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Re: [OM] Canvas & Metal Prints

Subject: Re: [OM] Canvas & Metal Prints
From: Bob Whitmire <bwhitmire@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2013 08:31:36 -0500
The way they put it is that the ink is "infused" into the aluminum. It's not a 
paper print adhered to the metal. The image is on the metal itself. Very 
striking. The right image printed on glossy metal and well lit almost looks 
like a high-definition monitor showing a backlit image. You can send Bay Photo 
a file and they will send you 4x6 or 5x7 test prints on all four surfaces. Very 
reasonable cost, too. Around $10, as I recall.

I've used two sources, Bay Photo in California, and Adoramapix in New York. 
There are differences. Both give you a good product, but I've come to use Bay 
more and more for a couple of reasons. One, their RIP is superior. Bay wants a 
300 dpi jpeg or tiff, neither embiggened nor enlittled (Down, Chris!). <g> 
Either Adobe 1998 or sRGB is fine. You match the file to a template in their 
ROES software (which is kinda clunky, but they all are). Adorama, on the other 
hand, wants the file you send them to be jpeg, sRGB, and sized to the final 
result. You need to have excellent rerezzing skills to get a good result if you 
go big.

I did one 20x30 aluminum print for a customer. The first one I ordered from 
Adorama and did the uprezzing myself. It sucked big-time. Partly my fault, 
partly theirs. Could not pass it on to the customer. When I told them, they 
were willing to do another print, but wouldn't do a refund. So I sent the 
original file as a tiff in Adobe color space to Bay Photo and the result was 
spectacular.

Another advantage to metal is that it can be cleaned with Windex. I wouldn't do 
it, but they say you can. That said, the shop called one day to say a customer 
had discovered scratches on one of my aluminum prints. I went down to check it 
out and found a number of fine scratches on the surface. They weren't there 
when I hung the print, so my guess is a determined customer did it with his or 
her fingernails, on purpose and deliberately. <g>

At first I thought the print might be a damage write off, but i took it home 
and put some motorcycle polish to it, and voila! Scratches gone.

The other advantage to Bay is they have a few frame styles, and for a pretty 
hefty but not unreasonable chunk of cash they will send you the print already 
framed. With gallery-wrap canvas or metal, you don't necessarily need or want a 
frame, but if you do, the option is there, and the quality is good.

--Bob Whitmire
Certified Neanderthal

On Dec 10, 2013, at 2:04 PM, Bill Pearce wrote:

> I'm curious about the aluminum prints. I currently have one print on 
> aluminum, and it is simply a regular c-print bonded to a sheet of aluminum. 
> It is an interesting look, especially for the particular photo, as it floats 
> on the wall, but still, it's, well, a c-print. So do these people somehow do 
> some sort of emulsion transfer? Is the emulsion coated directly on the 
> aluminum?

-- 
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