Print on Demand for Antique Paper: Giclee printing brings rare Hawaii maps to a wider audience
- By Susan Halas
Buck Mickelsen (L) and Bryant Neal (R) display a giclee reproduction of an 1876 Hawaiian map.
Two Maui entrepreneurs, both with a background in antique maps, are excited about the use of giclee printing for reproducing rare and fragile maps of Hawaii. Bryant Neal and Richard "Buck” Mickelsen are working on a traveling interactive exhibit that interprets the history of the islands through its maps and map makers.
For many years both men worked with Alan Walker of Lahaina Printsellers, another Maui firm that pioneered the giclee process. Recently they joined forces and went out on their own as Tradewind Production Group. They hope to realize their longstanding ambition to use maps to tell the story of Hawaii’s history. What they have in mind is a traveling show where viewers can closely examine documents that they might never otherwise know about or see, because as Neal put it, “in their original state these documents are rare, expensive and fragile.”
Giclee is a form of ink jet printing introduced about a decade ago that has been improved and refined considerably in recent years. Artists were the first to use the process to make high quality limited edition prints. Some in the antiquarian field like Walker, Neal and Mikelsen were also quick to see its potential. It is a print-on-demand format that can make small high quality editions in a variety of sizes (including extremely large) for a relatively modest cost.
Neal estimated copies cost between 8 to 12 cents an inch depending on whether they’re printed on paper or canvas. With software like Photoshop in combination with their 42” wide Cannon printer they can not only reproduce an image, but also digitally manipulate it, add coloring or other graphic elements, move parts around and print out the results rapidly. “There’s no need to carry an inventory,” he said, “because the work can be printed as needed, as few as one or two at a time”.
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Print on Demand for Antique Paper: Giclee printing brings rare Hawaii maps to a wider audience
- By Susan Halas
Buck Mickelsen uses photoshop to color Capt Cook's 1784 General Chart of the Pacific.
For all its advantages giclee is still not cheap. In the last ten years prices have come down and quality has gone up, however a basic setup can easily run $20,000 and the printer requires multiple ink cartridges which presently cost about $175 each.
A lot of the preliminary work for their proposed show is already done. There’s a thick binder of maps they hope to include in the display, each with extensive notes that move the story forward.
One map that particularly excites them was produced in 1876 and displayed at the American centennial exhibit in Philadelphia. It is notable for its large size, its ornate borders, and its many detailed insets of volcanoes. It was only exhibited once and even then never printed full size.
“We were able to digitally clean up and improve an image and print it full size (see photo), said Mikelsen. “It’s not just Photoshop; it’s having the knowledge of antique paper and being able to combine it with Photoshop and the giclee printing process."
In this team Mikelsen is Mr. Inside; he works at the computer making the digital refinements to the image and then supervises the printing. The Oahu native started in the graphic arts in the old cut-and-paste days and made the transition to the intricacies of the computer early on. He has developed many of his own refinements and specialized techniques.
Neal is Mr. Outside: he writes the history, weaves the images together into the story and works on sales to keep the company afloat. To keep his material fresh he gives frequent talks to visitors at the Westin and the Ritz, two of Maui’s leading resorts. The company has also produced three short videos that set out the basic narrative. It’s an exciting story that starts with the Polynesian voyages and continues through the European navigators, American missionaries, the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893, followed by Territorial days and American Statehood in 1959.
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Print on Demand for Antique Paper: Giclee printing brings rare Hawaii maps to a wider audience
- By Susan Halas
The company uses a 42-inch wide Cannon printer to reproduce historic maps of Hawaii.
Most people do not realize that Hawaii had no Western land ownership until the mid-19th century and no real surveying until the late 19th century. Inside Hawaii itself opinion on sovereignty and exactly who rightfully owns the land depicted in the maps has long been a contentious subject. This becomes particularly clear when looking at certain maps published in America immediately after the overthrow of the Kingdom. In spite of local politics, as time moved on the world eventually did become Pacific centered with Hawaii as the hub of the great ocean.
Now they’re working on proposals, contacting experts who have already written extensively on the subject like Gary Fitzpatrick and Riley Moffat whose scholarly books on early mapping of Hawaii are well known, and searching for sponsors and venues to give these maps the popular exposure they deserve. They think if their show is successful the concept could have many other applications for museums, libraries and archives.
“Our goal is an interactive exhibit,” Neal said; “See it, hear it, touch it, and be able to buy the maps in reproduction at an affordable price if they want them.”
See the videos on the mapping of Hawaii mentioned earlier at the following links:
Polynesian migration and voyaging canoes
www.youtube.com/MappingofHawaii#p/a/u/2/mGYbIUB8xeM
The voyages of Capt. Cook
www.youtube.com/MappingofHawaii#p/a/u/1/wKSjLcO4sMk
Later European Mapping of Hawaii
www.youtube.com/MappingofHawaii#p/a/u/0/YrDRcDju1wU
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AE Monthly writer Susan Halas can be reached at wailukusue@gmail.com
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