Darklight Art is a global photography community. Working with a mix of internationally established and rising contemporary artists, we sell affordable small edition prints & fine art goods.

Our artists push the boundaries of photography: playing in its digital futureground as well as exploring its rich history.

Duality is in our DNA — our founders self-describe as polar opposites — but our vision for championing accessibility, diversity, and equality in the art world is a shared one. It informs everything we do, from the prints we sell to the stories we tell. Art is for everyone and there is no one way to be a collector.

To date, we’ve worked with 250+ independent artists to advise on their careers and portfolios as part of our consultation service. As of this year we are dedicating a portion of our profits to a fund for up-and-coming creatives to realise their dream personal projects.

WHO WE ARE

Consistently ahead of the curve when it comes to visual culture, Darklight Art was launched off the back of 25 years of experience in art, photography and advertising.

Our founders Mimi and Sarah have worked as commissioners, agents, curators, producers, and art buyers, sat on the board of the Association of Photographers, judged awards, spoken on panels, at festivals and on the main stage at Cannes Lions. We’ve also made appearances on Sky & BBC TV, most notably The Great British Photography Challenge, hosted by Rankin. 

Our all-female team, split between London and Amsterdam, are passionate advocates for gender equality in the arts.

We use two main printing techniques, depending on the artist and their work: 

C-type prints are made from a digital file and developed by exposing light sensitive material to LED or laser-jet printers. The ‘C’ stands for chromogenic. For these prints we use matte Fujicolour Crystal Archive Paper, the best for photographic printing. 

The second process used is Giclée. For this type of print, microscopic dots of pigment-based ink are sprayed onto paper by an inkjet printer. Often the choice of fine artists and illustrators, the pigments used with Giclée are bright and rich. We print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm. 

Our framing and mounting is handled by a specialist team at Metro Framing In London. We currently offer two types of frames:

Classic wooden with anti-reflective museum glass in either black or white. 

Wooden box frame with anti-reflective museum glass in either black or white.

Examples: here.

Unframed prints up to size A3 will be shipped flat, wrapped with acid-free tissue paper and inserted into an archive print box. Unframed prints A2 or larger will be shipped in wide re-enforced cardboard tubes wrapped with acid free tissue.

Framed prints are protected by foam corners and wrapped using bubble wrap.

Estimated arrival time is 7 working days from order for UK and 10-12 days for international shipping. Both with Royal Mail, 1st class or by courier, depending on the size and value of the artwork.

CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE OF THE UK WILL NOT BE CHARGED VAT ON DARKLIGHT ART WORKS, BUT MAY BE REQUIRED TO PAY LOCAL VAT AND/OR DUTIES WHEN GOODS PASS THROUGH CUSTOMS.

If for any reason you are unhappy with your print please let us know within 14 days. The prints must be returned undamaged before we are able to refund you. Unfortunately, we are unable to cover the cost of postage. 

DAMAGED GOODS

In the unlikely event that artworks arrive to your door damaged, photographs must be taken and sent to us at info@darklight-art.com as proof of condition. In this instance we ask that you document the destruction of the print in photos or video and send to us by email. A new print will be posted to you once this is received.

Although we’re not perfect, we do pride ourselves on our packaging. We use as little as possible and have worked very hard to find the most environmentally friendly packaging on the market.

Our poster tubes are made from recycled cardboard and are recyclable. The tube ends are made from recycled plastic and are also recyclable. 

Our print boxes are eco-friendly and made from recycled content and fully recyclable. 

Our tissue paper is recycled, eco-friendly and vegan. It's PH neutral and made from 99% recycled pulp fibres. Approximately 35% of the electrics used to make it is produced from renewable energy.

Our tape is paper based and water activated, so no need for any adhesives or plastics. It’s made from 100% recycled content. It’s FSC certified and printed with soy ink.

Not a bad start. 

What is a small edition print?

An edition is a number of prints made from one plate, negative or digital file. A small, or limited edition is a fixed number of works produced under the proviso that no further copies will be created later. Editions are signed and numbered by the artist to reflect the unique number of impressions and the total edition size. In general, the smaller the edition size, the greater the value of the print.

Darklight Art sells only small edition print runs, because we want our buyers’ works to be collectible and highly sought-after.

How do I know if my print is an authentic?

You can tell that your Darklight print is authentic from the artist-signed sticker mounted on the back of each piece. Every art print also comes accompanied by a digital certificate of authenticity.

Will my print gain in value?

Darklight Art sells works by a handful of the world’s most exciting emerging and established artists, therefore it is likely that your art print will gain in value. We choose to collaborate with artists who we trust and who have a great reputation in the industry. However, we urge you to buy art because you truly love it, rather than because you want to make a profit. 

Because all of our works are small editions and unique to Darklight Art, they will not be found anywhere else, online or off.

Is the packaging eco-friendly?

Our poster tubes are made from recycled cardboard and are recyclable. The tube ends are made from recycled plastic and are also recyclable. 

Our print boxes are eco friendly and made from recycled content and fully recyclable. 

Our tissue paper is recycled, eco friendly and vegan. It's PH neutral and made from 99% recycled pulp fibres. Approximately 35% of the electrics used to make it is produced from renewable energy.

Our tape is paper based and water activated, so no need for any adhesives or plastics. It’s made from 100% recycled content. It’s FSC certified and printed with soy ink.

Are these works original?

Darklight Art is an online space specialising in the sale of small edition fine art prints. The works sold on this website are authenticated replications of originals, with the exception of listed Polaroids.

Talk to me about the quality of the print.

All prints are printed with Metro Imaging. They are one of Europe's leading professional photographic labs for art printing with 40 years experience behind them. They have an incredible knowledge of art and photographic production. Their client list includes Vogue, Rankin, The National Portrait Gallery, Magnum Photos, Mario Testino, Saatchi Gallery and the V&A - to name just a few.

Will more numbers be added to the edition?

No, once an edition is numbered and sold, no more works at that size or of that exact image should be created. Some artists may destroy the negative from which an edition came in order to ensure the authenticity of the print run and to protect buyers from the value of works bought fluctuating.

What is an artist’s proof?

An artist proof, or AP is a print generally used as a working-proof in the printmaking process and therefore slightly different from the rest of the run if adjustments are to be made. Ie. Colour corrections or touch-ups. Although this is not usually required in digital printing, the tradition of creating proofs has remained. Usually the AP is kept by the artist, or sometimes offered to models/those involved in the production process. AP’s sit outside the edition number, so you may have an edition of 10 + 1 AP. Technically there are 11 prints in existence, but the AP does not affect the value of the run.

Can I purchase a gift card?

Yes! We have now added gift cards to the website 🎁 These are electronic and can be sent to a friend or recipient via email. Gift cards do not expire.

Can I view the artwork in person prior to purchase?

Unfortunately not at this time. Each artwork is printed to order and our artists are based all around the world. However, we are planning some events IRL later this year. Subscribe to our mailing list for updates.

What framing options does Darklight offer?

All our works can be framed. Framing and mounting is handled by a specialist team at Metro Framing. We currently offer two types of framing. 

1) Classic wooden frame with anti-reflective museum glass in either black or white. NB. Prints ordered in a classic frame will come backed, but unmounted.

2) Wooden box frame with anti-reflective museum glass in either black or white. NB. Prints ordered in box frames will be dry-mounted onto kapa board. 

How can I best care for my artwork once it arrives?

Try not to touch the print with bare hands. Getting the artwork framed in one of our frames with anti-reflective glass will help keep it safe from UV and prevent damp getting to it. Ideally hang it in a dry environment away from direct sunlight or areas of high humidity.  

Do you accept artist submissions?

We are always happy to see artists work. Please send your portfolio to info@darklight-art.com and we’ll come back to you as soon as we can. Please bear in mind we are a small company with an intentionally small roster, so don’t be offended if we can’t take you on. It doesn’t mean we don’t love your work. :)

Any tips for starting an art collection?

Always buy work that resonates with you and that you love. Don’t worry about investment. Although if it goes up in value then, great! Make sure the work is authenticated by the artist i.e it has a signature or certificate of authenticity. Make sure you buy sizes to reflect the space that you have. Take a look at Tim Paton’s interview with Photography Advisor Tristan Lund on our 'stories' page for more info on collecting. 

For any further enquiries please contact info@darklight-art.com or give us a call on +44 [0]7930 405959.

Darklight Art Ltd.
Company # 12475647

Registered Address:

The Retreat,
406 Roding Lane South,
Woodford Green,
Essex
IG8 8EY.

Mimi & Sarah. :)

We welcome pitches for features within the following categories:

IMAGE

Visual essays comprising photographic work, relevant quotations and non-photographic artwork, and succinct textual elements on a theme or artist. Snapshots which explore mood or emotion in a specific photo.

PROFILE

Interviews with artists, drivers in culture, art collectors, thought leaders and more.

THOUGHT

Historical and future perspectives, first-person experience, op-eds on artistic trends or current discourse, questions and themes raised by an exhibition or artwork, fresh angles on forgotten or defunct, future, physical or digital art spaces and the art establishment at large.

We don’t publish reviews but do use exhibitions, news stories and new media as a jumping-off point to explore wider themes. We are interested in visual culture in all its forms, but photography is at our heart –– stories which have a strong photographic lean are more likely to be considered.

Our brand pillars are: accessibility, community, gender equality. Please consider these in the pitching and writing of your stories.

Tonally we try to keep things funky, fun and fresh, avoiding jargon where possible and inviting general readers to share in our story as well as those types with a PhD in Art History and Theory. We love reads on contemporary visual culture just as much as thoughtful, accessible pieces on the past. Most of all we want all our features to have personality and heart.

At present we are not working with a massive budget, and writer’s fees will be negotiated depending on the type of feature. But, as a rough guide, we are able to offer a higher rate for longer thought pieces than for visual essays.

Please send your pitches to editorial@darklight-art.com and be sure to include ideas on how they might be illustrated. As a photography platform we are keen to be able to properly credit any artist whose work features on the site.

Our Digital Editor will work with you to make your piece the best it can be, but please consider the Darklight Art brand, mission, and audience when pitching.