The production equipment that we chose is the Epson ET-8550, a six ink dye-based printer that provides a color depth that rivals the print quality of 10-12 ink fine art printers. The system is economical with its EcoTank technology that makes it 10 times more cost-effective than standard ink cartridges.

The printer has a 8.5” x 14” scanner. This feature enables my collaborators and I to practice physical mediums in our printed works.

The Epson ET-8550’s maximum paper size is 13” x 19”, enabling the studio to accommodate custom orders for a customers favorite prints.

The fine art paper that we chose to use is the Moab Entrada Rag Bright 190. This 100% cotton paper is double sided, enabling the artist’s perspective and note to be printed on the back for the subscriber appreciation.

The payment infrastructure is streamlined by implementing a production partner relationship in your creator storefront. This option is available at Etsy and other preferred platforms. Although we encourage you to have your own personal store presence, Alex Hicken Studio will also have a page to present your work and let people subscribe.

The payment split is 50/50 of net income. The payout rate per subscriber will be provided upon inquiry. The subscription tier pricing is flexible based on your preference. There will be ‘Tip the Artist’ options on my website.

The relationship is contractual; therefore, I will not be paying your income tax. It is recommended that you save 30% of your income for taxes.

The translation options enables you to connect to more of your following. People of different backgrounds feel alienated and discouraged if you don’t accommodate their language. The studio will translate the artists’ letters and notes in-house. Spanish will be the first language provided, and other languages requests will be prioritized by demand.

As a collaborator the studio is the manufacturing and shipping extension of your workflow. The end product and equipment should be kept in mind to make the experience smoother. Once you are confident that your art would be printed according to mutual expectations, you can deliver your art to me physically or digitally. Physical art will be returned. Provide a note to be printed on the back of your fine art print and the personal letter; reflecting on life, progress, and your art journey. That is most of the experience. If you receive a letter, the studio will send it to you, and you can reply to them separately from your personal letter, which will be placed in their monthly print envelope.

The original work’s layout needs to be considered by both physical and digital artists; if not, a large portion of the original work may be cropped out in its printing or scanning. The regular print sizes of our product tiers are 4” x 6” and 5” x 7”. On my digital canvas I chose the pixel dimensions of 5700 × 3900. This accommodates the maximum print size of 13” x 19” at a 300 DPI; furthermore, it prints to the product sizes with minimal cropping. These choices were mine, but you can optimize your digital canvases as you see best.

The A4 format, a dimension size of 8.3 x 11.7 in, would maximize your scaling options with the scanner of the Epson ET-8550. Its scanner size is 8.5” x 14”. The A4 paper size would print to the regular print sizes with minimal cropping. These are my recommendations, but I would be happy to consult with you regarding your preferences.

The letter will be printed on a 4×6 paper. If you have other stationery standards for your letter, the paper selection is flexible.

Thank you for considering a collaboration with Alex Hicken Studio.