FAQs & other important information

Framing

• How should my print be framed?
  It is very important for your print to be ‘Conservation Framed’. This method utilises acid-free board, tape and glue. Any reputable framer will know about Conservation Framing. The two enemies of any artwork are acid and UV rays from the sun. Standard board, standard tape and glue have high acid content, which can destroy a painting or print.
   
  
• Should my framer use glass, plexiglass or non-reflective glass?
  Glass is the first choice, then plexiglass. Non-reflective glass will deaden the natural luminosity of the colour.
   
  
• How much space should be allowed around the print for the mount board?
  It is customary to leave a small margin of white space between the printed area and the edge of the framing mount board (approximately 1cm). This margin of white space is where the signature and number of the print appear. This doesn’t apply to original paintings.
   
  
• What colour mount board should my framer use?
  I recommend an off-white colour, as close to the print canvas as possible.
   
  
• Should my framer use am inner mount board?
  Because my paintings are extremely colourful, it would depend on the recommendation of the framer and your choice.
   
  
• How wide should the mount boards be?
  Please allow the print to breathe. The paintings and prints are shown to their best advantage with a surrounding mount board of about 5 to 10cm (2 to 4 inches) or more.
   
  
• What kind of frame moulding should I choose?
  This is really a matter of choice. It depends greatly on where you have decided to hang the print. Framers are recommending flat moulds at the moment in dark colours. The mould should not be too narrow because of the size of the prints and can look off balance. Once again, the best is to choose a mould that will be suitable in the room in which you wish to hang the print.
   
  
• Please contact us should you have any further questions.
   
  

Returns Policy

If you receive the print and it does not meet with your expectations, you can return it within 14 days. If you would like to return a print, please notify us via e mail.
Please provide the following information:
your full name and address
your telephone number
your reason for returning the print.

IMPORTANT: Please notify us before returning a print.
Please place the original documentation in the package and re-wrap securely. Return postage must be prepaid and insured – C.O.D. returns cannot be accepted.

Send the print to:-
AFRIGRAPHIX
75 Mendelssohn Road
Roosevelt Park
Johannesburg
2195
Gauteng
South Africa

For your protection, please use Insured Parcel Post for return shipment. Shipping costs can be compensated if the return is a result of our error.

We do everything we can to ship your order safely and securely.

Privacy Policy

Under NO circumstances will we share any information that has been submitted to us on this site with any third party. If you would like to receive notification of any changes and additions to this site, please sign our Visitors Book or join the free Newsletter mailing list. You can be certain that we are the only people who will see your information. We will send you mail only if you have given us permission to do so.

Guarantee

All parcels are fully insured against loss/damage.

If for any reason, you are not satisfied with a limited edition print purchased on this site, you can return it, in its original condition, within 14 days, for a full refund, excluding shipping costs.

Each print is specified ‘LIMITED EDITION PRINT’. A limited edition print will never be falsely designated as an original. If required, a Certificate of Authenticity can be provided to buyers. Please specify this when ordering.

Shipping FAQs

• How long does it take you to despatch Limited Edition Prints?
  If we have the print in stock, it will be shipped within 24 hours. However, if the prints are not in stock – which is often the case – they are ordered within 24 hours. After that, it normally takes about 4 additional working days for the printer to print the order. The print will then be collected for signing, numbering and despatch. Please bear this in mind when ordering. With shipping, despatch time included, you can expect your print within 14 working days (in stock), and up to 25 working days.
   
  
• How long does shipping take?
  Regular Parcel Airmail takes from 5 to 21 working days, depending upon your location. To USA – about 10 days. To Europe – about 7 days. If you would like specific shipping times please contact us.
   
  
• What does shipping cost?
  Shipping is free for all prints ordered.
   
  
• What is the cost of shipping for more than one item?
  If you order any limited edition print the shipping will be free. You can add further prints.
   
  For any order, should you require any further information please contact us at for a shipping quotation.
   
  
• How do you package prints?
  The prints are rolled in bubble wrap and then inserted into an extremely solid cardboard tube. In this way the print is protected against damage.
   
  
• Is there a handling fee?
  Handling and packaging are factored into the price of the prints.
   
  
• Will my parcel be insured?
  Yes. Insurance is automatically included in the price. In the unlikely event of a print being damaged or stolen in transit, you will receive a full refund or replacement of your order.
   
  
• Will I have to pay taxes or duties?
  This varies from country to country and also depends on the value of your order. Please contact your country’s Customs and Excise Department for further information.
   
  
• What happens if I don’t like the print when I see it?
  You can return a print within 14 days if you are in any way dissatisfied with it. See Guarantee for full details.
   
  
• Which countries can you ship to?
  All countries worldwide.

Copyright

All artwork on this site remains the copyright of Clive Steele and is protected by South African Copyright Law.
No image may be reproduced in any way whatsoever without the express written permission of the artist.
Copyright enquiries – info@afrigraphix.com

Electronic Reproduction

Electronic reproduction on this site is done with the best technology available. However, there is a reduction in the quality of images. The pictures used on this site have been compressed as much as possible so that their download time is fast, while remaining as close as possible to the original artwork.

Address Details

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Telephone : +27 11 888 4617
+27 11 782 0371
Mobile : +27 083 989 4944

E Mail:

Postal Address : 75 Mendelssohn Road
Roosevelt Park
Johannesburg
2195
Gauteng
South Africa

Specifications of Prints

• What are the measurements of the Prints?
  

  Code	Small	Large
  AG001	50,5cm x 61,5cm (20" x 24")	65,5cm x 76,5cm (25.75" x 30")
  AG002	40,5cm x 51,5cm (16" x 20" )	55,5cm x 65,5cm (22" x 25.75")
  AG003	50,5cm x 61,5cm (20" x 24")	65,5cm x 76,5cm (25.75" x 30")
  AG004	50,5cm x 61,5cm (20" x 24")	65,5cm x 76,5cm (25.75" x 30")
  AG005	50,5cm x 61,5cm (20" x 24")	65,5cm x 76,5cm (25.75" x 30")
  AG006	50,5cm x 61,5cm (20" x 24")	65,5cm x 76,5cm (25.75" x 30")
  AG007	55,5cm x 72,0cm (25.75" x 30")	70,5cm x 87,0cm (27.75" x 34.25")
  AG008	55,5cm x 72,0cm (25.75" x 30")	70,5cm x 87,0cm (27.75" x 34.25")
  AG009	55,5cm x 72,0cm (25.75" x 30")	70,5cm x 87,0cm (27.75" x 34.25")
  AG010	55,5cm x 72,0cm (25.75" x 30")	70,5cm x 87,0cm (27.75" x 34.25")
  AG011	55,5cm x 72,0cm (25.75" x 30")	70,5cm x 87,0cm (27.75" x 34.25")
  AG012	48,0cm x 86,0cm (19" x 33.85" )	63,0cm x 101,0cm (24.80" x 39.75")

  
  
• What is a Giclée Print?
  The word giclée, pronounced “zhee-clay” is a French word that means “to spray”. A giclée print is made by using a highly sophisticated and very expensive ink jet printer. Its drum based technology creates prints that are almost identical to the original artwork. It is a large printer, capable of printing to extra large sizes.
  
  Its proprietary ink/ink calibration system results in virtually continuous tone prints. This means that the dot pattern which can be easily discernable on ordinary prints, is much finer, closer together, more random and more precise. The combination of specially formulated inks and unique pre-print system produces museum-quality prints.
  
  The reproduced colours are rich and accurate – a feature particularly visible in both very dark or very light areas. A giclée print falls between a serigraph and a lithograph in quality and economy.
   
  
• How does the printing process work?
  The first step in creating a giclée print is to convert the original art into a digital file. Saved at an extremely high resolution, each file size is very large and is saved to a Zip Disk or CD. Once the art is in digital format, it can be touched up and perfected in the software program and closely viewed as any corrections in colour or clarity are made. It is essential at this stage for the artist and printer to work closely, ensuring that the digital image is as close to the original painting as possible.
  
  The print paper or canvas is wrapped around the drum of the IRIS, spinning at high speed. Eight nozzles, each containing a separate colour (CMYK) travel along the drum, spraying ink and forming the image. The micro drop size and 1800dpi resolution compose unquestionably high quality prints. The time it takes to run off just one giclée print could be as long as 1 hour.
  
  Giclées are appearing in the finest galleries around the world. Understanding this process is becoming a necessity for everyone who wants to be up-to-date on the current state of the art world.
   
  
• Will my Giclée Print last forever?
  Preservation and Longevity – It is not advisable to hang any art in direct sunlight, as this eventually damage the work (this applies to artwork in any medium, including oils). A certain amount of fading will occur over a period of about 30 years. Provided your prints are not hung in direct sunlight and are correctly framed and stored, they should last you a lifetime. The digital art is sealed with a clear topcoat glaze that protects the vibrant colours from ultraviolet light.
   
  
• What does the print’s number mean?
  Each print has two numbers, which appear like this on the print:25/1000
  
  The number on the left refers to the 25th print in a series of 1000 prints. The number on the right refers to the number of prints in the edition. Once the stated number of a limited edition has been reached, no more prints are made from that original image. Both artist and the printer destroy all high-resolution scans of the image, ensuring that no more prints are made. An OPEN edition means that there is no limit to the number of prints produced from the same original image.
   
  
• What does “Limited” mean?
  Limited refers to the bottom number of the print. Once that number is defined, which it must be before the series is printed, more copies of the print cannot be made. The print has had its quantity LIMITED, or prescribed.
   
  
• Is a Limited Edition Print as valuable as an Original Painting?
  No, an original painting is more valuable because it is one of a kind – literally the ORIGINAL.
   
  
• What is the relative value of different types of prints?
  A LIMITED edition is usually much more valuable than an OPEN edition. A smaller limited edition (eg. 40) is usually more valuable than a larger limited edition. (eg. 4000) Prints that have the artist’s original signature are more valuable than an unsigned or mass-printed artist’s signature edition. As always, it depends on supply and demand.
  From most valuable to least, use the following as a guide:
  Original Painting 1/1
  Signed Limited Edition 1/40
  Signed Limited Edition 1/500
  Signed Open Edition
  Unsigned Limited Edition
  Open Edition Prints
  Posters
   
  
• Does the artist hand-sign each print?
  Yes, each print is individually hand-signed and hand-numbered, in pencil, on the bottom of each print. The number appears on the bottom left; the signature appears on the bottom right. If you lightly run your finger over the signature, the pencil should leave a faint residue on your finger.
   
  
• Is a print a good investment?
  Yes. The investment value of these prints is enhanced by their limited number and by the artist hand-signing and hand-numbering each individual print which is produced. They are not as valuable as the original painting or drawing, but will still be a valuable collector’s item. In most cases, a limited edition print will increase in value in the same way as the original. For example, a 1984 limited edition print by wildlife artist Terry Redlin sold for $600. Now the same print sells for $2,800.
   
  
• How do I know if my print is authentic?
  If you are in any doubt about the authenticity of a Clive Steele limited edition print, please contact the artist directly via the Visitors Book. A record of ownership is kept by the artist, with details of the original purchaser of each numbered print. In this way, the print's source history can be traced.
  
  You will be supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity if required for insurance purposes (please request this when ordering), but if the authenticity of your print is in doubt it is highly likely that your Certificate is a forgery too.
   
  
• How do I store my prints until they’re framed?
  Loose prints should not be stored rolled up.
  Prints that have been mailed in tubes should be flattened as soon as possible.