Why Inkjet?

Inkjet allows us to share a larger variety of prints

Ukiyo-e prints created using wood blocks are currently limited to short runs and the most famous prints. When they were first created, ukiyo-e prints were inexpensive prints for the masses, and we'd like to help return them to this point while producing prints that stand the test of time.

We hope to give access to high quality reproductions of prints that haven't been ever been reprinted or that haven't been printed in well over 100 years. The cost to produce wood blocks is simply too high to create prints that will only sell a couple each year. Printing on an inkjet printer also allows us to sell these at a much lower cost without the need to sell hundreds of copies. You can obtain beautiful works of art at a fraction of the cost.

In the future, we will sponsor new artists in Japan in their ventures of making genuine woodblock prints, but we're just starting this business. We don't want to replace woodblock printing, but we want to help spread the word and artistry ukiyo-e prints across the world. In doing so, we hope that more people will become interested in purchasing genuine, handmade woodblock prints. We also hope to work with artists in Japan to sell their prints across the world after we get this business up and running.

What is the quality of these prints?

Don't be confused by your own experience with inkjet printers. The printers we use are top-of-the-line commercial printers specifically designed for printing art. The colors and details are unrivaled by consumer printers and offset printers.

The color gradients and print clarity will make you think that you're looking at genuine woodblock prints. Prosumer and consumer printers simply can't match the level of quality and dot precision.

Our prints also use archival papers and archival inks, which significantly increase the durability of these in almost all forms of use. If stored and handled properly, you can expect these prints to last over 100 years without the paper yellowing or the inks fading.

Home and business printers usually use dye-based inks, which generally fade within a few years even under the best conditions. Our printers use pigment-based inks, which maintain their colors simply due to natural properties. Pigments are why paintings can last hundreds of years with little or no fading. Pigment inks, though, are somewhat subject to rubbing. Some surface-level pigment may rub off onto your hands when handling, but this would usually only happen if you're rubbing the paper hard.