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?
Need advice for choosing printing paper
- Thread starter JoelKlein
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For example,
This picture, would it be better presented on a metal vs. paper?
This picture, would it be better presented on a metal vs. paper?
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This was printed with Torchon paper, which they claim is their highest quality paper. But it has a slightly bumpy texture to it.
For the leaves its nice, but the bare sky I’m not so sure.
Close up picture with my iPhone
For the leaves its nice, but the bare sky I’m not so sure.
Close up picture with my iPhone
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Will this image appear nicer on metal? If so, which glossy option?
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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.
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.
On the photo above, with the sun backlid, which paper would you choose?
Joel,
I'm probably not the "expert" you are seeking but I will offer my thoughts and please take it as just that: "my thoughts on the topic.:
I have several prints paper, canvas, metal around the house. Each has their place. Canvas is lower resolution but does offer an interesting change of pace. For Paper, I have used both luster and high gloss. I tend to like luster better and that is my choice the overwhelming majority of the time when I'm printing my own at home. Gloss presents some issues regarding glare and where to hang them in the home.
Metal is a different animal. KI have a number of wildflower photos in metal and it lends itself very well to that kind of photography. Colors are usually pretty saturated and the way the print is lai on the aluminum rectangle (or square if that's what you want) gives a depth to the photo that is unique to that medium. I don't think either of your sunset photos would benefit greatly from metal. I also think metal prints look best mounted directly to the wall (well with the mounting from most of the printers that stands them abut an inch out from the wall). I don't think they would look good matted and framed. Similarly, paper prints, to me at least, look better when a complimentary color mat is applied and they are featured in an appropriate frame for the scene.
I have no personal experience with prints on acrylic.
Also, part of this depends on the size of your prints. I typically print no larger than 16X20 mainly due to the size of my wall space.
Specific questions you asked:
Image 1 - may benefit from metal depending on where you want to hang it and how big. I would just watch out for the greens as they are already pretty saturated in the image and a deeper saturation with the metal may make it look odd.
Image 2 - if you're looking for a painterly look, what you have or perhaps canvas. Just not sure what look you're after here.
Image 3 - I would probably do that on a luster or gloss paper depending on size.
Of course, this is art and what I like may be terribly off-setting to you and same the other way around. Bottom line, it's what do you want to look at on your wall for some length of time until you rotate it out for something else.
Hope this helps
Jeff
I'm probably not the "expert" you are seeking but I will offer my thoughts and please take it as just that: "my thoughts on the topic.:
I have several prints paper, canvas, metal around the house. Each has their place. Canvas is lower resolution but does offer an interesting change of pace. For Paper, I have used both luster and high gloss. I tend to like luster better and that is my choice the overwhelming majority of the time when I'm printing my own at home. Gloss presents some issues regarding glare and where to hang them in the home.
Metal is a different animal. KI have a number of wildflower photos in metal and it lends itself very well to that kind of photography. Colors are usually pretty saturated and the way the print is lai on the aluminum rectangle (or square if that's what you want) gives a depth to the photo that is unique to that medium. I don't think either of your sunset photos would benefit greatly from metal. I also think metal prints look best mounted directly to the wall (well with the mounting from most of the printers that stands them abut an inch out from the wall). I don't think they would look good matted and framed. Similarly, paper prints, to me at least, look better when a complimentary color mat is applied and they are featured in an appropriate frame for the scene.
I have no personal experience with prints on acrylic.
Also, part of this depends on the size of your prints. I typically print no larger than 16X20 mainly due to the size of my wall space.
Specific questions you asked:
Image 1 - may benefit from metal depending on where you want to hang it and how big. I would just watch out for the greens as they are already pretty saturated in the image and a deeper saturation with the metal may make it look odd.
Image 2 - if you're looking for a painterly look, what you have or perhaps canvas. Just not sure what look you're after here.
Image 3 - I would probably do that on a luster or gloss paper depending on size.
Of course, this is art and what I like may be terribly off-setting to you and same the other way around. Bottom line, it's what do you want to look at on your wall for some length of time until you rotate it out for something else.
Hope this helps
Jeff
People have different approaches (and I am basing this partly on replies to a similar topic a while back). Some people, like the person above, like to mix print types to fit the image. So something with a soft, pastel like feel might be printed on canvas or watercolor paper, something that is an average scene might be printed on resin coated paper (more like traditional developed photo paper), and something with high saturation might be printed on metal or acrylic.
MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE is to have a consistent look throughout my home. Therefore I do everything on a lustre fine art inkjet paper that looks the same as traditional developed photo paper. I then mount it on gatorfoam (your lab can do this) and frame it typically in a thin metal frame (though I have one very large panorama in my bedroom that has a slightly wider wood frame). I do not put glass or acrylic over the print since I do not want the added weight or glare.
The way I do it is very lightweight - big prints I can hang with a screw or two in the wall and small prints (11x14 or 16x20) I can hang by just using a push pin in the drywall. Prints on acrylic - which do have a dramatic look - will be quite heavy and require anchor bolts in the wall. Metal will be somewhere in between. I think one reason metal is popular now is that you do not need a frame - it comes with a backing that is ready to hang and does not cover up the edge of the photo.
Here is a photo of my living room that I had on my computer just to give an idea of how my presentation looks. The large photo in center (Notre Dame Paris) is 40x60 inches.
MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE is to have a consistent look throughout my home. Therefore I do everything on a lustre fine art inkjet paper that looks the same as traditional developed photo paper. I then mount it on gatorfoam (your lab can do this) and frame it typically in a thin metal frame (though I have one very large panorama in my bedroom that has a slightly wider wood frame). I do not put glass or acrylic over the print since I do not want the added weight or glare.
The way I do it is very lightweight - big prints I can hang with a screw or two in the wall and small prints (11x14 or 16x20) I can hang by just using a push pin in the drywall. Prints on acrylic - which do have a dramatic look - will be quite heavy and require anchor bolts in the wall. Metal will be somewhere in between. I think one reason metal is popular now is that you do not need a frame - it comes with a backing that is ready to hang and does not cover up the edge of the photo.
Here is a photo of my living room that I had on my computer just to give an idea of how my presentation looks. The large photo in center (Notre Dame Paris) is 40x60 inches.
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Thank you Jeff.
Good information.
Good information.
No one but you can make that decision. We don't know what "look" you like - and what you don't like. We don't know where and in what lighting it will be hung. etc.
I also use Bay Photo for both images printed on Premium Lustre paper and also for images printed on metal. You should choose the surface based on the texture - or lack of - you want the print to have. Also consider whether or not you will have a lot of reflections if you choose a shiny surface like metal.
I second the advice to take a sample image and get it printed on several types of paper and also on metal. Then you will be in a position to make your own decisions in the future.
I have never had a problem with reflections off metal prints because where I hang them and the lighting involved. The image of Yellowstone (bottom left), the center image of Texas St Capitol, and the hummingbird images are printed on metal. The other images are printed on Premium Lustre paper with museum quality glass.
I also use Bay Photo for both images printed on Premium Lustre paper and also for images printed on metal. You should choose the surface based on the texture - or lack of - you want the print to have. Also consider whether or not you will have a lot of reflections if you choose a shiny surface like metal.
I second the advice to take a sample image and get it printed on several types of paper and also on metal. Then you will be in a position to make your own decisions in the future.
I have never had a problem with reflections off metal prints because where I hang them and the lighting involved. The image of Yellowstone (bottom left), the center image of Texas St Capitol, and the hummingbird images are printed on metal. The other images are printed on Premium Lustre paper with museum quality glass.
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?
I hate glass flaming because it ruins the pictures. Does Museum quality class have specific features do it?
I’ve been using Red River Paper. I did a print run yesterday
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Love it!
How do you hang them?
Framed and mat
Super $$$
Even with good inks, prints will fade....especially when exposed to either sunlight or especially incandescent light. Museum quality glass
Museum glass is AR coated to cut down on reflections
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.
Chag same'ach.
I do not have paper prints done by my pro lab McKenna Pro only use my Canon Pro 100 and canon paper, pro luster, pro platinum, semi gloss, matte most common.
When I say I have most of my prints on metal they are printed on aluminum not paper. The ink goes into the aluminum and and they have a variety of finishes to choose form. And the finish accomplishes what museum quality glass does for paper and you can literally clean it with soap and water if you wanted.
When I say I have most of my prints on metal they are printed on aluminum not paper. The ink goes into the aluminum and and they have a variety of finishes to choose form. And the finish accomplishes what museum quality glass does for paper and you can literally clean it with soap and water if you wanted.
Finish is one consideration
Gloss - saturated colors, best detail, glare and reflections unless displayed in controlled light under glass, shows fingerprints
Luster - Less clear color separation, slightly less detail, less glare and reflection than gloss, more resistant to handling
Satin or semi gloss - in between gloss and luster in all properties. Try different brands. There is a range of surface texture from gloss to very textured.
Next consider color and brightness. A slight yellow shade will give your images more warmth white a bright white will look more crisp in the white areas. Some papers use optical brighteners to get a brighter, blue-white shade. These may cause more rapid fading.
There are specialty papers that look a little like metal prints, fine art papers with high cotton content have unique textures.
I cannot begin to guess what the OP would prefer but there are certainly a lot of different looks to evaluate.
Gloss - saturated colors, best detail, glare and reflections unless displayed in controlled light under glass, shows fingerprints
Luster - Less clear color separation, slightly less detail, less glare and reflection than gloss, more resistant to handling
Satin or semi gloss - in between gloss and luster in all properties. Try different brands. There is a range of surface texture from gloss to very textured.
Next consider color and brightness. A slight yellow shade will give your images more warmth white a bright white will look more crisp in the white areas. Some papers use optical brighteners to get a brighter, blue-white shade. These may cause more rapid fading.
There are specialty papers that look a little like metal prints, fine art papers with high cotton content have unique textures.
I cannot begin to guess what the OP would prefer but there are certainly a lot of different looks to evaluate.
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.
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.
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.
Jeff
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.
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.
For what it's worth, I don't normally use museum glass or museum acrylic in my home gallery. I have a display area with proper lighting from above and no windows that create reflections. High quality acrylic or polystyrene are economical alternatives. And I stopped using glass many years ago unless there is a good reason.
Joel, try to find a local camera club that is PSA affiliated and reach out to them. Many local clubs have print competitions, and thus have members who are quite accomplished as photo printers. If you can meet with them and show them your photos, they might be willing to give you their advice on what paper might be best to print the photo. They might also advise what further processing might be done to enhance the photo for optimum printing.
Here is a link to one of my favorite papers from Red River Papers: Palo Duro Softgloss Rag. While it is a textured inkjet photo paper, it is IMO, very nice for a wide variety of photo subjects. It is available as 8.5 x 11 samples so you can try it with your photos.
And as far as texture is concerned, if you are viewing the photo from so close that the texture bothers you, take a step or two, or three, away and take another look at the photo to see if the change makes a positive difference in your perception.
Good luck!
Here is a link to one of my favorite papers from Red River Papers: Palo Duro Softgloss Rag. While it is a textured inkjet photo paper, it is IMO, very nice for a wide variety of photo subjects. It is available as 8.5 x 11 samples so you can try it with your photos.
And as far as texture is concerned, if you are viewing the photo from so close that the texture bothers you, take a step or two, or three, away and take another look at the photo to see if the change makes a positive difference in your perception.
Good luck!
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