Respectable photographers understand the different types of photographic prints because while you may not need this information now, it is a very real possibility that you may be dealing with a fine art collector in the future who would like your digital prints on their wall.
While there are too many different printing techniques to name, there are a few types of photographic prints that can be put into easy to understand subcategories.
Many of these types of photographic prints use completely different materials, and putting in the effort to understand these different materials for photo prints will mean your finished product will be just that much better.
Some of these types of photographic prints have been around for decades, while others are continuously developing. Let’s get started.
Fine Art Paper Prints
Mitch Boyer showcases exactly what a fine art paper print is by comparing one to a DIY paper print from his home office.
Fine art paper prints usually refers to a process of simply printing a digital photo on extremely high-quality paper.
Fine art paper prints are not the same across the board, in fact they can vary wildly since there is no set standard for what type of paper constitutes fine art paper.
Nick Carver walks you through the process he went through in order to take one of his favorite photographs and print it with the fine art paper process.
There are a few criteria that pretty much everyone agrees paper must meet in order to be considered “fine art paper.” For example, the paper needs to have some sort of natural fibers, like cotton, to better hold the colors of the ink.
It also is not put through the bleaching process typical printer paper is which provides the paper with a neutral pH balance. This neutral pH balance ensures the printer the colors will not fade over time.
Pros of Fine Art Paper Prints
- It’s inexpensive without sacrificing durability or quality
- It supports the widest range of colors, including multiple greys
Cons of Fine Art Paper Prints
- It isn’t waterproof or scratch-resistant
- Framing isn’t factored into the price
Metal Prints
F64 Academy explains the pros and cons of metal prints quite well, but what exactly is the metal printing process like?
Well, metal prints are a wide-ranging printing technique. True metal prints are printed directly onto sheets of metal, while other “metal prints” can be printed onto metallic-looking paper.
Real Engineering explores metal printing from an in-depth, scientific standpoint. But, if you don’t care so much about the science, here’s a shorter rundown.
Metal prints can be made through two processes, either a direct print onto the metal sheet or dye sublimation, which results in higher quality metal prints.
Pros of Metal Prints
- More sturdy than other photo prints, like fine art or canvas
- Scratch-proof and waterproof
- Modern aesthetic
Cons of Metal Prints
- Expensive
- Look out of place in traditional settings
- Heavy and hard to mount or move
Giclee Prints
Fountains of Bryn Mawr at the English language Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)] via Wikimedia Commons)
Giclee prints are one of the types of photo prints that came around with the invention of newer computer technologies.
Giclee prints were created by and for artists, not photographers. Giclee prints allow artists, like painters, to reproduce their artwork with a similar texture while selling the original for much more.
Maggie Green Art’s explanation of the Giclee process is very thorough.
Pros of Giclee Prints:
- It holds its color for much longer than regular digital prints (up to 200 years)
- Giclee prints can be used on a variety of materials for photo prints, like canvas
- Giclee prints hold all of the quality of the original
Cons of Giclee Prints:
- More expensive than fine art prints
- Not waterproof or scratch-resistant
Canvas Prints
Canvas prints are one of the types of photographic prints that have essentially been around since the dawn of photography, or 1903 to be more exact.
An American printer accidentally discovered the canvas printing process, which is called offset printing, and set up the world’s first canvas printing lab.
Express Cards explains how the offset printing process is still used today, especially in the marketing world.
However, canvas printers no longer use the offset printing process and haven’t since the 1990s, when other types of printing (namely with inkjet printers) began being used.
A good canvas print will feature your photograph on canvas which is then hand-stretched over a wooden frame. Good canvas prints use high-quality inks, so the photograph is as close to the original as possible, kiln-dried wood, to ensure the frame never warps in extreme temperatures and staples instead of glue which can lose its effectiveness over time.
Pros of Canvas Prints
- They are versatile
- They are glare free
- They are inexpensive without sacrificing durability or quality
Cons of Canvas Prints
- They aren’t waterproof or scratch-resistant
- They are more expensive than paper prints
All canvas prints are not created equally, though. CanvasHQ, a canvas print company that was named PhotographyTalk’s best of 2020, ensures your canvas print lasts a lifetime. See how their canvas stacked up against the competiton in the video above.
They use UV-resistant inks in a wider variety of colors than the traditional CMYK so your canvas never fades and accurately represents the colors in the original digital image.
Plus, CanvasHQ is nearly always running a discount, which they are right now for 25% off your purchase with the code “Joy.”
But the real reason we chose them to represent our company is this: their shipping process is impeccably smooth. It’s free, for starters. Then, they have a countdown on their website which tells you exactly how long your canvas would take to be completed if you sent it in that day.
Finally, they will tell you exactly when to expect your canvas by, and if you’d like to opt in for the not free shipping you may at that point.
CanvasHQ is a company that cares about your photo prints because they use the highest quality materials for photo prints.
This post about "Types of Photographic Prints" was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/types-of-photographic-prints
This post about "Types of Photographic Prints" was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/types-of-photographic-prints
