City of Dis

Cosmicism without consolation

Digital editions and physical fine-art prints

From the A0 master to your wall

City of Dis artwork is prepared from high-resolution A0 master files, then individually resized and prepared for the final format. Digital editions are available in standard A-series sizes. Physical copies range from an economical A4 proof print at nominal cost plus postage to heavyweight pigment-ink fine-art editions, framed or unframed.

A0, A2, A3 and A4 all use the same 1:√2 aspect ratio. Moving between these sizes therefore preserves the proportions of the artwork. Custom dimensions with a different aspect ratio are a separate matter and may require cropping or borders.

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Digital editions

Prepared for printing

Digital downloads are supplied in A4, A3 and A2. Each file is made from the A0 master for its intended output size rather than relying on your printer driver to perform an arbitrary enlargement or reduction at print time.

Resolution, output sharpening and tonal presentation are prepared with high-quality photographic and fine-art inkjet printing in mind. The masters are developed around the capabilities of the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 and its pigment-ink printing system.

Physical editions

Fine-art prints

The same artwork is available as a professionally produced physical print in A4, A3 and A2, either unframed or framed.

These are intended as fine-art reproductions rather than ordinary photographic prints. The combination of pigment inks and substantial cotton-rag paper gives the darker City of Dis images especially strong blacks, controlled highlights and a tactile matt finish.

Economical proof

A4 proof print

If you would like to see the artwork physically before committing to a fine-art edition, an unframed A4 proof is also available at nominal production cost plus postage.

Proofs are produced on a Brother MFC-L3740CDWE colour LED printer using good-quality laser-compatible photographic or glossy paper. They provide an inexpensive way to assess the image, composition and general colour balance in print.

A proof is deliberately not sold as an archival fine-art edition. Toner printing on photographic paper has a different surface, tonal response and colour character from the Canon pigment-ink print on 310 gsm cotton rag.

Standard sizes

One proportion, several scales

Format Dimensions How it is used Proportions
A0 master 841 × 1189 mm High-resolution production master from which standard shop sizes are prepared. 1:√2
A2 420 × 594 mm Large display print with the strongest visual impact of the standard shop sizes. 1:√2 - no proportional distortion
A3 297 × 420 mm Substantial wall print suitable for many domestic frames and display spaces. 1:√2 - no proportional distortion
A4 210 × 297 mm Compact fine-art print or convenient high-quality home-printing format. 1:√2 - no proportional distortion
Why this matters: standard A-series reductions do not stretch the picture. The height-to-width relationship remains identical from A0 through A4.

Custom dimensions

Other sizes are possible - with one important qualification

A custom file can be prepared in dimensions outside the standard A-series. Where the requested dimensions preserve the original 1:√2 aspect ratio, the image can simply be resized normally.

If the requested dimensions have a different aspect ratio, something has to give. The preferred options are normally to crop the image slightly or to add margins. Stretching the image to fill a differently proportioned rectangle is also technically possible, but it changes the geometry of the artwork and may be visibly unattractive.

Custom-size warning: non-standard proportions may require cropping, borders or, if specifically requested, image distortion. Where practical, City of Dis will favour preserving the artwork's original proportions.

Low-cost physical proof

An A4 proof before the fine-art edition

For buyers who would simply like a physical copy to examine, or who want to see how an image reads on paper before ordering a premium print, City of Dis also offers an unframed A4 proof print at nominal cost plus postage.

The proof is produced on a Brother MFC-L3740CDWE colour LED printer using high-quality laser-compatible photographic or glossy paper. The Brother is an A4 printer, so this proof service is offered in A4 only.

What the proof is for

An economical first look

The proof is useful for checking the overall composition, detail, darkness, colour balance and how the artwork feels as a physical object rather than as an illuminated image on a monitor.

It may also be perfectly adequate for informal display where archival materials and exhibition-grade presentation are not required.

What the proof is not

Not the fine-art edition

A colour toner print and a pigment-ink fine-art print are fundamentally different output processes. The proof will not reproduce exactly the surface character, tonal subtlety, deep blacks or paper texture of the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 edition on Canson Infinity Edition Etching Rag Smooth 310 gsm.

It should therefore be treated as a useful and inexpensive proof, not as a colour- critical guarantee of the appearance of the premium fine-art print.

Proof price: charged only at a nominal production cost, plus the actual postage and packing. It is intended as the inexpensive physical option in the range.

The fine-art print

Canson Infinity Edition Etching Rag Smooth 310 gsm

Premium City of Dis prints are produced on Canson Infinity Edition Etching Rag Smooth 310 gsm, a heavyweight cotton fine-art paper with a smooth matt surface. It has the substantial feel expected of an exhibition print rather than the thinner, glossier character of ordinary consumer photographic paper.

The paper is particularly well suited to City of Dis imagery because its surface can retain fine detail while allowing dark areas, subtle tonal transitions and restrained highlights to remain part of the image rather than being overwhelmed by surface gloss.

At 310 gsm it is a genuinely substantial sheet. Unframed prints therefore have a physical presence of their own, while framed editions are suitable for conventional gallery-style presentation.

Printing process

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100

Physical editions are printed using the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 professional pigment-ink printer. The artwork is prepared with this class of printer in mind so that the print is treated as the final artwork, not merely as an incidental copy of something seen on a monitor.

  1. The high-resolution artwork is retained as an A0 production master.
  2. A dedicated A2, A3 or A4 output file is prepared at the correct proportions and print resolution.
  3. Tonal range, detail and output sharpening are adjusted for high-quality pigment printing.
  4. The physical edition is printed on Canson Infinity Edition Etching Rag Smooth 310 gsm fine-art paper.
  5. The completed print is supplied unframed or prepared as the selected framed edition.

Colour management

Why the print may not look exactly like your screen

A monitor creates colour with emitted RGB light; a print is seen by reflected light. Monitor brightness, calibration, room lighting, printer settings, ink and paper can all change the apparent result.

City of Dis files are therefore prepared with professional pigment printing in mind, particularly the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100. Buyers printing a digital edition on another printer can still obtain excellent results, but the precise appearance will depend on their own printer, paper, ink and colour-management workflow.

For buyers who want the closest match to the intended physical presentation, the professionally printed City of Dis edition is the recommended option, because the artwork, printer, ink and paper are handled as one controlled output process.

Physical presentation

Proof, unframed fine-art or framed fine-art

A4 proof

Nominal cost + postage

The economical option: an unframed A4 colour proof on high-quality laser-compatible photographic or glossy paper, printed on the Brother MFC-L3740CDWE. Suitable for examining the work or informal display, but not presented as an archival fine-art print.

Unframed fine-art

The premium print itself

Choose an unframed fine-art edition if you already have a preferred frame, intend to have the work framed locally, or want to select your own mount and glazing.

Framed fine-art

Ready for display

Framed editions are prepared to suit the selected print size while preserving the proportions and intended presentation of the artwork. Where appropriate, a mount can be used to give the finished piece a more traditional gallery appearance.

Questions buyers commonly ask

Digital and print FAQ

Will an A4 version be distorted compared with the A0 master?

No. A0, A2, A3 and A4 have the same 1:√2 aspect ratio. A correctly prepared A4 reduction therefore preserves the proportions of the master artwork.

Can I order a size which is not A4, A3 or A2?

Yes. Custom dimensions can be prepared, but a different aspect ratio may require cropping or margins. Stretching is avoided unless specifically requested because it alters the artwork's proportions.

Can I print the digital file myself?

Yes. The digital editions are intended for high-quality printing. Results will depend on your printer, ink, paper, colour settings and calibration. A good photographic or fine-art inkjet printer and heavyweight quality paper are strongly recommended.

What paper is used for City of Dis physical prints?

Premium fine-art editions use Canson Infinity Edition Etching Rag Smooth 310 gsm, a heavyweight smooth matt cotton fine-art paper selected for detailed, dark and tonally complex artwork. The economical A4 proof is instead printed on good-quality laser-compatible photographic or glossy paper.

What is the low-cost proof print?

It is an unframed A4 print produced on a Brother MFC-L3740CDWE colour LED printer and supplied at nominal production cost plus postage. It is intended as an economical way to see the artwork on paper, not as a substitute for the archival fine-art edition.

What printers are used?

Premium fine-art editions are prepared for production on a Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 professional pigment-ink printer. The inexpensive A4 proof option is produced on a Brother MFC-L3740CDWE colour LED printer.

Questions about prints, files or custom sizes?

Comments and questions about digital files, proof prints, fine-art print sizes, paper, framing, colour management or custom dimensions are welcome below. Reports that the geometry has altered itself after framing will be logged but cannot necessarily be acted upon.