We have an announcement for all our clients and inkjet printer users in HK.

In HK it has been known that it is notoriously difficult to get hold of certain stocks of papers. In the case of papers for fine art printing in HK, it usually is a case of very long waiting times for both dealers and customers. It is not surprising that the waiting time for stock to arrive can be between 2-3 months on average, because of waiting for orders and stock to be allocated, and for them to arrive by seafreight.

Due to difficulties in getting hold of stock, even for ourselves as a company (who services a fairly large artist base in HK), recently within our industry changes were made by our supplier to accomodate the needs of fine art users in HK and Macau, in the hope that the supply issues of the previous distributor will be lessened.

We are proud to announce that as of this September, we are now an official authorised distributor for Hahnemuhle products in HK and Macau. To introduce if you are not familiar with the brand, Hahnemuhle is a German fine art paper company with over 400 years of archival paper-making experience. They produce some of the best watercolour fine art and digital photographic papers in the world, and they are used by some of the top artists and photographers in the US and Europe for reproducing their work.

Our aim at Chaudigital HK, is to continue this legacy, to provide the best materials for our clients. In the UK, Chaudigital has already been supplying Hahnemuhle to professionals for the last decade. We will continue this relationship and be working with Hahnemuhle in Germany and HK to ensure that supplies to HK and Asia are more consistent and frequent. Apart from reducing reordering times down to a minimum, we will also be introducing a 5-10 day airfreight option for customers who need materials urgently if they are not in stock.

If you are a retailer, professional artist or photographer, heavy user or an educational institution based in HK/Macau/Asia who need such materials you are welcome to contact us. Apart from providing sales and product support, we also are able to provide sample materials for you and your users/customers requirements.

Please contact us on 2505 0830 or email us at info@chaudigital.hk for further details.

This is a wonderful video by a long-time photographer friend of ours called Julian Lee.

Julian is a senior photographic lecturer at the City University of Hong Kong, and is a seasoned fine artist and film director himself who had studied in London's best colleges during his earlier years.

Through this video footage of a trip to Yosemite, Julian takes us through the very places and locations that Ansel had once captured on film, and made most famous in his works of black and white.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VfJzhd5aqw

As a specialist in the field of fine art printing, over the years we have been invited to talk on various subjects regarding photography and what makes a good fine art or exhibition print. Since we were originally based in Britain, naturally our focus is based there.

In Britain, amongst the most well-known photographic magazines available is the British Journal of Photography (BJP), Amateur Photographer (AP) and Black and White Photography Magazine to name a few of the publications. As we have had such a long and varied history within our field, it comes as no surprise we have been interviewed at some point by all three publications over the years.

Whilst we are happy we have been recognised for our work by some of our peers within the industry, we do believe the age-old adage that to get anywhere in life, it takes right work and effort. We have always said success and recognition mean nothing if we cannot do our job well and provide the best possible results for our client. In this sense, we strive to always do the best whenever we can, wherever we can.

A lot of artists who are in the world today struggle to sell their work to a broad audience. Apart from the costs of exhibiting their work in galleries and such including mounting and framing and the costs of having an agent, they are selling very little work which has enough value that supports them financially.

Whilst originals are still the best form of art to sell, they do take time to make. Time which many artists who are busy promoting themselves and also juggling with their daily chores do not have.

So what has happened in the West (US and Europe) over the last few years is the phenomenon of open and limited edition printing.

Edition prints are archival prints which are signed and autographed by the original artist/photographer, often in limited sets of numbers. Lasting well over 70 years (for those made by good certified printers with the best possible materials) edition prints is a way for artists/photographers to cover their costs and make a decent living. Open editions are prints which have an unlimited run. Limited editions are prints which run often less than 500 pieces.

What edition printing essentially allows is for the artist to extend his/her work to a broader audience. Captured and produced at the highest quality, edition prints enable artists of all ages to enable their works to be reproduced and enjoyed by all. Best of all because the work is captured digitally, unlike the original, their work can be reproduced at any size, and all at the same level of quality.

A good fine art printer will first ensure that the work is of the best possible quality from source, and secondly that once the run is completed, it will not be reproduced again. In most cases the original work will not be reproduced in any shape or form. This is essentially what the 'limited' in limited editions means.

At Chaudigital HK, utilising the best equipment available, we offer these services to our clients and more.

A lot of people often ask us this question, about what is it that we do for a living. Even amongst those who have known us for years (like friends/family), they cannot comprehend what it is exactly that we do. So I have thought to take this time out to try to elaborate to others what it is that we do and promote.

Before I elaborate on the subject of fine art, I want you to imagine a world we live in where there is no art that exists. I want you to imagine a world where everything we consider 'art' whether it is paintings, sculptures, film, fashion, photos, music, videogames or otherwise, everything is one of colour only, or one simple design only.

Or if that is too difficult, to imagine this. Imagine that the work of the worlds greatest artists like da Vinci, Van Goph, Picasso or Dali never existed. That paintings like the Madonna, Tower of Bablon or Mona Lisa never existed. Or if you are into contemporary works, that the work of Ansel Adams, Bill Brandt or Henry Cartier-Bresson never existed.

Hard to believe, but the above is all true. You see, at any one point in time, those individuals that we now consider as 'artists' could have not have achieved their goals if they didn't do what they did. If they didn't paint that subject; if they didn't shoot that photo at that moment of time. More so if they didn't become an artist or follow through their task of completing their work, or died halfway before completion of their work. We have to see that they could have at any one time, taken a completely different path of life and never become an artist at all.

So when we buy a piece of artwork or photo, we are not just buying a piece of 'art', but really something that is unique. A piece of time or take on something, that happened to exist at that time. We are actually buying something that values that person's unique perspective and take on things. Or on something that will never happen ever again. And we are buying a piece of that memory to enjoy and cherish.

This is essentially what is fine art.