High Quality Prints

[UofRichmondRover]

Quick question, I'm looking for some advice on getting a print made. Curious as to what the best and most cost effective way is. I've found the file online in the Archival Research Catalog of the national archive. Civil war era, black and white and 1400x1100 pixels. Is this enough for fairly large print worthy of framing?

Thanks guys

 

[Tucson T4R]

Check this option out. If it's for a wall hanger, it's beautiful and suposed to be very durable long term.


http://www.bayphoto.com/bayweb/pro_metalprints.htm

 

[Michael Slade]

Wow, those metal prints are interesting. I wonder how they make them. I'm tempted to send them a file and get 4x6's made of the three different finishes. Thanks for the link!

 

[Lost Canadian]

I've printed shots with Kodak's Pro Endura Metallic paper, I betting it's the same paper bayphoto is using. The paper works for some shots but not all. It doesn't work great with skin tones, but with certain colour shots it adds a lot of pop. I bet it would work great with monochrome shots as well. The paper itself is pearlescent which gives it its metalic look.

I had a whole series of fall shots like this below printed on the paper and they turned out really nice, punchy, but quite nice.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

Have a good friend who just had his whole gallery series printed on this metal type of printing process. It looks expensive, but from what I've heard from those who attended, it's like watching a movie on a Beta recorder compared to a Blu Ray recorder.

I'll admit I havent seen it myself, but I have a few friends who went to the gallery opening who were all talking about how amazing the prints looked. I'm saving up to get a few done myself.

His reasoning was the opening was in a public place where the images are going to stay on display, and this type of printing is supposed to be able to be cleaned right on the metal surface with any type of window cleaning process:Wow1:

 

[Tucson T4R]

What caught my eye on the metal prints was going to friend's showing of his landscape prints at a local gallery. They were mind blowingly beautiful.

I have and image of Antelope Canyon being printed in their 4X6 finish samples now and should get them next week. If they turn out anything like I saw before I plan to order few larger wall hangers in thin metal. :elkgrin:

 

[Tucson T4R]

I've printed shots with Kodak's Pro Endura Metallic paper, I betting it's the same paper bayphoto is using. The paper works for some shots but not all. It doesn't work great with skin tones, but with certain colour shots it adds a lot of pop. I bet it would work great with monochrome shots as well. The paper itself is pearlescent which gives it its metalic look.

I had a whole series of fall shots like this below printed on the paper and they turned out really nice, punchy, but quite nice.

It's acually not a paper. It's an aluminium metal plate about 1/16" thick that the image is fused into the surface. Very cool process. :wings:

 

[photoman]

The metal prints are indeed quite nice. It is printed on a sheet of aluminum and has a backing plate for mounting so when hung the image hangs off the wall a good half inch to appear as if floating. I have printed three images so far on the metal and love them. I just wish I would have gone bigger. I printed two 16x20 and one 12x24- next to 16x20 prints matted and framed though they look small.

I'll take a couple pics in the next day or two and post them.

Here are a few from the show Brad was talking about though. My friend Dan.

 

[photoman]

Okay- I decided to just take some snapshots tonight

Backing of the image- aluminum, a foam spacer, and then another piece of aluminum for mounting

The images I had done-

12x24

16x20

16x20

The photos do not do these justice. Lighting makes a huge difference when displaying these. If you move them around under a light you can see how the image changes. Really good lighting will be necessary to show all the subtle details in the image.

 

[Lost Canadian]

It's acually not a paper. It's an aluminium metal plate about 1/16" thick that the image is fused into the surface. Very cool process. :wings:

Oh my bad, I just saw metal prints and assumed it was the metallic prints on paper. Wow that is super cool!!!

 

[john101477]

I use bayphoto as well. the aluminum prints are awesome. I also like the block prints done on 3/4 . My one problem with that was one of them got scratched really bad in transport. They seem more durable than they are but once they are on the wall it is all good.

 

[john101477]

Oh my bad, I just saw metal prints and assumed it was the metallic prints on paper. Wow that is super cool!!!

That silver metallic paper is really cool to. on mountain type images, black and whites, and night images they are great. As trevor said, not so great for skin tones. I would really like to try the metallic paper on inferred.

 

[Tucson T4R]

The metal prints are indeed quite nice. It is printed on a sheet of aluminum and has a backing plate for mounting so when hung the image hangs off the wall a good half inch to appear as if floating. I have printed three images so far on the metal and love them. I just wish I would have gone bigger. I printed two 16x20 and one 12x24- next to 16x20 prints matted and framed though they look small.

I'll take a couple pics in the next day or two and post them.

Here are a few from the show Brad was talking about though. My friend Dan.

That be the one. :elkgrin: Impressive work amplified by the thin metal print presentation. It helped motivate me to work on getting a few printable keeper images to hang on my own walls.

 

[nwoods]

Those are very cool. Not inexpensive, though you do save on frames I suppose...

Can be ordered through SmugMug. Direct cost is:
(just a small sample of available sizes)

- 8x10: $27
- 16x20: $74.50
- 24x36: $219.50
- 30x40: $284.50

 

[photoman]

Those are very cool. Not inexpensive, though you do save on frames I suppose...

Can be ordered through SmugMug. Direct cost is:
(just a small sample of available sizes)

- 8x10: $27
- 16x20: $74.50
- 24x36: $219.50
- 30x40: $284.50

If you factor in print cost, matte, and frame to do it yourself the price is very competitive.

If you compare these to mounted canvas, photoflot, or professional matte and frame- these are a great deal. I do have a great canvas printer out of California if anyone is looking to try canvas.