berasner

I too am interested in where you got your satifying glass results. How large have they gone?

Thank you,
Bruce

jwoody

MPIX does an incredible job and the turnaround is fantastic.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

I would stay away from anything laminated. Eventual fade and/or separation. I used to laminate professionally.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Especially on metal.

billc987

I do metal printing all the time. The process is dye sublimation. It will give you great prints but you have to keep a strong QC on your systems. There are a lot of things that can go wrong. The inks, press temperature, press pressure, pressing time, the humidity all affect the transfer paper and the material you are transferring to, plus add in everything that can go wrong with a normal printer and a tight QC is a must. When everything is working correctly then the prints are great.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I think lots of folks here are missing a basic point, THE PRINT SURFACE!

Glossy or very high gloss surfaces will show more detail and depth, especially in the shadow areas of a print. A glossy print will appear to have greater range, better contrast and more vibrancy all amounting to more "depth".

Back in the olden days, long before digital photography, GLOSSY prints were always required for lithographic reproduction because of their greater range, some of which may have been lost in reproduction. Glossy prints have no surface texture which can cause interference.

Nowadays in digital imaging and ink printing, there are issues that may cause confusion or disappointment.
Many photographers are processing, editing and viewing their images on a screen, an illuminated light source, much like viewing transparency on a lightbox. In the results of printmaking, viewing the same image on paper may not have the same range and lack detail, especially in the low middle and shadow areas, especially if the paper or other material has a matte or "flat" surface. Additional dodging may be required to preserve this detail.

I discovered this many years ago when I was producing many low-key portraits for display. There was ample shadow detail in the negatives and the print, easily revealed in a glossy or lustre surface paper. If the client asked for matte paper or preferred non-glare glass for framing, the shadow detail would diminish. Dead matte lacquers would cause the same issue. We would advise a lustre finish, canvas mounting with a lustre varnish or a special conservatory glass which was sandblasted on one side only.

In my food photography, I found that display prints on glossy materials really made the images "pop" and nowadays, of course, we can make trans-illuminated menu boards. When these food images are lithographically printed, the pictures are often spot-varnished or the entire menu or brochure is printed on a more lustrous stock.

This is not to say that everything you print should be on glossy material. You may have to dodge and burn to take other post-processing steps to insure rendition of detail across the range. Lots depend on the original scene contrast and the contents of the original file. High-key images can fare better on low sheen materials if desired.

Prints made on metal or glass are intrinsically glossy and therefore may seem superior to paper prints made of less lustrous material unless adjustments are made to accommodate the nature of the printing material.

If you make all of you on prints, of course, you will have control over all these factors. If you are outsourcing your printing to various labs, there is bound to be differences in many aspects of the results- contrast, colour balance, density and detail. Even if all things are equal- prints made from the same file with the same attributes, there may be differences. If possible, it's best to stick with the same labs and build a relationship with the QC folks so they know your tastes and expectations.

Of course, even if you do your own printing there are other variables such as the quality limitations of your printer. The one with multiple inks or pigments in each colour will usually provide superior results.

If display prints are made on glossy materials, glass or metal, the display lighting has to be adjusted as to the angle of incidents to cut down on glare.

scallihan Loc: Tigard, OR

Package condition is an issue and the fault of who packed it and the shipper. If you go online, there is usually a section where you can make special requests, like add extra packing and fragile stickers. Of course if it arrives damaged, demand refund.

Michael's the art/craft store offers printing on various media, including glass and acrylic.

berasner

Hj, Some here are really interested in your experience with glass. Please let us know with whom you found good enough results to be "blown away"........
Bruce

hj Loc: Florida

Mea culpa. I posted earlier in the thread how happy I am with glass. Couldn't remember where I had it done and took it off the wall to see if there might be a label. I was shocked at my poor memory. It is on metal and couldn't be more pleased with the results. My wife and I laugh at the TV ad for photos on glass and their name is FRACTURE. I think I would have chosen another name to commercially market photos on glass.

berasner

Yes,

I have seen their ads also a couple of years ago.....then, at least rather small in size. I never tried them.

Thank you.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I have seen excellent prints on glass. You can print on many different materials if you understand the limitations and attributes of each material. Sometimes you need to alter the processing as to contrast, density and saturation to work around certain surfaces. Other times there are special materials and surface preparations that are required.

"Fracture" and other kinds of consumer mass-production services are just like "drug store" and some mini-labs used to be with film and some still vary greatly in digital services- hit and miss. Some are decent and some were/are bad. A custom lab or an expert print-maker is an entirely different situation.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Might be a stupid question, I only have experience with paper and canvas prints. What kind of "metal" is used for a "metal" print? Is it mechanically polished to a high gloss? And other questions.??? Thickness. Weight. Hanging options.

hj Loc: Florida

Mine appears to be aluminum but not sure. Very light and the photo side is perfectly smooth with a high gloss finish. Never had any print this beautiful. It came with a hanging frame attached to the backside.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Metal prints can be made on white metal or aluminum. They are coated with various finishes. I use a pride call Chromalux. Here's a link that advertises and describes their products.

https://www.chromaluxe.com/about-us/

We use a dye-sublimation printer.

The material is not excessively heavy or thick and can be traditionally framed, float mounted and framed, easily mounted on various materials and affixed directly to the wall or display unit.

The ones we make at my studio are mostly for commercial displays. They are durable, hold up well on public displays and the colour quality and vibrance are extremely suitable for commercial as well as pictorial work.

I don't know all the metallurgic data you asked about as to exact content, guage and weight but the material is quite manageable. The attached link can put you in touch with the manufacturer.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

I tried to put metal in my printer but it didn't work out so well. I think I need to buy new metal and a new printer.