I spend much of my day talking with local artists and photographers and one thing that truly amazes me is how often the professionals forget the essentials needed for producing a good print. One of my regular clients is San Antonio’s largest commercial portrait studios while two others are well established high end wedding photographers. I see these people almost daily and almost daily I am later on the phone with them asking “are you sure you want to print it this way”. What happens is there usually is either a discrepancy the image and the size they want printed or there is a problem with the image itself. Below are a few tips I am constantly reminding them and perhaps these will serve you too.
Tip 1: Use a good quality image
This means an image file that is of suitable resolution and clarity. A poorly focused shot when enlarged will be more obvious than when you print it as a 4 x 5. One of the above mentioned clients had us recently produce a large 40×30 inch canvas stretched and mounted. The shot was well composed but the image was too low a resolution. When I asked him about this he said, no go ahead and print it. Turned out he supplied the wrong file.
Tip 2: Closely Scan Your Image Prior to Submission
Again, when you enlarge your print it will show any defects that might not be as visible when your print a smaller print. For instance that bridal dress may have a speck on it that you did not notice before. This happened recently with another photographer. The speck was part of the image so it was printed and not noticeable until the image “was” printed.
Tip 3: Crop Your Image before submitting it
The most popular portrait sizes are going to be in a 4:5 print ratios such as 8×10 and 16×20. Most shots that you will be printing will likely have been shot in a 2:3 ratio which is different than the above print sizes. This is great because it gives you more image than you will need for that 16×20 inch print however if your shot is too tight, then you might not have room to crop. This is especially true with portraits. For instance, you want to avoid cropping out part of the hands if the hands are holding something or are part of the pose. Other examples that show poorly composed shots are not enough clearance with the top of the head or cropping at the ankles. If by chance you cannot crop the image than you will likely need to look at an alternative size. One word of warning is that it might be more difficult to find a ready-made-frame for some 2:3 ratio sizes.
Tip 4: Choose a Reputable Printing Company
Obviously I recommend FinerWorks, especially for canvas prints but if you have been using a lab in your area for years and have been pleased with the rates and results I won’t try to convince you otherwise. If you are seeking a printer make sure they are using archival grade inks and substrates. I know that a lot of printers are using the latest large format printers by HP, Epson and Canon so you know the ink sets are up for the job but is your printer using archival grade substrates.
Tip 5: Select Good Photo Paper
There are several well known online printing companies favored by photographers that print on canvas. In full disclaimer, these are competitors of our however it should be pointed out that even though they use the same supplier we do they use their lower grade canvas to try to save money. On the surface the canvas looks the same as the higher grade canvas however it has been reported that because of the chemicals used (optical brightening agents) the prints may start to fade or yellow after a couple years regardless of the ink used.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article gives you some insight on producing great prints for your clients.
