I found this lovely comment on AT:Nursery regarding my orange Super Dog print:

I bought the superdog print last week in orange and it arrived today. The print is super cute and the quality is great, especially for the price!

This totally made my day, thanks codachroma!!! =)

Woohoo, Ubiki was just featured on Apartment Therapy (The Nursery) and Paper Shop Ink! Thanks so much, guys!!! =)

I recently ordered two of my prints (Koi and Five Stalks) from Imagekind to test their quality and shipping experience. I’ve gone ahead and taken pictures of the entire unboxing process along with comments on picture quality at the end; overall, I am very pleased!

First off, I received my prints from Fedex in a large, flat and rigid mailer. Although my prints were only 8″ x 10″, the mailer itself measured about 12.5″ x 18″. Big=good (thank God I don’t like Hummers):

Upon opening the mailer, I found a cardboard insert to prevent bending, along with a carefully taped and sealed package wrapped in kraft paper:

That state of affairs didn’t last too long–like Christmas in May, I quickly tore off kraft paper to find an additional layer of tissue paper surrounding my prints:

Finally, voila! Here are my babies:

And of course, what good are prints if you don’t frame them:

Unboxing wrap-up
Let’s get to the point: I like the way Imagekind delivered my prints. They clearly went the extra mile to protect the prints during shipping, as evidenced by the multiple layers of packaging material; prints are fragile, and Imagekind took the necessary precautions to make sure they arrived in satisfactory condition. Total transit time was 4 days via Fedex Ground.

As for the prints themselves: first off, each print comes with a 3/16″ inch white border around it to assist in framing. The print quality is perfect–no scratches or flaking that I could detect.

Enhanced Matte vs. Photo Luster

I ordered two types of paper; luster and enhanced matte, both of which are on the economical side of the spectrum.

The luster was truly gorgeous–the paper has a shine to it, but not the overwhelming glare you get with gloss; this is likely due to the pearly texture of the paper itself, which, btw, is quite lovely. Although luster resists fingerprints better than gloss, it still does pick up the oils from your skin; handle this print carefully, like you’d handle any photograph.

The matte was beautiful as well, and of course naturally resists fingerprints. The paper is not slick like photo paper but has the feel and thickness of slightly textured cardstock. Note that the color of the print seemed to be a touch darker and a little bit more green than what I see on my monitor. *However*, this is a new monitor which has not been color calibrated, and the prints do match what I get out of my own Epson at home.

An additional note on color accuracy

Overall, I’m quite pleased with the way my prints have come out. My only minor caution is that colors can and do differ slightly from monitor to monitor. I’ve personally ordered prints from three highly-recommended professional printers (ezprints, mpix and imagekind) and have seen slightly different colors every time. However, I’ve found that each color variation carries a subtle beauty all its own, and as long as the printing is otherwise blemish-free I have been a happy camper.

Additional questions about paper? Ask me!

Psst! I also ordered Imagekind’s paper sample kit. Please let me know if you’d like my own (subjective) impressions on the different paper types–I’d be more than happy to help!

My Wee Prints are now available at Etsy!!! =) This is personally very exciting for me, as this is the first time I’ve ever made anything for sale on Etsy. I’ve visited them more times than I can count, so it’s refreshing to finally experience things from a seller’s point of view.

Above, top: Wee Birdie, relaxing underneath a flower after a long day of flying.

Here’s a sneak peek at some 5×7 “Wee” prints I’m working on. Each is a delightfully simple print with pastel colors.

It’s been a longtime coming, but I’ve finally finished setting up an ImageKind Shop to sell my prints. I originally planned to create artwork using my Epson R1800 printer, but have run into numerous issues with banding and clogging (never buy a refurbished printer!).

A Guided Tour of the Ubiki ImageKind Store

I’ve always considered myself a bit of an “indecisive” artist: I tend to jump from one type of art to the next. ImageKind allowed me to take a step back and organize my work for the first time. The result is four distinct galleries:

	UbikiStyle - Abstract, organic art designed for the home. I predominantly use a color palette inspired by nature herself: greens, blues and browns with splashes of beige and red.
	UbikiCute - Adorable art with a simple, innocent style. I try to inject a bit of subtle humor into each piece, and feature animals that include dogs, birds, piglets and bunny rabbits.
	UbikiSquare - Minimalist boxes. These pieces are even simpler than my Home collection with an ultra-minimalist feel and square design.
	UbikiX - My experimental collection. Largely unclassified, this section is grittier and more experimental. Funkiness and futuristic themes abound-you’ve been warned. =)

Why I Chose ImageKind

After testing out various printing services such as MPix and EZPrints, I settled on using ImageKind for the following reasons:

1. Community: They’ve received rave reviews from across the online art community.
2. Quality: They use long-lasting Epson UltraChrome inks.
3. Choice: They allow you to custom frame and mat every print. They also allow you to select the paper type.
4. Price: They’re actually quite affordable, allowing me to pass the savings on to you!
5. Time: They handle printing, order fulfillment and shipping. This frees up time, allowing me to focus on making even more art.
6. Features: Creating my Ubiki store was fast and easy. I also love the free scrolling gallery doodad that they give you–check it out on the right side of this blog!

Adding these strengths together, ImageKind was a clear win-win for both me and my customers. Pssst: if you’ve already got an ImageKind account, add yourself as a fan of Ubiki and I’ll return the favor in kind!

One of my favorite ImageKind advantages is the ability to print in different sizes; once again, this means more choice for you, the customer. For example, UbikiStyle and UbikiCute’s artwork is available in sizes of 8×10, 11×14 and 16×20, while UbikiSquare’s sizes are 8×8, 11×11, and 16×16.

Note that although ImageKind calls the 8×10 size “petite”, it’s actually a very decent size, especially when matted. Here’s an example of an 8×10 print, matted to 11×14 with a sleek modern frame I purchased at Aaron Brothers:

Not bad, eh? If you’re looking to save money, you can always go down to your local Target or WalMart and get a decent frame for $5-$10. However, if you’re looking for quality framing designed to not only beautifully present but preserve the print (options include acid-free mats and uv acrylic), I’d definitely consider using ImageKind as it truly makes for a one-stop-shopping experience.

Links: Ubiki’s ImageKind Shop

I’ve always loved doodling. From my early days scribbling on the back of my father’s discarded restaurant menus it’s been like a continuous whisper in the back of my mind. Ubiki is the culmination of these whispers; I hope my art will bring you as much joy as much as it has brought me.