There’s been a lot of brewing excitement happening in the art world nowadays. And it has something to do with NFTs or Non-Fungible Tokens. There’s a surge of public awareness regarding digital artworks being sold in public blockchains like Ethereum. Some would say this would be the evolution of fine art collection, especially with digital art.
So, how would this work? Can you only keep the artwork on the internet, or could you print it?
What Is An NFT?
Before you can print NFTs, you must know what NFT is first. As you all know, NFT or non-fungible token is the record on the blockchain that stores the information about that digital file, who created it, who linked it to the blockchain, who bought it, and who has owned it throughout its history. Essentially, it’s a public digital ledger that records transactions on the decentralised web. The changes are made public, so there’s a need for so many computers working on validating them all at once. This makes it difficult to hack the system.
But what is an NFT artwork? NFT is a unique token that could take many forms as long as it’s digital. One form of NFT is artwork, but it could be music, video clips, GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format, an image file), or even the first tweet of Jack Dorsey, the Twitter CEO. NFTs permit you to purchase or sell the ownership of a specific digital item, and the transaction will be recorded in the blockchain.
How Could You Own An NFT Artwork?
If you want to purchase an NFT, whatever form it takes, you should first need to have a digital wallet. Essentially, a digital wallet is a set of digital passwords or ‘private keys’ that will connect you to the blockchain.
You can display your purchased collection on NFT marketplaces like Rarible or Opensea. You can view this as long as your devices have screens, whether from a phone or computer. Some companies started to feature digital frames and displays to display the collection of artworks. This novel versatility of NFTs attracts many potential collectors.
While NFT artworks are initially displayed on the screen, they don’t need to stay as pixels. Some collectors want to take their collection of NFT artworks into the physical world by turning to fine art printing.
How Could You Print An NFT Art?
Due to the increasing popularity of NFTs, some printing companies offer services that transform digital artwork into a physical one. They built software to expand their services to the NFT community. Now, anyone who owns an NFT can have their collection of artworks converted into physical products.
Steps:
1) If you have an image-based NFT on the Ethereum blockchain, you can copy and paste the wallet address of your NFTs to their webpage.
2) The company will retrieve the NFT artwork from your wallet. Some offer services like generating a three-dimensional, photorealistic replica of your purchased artwork.
3) The company will manufacture it and ship the product depending on your location. Some companies can send the physical copy within three to four business days. They also offer a range of physical products that vary from canvas prints, tote bags, t-shirts, and even puzzles.
What Are The Benefits Of Printing NFT Artworks?
- You can customise it. Once you’ve printed your purchased NFT art, you can frame it in your style. Some printing companies offer hundreds of profiles and match combinations you can choose from.
- You can use it as a decoration. Now that you have a physical form of your NFT, you can use it however you want because it’s not just sitting there on the internet.
- You can sell it quickly. If you intend to resell your collection of NFT artworks, printing them will expose them to more potential buyers. Of course, they can still view it on the internet, which is more accessible. Having it printed can be your second option to market it.
Final Thoughts
NFTs might be the evolution that changes different artists’ lives for the better. Now, they have an option to connect their digital works, even the physical ones, to the blockchain, which will make it almost impossible to pirate or steal from them. This offers many creators more control over their art and has tremendous potential for their careers.
You can support your favourite artists by purchasing their art in marketplaces as a buyer. It’s also up to you if you want to store it in the blockchain or have it printed to obtain a physical copy of your collection.
