration. Call or email us to discuss your options. Currently, we stock:

• Epson Premium Luster and Glossy Photo Paper.
• Epson Proofing Paper Commercial Semimatte and HP Matte Proofing Paper (for prepress match prints).
• Epson and Bulldog inkjet canvas.
• Hahnemuhle German Etching, Photo Rag, Photo Rag Bright White, Bamboo, Sugar Cane, and William Turner.
• Innova Photo Smooth Cotton High White and Soft Textured Art.
• Ilford Gold Fibre Silk, Cone Type 5, Museo Silver Rag, and Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta inkjet papers.
• Canson BFK Rives (coated for inkjet) and BFK Rives uncoated (traditional print making paper).
• Pictorico inkjet media for Precision Digital Negatives and K2 Press Digital Cibachrome.
• A wide variety of fine art watercolor, rice, kozo, and other speciality papers not coated for inkjet.

K2 Press is a for-profit business that actively seeks opportunity to participate in and support our community. We routinely do pro bono work for local charities and non-profit organizations. Our Artist in Residence program reflects a desire to help committed photographers and other visual artists who can benefit from what K2 Press does best.