Best photos to print on metal?

eoren1

I have a showing coming up in July and have five large canvas prints set for display. Also thought it would be a good opportunity to showcase alternative prints and have decided to order the 5x7 sample pack from Bayphoto. I'm not sure what qualities in a photo are best suited for printing on metal: color vs black/white? Contrasty vs sunsety (I know those aren't real words:wink)
Anyway, here are some candidates:

1


2


3


4


5


Thanks!

SimpsonBrothers

4 and 5 for sure.
Metal will add a lot of contrast and brighten colors.

Albert Dickson

1, 3 & 5 will rock on metal IHMO. I just received 3 30x40" B&W on metal from Bayphoto. I choose the Sheer Matte finish because it gives a little metal sheen through the print that adds to a near 3D effect on my prints. They appear almost Hologram like. You are sure to like it and I know my customers go ape over the metal prints. Best of luck.

eoren1

Thank you both.
I was going to get the sample pack to see the four different metals. Now leaning towards using 1, 3, and 5 as 4x6's. Any suggestions on which photo to match with the metal option (high gloss, satin, sheer glossy, sheer matte)?

denisegoldberg

eoren1 wrote: »

...leaning towards using 1, 3, and 5 as 4x6's.

If you're showing large canvas prints I think that showing small metal prints will look like an afterthought. Order the small sizes to compare the finishes, but I would recommend ordering larger to show. 8x10 is the smallest I would show - I'd actually recommend going larger than that.

--- Denise

jmphotocraft

I recently got a 12x18" metal print of this:



Honestly I was let down by the resolution (sharpness?) and color after reading rave reviews here. The sky was great, but the orange in the rocks was significantly muted. They looked more brown or black. I also have a lustre paper print of this image and there is no comparison, the paper wins easily. Crisp details and better color. On paper you can see the tracks in Corbet's Couloir. On metal they are fuzzy, as are the trees. As far as I can tell, the frameless float mount of the metal is the only selling point. And that may be what you're after, it is nice. It just doesn't stand up to close inspection. If you want the image to have a metallic look, the metallic paper will show more detail.

Hey I'm from MHD! Great images.

eoren1

Thanks Jack! Appreciate hearing that. Still torn on whether I'll order the samples. It would be as much for me as customers who may want to buy them. I would hate to sell a metal print and hear such complaints. What option did you choose?
Fantastic shot by the way. Let me know if you ever come back to town and want to shoot

denisegoldberg

eoren1 wrote: »

...Still torn on whether I'll order the samples. It would be as much for me as customers who may want to buy them. I would hate to sell a metal print and hear such complaints.

I had a very different experience - I've purchased a number of metal prints, and I've been very happy with them. At least order the samples for yourself, probably the only way to see if you like them.

--- Denise

jmphotocraft

I would suggest getting a metal print of your own image along with a paper print of the same, and comparing the two side by side. You'll probably see what I'm talking about. You may decide that the float mount and frameless, glassless presentation of the metal print is worth the compromise in IQ. It's certainly sharper than a canvas!

eoren1

jmphotocraft wrote: »

I would suggest getting a metal print of your own image along with a paper print of the same, and comparing the two side by side. You'll probably see what I'm talking about. You may decide that the float mount and frameless, glassless presentation of the metal print is worth the compromise in IQ. It's certainly sharper than a canvas!

Funny you should say that...I'm not thrilled with the way the shots came out on canvas....
In the end, it was the most economical way to go but I will likely go with a standard lustre print framed behind acrylic for the Marblehead Arts Festival

jmphotocraft

eoren1 wrote: »

Funny you should say that...I'm not thrilled with the way the shots came out on canvas....
In the end, it was the most economical way to go but I will likely go with a standard lustre print framed behind acrylic for the Marblehead Arts Festival

Funny you should say that... I got a third print of the Jackson Hole shot for my parents through imagekind - framed behind acrylic, and it's nicer than the metal.

mhd arts festival - good times!

SteveM

jmphotocraft wrote: »

I recently got a 12x18" metal print of this:



Honestly I was let down by the resolution (sharpness?) and color after reading rave reviews here. The sky was great, but the orange in the rocks was significantly muted. They looked more brown or black. I also have a lustre paper print of this image and there is no comparison, the paper wins easily. Crisp details and better color. On paper you can see the tracks in Corbet's Couloir. On metal they are fuzzy, as are the trees. As far as I can tell, the frameless float mount of the metal is the only selling point. And that may be what you're after, it is nice. It just doesn't stand up to close inspection. If you want the image to have a metallic look, the metallic paper will show more detail.

Hey I'm from MHD! Great images.

Hi Jack,

I'm Steve, one of the image specialists here at SmugMug. We're sorry you're less than thrilled with your MetalPrint! You're very likely covered by the SmugMug guarantee! http://www.smugmug.com/prints/our-guarantee.mg

Can you let me know your order number, so I can have a look into things?

jmphotocraft

SteveM wrote: »

Hi Jack,

I'm Steve, one of the image specialists here at SmugMug. We're sorry you're less than thrilled with your MetalPrint! You're very likely covered by the SmugMug guarantee! http://www.smugmug.com/prints/our-guarantee.mg

Can you let me know your order number, so I can have a look into things?

Does Smugmug have an order history page? I can't find it. I had to dig through my emails to find the order number, it's 1911498.

But anyway, it's fine, I'm really just "pixel peeping" it. When hung on the wall and viewed from a normal distance it's good. It was a gift for my parents and they love it, so it is getting the job done. (The framed one is in their ski condo, where I intended it to be displayed. They took the metal one home to hang in their office.) I think the resolution of the printing medium itself is simply lower than photo paper, and I've satisfied myself with that explanation. If I look closely I believe I can see the texture of the metal in the sky.

But based on some of the comments here and the description in the SM product menu, I was (perhaps naively) expecting something superior to paper. So I was surprised to receive something that was inferior to paper in a side-by-side comparison. IMO you buy a metal print for the effect of the frameless, glassless, floating image. Unfortunately when I see a print on display like that, it makes me want to nose right up to it and examine it, and that is where the metal falls down for me.

mercphoto

jmphotocraft wrote: »

I recently got a 12x18" metal print of this:



Honestly I was let down by the resolution (sharpness?) and color after reading rave reviews here. The sky was great, but the orange in the rocks was significantly muted. They looked more brown or black. I also have a lustre paper print of this image and there is no comparison, the paper wins easily. Crisp details and better color. On paper you can see the tracks in Corbet's Couloir. On metal they are fuzzy, as are the trees. As far as I can tell, the frameless float mount of the metal is the only selling point. And that may be what you're after, it is nice. It just doesn't stand up to close inspection. If you want the image to have a metallic look, the metallic paper will show more detail.

Hey I'm from MHD! Great images.

I have metal prints from Bay, Pounds Photo Labs, and Black River Imaging. My customers have always been thrilled with how they look and so have I. However I will agree that they won't look exactly like the paper prints. Canvas mounts won't either for that matter. Heck different papers won't look the same to each other. In fact I think that comparison is irrelevant to begin with.

Metal prints have an impact all their own beyond the resolution and color matching. Plus they have other benefits, such as ready to hang (no frame, not glass, etc.), extremely durable, a print you can actually clean, etc.

Rather than trying to pixel peep just stand back away from the metal print and ask yourself this simple question: do you really like how it looks on the wall or not?

jmphotocraft

Bill, I've addressed all your points in post #13.