FAQs - A Guide to Disney Fine Art

How will "Unframed" pieces arrive?

If the piece you purchase does not come framed, gallery wrapped, or gallery quality framed, it will ship rolled and packaged in a shipping tube.

  

 What does “Gallery Wrapped” mean?

Gallery Wrapped is a type of fine art presentation which is intentionally un-framed.  The canvas is stretched across thick wooden stretcher bars and then held in place with staples on the back, thereby hiding the staples when the art is hung on the wall.  The result is that the image, as well as the “wrapped” edges, are visible.  This is a more contemporary style of presentation and is therefore most popular with contemporary artwork, such as select artists in our POP! portfolio. Although it’s not necessary, it is still possible to frame a gallery wrapped image if desired. All of our Treasures on Canvas arrive gallery-wrapped. 

 What does “Gallery Quality Framed” mean?

Each Silver Series is hand-stretched and mounted in a custom designed frame and plaque that is created to accentuate each piece of art.

What is a giclée?

Giclée printing (pronounced Jee-clay) is commonly considered to be the highest quality digital reproduction technique for fine art. It starts with an extremely high resolution, detailed scanning process during which the image and topography of the original artwork are captured into a digital file.  Then the giclée prints are created using specialized printers that literally spray the image onto a substrate such as canvas, paper, etc. However, not all giclées in the world are created equal… (see below)

 

What makes Disney Fine Art’s giclées so special?

Most people would agree that owning a highly specialized, restaurant grade range certainly wouldn’t make you a Gourmet Chef.  The taste of the food ultimately depends on the culinary abilities of a skilled person, and the tools of their craft are only as good as those who use them.

 

The same is true for fine art printing.  Anyone can buy a giclée printing press, but it takes a very specialized and exceptionally skilled team of printmakers to not only properly output what the press creates, but to elevate it to an art form.  Our team of artists and specialized staff go to great lengths to ensure that Disney Fine Art is created with the utmost care and attention to quality.

 

Just like an artist’s original work, each and every piece of Disney Fine Art limited edition artwork is carefully handmade.  Canvas is hand textured (or sometimes intentionally un-textured) to emulate the look and feel of the artist’s original creation.  After an extensive process of color correction and press calibration to ensure an accurate reproduction of the original, the giclée print is created.  It is then hand trimmed and treated with a coat of varnish which protects the canvas from moderate amounts of scuffing, UV light exposure, moisture and humidity. Some editions are then hand embellished personally by, or in collaboration with, the artist in order to bring an even greater degree of depth and texture to the piece.  Embellishments are applied using colored acrylic paint that is complementary to the image, as well as a clear acrylic gel which adds texture and dimension to the original brushstrokes that are visible in the print.

 

Each piece is then carefully inspected for quality and upon passing inspection, goes on to be hand signed by the artist.  Once the artist signs the artwork, each piece is then individually hand numbered in accordance with the edition size.

 

Prior to framing, the canvas is stretched across hand cut and joined wooden stretcher bars, which are measured to the exact dimensions of the image.  It’s only after the art is properly stretched that it is ready to be carefully assembled into a custom frame.  If the art is gallery wrapped, the art is fitted with hanging wire and is ready to display.

 

What is a serigraph?

A serigraph can most easily be defined as a silk-screen or screen-print, albeit a very sophisticated and labor intensive one.  Using the original artwork as the master guide, each color is carefully hand separated into individual elements and burned onto separate screens.  The serigraph is then created by screening each color, one by one, onto the substrate (i.e. paper, canvas, etc.) thereby layering all the colors into their proper locations, pass by pass, through a process of physically pushing the ink through the openings in each of the color screens, ultimately combining to build the final image.

 

It is a painstaking, labor intensive and very precise technique, both in the color separating process and in the ability to keep all the screens in proper “registration” with one another throughout the lengthy process of laying down so many individual colors during multiple screen passes.

 

Considered a “traditional” printmaking technique because it is an analog process, serigraphy does not traditionally employ the use of a computer, but rather the careful artistic eye and technique of a master printer and color separator.

 

All Disney Fine Art serigraphs (and all other print mediums that we publish, for that matter) are created under the watchful eye of one of the art industry’s leading print experts, Tim Dickson, who for over 25 years has perfected the craft of fine art print making.  His expertise is highly sought after and he is trusted by some of the world’s leading artists who want their work reproduced at a level that is nothing short of perfection.

 

What is a lithograph?

A lithograph is a printing method which dates back more that 200 years.  It began with “stone lithography,” a process by which an artist’s work was rendered onto a stone and with the use of various solutions that either attract or repel ink, the stone essentially became a stamp which could be pressed or rolled onto paper to transfer the image.

 

The modern version of this technique is a process called “offset lithography”.  Before a lithograph can be produced, the image is separated into four colors: Cyan (Blue), Magenta (Red), Yellow and Black (i.e. CMYK).  Since most colors in the spectrum originate from these colors, when they are combined to varying degrees, they can reproduce most color that may be found in the original work.  For this reason, this process is also commonly referred to as “Four Color Process” printing.

 

Offset lithography operates on a very simple principle: ink (which is oil based) and water don’t mix.  First, each of the four separated colors are transferred to their own individual aluminum plate.  During the printing process, each plate is dampened first by water, then ink.  The ink adheres to the image area, the water to the non-image area.  The image on the aluminum plate is then transferred like a stamp onto a rubber blanket creating a negative image, then the rubber blanket is rolled across the paper to create the final positive impression of that color onto the lithograph.  When all four colors are layered onto the same paper sheet (and in proper registration) they combine to create the final image.

 

Are there any Lithographs in the Disney Fine Art collection?

Yes…and no.  Offset lithography is the most common form of commercial printing.  Every magazine or catalog you read is technically an offset lithograph.  Because we prefer to make each edition of Disney Fine Art a little more unique, anytime we reproduce an image using lithography, we will frequently combine it with other hand techniques, such as a few passes of serigraphy to add more dimension and depth to the work.  By combining two print techniques in this way, the work then becomes a “Mixed Media” print, which is the case with a number of works in the Manuel Hernandez portfolio.

 

In the case of Manuel Hernandez’s mixed media work, Manny personally creates the screens for the serigraphy pass, which add a layer of clear gloss highlights onto select areas in the painting which he feels should be brought out to create more dimension and texture.

 

Additionally, all our Mixed Media editions are reproduced using very high quality, acid free archival paper.

 

Are all limited editions actually hand signed by the artist?

Yes, all of our individually numbered limited editions are hand signed by the artist who created the original work.  The only exceptions to this are for reproductions of work by Peter Ellenshaw and John Alvin which were printed posthumously, in which cases they are signed with an official estate signature, approved by those artists’ families.

 

Why are some giclees and serigraphs on paper instead of canvas?

In an effort to stay true to an artist’s vision and pay homage to their creative technique, we will often print their editions on the same type of material that the work originated on.  For example, Toby Bluth paints his originals on a high grade watercolor paper.  To properly showcase his work, we fittingly publish his limited editions on a similar type of paper.  James Coleman editions, however, are primarily printed on canvas, who's work primarily originates on canvas.

 

What are the “Care” instructions for artwork in my Disney Fine Art collection?

It’s important to observe a few simple guidelines which will keep your Disney Fine Art looking beautiful for many years.

 

Although each canvas print is treated with a UV coating to preserve the colors, the art should never be exposed to direct sunlight.  Prints should be stored or displayed in a controlled environment where ideally the temperature is not below 60 degrees or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is not below 40% or above 60%.

 

Prints should be cleaned by brushing lightly with a feather duster or cotton towel. Never use any solvents or household cleaning products to clean the canvas.

 

What does “hand textured canvas” mean?

Giclées, for certain artists, may be produced on various types of hand textured canvas, which is meant to emulate the texture of their original artwork.  This is a specialized process, done entirely by hand, and developed in collaboration with the artists.  Because they are all done by hand, the texturing on each piece is similar, yet unique.

 

What does “hand embellished” mean?

A hand embellished giclée is one which has received additional hand work on top of the printed image.  This adds additional color and dimension to the piece and is done in collaboration with the artist and is consistent with the artist’s style and vision for the print.

 

What does “hand deckled paper” mean?

The term “hand deckled” is used to describe the finished edge of certain giclées or serigraphs which are printed on paper.  The edges of a hand deckled print undergo a “controlled tear” giving the edges a rough, jagged pattern as opposed to the clean straight edge of a print that is trimmed with a blade.  An example of this type of finish work can be seen in the Toby Bluth portfolio.  When framed, such prints are often “floated”, which places the matting well outside the edges of the paper so that the hand torn edges are visible.

 

What does “limited edition” mean?

This means that only a certain amount will be printed of any given edition, as indicated by the number on the canvas print itself and on the certificate of authenticity.  The edition size indicates the maximum number that will be reproduced.  In addition to the edition limit, Artists Proofs (APs), Printers Proofs (PPs) and Hors d’Commerce (HC) proofs will also be printed, which stand above and beyond the limited edition size.  For complete details on how many proofs were created for an edition, consult the Certificate of Authenticity.

What Is Our Return Policy?

Our policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.

To complete your return, we require a receipt or proof of purchase.

Refunds (if applicable)
Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund.
If you are approved, then your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment, within a certain amount of days.

Late or missing refunds (if applicable)
If you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again.
Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted.
Next contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted.
If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at info@TheWonderfulWorldOfAnimation.com.

Sale items (if applicable)
Only regular priced items may be refunded, unfortunately sale items cannot be refunded.

Exchanges (if applicable)
We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. If you need to exchange it for the same item, send us an email at info@TheWonderfulWorldOfAnimation.com and send your item to: The Wonderful World of Animation 9708 Gilespie St Suite A-102 Las Vegas Nevada US 89183.

Gifts
If the item was marked as a gift when purchased and shipped directly to you, you’ll receive a gift credit for the value of your return. Once the returned item is received, a gift certificate will be mailed to you.

If the item wasn’t marked as a gift when purchased, or the gift giver had the order shipped to themselves to give to you later, we will send a refund to the gift giver and he will find out about your return.

Shipping
To return your product, you should mail your product to:  The Wonderful World Of Animation 9708 Gilespie St Suite A-102 Las Vegas Nevada US 89183

You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.

If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

What Is Our Shipping Policy?

All orders are processed within 2 to 14 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) after receiving your order confirmation email. You will receive another notification when your order has shipped. 

When your order has shipped, you will receive an email notification from us which will include a tracking number you can use to check its status. Please allow 48 hours for the tracking information to become available. 

If you haven’t received your order within 14 days of receiving your shipping confirmation email, please contact us at info@TheWonderfulWorldOfAnimation.com with your name and order number, and we will look into it for you.

At this time we only offer shipping to the US. For international shipping please email info@TheWonderfulWorldOfAnimation.com with questions.