Putting the “Fine” in Fine Art Printing: An Interview with Fine Art Printer Ben Rush - Business Insight - Canon Singapore

Putting the “Fine” in Fine Art Printing: An Interview with Fine Art Printer Ben Rush

In this article, we explore how Canon’s large format printers help fine art printer Ben Rush balance quality with profitability.

“What’s the most rewarding part of my journey? Wow, that’s a good question,” Ben smiles as he pauses for a moment, “I guess it’s ultimately the printing process, right?”

“It’s how we bring the right machine and the right media together to get the best result.”

“It’s a subtle alchemy.”

Ben Rush is the owner of Fine Art Printing, Singapore’s first and only Hahnemühle Certified Gold printing studio — an exclusive accolade reserved only for those who consistently produce high-quality prints on Hahnemühle’s range of archival-grade fine art media.

As someone actively involved in the arts, Ben has very high standards for the prints he produces. To him, printing is more than a service. It’s a craft. And he makes it a point to personally guide every one of his customers — from novices to professional artists — through the process, ensuring their vision is fully realised before finalising the result.

And it is this commitment to quality that led him to invest in his first large format printer — Canon’s imagePROGRAF PRO-541 — before progressing to the new imagePROGRAF PRO-566.

The first step towards expanding his revenue streams

Ben’s journey didn’t begin with fine art printing. He started with a framing company that offered printing as a complementary service to enhance his offerings.

“We relied on other print shops for our printing, which ultimately became very inefficient,” Ben recounts. “Most importantly, the quality wasn’t up to our standards,” he continues, “it came to a point where it just made more sense to print in-house.”

And that was the pivotal moment when Ben expanded his business from custom framing to fine art printing.

It was about four years ago when Ben committed to the Canon’s imagePROGRAF PRO-541, which, as he puts it, “was more than enough for the jobs we were getting.”

But over time, customers started requesting large canvas prints that could go up to 60 inches, which exceeded the PRO-541’s limit of around 44 inches.

“We had to turn those requests down, which was frustrating because, as you know, the bigger the size, the greater the revenue opportunity,” Ben shares candidly.

So, when the chance came for an upgrade, Ben didn’t hesitate — and invested in Canon’s new imagePROGRAF PRO-566.

“Having the bigger machine is just the right way to go,” he states. “It’s like going from strength to strength, right. In fact, we started accepting large canvas jobs right after delivery!”

Service that delivers

The truth is, Canon wasn’t Ben’s only option in his search for a new printer. But it was their responsive and personalised service that made him stick with the brand. At his level of printing where quality is a given, their dedication made all the difference.

“Other brands I contacted were either unresponsive or directed me to a reseller who just gave me a PDF price list,” he recalls. “But with Canon, I worked directly with their team,” he continues. “Within two days, I was at their office getting a thorough tour of the printers. The service was amazing.”

And it didn’t just stop there.

“Their after-sales support was equally impressive — not that I’ve needed much. The machines are bulletproof,” he laughs. “This level of service really gives me the confidence that my business won’t suddenly grind to a halt if something goes wrong.”

“And that’s a huge plus.”

Quality’s in the detail

Beyond the service, Ben was also impressed by how Canon is aways “working on small improvements”, even with the “simple things”.

The addition of an internal light in the PRO-566, for example, was a welcome improvement.

“It made our lives easier,” Ben shares. “Now, we can see the prints clearly as they come out and stop the process right away if something’s off. It saves us both time and media.”

Another improvement that caught Ben’s attention was Canon’s reformulated inks, which now last 200 years* — twice as long as before — along with even better light and scratch resistance.

“I mean, whether it’s 100 or 200 years*, these inks will outlast me,” he quips. “But it’s nice to see Canon pushing boundaries and making those incremental changes.”

“They didn’t rest on their laurels.”

Given the outstanding prints Ben produces today, it’s hard to believe he had no prior experience in printing.

“I started out making frames. I had zero background in printing,” he recounts. But it was the machines’ ease of use and intuitive design that helped him get up to speed quickly. “As long as you know your way around technology, you can easily plug in and get up and running in no time,” he adds.

The integration of smart technologies in Canon’s machines also play a part in ensuring consistent prints every time.

“Take the smart media handling feature for example,” Ben explains, gesturing to his printer. “If you see this, our media comes in various sizes — 24 inch, 36 inch, 44 inch.”

He continues, “With smart media handling, you simply load the media, and the printer automatically detects things like media type, size, and remaining ink amount before making the necessary adjustments.”

“It makes it really easy for anyone to ensure their prints come out accurately and without issues.”

Making fine art prints accessible for all

To Ben, the greatest joy in fine art printing is watching his customers receive their prints and see their visions materialise.

Whether it’s the Spanish artist producing 30 to 40 artworks on ultra-high-quality paper, the Malaysian customer who struggled to find a reliable printer until he found Ben, the NFT artist who printed, framed, and shipped over a hundred works worldwide, the casual shopper who really loved his Etsy finds, or the talented 12-year-old digital artist who has already held exhibitions and built a substantial body of vibrant works — every story matters — and Ben is committed to delivering the highest quality prints for all.

For now, he will continue to work with Canon to find the best combination of machine and media to meet customer demands. And, perhaps, even explore the commercial mass production market to “keep the machines running” and further expand his business.

“Say yes” to exceptional quality and new revenue opportunities. Find out how Canon’s range of large format printers can empower your business today!

Footnotes

*When using Photo Paper Pro Platinum. Predicted value calculated in accordance with the indoor light resistance test method and life evaluation criteria of the digital colour photo print image preservation evaluation method published by JEITA, Japan Electronics Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA CP 3901B).