Artwork digitization · Vancouver & Metro Vancouver
Capture beyond a single frame.
Ultra-high-resolution, contactless artwork digitization on a custom motorized XY reproduction platform. Resolution can scale with the artwork instead of being capped by one camera exposure.
Why our system is different
Resolution scaled to the artwork.
Most camera-based reproduction systems fit the entire artwork into one sensor frame. No matter how sophisticated the camera, that creates a fixed pixel ceiling.
YRK Labs uses a different capture architecture. Our motorized XY platform records the artwork in overlapping high-resolution sections. Instead of asking one frame to describe the whole piece, the available resolving power is distributed across smaller areas of the original. Those captures are then assembled into one seamless, colour-managed master.
For larger works or projects demanding greater resolution, additional capture positions can be added when the artwork contains sufficient unique detail for reliable registration.
Single-frame vs multi-frame
Remove the fixed-resolution ceiling.
Conventional single-frame capture
The entire artwork must fit within one exposure.
ONE SENSOR FRAME
YRK Labs XY capture
The artwork can be distributed across multiple overlapping positions.
A single-shot 150-megapixel workflow is limited to one 150MP frame. When multi-frame capture is appropriate, YRK Labs can combine multiple high-resolution sections into a master with substantially greater pixel dimensions and spatial sampling. The exact capture count is selected for the artwork rather than dictated by a marketing megapixel number.
Measured baseline
High sampling density from the start.
At our standard baseline capture scale, one frame covers approximately 26.5 × 20.6 inches of artwork.
That corresponds to roughly 425–440 pixels per inch at the artwork plane. This is pixel sampling density — a clear, measurable description of how finely the original is sampled — rather than a vague claim based only on camera megapixels.
For detailed artwork, additional overlapping frames can maintain or increase sampling across a larger original instead of allowing pixels per inch to fall simply because the artwork is bigger.
Why detail matters
More pixels where the artwork actually is.
Megapixels describe a sensor. They do not, by themselves, tell you how much information is recorded from each inch of an artwork.
By capturing smaller sections individually, our system can dedicate far more samples to fine brush edges, canvas weave, paper fibres, pencil marks, lettering, craquelure and subtle surface structure than a workflow that must fit the whole artwork into a single frame.
This is especially useful for large originals, edition printing, publishing, licensing and archival masters where fine detail may need to survive substantial reproduction.
Capture strategy
No arbitrary maximum megapixel number.
There is no single fixed stitched resolution because the appropriate capture count depends on the artwork.
Highly detailed pieces often provide abundant unique features for precise alignment and may support extensive multi-frame capture. Very minimal artwork, broad flat colour fields or highly repetitive low-detail areas can be harder to register reliably, so we use a more conservative capture pattern when needed.
We prioritize geometric accuracy and image integrity over producing an unnecessarily large file. Capture density is chosen according to artwork dimensions, usable detail, surface characteristics and final reproduction requirements.
Surface-aware reproduction
Resolution is only half the job.
Artwork is physical. Its appearance depends on surface, gloss, texture and light — not only pixel count.
Our lighting can be configured around the work. Cross-polarized capture can suppress unwanted specular glare for clean colour reproduction, while directional or raking illumination can preserve or emphasize impasto, paper tooth, canvas weave and other relief when surface character matters.
Soft, hard, directional, raking, UV and UV-cut configurations can be selected according to the material and intended result. The goal is not merely a large file, but a master that represents the artwork appropriately.
Contactless capture
Built for paintings, works on paper and mixed media.
The artwork does not need to be pressed against scanner glass.
Contactless capture gives us the freedom to work with textured, thick, delicate, varnished, uneven or oversized originals while independently controlling focus, lighting and capture geometry.
Flatbed scanning remains useful for some small, truly flat originals, but its fixed bed size, fixed illumination geometry and glass interface make it a fundamentally different workflow from a scalable camera-based reproduction system.
Technical comparison
What changes when the capture architecture changes.
| Characteristic | Fixed single-frame workflow | YRK Labs XY multi-frame workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution ceiling | Limited to one sensor frame | Can scale through additional overlapping capture positions |
| Large artwork | Sampling density falls as more artwork is fit into the frame | Additional positions can maintain high sampling density when registration is reliable |
| Capture strategy | Typically one exposure for the whole original | Single or multi-frame according to artwork and output requirement |
| Surface contact | Camera systems: contactless; flatbeds: glass interface | Contactless |
| Lighting | Depends on system; flatbeds largely fixed | Cross-polarized, directional, raking and custom configurations |
| Final master | Fixed by one frame | Can reach several times the pixel dimensions of a single-frame capture when appropriate |
Applications
Made for serious reproduction.
The master can be prepared for the way the artwork will actually be used.
Artwork digitization and film scanning use separate purpose-built optical workflows. The specifications on this page refer specifically to artwork reproduction.
Frequently asked questions
Artwork digitization, explained.
What resolution do you capture artwork at?
At our baseline single-frame scale, one capture covers approximately 26.5 × 20.6 inches of artwork, corresponding to roughly 425–440 pixels per inch at the original. When the artwork contains enough unique detail for reliable registration, additional overlapping positions can be used to create a substantially larger master.
Is this the same as scanning artwork?
Not exactly. YRK Labs uses a contactless camera-based reproduction system rather than a conventional flatbed scanner. The artwork is captured under controlled lighting, and larger or more demanding works can be recorded across multiple overlapping positions using our motorized XY platform.
Can your system exceed a single 150MP artwork capture?
Yes, when multi-frame capture is appropriate. A single-shot 150MP workflow is limited to the pixels contained in one exposure. Our XY workflow can distribute multiple high-resolution captures across the artwork, creating a master with substantially greater pixel dimensions and spatial sampling.
Is multi-frame capture always used?
No. Very minimal artwork, large uniform colour fields or repetitive low-detail areas can provide fewer reliable registration features. In those situations we use the capture pattern that protects geometry and image integrity rather than maximizing file size for its own sake.
Does more megapixels automatically mean a better reproduction?
No. Resolution is one component. Focus, optical performance, lighting uniformity, colour management, geometry, glare control, processing and file preparation all matter. Our workflow is designed to combine high spatial sampling with controlled, artwork-specific capture.
Can you digitize textured or varnished paintings?
Yes. Capture is contactless and lighting can be tailored to the surface. Cross-polarization can minimize glare for colour-focused reproduction, while directional or raking illumination can preserve or emphasize surface relief when texture is part of the intended appearance.
Can you digitize large paintings?
Yes. Large artwork is one of the reasons the XY system exists. Rather than forcing an increasingly large original into one fixed-resolution frame, the work can be captured in overlapping sections when its detail supports reliable stitching.
Can the files be used for fine-art printing?
Yes. Masters can be prepared specifically for archival pigment printing, edition printing, publishing and other reproduction uses. YRK Labs also provides fine-art printing in-house, allowing capture, proofing and print production to be coordinated as one colour-managed workflow.
Vancouver & Metro Vancouver
Artwork digitization for artists who need more than a reference photo.
YRK Labs provides high-resolution artwork digitization and fine-art reproduction capture for artists, photographers, galleries and creative professionals throughout Vancouver and Metro Vancouver.
Send us the dimensions, medium, surface characteristics and intended use of the work. We will recommend a capture approach based on the actual artwork rather than forcing every piece through the same preset.
Discuss an artwork digitization project