Foto Riesel store co-owner Elizabeth Alderson showcasing one of the prints at the store opening.

Stuck for a unique Christmas gift idea? Want something personal and creative - yet easy and quick to make? The “digital darkroom” is a new concept photo-printing store created by Canon Australia and imaging specialist store Foto Riesel - and possible answer to any last minute Christmas shopping needs. 

The new store, located on Kent St in Sydney’s CBD, is the first of its kind in Australia and enables coyou to print their your photos as well as world famous artworks on high quality photo paper, canvas or even silk in almost any size imaginable. The new service provides personalised artworks stretched onto canvas or professionally framed and delivered ready for display. 

Print how you want, on what you want
The new store is a one stop shop for a range of printing needs and enables the customer to print from a range of Canon printers from the portable Selphy printer all the way up to the professional wide format printer, which prints large artworks onto canvas or silk. There is the choice of printing personal pictures of family, travel photos, weddings, pets and kids for personal use or as a beautiful and unique gift for a loved one. 

Bringing art to everyone

Canon marketing manager Darren Ryan with the Art on Demand kiosk- look out for these in a Camera House store or art gallery near you!

Another Australian first available only at the new Foto Riesel store is the Art on Demand service. This new-to-Australia service allows anyone to own a certified copyrighted reproduction of the world’s most famous artworks for a fraction of the price and in perfect quality. 

The system works with a kiosk in-store, where for example the customer can choose to print the Mona Lisa or a vivid Monet onto canvas, paper or even thin silk in any size up to 1.1 x 12 metres. Royalties are paid to the artists via the worldwide Art on Demand artist network - so it’s the only way you can own a certified copy that could only previously be viewed in a gallery. 

How much?

One of the artworks printed at the store opening.

It might be expected that professional quality printing on canvas and silk costs an arm and a leg but a Monet can be picked up for less than $200 - and I’m not talking about something that looks fake - it’s a certified reproduction (the buyer receives a certificate to prove it) and it’s hard to tell the image was printed - from personally looking at and touching the artwork, it looks like the pictures were painted by hand. Prices range from as little as $50, depending on the size of the print and the stock (canvas, silk, paper) used. 

All artworks have an 80-year life and are resistant to scratching and discolouration thanks to Canon’s UV pigmented ink cartridges. 

Future expansion
At the moment, there is only one Art on Demand kiosk in the Foto Riesel store in Australia - the address is 360 Kent St, Sydney - but plans are to take the concept nation wide. Canon want to expand to up to 300 kiosks in Camera House stores across Australia and New Zealand. There are also plans to eventually make the Art on Demand and personal printing service available online.