What size to print, what material to print on, and which print shop to use?

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James C.

James C.

Active member
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Recently, the owner of a coffee shop kindly offered to exhibit some of my bird photography on the walls of his shop. It is a small shop, and the walls he suggested I estimated to be about 20 feet apart. When you enter the shop, you walk down the center of the floor to the counter, and tables line the walls on either side of you.

I'm not sure of what size prints I should make for decent viewing whether a customer is walking through the shop, or sitting at the opposite wall.

I think 8x10 would be too small. I think 11x14 or 16x20 would be a better size regardless of whether the photo was of a raptor, a songbird, or waterfowl. What are your thoughts?

Also, should I have the photos printed on paper, poster board, canvas, or metal?

Finally, I've seen these print shops recommended:

mpix.com

whcc.com

cashmanphoto.com

maxartpro.com

printique.com

Bayphoto.com

canvaspop.com

nationsphotolab.com

artbeatstudio.com


What are your experiences with any of these print shops?

Thanks for your suggestions.
 
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I've used Bay Photo, WHCC, and Digital Silver Imaging with excellent results. Bay Photo has the most choices especially if you uses the ROES app, but the other two have their plusses too.

DSI for example is Hahnemuhle and Canson certified if fine art paper prints are what you are after. Framing then is it's own world. The simple black 'gallery' frame with a single white mat is a classic choice.

WHCC has fine art paper directly mounted to a 'standout' mount with bamboo sides for a lower cost way to get a fine art print on the wall. Limited size choices though.

Face mounted acrylic from Bay is super nice and ready to hang, as is the metal print and the museum wrapped canvas (especially the one that prints fine art directly on the canvas (vs peeling a print emulsion adhered to the canvas).

It's more the character of the print. The face mount acrylic for example has a satin or a glossy choice. Since you are not controlling the ambient light maybe satin is a better option. As to size the first decision is aspect ratio which should correspond to the nature of your subject. I try out crops of 3:2, 5:4, 4:3, 1:1 and pano of 2:1 and 3:1 and pick one that gives the best composition given the subject matter. These ratios are all available in any size up to wall size.
 
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Member's gallery
Canvas or metal would not requiring framing as would paper prints. Not sure I've heard of printing on poster board, and I don't think that would be a good option. Canvas and metal are expensive, but when you consider the cost of framing, not so much. If your goal is to sell the prints, investing a lot of money in making the prints is risky.
 
Member's gallery
James C. said:
Recently, the owner of a coffee shop kindly offered to exhibit some of my bird photography on the walls of his shop. It is a small shop, and the walls he suggested I estimated to be about 20 feet apart. When you enter the shop, you walk down the center of the floor to the counter, and tables line the walls on either side of you.

I'm not sure of what size prints I should make for decent viewing whether a customer is walking through the shop, or sitting at the opposite wall.

I think 8x10 would be too small. I think 11x14 or 16x20 would be a better size regardless of whether the photo was of a raptor, a songbird, or waterfowl. What are your thoughts?

Also, should I have the photos printed on paper, poster board, canvas, or metal?

Finally, I've seen these print shops recommended:

mpix.com

whcc.com

cashmanphoto.com

maxartpro.com

printique.com

Bayphoto.com

canvaspop.com

nationsphotolab.com

What are your experiences with any of these print shops?

Thanks for your suggestions.
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First of all, congratulations on your gallery opportunity! It's a great way to get some feedback on your portfolio. A number of the vendors you've listed are very good, and will produce first-class results. However, if at all possible, I'd suggest that you find a good printer in your area, then work with him/her. I've had the best results with my own prints by developing a good, working relationship with a local service. They often can advise you on appropriate sizes, offer an array of print options, and tweak the image for optimum print results. I've often gone to my local guy with a pretty good idea of what I wanted, only to have him point out some things I hadn't thought about, and change my mind. I've also had him reprint occasional images when I wasn't entirely pleased with the initial result, and he almost always is accommodating. A good printer also can advise on how to arrange gallery space for best results. Another good option is to pick the brain of an exhibitor at your local art gallery.

As to print media, it all depends in what you want, but my preferred method is to have the prints mounted on hard board or metal (I like board best), and to "float" the images on the wall by backing them with small blocks, so that they stand out a 1/2" or so from the wall. This creates a very nice visual effect by making the image "pop". I also like the edges of the mounted print/board slightly beveled, and colored black, so that the image is the only visual element. Not only is this method fairly simple and visually appealing, it often is more cost effective than printing the image and having it matted and framed, which can get pricey. For example, I recently had a 16"x20" image printed and board mounted for $70. Of course, it's all a matter of taste, and there are many methods and media that are equally attractive.

Best of luck, and let us know how it goes!
 
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Member's gallery
James C. said:
Recently, the owner of a coffee shop kindly offered to exhibit some of my bird photography on the walls of his shop. It is a small shop, and the walls he suggested I estimated to be about 20 feet apart. When you enter the shop, you walk down the center of the floor to the counter, and tables line the walls on either side of you.

I'm not sure of what size prints I should make for decent viewing whether a customer is walking through the shop, or sitting at the opposite wall.

I think 8x10 would be too small. I think 11x14 or 16x20 would be a better size regardless of whether the photo was of a raptor, a songbird, or waterfowl. What are your thoughts?

Also, should I have the photos printed on paper, poster board, canvas, or metal?

Finally, I've seen these print shops recommended:

mpix.com

whcc.com

cashmanphoto.com

maxartpro.com

printique.com

Bayphoto.com

canvaspop.com

nationsphotolab.com

What are your experiences with any of these print shops?

Thanks for your suggestions.
Click to expand...


Hi. I agree that 8 x 10 is too small. Someone I know puts his work in a coffee shop and he seems to fill the wall with various sizes, all metal prints. I have no idea if they sell but I think I'm seeing the same ones each time I go in. I think that today's consumer does like metal prints, sometimes more than paper-framed prints. I just got six images into a judged show and I had five of them done on metal prints: I use Bay Photo. I'll see how this goes. Metal color prints do "pop" more than paper prints. One BW image I printed. The metal are 12 x 18, I print in digital sizing. Each metal print cost me about $70, so maybe more than a frame and mat would cost but not that much more. I also display prints in a gallery so I'll simply put the metal prints in the gallery when the judged show closes and hopefully I'll sell one during the show and the others afterward in the gallery. I've only displayed a metal print one other time but I watch people walk through the gallery and they stop more often at the metal print displays. It can get costly, though, and, unlike paper-framed prints, you can't simply reuse the mat and frame. In the end, it's a personal choice based on your budget and objective. Bay Photo has always done a good job for me.
 
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The typical rule of thumb for ideal viewing distance is 1.5x - 2x the length if the diagonal of the picture. The resolution also needs to be considered so the eye sees the picture as smooth and not pixelated.
So even at 16x20” the viewing distance is between 39” and 52”. In the space you mention, and given that people will often take a step closer to have a better look, the 16x20” might be a good balance between view and cost.
 
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Member's gallery
bleirer said:
I use Bay photos version. They do a really nice job.
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Yet another vote for BayPhoto. I've been using them for a while and at this point am not even considering anyone else. Most of my photography friends also use BayPhoto. As mentioned earlier, if you use the app you have more options, and can save orders and redo orders as well as do "drop shipment" type orders. But you still can do a lot with the web interface if you don't want to use the app.
 
Member's gallery
James C. said:
Recently, the owner of a coffee shop kindly offered to exhibit some of my bird photography on the walls of his shop. It is a small shop, and the walls he suggested I estimated to be about 20 feet apart. When you enter the shop, you walk down the center of the floor to the counter, and tables line the walls on either side of you.

I'm not sure of what size prints I should make for decent viewing whether a customer is walking through the shop, or sitting at the opposite wall.

I think 8x10 would be too small. I think 11x14 or 16x20 would be a better size regardless of whether the photo was of a raptor, a songbird, or waterfowl. What are your thoughts?

Also, should I have the photos printed on paper, poster board, canvas, or metal?

Finally, I've seen these print shops recommended:

mpix.com

whcc.com

cashmanphoto.com

maxartpro.com

printique.com

Bayphoto.com

canvaspop.com

nationsphotolab.com

What are your experiences with any of these print shops?

Thanks for your suggestions.
Click to expand...
I have been using art beats studio for metal and some paper and they will frame pretty cheap. I have been happy with them. I think metal is 30% off right now.
 
Member's gallery
Hi! It seems to me that the 16x20 format would be the most correct solution for you. The optimal choice! In addition, I am almost sure that you should use the framing of your photos for a more clearly and structured picture. To do this, you can use a specialized website frameshop.com.au . It is with the help of it that you can make an excellent frame that will only emphasize the beauty of your creation. I hope you will heed my advice. Good luck!
 
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Member's gallery
Size matters, go big and bold. Always include an interesting B&W photo or two and remember some photos just look better in 8 x 10. I've used mpix.com for 20" x 30" wrapped canvas prints and am happy with them, but ... Almost all commercial photo printers are calibrated to the srgb color space, but our cameras can capture a wider color space, which means more colors that are more saturated. I ended up buying a Canon Pro-1000 12 color 17" x 22" photo printer, which is closeer to the wider and deeper Adobe RGB color space, set my camera to Adobe RGB and get beautiful color prints that are a step above commercial prints. Red River photo paper will cover the gamut of most any type of print. One downside it you are doing the framing (although you can take your prints to Michaels and have them frame for you). Just something to consider if you will be printing a lot of photos as large prints get expensive quickly.
 
Strodav said:
Size matters, go big and bold. Always include an interesting B&W photo or two and remember some photos just look better in 8 x 10. I've used mpix.com for 20" x 30" wrapped canvas prints and am happy with them, but ... Almost all commercial photo printers are calibrated to the srgb color space, but our cameras can capture a wider color space, which means more colors that are more saturated. I ended up buying a Canon Pro-1000 12 color 17" x 22" photo printer, which is closeer to the wider and deeper Adobe RGB color space, set my camera to Adobe RGB and get beautiful color prints that are a step above commercial prints. Red River photo paper will cover the gamut of most any type of print. One downside it you are doing the framing (although you can take your prints to Michaels and have them frame for you). Just something to consider if you will be printing a lot of photos as large prints get expensive quickly.
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I know Bay Photo, Whitehouse custom color, and digital silver imaging all accept Adobe rgb files. Bay wants jpeg but jpeg can be Adobe rgb.

Shooting raw, it makes no difference what color space the camera is set to, Raw doesn't have a color space since it is monochromatic until converted.
 
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bleirer said:
I know Bay Photo, Whitehouse custom color, and digital silver imaging all accept Adobe rgb files. Bay wants jpeg but jpeg can be Adobe rgb.

Shooting raw, it makes no difference what color space the camera is set to, Raw doesn't have a color space since it is monochromatic until converted.
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But you have to be careful. Sometimes PP software reads the nef file meta data and assigns the color space (and other settings) based on the settings in the camera even if shooting raw. LR has standard camera presets they apply. I ran into a problem with LR and how they preset sharpening and luminance / noise reduction for my Z9. PS has a default setting for color space if one is not provided. You have to be careful when printing. For some reason, some printing software changes the color space to srgb even if you have selected an Adobergb color profile for your printer It really is a maze with landmines and it's difficult to find easy to understand explanations. Adobes LR and PS "tutorials" on color spaces are gibberish. I ended up using a DataColor colorimeter in the Lab color space to figure out how to get my nef files to print in the Adobe rgb color space. I can't use the LR or PS print modules, but have to use the Canon Professional Print and Layout software to avoid LR and PS getting in the way.
 
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Another vote for ArtBeat Studios. I had the exact same 18"x36" photo printed in metal and acryllic there and loved them both. Choosing between the two was extremely difficult (almost impossible) but since metal was cheaper by a noticeable amount I know which version I'll be ordering in the future.
 
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