Our Products
All our product is manufactured-on-demand in the UK by our own trained workforce in our factory near York. We do not stock finished product and rely on flexible manufacture and good UK supply chain. We aim to despatch within 48hrs with most product leaving within 24hrs, individually packaged, boxed or palletised. Our picture frames are made using full wrap mdf or wood mouldings responsibly sourced through the major UK distributors. We hold significant stocks of our standard moulding and can also source specialist mouldings if required. Our standard frames use shatter proof styrene glazing that reduces weight making products easier to wall hang and provides a safer product. Glass glazing is also available – just ask. We use Canon high resolution digital printers and proprietary Canon Lucia inks specially formulated for vibrancy and longevity and a professional lasting finish. Our standard paper is 240 gsm matt coated high quality media. Print and print assembly takes place in a specialist clean unit away from our frame manufacture processes. Please get in touch with us by email or phone if you would like to discuss this further or for any quotes that you may require.
Dropship for artists
We have years of experience in on-demand manufacturing and specialize in filling third-party orders directly to consumers. This is known as Dropship or Web Fulfillment and has become very popular. Our fast service allows artists to focus on their artwork, while Athena provides the high quality manufacturing and logistics skills to service its customers in low or high volumes.
Most dropship orders are individual works of art (print, framed or canvas print) professionally packaged and typically shipped within 48 hours via overnight courier service. European service uses 2-5 days courier service.
Fine Art Giclee Printing
OUR PRINTERS
The word Giclée (“g-clay”), is derived from the French verb gicler which means “to squirt or spray”. The term is widely used to describe modern high-resolution digital printing that uses 12 colors of ink. At Athena, we use Canon's state-of-the-art printers and its unique 12-color LUCIA professional pigment ink (MBK, BK, PC, C, PM, M, Y, R, G, B, GY, PGY) that produce stunning color and wide range. The addition of Chroma Optimizer to the printing process is a relatively new feature that, when applied over the printed image, covers the bumps between the ink drops and flattens the ink drop height to increase gloss, flatten the print surface and expand the color range.
Precision high-speed printheads use microvapour to satisfy the most demanding professionals, achieving a maximum print resolution of 2400 x 1200 dpi. The print heads operate with the equivalent of more than 30,000 nozzles. The image is color corrected to get the closest match to the original work, with the digital information being adjusted to the media's surface type.
PAINTS
The ink used in most printers is dye-based or pigment-based. Canon's LUCIA range uses both technologies: pigment inks combine the brilliance of dye ink with the vivid colors and weather resistance of pigment ink.
The LUCIA system increased the color reproduction range by up to 20%, using more vivid pigments for all 12 colors and pigments with a variety of particle diameters. LUCIA technology also incorporates a dark black to meet the needs of professional photographers.
LUCIA pigment inks can last approx. 80 years behind glass (light resistance) and 50 years without glass (gas resistance).
MEDIA
Athena standard media is a 240 g/m² matte coated paper and is selected by most of our artists and customers. We also offer glossy, textured papers and specialized media that can be selected after discussion, pre-production testing and approval.
The maximum print width is 44", 1118 mm.
FRAMEWORK
Our frames are made from high quality solid wood or more price sensitive full wrap mdf, all from FSC accredited manufacturers. Other materials are available upon request.
Our standard glass is shatterproof crystal styrene. Glass glasses are also available.
Athena frames are made in-house using computer-controlled equipment for precision and all hand-finished to the highest quality. All frames are protected at the corners and individually shrunk.
Available frame sizes range from A5 (14.9 cm x 21.0 cm) to Poster (61.0 cm x 91.5 cm), including all intermediate custom sizes.
PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION
We ship products individually and directly to the end user, or bulk to wholesale, packaged or palletised, depending on customer preference. Artwork is either individually wrapped in a specially designed carton or packed in bulk and shipped using the leading UK courier services with full tracking.
LABELING AND BRAND
We usually customize the paperwork that comes with the product so that all documentation is presented with the customer's brand. This includes third party documentation such as Etsy, Wayfair or NOTHS. We can insert our customer's advertising or special promotional literature inside the packaging upon request. Other brands, such as branded stickers or colored inner wrap, are also available.