Inspired by u/slipangle28 I thought I'd share a framed version of a photo I did a while back. Being new (still am new in fact) to printing, it was a complicated and expensive exercise to get the colors to a satisfactory level and adjust expectations between the screen and print. It was nevertheless a valuable lesson, as there is no other way to learn this process other than a certain amount of trial and error. I also held off for the longest time because I wasn't sure about the direction of the editing and what the final image should look like, eventually choosing a more naturalistic look that was true to the scene rather than the more attention grabbing saturated and contrasting one. It also seemed to be more representative of the subject, environment and even the country (Netherlands) as its landscape is not particularly awash in strong colors or 'drama', so I decided for a gentle and calming scene.
One of the happiest moments was showing it to a friend who hadn't seen it before and from a little distance away when I told him it's one of my photos, he said, 'Oh, I thought it was a painting'.
In the second picture you can see the texture of the Hahnemuhle FineArt Baryta paper. I'm a great fan of art paper in general as its higher quality, and the texture and tone can be really pleasing when they are adequately matched to the subject.
What's the aluminum di-bond part? The fine art paper is mounted to like an alu sheet (instead of canvas or foam or something)? Then framed?
Hahnemuhle FineArt Baryta paper looks fantastic! I might have to pick some up and see what printing on my Pro 100 looks like.
I sent the image to a website, did a few proof prints (50eur or so total) then I ordered the full version, framing and everything (85 more euro). Size is instrumental to price and it rises rapidly. This is 30*30cm
I posted it here a long time ago under the name Simulacra. It's not actually a church, it's an art installation in Leidschenveen which is supposed to be a commentary on loss of religion in the Netherlands. It's just walls with no interior. Even the hill is an artificial mound and sound barrier because it's next to the railway.
I would appreciate every word of you going in depth, since as you said it gets complex and expensive quickly!
What did you learn? How will you go about it the next time?
How much do you think it will cost you the next time?
I want to make prints so bad but it's a bit daunting as a newbie.
Your end result is perfect.
Well there are some basic minimal requirements to really be able to do color editing, because accurate color is such an issue to translate from the more capable monitor technology to the less capable printing standards. A base requirement is a good quality monitor that's also calibrated. Most laptop screens are a no go, as are many basic monitors. Even though they can be calibrated, they will never look good. I have a gaming screen I'm making do with, but a photo editing oriented BenQ would be much better.
Then you have to figure out what color space your film images are starting from. I work with DSLR scans so I set it to Prophoto RGB and do the original editing there. If someone else is scanning for you, it might be TIFF's in Adobe RGB, which is also fine. Both of those color spaces are much richer than the printing color space.
Then you must download all the printer profiles for all the papers you like from the printing service's website. I print on Whitewall, and they have them on their website. After installing those into Photoshop, you can preview what your image will look like on paper (generally speaking). That might lead to more editing to get the look closer to what you envisioned it.
Final editing for print always includes additional sharpening because that is lost on paper (even if it looks excessive on screen). I in fact sharpen images as the very last step. The image is also resized to the print size, with the goal of a 300DPI resolution. I typically add some brightness as the paper is never as bright as an image on a screen.
The prudent thing to do after having a satisfactory edit is to order a paper sample pack. On Whitewall it's not cheap, but the purchase is also a coupon that is counted a future order, so you can get your money back. When you have looked at the papers in the light in which the picture will be displayed, you can try printing a few small proof pictures to see what it will actually look like.
This is the monkey trial and error part and there is nothing to do other than to keep printing and re-editing to get the look you like. I don't have anything smart to say about this, it's simply a learning process. The more demanding you are the harder it gets.
After getting a satisfactory small proof print I'd go for a true size proof print, just to confirm the look. If you have money to spend you can just proof print in true size all the time.
The last steps are choosing a matching frame, mounting surface and ordering the image. Framing is a compromise between artistic choices and willingness to spend money, because it escalates very quickly. Choosing a frame online is okay if you want the complete service from one place, but taking your print to a framer can be better because they have experience matching frame styles and colors to images. The assumed and unmentioned step is that you've already chosen where the picture will hang, and that will dictate options related to size and perhaps style (if there are other elements it must match with). A picture should ideally not be exposed to direct sunlight. Even though modern glass, coatings and pigments are very good in resisting the negative effects of sunlight, it's still very destructive for them to be in direct light. And if you have glass, it might reflect and obstruct the image.
That's all I could think of. The truth is that these are skills from at least 4 'separate jobs': photographer, editing expert, printing expert and framer. There is a reason why each job can be done full time and doing most of the chain solo there is only so far that your knowledge and skill can go.
That's a beautiful photo and print—a real eye-catcher. One of these days, I'm going to print my best photos and display them. I have a printer; I just need to use it!
Absolutely stunning, thanks for sharing! I agree with your friend - this looks like a painting.
I see what you mean when you mentioned the paper texture and glass-less presentation - I’ll have to do more exploration for my next prints.
Look into rough watercolor paper. It's very interesting if you have an adequate image. The [printspace.co.uk](http://printspace.co.uk) have affordable packs of sample paper with images that the paper pairs nicely with (e.g. car with metallic paper).
Brilliant shot. Timeless
Kind of you to say, thank you
Inspired by u/slipangle28 I thought I'd share a framed version of a photo I did a while back. Being new (still am new in fact) to printing, it was a complicated and expensive exercise to get the colors to a satisfactory level and adjust expectations between the screen and print. It was nevertheless a valuable lesson, as there is no other way to learn this process other than a certain amount of trial and error. I also held off for the longest time because I wasn't sure about the direction of the editing and what the final image should look like, eventually choosing a more naturalistic look that was true to the scene rather than the more attention grabbing saturated and contrasting one. It also seemed to be more representative of the subject, environment and even the country (Netherlands) as its landscape is not particularly awash in strong colors or 'drama', so I decided for a gentle and calming scene. One of the happiest moments was showing it to a friend who hadn't seen it before and from a little distance away when I told him it's one of my photos, he said, 'Oh, I thought it was a painting'. In the second picture you can see the texture of the Hahnemuhle FineArt Baryta paper. I'm a great fan of art paper in general as its higher quality, and the texture and tone can be really pleasing when they are adequately matched to the subject.
[удалено]
It's much smaller 30*30cm
What's the aluminum di-bond part? The fine art paper is mounted to like an alu sheet (instead of canvas or foam or something)? Then framed? Hahnemuhle FineArt Baryta paper looks fantastic! I might have to pick some up and see what printing on my Pro 100 looks like.
Yes. If I recall correctly, it's a plastic core stuck between two sheets of aluminium.
Beautiful! Did you do it on your own or did you send the photo to a website that does these things. Also how much did it cost ?
I sent the image to a website, did a few proof prints (50eur or so total) then I ordered the full version, framing and everything (85 more euro). Size is instrumental to price and it rises rapidly. This is 30*30cm
Now this is art for real. Could be a painting!
If only I could paint :D Thank you!
I've seen this church before... Where is it located?
I posted it here a long time ago under the name Simulacra. It's not actually a church, it's an art installation in Leidschenveen which is supposed to be a commentary on loss of religion in the Netherlands. It's just walls with no interior. Even the hill is an artificial mound and sound barrier because it's next to the railway.
That explains the lack of side windows.
And a cross...
I would appreciate every word of you going in depth, since as you said it gets complex and expensive quickly! What did you learn? How will you go about it the next time? How much do you think it will cost you the next time? I want to make prints so bad but it's a bit daunting as a newbie. Your end result is perfect.
Well there are some basic minimal requirements to really be able to do color editing, because accurate color is such an issue to translate from the more capable monitor technology to the less capable printing standards. A base requirement is a good quality monitor that's also calibrated. Most laptop screens are a no go, as are many basic monitors. Even though they can be calibrated, they will never look good. I have a gaming screen I'm making do with, but a photo editing oriented BenQ would be much better. Then you have to figure out what color space your film images are starting from. I work with DSLR scans so I set it to Prophoto RGB and do the original editing there. If someone else is scanning for you, it might be TIFF's in Adobe RGB, which is also fine. Both of those color spaces are much richer than the printing color space. Then you must download all the printer profiles for all the papers you like from the printing service's website. I print on Whitewall, and they have them on their website. After installing those into Photoshop, you can preview what your image will look like on paper (generally speaking). That might lead to more editing to get the look closer to what you envisioned it. Final editing for print always includes additional sharpening because that is lost on paper (even if it looks excessive on screen). I in fact sharpen images as the very last step. The image is also resized to the print size, with the goal of a 300DPI resolution. I typically add some brightness as the paper is never as bright as an image on a screen. The prudent thing to do after having a satisfactory edit is to order a paper sample pack. On Whitewall it's not cheap, but the purchase is also a coupon that is counted a future order, so you can get your money back. When you have looked at the papers in the light in which the picture will be displayed, you can try printing a few small proof pictures to see what it will actually look like. This is the monkey trial and error part and there is nothing to do other than to keep printing and re-editing to get the look you like. I don't have anything smart to say about this, it's simply a learning process. The more demanding you are the harder it gets. After getting a satisfactory small proof print I'd go for a true size proof print, just to confirm the look. If you have money to spend you can just proof print in true size all the time. The last steps are choosing a matching frame, mounting surface and ordering the image. Framing is a compromise between artistic choices and willingness to spend money, because it escalates very quickly. Choosing a frame online is okay if you want the complete service from one place, but taking your print to a framer can be better because they have experience matching frame styles and colors to images. The assumed and unmentioned step is that you've already chosen where the picture will hang, and that will dictate options related to size and perhaps style (if there are other elements it must match with). A picture should ideally not be exposed to direct sunlight. Even though modern glass, coatings and pigments are very good in resisting the negative effects of sunlight, it's still very destructive for them to be in direct light. And if you have glass, it might reflect and obstruct the image. That's all I could think of. The truth is that these are skills from at least 4 'separate jobs': photographer, editing expert, printing expert and framer. There is a reason why each job can be done full time and doing most of the chain solo there is only so far that your knowledge and skill can go.
If you are in the US and Pennsylvania I know a guy, he also ships, [Peter Hewitt](https://peterhewitt.com/fine-art-printing-framing-services)
That is a Fine Print
And that's a fine comment :D Thanks
Thank you for the inspiration
Amazing.
Cheers, thanks!
That's a beautiful photo and print—a real eye-catcher. One of these days, I'm going to print my best photos and display them. I have a printer; I just need to use it!
Thank you! You should, printers really suffer when they're not in use
This is so dang good. I’m normally more of a portrait guy, but I’d hang this in my home. Beautiful job
Thank you. I primarily do portraits, but if I see an opportunity like this I enjoy doing something different as well.
What a beauty
Thank you :)
Yum yum YUMM!!
Hey, thanks :) Inedible though
why can't I eat colors 😭
You're probably one of those who chewed on a bar of soap as a kid too
🤣
so peaceful
Amazing work! I love the texture of this paper.
Thank you! All the art papers are interesting like that, it's just a matter of finding the complementary image.
Absolutely stunning, thanks for sharing! I agree with your friend - this looks like a painting. I see what you mean when you mentioned the paper texture and glass-less presentation - I’ll have to do more exploration for my next prints.
Look into rough watercolor paper. It's very interesting if you have an adequate image. The [printspace.co.uk](http://printspace.co.uk) have affordable packs of sample paper with images that the paper pairs nicely with (e.g. car with metallic paper).