I do my fine art print at WHCC, they offer a variety of papers, and materials.
For a water scene, when to I choose paper, when is metal a better option?
For a water scene, when to I choose paper, when is metal a better option?
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On the photo above, with the sun backlid, which paper would you choose?It depends who you ask. When is metal a better option? My opinion is never, because it is not my cup of tea (and I am being as nice as I can by wording it this mildly). Glossy prints are also problematic IN MY OPINION because you cannot see them unless you stand at exactly the right angle - otherwise all you see is glare.
The best option is to order a paper sample kit and see what you like best. I use BayPhoto and they provide this but I am sure White House Color does as well.
I’ve been using Red River Paper. I did a print run yesterday .I do my fine art print at WHCC, they offer a variety of papers, and materials.
For a water scene, when to I choose paper, when is metal a better option?
Love it!
Framed and matLove it!
How do you hang them?
Super $$$I never heard of museum quality glass.
I hate glass flaming because it ruins the pictures. Does Museum quality class have specific features do it?
Even with good inks, prints will fade....especially when exposed to either sunlight or especially incandescent light. Museum quality glassI never heard of museum quality glass.
I hate glass flaming because it ruins the pictures. Does Museum quality class have specific features do it?
Museum glass is AR coated to cut down on reflectionsI never heard of museum quality glass.
I hate glass flaming because it ruins the pictures. Does Museum quality class have specific features do it?
There is also high-end acrylic instead of glass for larger photos where weight might be and issue. If you go to a frame company like Frame Destination, my favorite, once you pick the frame you have perhaps a dozen choices of glass and acrylic.I never heard of museum quality glass.
I hate glass flaming because it ruins the pictures. Does Museum quality class have specific features do it?
Yes, I've found this when printing my own as well. I always boost brightness a few percent when printing vs. viewing on my computer screen. Great tip, I completely forgot about that in my post above. Thanks for pointing it out.In general, a photo with crisp reflections and high contrasts such as your water scene look good with more reflective papers. That would include luster, gloss, and metallics. The image needs to be very sharp because the print will reveal any softness.
The other extreme are textured papers or canvas. The paper you showed above - a textured paper - would fit this. Epson Exhibition Fiber Cold Press papers also fall into this category. These papers are great for a softer look or painterly effect. That's why canvas is popular - the softer look and textured surface work well together.
At the end of the day, metallic papers often work well with water - especially with reflections. They also work well with reflections off glass, metal surfaces, or high contrast scenes. Sometimes color seems to get in the way of reflections and sometimes it enhances the image. I think when some of the colored area approaches white, it works, but evenly lit areas won't work as well with color.
I think your first image with calm water works better on a Luster or textured paper. There is a reflection, but it's of minor importance. I have a similar image of the Block Island North Lighthouse that works great on Cold Press Bright paper.
The second image - with the sunset coming through the moss - works well with metal, luster, or possibly glossy. It would also work with an acrylic. You have extreme bright areas and reflections on water that are important in the frame. I've seen this type scene printed on metallic paper several times and it works well.
With metallic paper, you can make a pretty good guess and try metallic vs. other surfaces. Just accept the reality that sometimes it won't work. One of the common editing flaws is making an image too dark. If your editing - or auto adjustment by the printer - makes your image dark, it's less likely to be effective as a metallic print.
Bill makes a good point. If you want to see detail - especially in shadows, a luster or velvet finely textured paper is usually better than something extremely glossy. Even the location where the photo is being displayed can make a big difference.The only bias I have is that glossy can eat shadows. Just because viewing a print involves the room light bouncing off the surface back to your eyes. If you have a lot of deep shadows, glossy will brighten them a bit, reducing the contrast between them and the higher values. It's all personal taste though. You are the artist, how you present is as personal as how much output sharpening you apply.