Questions and answers
About the prints, framing, ordering, shipping and returns. 37 answers in one place, and if yours is not among them, we are happy to help.
The prints
What a facsimile giclée is, and what makes ours different.
What is a facsimile giclée?
A facsimile is a copy made to match an original as closely as possible, in size, colour and tone. Giclée is the printing technique: very fine drops of pigment ink on fine art paper.
Every Heritage Print is both: a giclée, made as a facsimile of an original plate from the 18th or 19th century.
How is a giclée different from a poster?
A poster is printed with ordinary inks on thin, acidic paper: the colours fade and the paper turns yellow. Our prints are made with archival inks on acid-free etching paper of 270 g/m², from a photograph of the original itself, and every plate is checked against the original before it is printed.
I see the same prints elsewhere for $60. What is the difference?
Prints at that price are usually open editions: printed on demand and in any number, and seldom compared with an original.
Ours is a facsimile of the original sheet. Each plate is photographed from an original, in a museum such as the Teylers Museum in Haarlem or in a private collection, at 308 megapixels and at the size it is printed. It is retouched by hand, proofed against the original under daylight until the colours match, and printed on acid-free etching paper of 270 g/m² with archival inks.
It is also a limited edition: 250 of each plate, numbered in pencil, embossed with our blind stamp and with a certificate of authenticity. Each of these you can check.
Is every print made from an original?
Yes. Every print starts with an original plate, in a museum such as the Teylers Museum in Haarlem or in a private collection. We never work from a reprint or a copy.
Who makes the prints?
Re-Art Special Art Productions in Almere, the Netherlands: fine art printers for 25 years, known worldwide, and our partner since 2008. They photograph the originals, retouch them, proof every plate against the original and print it.
Is the print the size of the original?
Yes. Each sheet is printed at the size of the original plate, with its margins and the printed lettering. The size of every print is on its page, in inches and centimetres.
What paper and ink do you use?
Acid-free white etching paper of 270 g/m² and water-based archival inks of the highest quality, printed on Epson printers at 2,880 drops of ink per inch.
How long will my print last?
More than 100 years under good conditions: hung out of direct sunlight, away from damp, and framed with acid-free materials.
Is it a limited edition?
Yes. Each plate is printed in an edition of 250. Every print is numbered in pencil, embossed with our blind stamp and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Complete sets are limited to 50 sets of each publication.
Are the prints signed?
No. They are numbered and embossed with our blind stamp, and each print comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Can I order a plate that is not on the site?
Often, yes. We hold master files of more plates than the site shows. Write to us with the artist, the work and the plate number, and we will tell you what is possible.
Framing and care
How to frame, hang and look after your print.
Do you sell framed prints?
No. Every print ships unframed, rolled in a sturdy tube, so you can choose a frame that suits your room, and shipping stays safe and affordable.
On the pages of the prints we show each one in a frame, as an example. The frame is not included.
How should I have my print framed?
Take it to a good local framer, and ask for an acid-free mount and backing. Glass with little reflection makes the print easier to see.
How high should I hang it?
About 150 cm (60 inches) from the floor to the centre of the print, the height museums use. Above a sofa or a sideboard, hang it a little lower.
How do I look after my framed print?
Dust the frame and the glass with a soft brush or a lightly damp cloth. Do not use cleaning agents.
Can I see how a print looks on a wall?
Yes. On the page of every print you can see it in a room, at approximate scale, and in three frames.
Ordering and payment
Prices, VAT, import duties and paying safely.
How can I pay?
Safely through Mollie: by credit card or PayPal, in dollars and in euros. In euros you can also pay with iDEAL, Bancontact and other local methods.
Do your prices include VAT?
Delivered in the European Union: yes, prices in euros include 21% Dutch VAT. Delivered anywhere else: no VAT. Your delivery country sets the currency and the VAT at checkout.
Will I pay import duties?
No. We pay the import duties and customs charges, also for the United States, so nothing is added when your order is delivered.
Do I need an account?
No. You check out as a guest, and we only ask for what we need to deliver your order.
Can I use a discount code?
Yes. Enter it in your cart or at checkout.
How do I know you received my order?
You receive a confirmation by email right after payment, and a second email with the tracking number once your order ships. Nothing in your inbox? Check your spam folder, or write to us.
How can I reach you?
By email at info@heritage-prints.com, or with the form on our contact page. We reply within one business day.
Can I visit you?
Visits are not possible. On the page of every print you can zoom in on the scan and see it in a room and in three frames, and we are happy to answer your questions by email.
Can I order for a business?
We sell to private customers. To order for a business without VAT, or as an interior designer or retailer, write to us or see our Trade program.
Shipping and delivery
When your order ships, what it costs and how it travels.
When will my order ship?
Prints ship within 3 to 5 business days. Complete sets and your own collection are made on request: we agree the delivery time with you.
How much is shipping?
Free to the Netherlands, always. Elsewhere free from $500 or €450, or from 3 prints. Below that, €26.50 within Europe and $45 to the rest of the world.
How is my order packed?
Prints travel rolled in a sturdy cardboard tube. A complete set travels in its Solander box, packed in a double box, with acid-free tissue between the plates.
Do you ship worldwide?
Yes, to collectors all over the world, insured with FedEx and with the import duties paid by us.
Can I track my parcel?
Yes. Every order travels with FedEx, insured. The email we send when your order ships has the tracking number.
Returns
Returning a print, and what we do when something is wrong.
Can I return a print?
Yes. Let us know by email within 14 days of receiving your order, and send the print back within 14 days after that. Return shipping is at your own cost; we recommend a tracked and insured service.
We refund to your original payment method within 14 days of your message. We may wait until the print is back with us, or until you show us it has been sent.
Where do I send a return?
To Heritage Prints, Redactiestraat 13, 1321 NL Almere, the Netherlands. Pack the print in its tube, or in packaging that protects it just as well.
My print arrived damaged or is not what I ordered.
Email us your order number and a photo of the print and the packaging. We send you a new print, or refund the full amount, shipping included.
Sets and services
Complete sets, your own collection, custom coloring and the trade program.
What is a complete set?
Every plate of one publication, at the size of the original, with a title page, a contents page and a certificate, kept in a Solander box made by hand by a bookbinder. Limited to 50 sets of each publication. Each set is made on request: we agree the price and the delivery time with you.
Can I put together my own collection?
Yes. Choose your favourite plates by one artist, and we make the box in your name, with your own contents page. Each collection is made to order, with an attractive discount: we agree the price and the delivery time with you.
Can I have a black and white print coloured by hand?
Yes, on request. Every black and white print in the collection, such as Bodmer’s travels in North America, Schlegel’s falcons and Piranesi’s Rome, can be coloured by hand in period colours by our colourist Jane Niebling, so every print becomes one of a kind. We send you a quote with the price and the delivery time.
Do you work with interior designers?
Yes, through our Trade program: a trade discount and personal advice, for interior designers, galleries and selected retailers. We send you our trade terms when you apply.
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Ask us insteadStill have a question?
About a plate, a set or your order: write to us, and we reply within one business day.