Prints

As you may or may not know, I have a showing of my work in the MassLive Building in Downtown Springfield coming up and I have recently have had a lot of images printed on different types of media.

When trying to decide what to print on or what type of print to purchase, take into consideration where the finished product is going to go. Canvas doesn't reflect much light but framed prints, acrylic, glass and some metal prints will. The reflection might hinder your ability to see the image clearly and enjoy the piece.

When I first started out, I had my images printed on photo paper and canvas and than branched out to acrylic, glass and metal. Different types of media lend themselves to different types of images.

First the photo paper. I use this for smaller prints and matted prints such as 5 X 7, 8 X 10 or even 11 X 14 although I do have some prints as large as 16 X 20 but they are also mounted on something called Gatorboard. (Gatorboard is a type of backing similar to foam core but more dense and rigid) The photo paper in my opinion is good for framed artwork and mounted prints.

Canvas, adds a slight texture to the image and not all photos look great on canvas. I have some as small as 8 X 10 but the canvas lends itself to larger pieces. I did an image from the Florida Keys on a 30 X 40 canvas and it looks fantastic. If you have an area where there is direct light that seems to reflect off of a framed image, a canvas print might be the ticket as there is not much light that bounces off the canvas.

The acrylic adds depth to the image and you need to really choose the right image for acrylic. This media can be expensive as well. It holds up well as the image is actually printed on the backside of the acrylic so it is  also protected with the acrylic. Bright light might reflect off of the acrylic and make the image hard to see but it is a great media for the right photo.

Glass looks very similar to the acrylic. The image is printed on a backing which is than adhered to the back side of the glass. This look also adds depth and a lot of gloss with an almost 3D look to it. Glass can get fairly expensive as well but also can look wonderful.

Metal prints are now my favorite. I now use White House Custom Color for all my metal prints. I have a few printed from other companies but the WHCC metal prints are by far my favorite. They start off with printing a white background on the metal and than print the image over the background. The result is nothing short of gorgeous. The light bounces off the white background and lights up the colors in the image and if the image is in sunlight, it will change with the moving sun. It has a lot of depth to it and I absolutely love their work. When I opened up my first one I told my wife I didn't want to print on anything else.

I use quality photo labs such as White House Custom Color, Nations Photo Lab and AdoramaPix. Even your paper prints will look and last better from a good quality photo lab.

So when you are looking to put some art on your wall, really think about where it will hang and what look you are going for so you can thoroughly enjoy your piece for years to come.

Thanks for reading and see you next week,

E

Kappy's Keepers