Question about selecting paper finish for framed prints

BradfordBenn

Hello All

I was not sure if this post should go in Finishing School so feel free to move it.

I am ready to get some more prints for me office, and am having trouble picking the paper finish. I read the tips from http://www.smugmug.com/help/lustre and had decided to go with lustre and not glossy. But then I started to think if I am going to put these behind glass, is lustre still the best option.

I have done a large print in metallic and once I put it behind glass, it was not as evident that it was not typical paper.

The pictures are going to be various styles of images, but they are all going to be framed the same way. They are going to be in an "glass floating matte" frame. So they will be behind glass. Most are daytime shots but there are a few night time shots. I thought about going Metal Prints but those are likely a little out of the price range for this project.

Since the glass will have a glare most likely does it matter if lustre or glossy or is there another choice to consider? I am not sure which lab I am going to use yet.

On a related question, if I want to do an atypical panorama would I add the "blank space" space needed to avoid cropping on checking in the image itself or can I select that another way. My plan is to trim it myself.

Ann McRae

Hey

I found the same result as you, that once behind glass the metallic paper and the giclee watercolor paper don't stand out quite the same as they do without glass. However, they still look remarkable.

The only prints that I have framed recently were the above two finishes. I ordered a metallic print as a sample and then donated it to a silent auction, and it was amazing! When you have the chance, try them out!

For panoramics, you can do one of two things, depending on the original aspect ratio and how many you have.

I have placed multiple panos onto a canvas size that is the width of the print that I want - check this out:



so that got me three prints for the price of one 30x40 piece of metallic paper. If you only have one photo to print, and the pano sizes Bay offers aren't close, then you can pick the print size that matches the width you want to print, and use the no crop option when checking out. The photo will print the width of the paper, with white edges to be trimmed on the top and bottom.

Hope that helped.

ann

Sam

One quick comment: I am not sure what the floating in glass is exactly, but you don't want the image to touch the glass.

Sam

BradfordBenn

Sam wrote: »

One quick comment: I am not sure what the floating in glass is exactly, but you don't want the image to touch the glass.

Sam

Basically it is sandwiched between two pieces of glass. So it will be touching glass. Why should it not be touching the glass?

Ohiohiker

BradfordBenn wrote: »

I thought about going Metal Prints but those are likely a little out of the price range for this project.

Since the glass will have a glare most likely does it matter if lustre or glossy or is there another choice to consider? I am not sure which lab I am going to use yet.

For the best result you would want to use museum glass. It is coated with an anti-reflective coating, but since metal prints are out the budget then museum glass would be way out of budget. There are some lower cost non-glare glass products you could consider also to reduce glass glare. You would have to go to your local frame shop to get this type of glass. If you have a local frame shop stop and take a look at their glass display.

As far as the photo touching the glass. Condensation and moisture can get into the package. With photo emulsion paper any moisture could soften the emulsion and cause it to stick to the glass. Typically you would want a spacer or mat between the glass and the photo.

BradfordBenn

Thanks for the information.

I think the explanation of what the project is might also shed some light on the cost to performance issue. I want some pictures for my walls at my office; I am not a photographer, I work for an audio manufacturer. My plan is to do framed prints of some of the larger projects I have been involved with. For that reason I am not looking for presentation quality, but I am also not looking for a "cheap" look either.

If in three or four years I need to replace the prints, that is not a large problem. I just am trying to not have $$$$$ hanging on the walls at the office, since I do not meet with clients or the like there. I am wanting to have $$$ hanging on the wall, so they are higher quality than the typical "snapshots" that people hang on their walls.

Does that make more sense?

Ohiohiker

Most local frame shops offer ready made frames that they make out of scrap that are deeply discounted. They also offer pre-cut mats they have made from scrap at a similar discount.

As a disclaimer I started framing to offset some of the cost of selling framed prints. This has opened up a whole new avenue of business. If you were more local I could offer much nicer frames for about the price of the frame you linked. Check your local frame shop they may have what you need.

Sam

OK here is a different option for you. I really don't like the idea of pressing the image against glass.

I have a few images mounted on 1/2" foam core. Gator board, or sinter would be better, but foam core is more readily available.

I believe Bay Photo can mount prints like this.

Here is an example, quick shot to give you an idea of what it would look like.

This one is 12X18

Sam

Sam

This one is 16X24

Sam

BradfordBenn

Thank you one and all for the comments and information. I am thinking again or is it still. I ordered a sample frame in and now that I see it, I see that their plan is that you adhere it to the rear piece of glass and then the front one may or may not touch it. There is some slop.

I might look again at the pricing of the mounted "floating" prints.Those might not be as out of reach as I thought once I put in the price of the frame.

snoopyarizona

I have a questions about lustre prints in frames. I recently framed three of my photos using a front and back mats with a store bought frame having regular glass. The print sizes are 20 x 24 and the frame sizes are 24 x 30. After finishing my framing I notice a lot of reflections from the glass. I believe it is called cockle on the print. Is there any way of getting rid of these reflections or the cockle? Would non-glare glass help?

Thank You!