Improving my presentation - Part 7: Improved Matting Techniques

In previous parts of this series, I talked about bigger prints, better framing, and choosing some nicer mats. Now I'll talk briefly about better techniques for cutting my mats


Matting Technique

Aside from just choosing new materials to work with, I thought it would be a good idea to examine options more more interesting matting techniques. So far, I've just done single or double layered mats with a simple rectangular beveled cutout. However, I was thinking about other things I could do. On idea that came to mind was cutting V-Grooves, so I went and ordered a V-Groove addon for my Logan 650. When I received it, I instantly gave it a try right away and made a decent simple rectangular outline groove. Next, I tried to cut a more complex pattern of 2 overlapping rectangles and it worked wonderfully.

Also, to go along with the V-Grooving, I'm planning on cutting my mats with notched corners. I figure that would add another level of interest to the mat. Finally, for some of the prints, I'm considering going with 3 layer matting.


Applying the Changes

One of the issues with these changes is whether or not to use them on all prints. It's not very reasonable to do it on the smallest size prints. V-Grooving and notched corners takes a lot more time to do, and the better matting is more expensive. There isn't a whole lot of profit margin in the smallest prints, and it can be difficult to bump up the price on those prints very much.

However, in the end, I think I might be able to use this all to my advantage. I've been thinking about creating incentives for people to buy larger sized prints. I think a big incentive can be better matting. If I left my medium sized mats as is, downgraded my smallest mats to only white single-layer matting, and introduced these new mats and cutting style for only my largest prints, I think it could convince some people to upgrade to a larger size. If there is a demand for the better matting in smaller sizes, I could always choose to offer a custom made print for an extra fee.



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Improving my presentation - Part 6: Better Matting

In previous parts of this series, I talked about bigger prints and better framing. The next logical item for improvement would be better matting. As far as better matting is concerned there are 2 ways to approach to topic: the matboard itself, and how the matboard is cut and presented.


Better Matboard

In choosing better matboard, there are 2 aspects to consider: better quality and better appearance.

As far as quality goes, so far I've just been using acid free matbaord for all my work. Acid free matboard, especially from a quality manufacturer like Crescent or Bainbridge, is actually a very good quality product. In fact, it would likely be decades before you ever saw any ill effects from such matboard. However, as good as it is, it's not considered archival. Rag mat, on the other hand, is made from better materials and is rated to be safer for the photo for a much longer timespan. Thus far, acid free matboard has not been a problem for me...no ill effects, and nobody has ever even bothered to ask me about the topic. However, someday someone might ask, and if I'm ready with the answer they are looking for, it might mean the difference between selling and not selling. However, even if nobody ever asks, archival matting can be used as a selling point. People often don't know what to look for as far as details go, and explaining the difference can help make a sale also.

On the topic of appearance, I've been looking for something with a nicer look. So far, almost all of my mats have been untextured, solid colored matboard. However, I do have a textured white and a textured tan in my collection (they have some very subtle raised bumps), as well as 2 speckled pink colors. Those are some of my favorites in my collection. So, what I'd like to do is find something with a more interesting appearance. I've been looking at several options there. A couple of options stand out as being really interesting. The first is the Crescent Michael Graves collection. It has some interesting patterned designs. Another option that I find quite interesting is the Crescent Moorman Suedes collection. However, I've been a bit displeased with the support I've received from Crescent (I'll talk about that some other day), so I'm looking into giving Bainbridge a try instead.

Matting Technique

Aside from just choosing new materials to work with, I thought it would be a good idea to examine options for more interesting matting techniques. So far, I've just done single or double layered mats with a simple rectangular beveled cutout. However, I was thinking about other things I could do. One idea that came to mind was cutting V-Grooves, so I went and ordered a V-Groove addon for my Logan 650. When I received it, I instantly gave it a try right away and made a decent simple rectangular outline groove. Next, I tried to cut a more complex pattern of 2 overlapping rectangles and it worked wonderfully.

Also, to go along with the V-Grooving, I'm planning on cutting my mats with notched corners. I figure that would add another level of interest to the mat. Finally, for some of the prints, I'm considering going with 3 layer matting.


Applying the Changes

One of the issues with these changes is whether or not to use them on all prints. It's not very reasonable to do it on the smallest size prints. V-Grooving and notched corners takes a lot more time to do, and the better matting is more expensive. There isn't a whole lot of profit margin in the smallest prints, and it can be difficult to bump up the price on those prints very much.

However, in the end, I think I might be able to use this all to my advantage. I've been thinking about creating incentives for people to buy larger sized prints. I think a big incentive can be better matting. If I left my medium sized mats as is, downgraded my smallest mats to only white single-layer matting, and introduced these new mats and cutting style for only my largest prints, I think it could convince some people to upgrade to a larger size. If there is a demand for the better matting in smaller sizes, I could always choose to offer a custom made print for an extra fee.


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Quick Update

I just wanted to get a quick update in. I haven't posted much here for the better part of 2 weeks. I've only made 1 post in that time, and it probably looks like I'm returning to my old ways. However, I have an excuse this time (although don't I always).


First, I got my Canon iPF5000 almost 2 weeks ago and have been busy playing with it, evaluating prints, trying to learn more about it, and researching papers I'd like to order. I'll post more on the printer soon.

Second, I just got back from a 6 day trip through the Smoky Mountain and Blue Ridge Parkway National Parks. In the few days before that, I had some planning to do. And now that I'm back I have some catching up to do. I'll try to post some of those photos once I get a chance to go through them.

Third, a week before I was to leave, the mirror on my Canon Digital Rebel broke. It was a $200 repair, and that gave me 2 issues. For one, I'm not really sure the camera is worth investing $200 into (its 3 years old). For another, since I was leaving for vacation in a week, I didn't exactly have time to wait for it to get repaired. Well, I did some research and found out how to repair it myself for $5. The repair worked great. I'll post more info on that soon, also.

Hopefully in the next few days I'll pick up where I left off in my multi part series.

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Improving my presentation - Part 5: Nicer Frames

In parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 I talked about deciding on print sizes, evaluating online print services, the advantages of purchasing a wide format pigment printer, and the process of evaluating and choosing which printer to buy. Now, I finally turn my attention away from printing and back to other topics a little more directly applicable to whats in my booth. Todays topic....frames.


Last year, my booth was adorned with prints in some very basic frames. Having spent so much money on other things getting ready for my first year of shows, when it came to frames I bought the most basic ones I could find. They were very inexpensive (less than $10 each with a coupon), metal frames in silver and black. They had a very thin profile...maybe 1/2" wide. In a way, they were nice because they were very simple and focused all of the attention on my picture (well...the matting too). However, if that's all I really wanted to do, I could accomplish it by just hanging up some matted prints on the wall. Instead, the framed prints serve an important secondary purpose: demonstrating the total package.

A framed print is a "total package" in 2 ways. First, some people just want to buy something and throw it right on their wall. They don't want to have to mess around with framing. In fact, they are willing to pay a premium just to have a finished product they can take home and hang up right away. The other way is by showing the customer "this is how good this print could look in a really nice frame". For these people, the frame needs to present the photo in the best way possible.

Now, in both cases, you always have to account for taste. Some people like wood and some like metal. Some like plain while others prefer elaborate. Some want black and other want woodgrain. I could go on, but the point is that there is no universal frame that would please every potential customer. What I have to do is choose the frame that I think would please most people, displease the least, and leave everyone else neutral.

In looking around at what is in people homes, what the style is in magazines, and so on, I've determined that the metal frame doesn't really cut it. Very few people hang works of art in basic metal frames. Those frames are mostly used for framing family photos and stuff of the sort. Works of art are predominantly framed in wood. What style and color of frame is used varies greatly, so from there I have to pick and choose for myself, but at least it gives me a starting point to work from.

So, in my quest for wood frames, I needed to pick out some suppliers. I looked around at a large number of vendors, comparing their available styles and colors. I've chosen 2 distributors as potential sources for my frames for this year (and perhaps longer).

FrameDestination.com is a distributor I have dealt with in the past. They do an excellent job of providing great products, pricing, and service. I've been very happy with them thus far. Recently they started carrying some very basic stained wood frames...about 1" wide, real stained wood, simple squares with no curves or intricate detail. I've ordered some corner samples from them, but haven't yet received them. They should be arriving soon.

For anything more elaborate than those basic frames, I've chosen FrameUSA.com as a second supplier. I have no past experience with them, so they were chosen only because they had the best selection of frames that appealed to me. I've already ordered a number of samples from them and received most of them. Their service so far leaves a bit to be desired. However, that's a story for another blog post.

So thats where I am now. I've got some samples, some of which definitely stand out as favorites, and I'm waiting for more samples to arrive. After that, I need to pick out some mat and frame combinations that go together and then place an order.


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Improving my presentation - Part 4: Choosing a Wide Format Printer

In part 1, part 2, and part 3, I talked about deciding on print sizes, evaluating online print services, and the advantages of purchasing a wide format pigment printer. Now I'll discuss what printer I chose to buy and why.


In choosing a wide format printer, there is a huge range of printers to consider. However, with a few requirements, we can narrow the field dramatically.

Pigment Based
First, the printer has to be pigment based, not dye based. While some companies brag about long lasting, fade resistant dyes, I feel a lot better with a pigment ink. Some of those dyes only get their long lasting ability by being used on a specific line of paper, and perform drastically worse on other papers. With pigments, sure there are certain papers that they may perform terribly on, but as a general rule pigments are much longer lasting over a much wider variety of paper. This is important, as I may want to experiment with different types of paper/media (glossy, matte, velvet, metallic, watercolor, canvas, etc)

Minimum 16" Print Width
There are tons of 13"x19" printers out on the market, but I already had the ability to get cheap 12"x18" prints. 13"x19" is pretty much a negligible improvement. My plan for new prints was to be 16" on the small dimension, so I'll use that as the start point.

Must Be Affordable
You can debate the meaning of affordable...it will be different for each person. For me, the absolute maximum total investment had to be $2000. Even at that cost, that is REALLY stretching my budget. $1500 was a much more desirable goal, though I didn't expect to reach that low, so $2000 seemed to be more realistic.


Now, even with just those 3 qualifiers, the field is narrowed down to just a few options.

HP is the easiest. Most of their printers are dye based, and almost all of their pigment printers are over $3000. The only printer left is the B9180, and it's maximum print width is 13". Right off the bat, HP is completely eliminated (which is fine, since I have issues with the company, based on several past experiences and also based on some of their business philosophy).

Canon is the second easiest. They too have have a history of being only a dye-based manufacturer. For the last couple years they have been experimenting with mixed dye/pigment systems (pigment black with dye colors). However in the last year or so they have updated the imagePrograph series of printers to be fully pigment based. However, only one printer in this line comes even close to the $2000 price. The iPF 5000 is able to print 17" wide. We have our first contender

Epson is the next up. They are probably the company best known for pigment based inks. They pretty much pioneered the consumer pigment printer industry and had a several year headstart on everyone else. While they have a broad line of printers, only 2 of their current models fit all 3 requirements. The Stylus Pro 3800 and 4800 are both 17" wide pigment printers for under $2000.

And with that, we end up with 3 competitors. Of course, there may be printers from other manufacturer that fit the bill, but I want to stick with a well known brand for which supplies are readily available.

Canon iPF5000 vs Epson 3800 vs Epson 4800

With these 3 printers chosen as our final contenders, it's to to start comparing features.

Print Quality
This is one of the biggest factors when choosing a printer, but it turns out to be a non-issue. The 4800 is excellent. In fact, beyond excellent. It's hard to imagine much better, yet the 3800 and iPF5000 somehow did it. The 2 are slightly better than the 4800, but nearly equal to each other. The iPF5000 is a little better with shadow detail and some parts of the color gamut, while the 3800 and 4800 are each better with different parts of the color gamut. If I were grading the printers, then all 3 get an A+. Thus print quality is pretty much a non issue.

Maximum Print Length
First up is long printing. My absolute requirement is to print 28" long, but longer would be better. I've got a nice panorama from Mt. St. Helens I've always wanted to be able to print. It's 6 times wider than tall. That means at 17" tall, I could print it over 8 feet wide. Of course, at that size, framing and glass become an issues, but that's no concern right now...now we're focused on printers.

So back to length. The Epson 3800 has a maximum length of 37". OK, so that's not enough to handle Mt. St. Helens (a 3 foot wide but only 6 inch tall panorama isn't all that impressive), but printing that photo was more of a dream than a requirement. In comparison, the iPF5000 can print up to 59 feet long. I can't imagine what I'd do that size. The Epson goes one better, with no print length limitation. Your only limitation is what the software can handle and how big a roll of paper you can find.

Although technically the 4800 is better than the iPF5000, realistically they are even (if I can't figure out why I'd need 59 feet, then 60+ doesn't really seem to be any more useful). For grades, the 3800 gets a B while the iPF5000 and 4800 both get an A+.

Roll Printing
When we also consider length, a real advantage would be to have a roll feader, so that I don't have to manually unroll, cut, and then hand feed the paper through the single sheet feed. The 3800 has no roll feed option. The 4800 includes a roll feed.

The iPF5000 has an optional motorized roll feeder that includes some interesting features. Since it's motor driven, it's easier to load and unload the paper. The printer can track the length remaining on the roll. When you go to unload it, it can print a bar code and text on the end indicating the paper type and how much is left on the roll. When you reload the paper, the roll feeder reads the bar code and continues counting where it left off. Finally, with the iPF5000, you can leave cut sheet paper in the main paper tray while using the roll feeder (unlike the 4800).

For the roll feed category, the 3800 gets an E, the 4800 an A-, and the iPF5000 an A+.

Ink Cost
Cost is an important one. Ink costs for these printers range from $0.40/ml to $0.70/ml, with the 4800 being the best and the 3800 being the worst. Also to take into account is the ink consumption. The iPF5000 uses about 1ml/sq ft, while the 4800 uses about 2ml/sq ft. I couldn't find consumption figures for the 3800, but being that it uses the same inks and roughly the same technology as the 4800, I'm assuming about the same (2ml/sq ft). This makes the iPF5000 best (about $0.55/sq ft), the 4800 second (about $0.80/sq ft) and the 3800 worst (about $1.40/sq ft). On ink costs, I'll grade them iPF5000=A, 4800=A-, 3800=B

Head Clogging
It has been reported by many that the Epson 4800 has issues with head clogging, and resolving this consumes a fair bit of ink. The 3800 is reportedly better, but still has a little problem. The iPF5000, on the other hand, has had pretty much no reports of clogging issues. This may be due to the way canon printer deals with it. Every day it powers up and runs a very quick cleaning cycle. In addition, should a clog actually occur, the printer can detect it and remap its printing algorithm to use non-clogged nozzles. I'll give the iPF5000 and A+, the 3800 a B+, and the 4800 a B-.

Ink Waste
In relation to head clogging, the iPF5000 wastes the least ink, but there is a much bigger issue here. The iPF5000 has all cartridges installed at the same time. This means you don't need to switch ink cartridges when swapping between glossy and matte paper (which require different black inks). With the 3800, you need to swap out cartridges, which requires the printer to purge the black ink line. This wastes about $1 worth of ink each time you switch (and then another $1 to switch back). Not bad, but not perfect. The 4800, on the other hand, is an abomination of ink waste. It has the same swapping issue as the 3800, but wastes MUCH more ink...about $40 worth on each switch. I'll give the iPF5000 and A+, the 3800 a B, and the 4800 a D.

Print Longevity/Durability
In terms of longevity, the Epson K3 inks (used by both these printers) has been rated fade resistant for about 100 years for color and 200 years for black+white. The Canon has been rated for about 95 in color, but no black+white rating has yet been given. It's possible it could be as good as the Epson, but at the moment, we don't yet know (but it wont be any less than its 95 year color rating). However, for practical purposes, we can call this a draw.

In terms of durability, there is 1 issue with the canon inks. There have been reports that with certain papers, it seems that certain colors will smudge if you touch it with a wet finger. Thats kind of unfortunate, but isn't a major issue. As it is, I try to touch the prints as little as possible, and when I do, I certainly don't do it with wet fingers.

Because of the smudging, I'll knock the iPF5000 down a bit and give it an A-, while the 3800/4800 get an A+.

Service/Support
Epson gets a lot of credit here. Reports are that their service is top notch, the documentation good, and the warranty on all parts very reasonable. Canon, on the other hand, has a lot to be desired in this area. The documentation for the iPF5000 is quite poor (though to make up for it, the user community has setup an incredible website to deal with the iPF5000). The warranty on ink cartridges and print heads is pathetic (pretty much nonexistant), although there are reports that this is starting to be dealt with and that Canon may be changing their stance here. I'll give the 3800 and 4800 an A+, while the iPF5000 gets a well deserved D.

Minimum Paper Size
A small factor, but a factor none the less. The iPF5000 and the 4800 cannot print on any paper smaller than 8x10. Thats a bit disappointing for anyone that wants to print 4x6's (which I use on my greeting cards). The 3800, on the other hand, can print on anything down the 4x6. This earns the 3800 an A+, while the 4800 and iPF5000 get a A-.

Misc Other Factors
Other factors which may be of concern for others (but weren't for me) are things like weight (the 4800 and iPF5000 are about 100 lbs) size (the 4800 is large, the iPF5000 is a monster), print speed (the iPF5000 is fast, the 3800 about half as fast, and the 4800 about 1/3 as fast), noise (the 3 are about equal), and tons of other small details.

Also, while I said affordability was a concern for me in that it had to fall within my budget, as long as it fit within my budget, the actual price wasn't an issue. As far as which one is better, I can't say. Based on MSRP the 3800 is best, and the 4800 and iPF5000 are about tied. In real life, you can find the printers much cheaper. However, I can't really say which ones are cheaper, as I didn't bother wasting time to search for the best price until after I had made my decision. And that decsion is.....

The Canon iPF5000 Wins
While there are certainly areas where the Epson printers win out, overall the Canon seemed like a much better option to me. The only major concern for me were the warranty issues on the cartridges and print heads. The cartridges aren't so bad, since (as I mentioned) I'm hearing they are starting to deal with it. The print heads, on the other hand, are a major worry. They run $600 each (the printer has 2 of them) and they are treated as consumables (no warranty). However, the reassuring part of this is, in the year since the printer was released, I haven't heard of any print head failure horror stories. So, while it is an issue in theory, in practice it hasn't been.

So, what price did I settle for? Well, the printer lists for $1945+ another $250 for the roll feeder. As I said, MSRP is way more than you usually pay. I had been looking around, and I was expecting (and prepared) to fork over the $1700 for the printer + $200 for the roll feader, which is the minimum price I saw everyone selling for. In addition, shipping on this monster of a printer runs about $100.

However, in the several hours before I ordred, doing some last minute research, I came across the iPF5000 wiki I mentioned earlier. In the forums, people were discussing what retailers provided good support. In the process, there were 4 retailers I had never heard of before. I looked at all 4, and they all blew the $2000 I was expecting to pay right out of the water. It turns out they were all selling below $1500. The best deal I found was at ColorHQ. They were selling the iPF5000 for $1295, the roll feeder for $99 (if bought with the printer) and offered free shipping. My total outlay of cash was UNDER $1400.

That extra couple of hours of research saved me about $600, and very quickly swayed my thinking from "this is a lot of money...I hope this is the right move" to "I'm definitely doing the right thing".

I'm still waiting for the printer to arrive. After I get it, and get to try it out, I'll post my thoughts here (in a separate post, apart from this multi-part series).

So, after a rather long discussion, that wraps up the topic of printing. In part 5, I'll turn the topic to something entirely different.

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Improving my presentation - Part 3: Advantages of a Wide Format Printer

In part 1 and part 2, I talked about deciding on print sizes and evaluating online print services. Now I'll talk about the advantages of doing my own printing with a wide format pigment printer


As I mentioned in part 2, my costs for an online print service were surpassing $600 for just a small selection of prints, and would leave me with high incremental replacement costs. It was quickly becoming obvious that I should reconsider my original desire of printing for myself with a wide format pigment printer.

Going with my own printer gives me a lot of advantages:

Incremental Cost
Most obvious is the incremental cost of prints. After the initial investment, 16x28 prints would likely cost under $10 each. Thats affordable enough that I could justify printing many images in this large size, and I don't have to be in fear of damage or theft.

Print Consistency
From now on, all of my prints (until I decide to go even larger) can be done on the same printer. There will be no differences in color gamut, print quality, or paper characteristics. One process for everything. In addition, should I decide to print on a different material (like watercolor paper or canvas), I will only be changing one factor in the chain. I can continue to enjoy the same quality and color gamut (except for any limitations of the media itself)

Pigment is Wide Gamut
Speaking of gamut, I had mentioned that other printing solutions had limitations on color gamut. The Chromira process seemed (at least from what I could tell) to be the best traditional printing solution out there in terms of gamut. However, even it can't hold a candle to the gamut available on pigment printers.

Pigment is Archival
Previously, my larger prints were printed archivally (exposed on Fuji Crystal Archive paper), but my smaller prints were not. Although I had no real concern with the longevity of those prints, now I can be pleased to advertise that all my prints are archival quality.

Instant Proofing & Replacement
With a mail order service, I have to wait to get a proof back before deciding if the quality is good enough to go for the full size print. Doing the printing myself, I can make that decision in a matter of minutes (and again, for a fraction of the cost). Likewise, if I sell a print on day 1 of a show, I'd like to have it replaced as soon as possible. With a mail order service, I either have to invest the money up front to have a second copy on hand, or wait several days for the replacement (which means not having a copy for the remainder of the show). Now I can either more easily cost-justify having the replacement on hand, or just reprint it that night and have it ready the next day.

Ability to Experiment
Sometimes there is a picture you might like, but you aren't sure (because of content or image quality reasons) whether it will look OK at a large size. For just a couple of dollars, I can feel free to enlarge it and see if it really works at that size. If I had to pay $100, I probably wouldn't feel so free to experiment.

Buzzwords
Finally, saving the least important for last: I can now refer to all of my prints using the buzzword that really seems to be in vogue lately: Giclee.

In part 4, I'll talk about which printer I chose and how I decided.

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Improving my presentation - Part 2: Printing Larger Prints

As I discussed yesterday in part 1, I've now decided (mostly) on some sizes for larger prints. The next big question is how to print these larger prints.


My home printer only does 8.5" wide. For larger stuff, I've been using Costco's lab, which does up to 12x18. For anything larger, I need to go mail order. I started looking around, evaluating different options.

One of the big issues was color profiling and color gamut (ie: color range). A problem with some of my costco prints is that they had colors that were out of the Noritsu printer's gamut. Some of them I just settled for close enough. Others were far enough off to be embarassing, so I didn't even print those in larger sizes.

I started looking around, and from experimenting with some ICC color profiles from various print services, I discovered that the Chromira printers appeared to have a better gamut than the Noritsu printers, and could handle at least my most important photos (I never got around to checking some of the worst case photos, though).

Looking around at how much the prints would cost got interesting. I originally started out thinking $35 a print. However, I soon realized it was a bit more. And then as my ideas changed and I eventually decided on 16x24, and then 16x28, the cost got higher and higher. Now I realized that I was at the point where just having ONLY 6 photos enlarged, with a copy of each in the print bin, and 3 of the 6 also having a second framed copy, for the 9 prints total with shipping I was looking at around $600.

After that initial investment, as I sold them and needed to replace them, I'd either have to reorder them at the first print rate, or take a gamble and order the replacement in quantity to drive down the price. In addition, I'd have to pay fairly expensive shipping. So I was looking at replacement costs of $100 each or investing several hundred in reprints (which might not sell).

Then, what happens if I screw up and damage one of the prints (screw up signing it, accidentally crease it, etc)? That's $50 to $100 down the tube for one small mistake. Or what if someone manages to steal one from my booth? Or if I sustain some water damage? Or if a customer damages it in the print bin?

Originally I thought my enlargement investment would be about $200 to $250. However, as it grew and grew to over $600, I quickly realized it was starting to approach 1/3 to 1/2 the investment of what I wanted to do all along: buy a wide format pigment printer.

In part 3, I'll talk about all of the advantages of buying a wide format pigment printer and printing your own prints instead.
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Improving my presentation - Part 1: Larger Prints

As I mentioned last year, my plan for 2007 was to have a much improved presentation in my booth. Well, I didn't work at it nearly as much as I intended over the winter. Procrastination got the best of me, and I decided to enjoy spending times on non-photography stuff. However, for the last few months I've been ramping up and getting things done. I'm getting there slowly but surely. In the process, I'm making a number of changes.


I'm going to try and do something in my blog I haven't done in a while: make regular updates (at least for a while). I'm going to break this article into bits and pieces, and post a new piece every day or two. For now....here's part 1:

The first thing I want to do is have some larger print options. My largest matted size is 16x20 (11x15 print), and then I've also got a few 18x24 framed pieces (12x18 print) but I don't carry them separately matted (doesn't make sense to carry 2 sizes so similar).

The problem there is that I want something even larger. I started thinking about what size to offer. Nothing good came to mind. I kept jumping back and forth between different options. On one hand, I was looking for something that was a proportional size to my prints (1.5 ratio) so that I wouldn't have to crop. At the same time, I kind of dislike uneven borders on a print. This always left me coming up with some oddball sizes, and that brings me to the other hand of the equation...frame size. I really want to try to keep my prints so that they fit a standard frame size that you can easily find at the store. Finally, the last important point was to have the size be different enough that it isn't very similar to what I already offer.

So I started thinking of sizes. At this point, I don't even remember all the sizes that went through my head, so I'll cut almost to the chase. I decided to forgo the standard size frames. I figured people paying for more expensive prints would be more likely to be willing to pay to have it custom framed. Thus, I settled on a 16x24 print matted to 24x32.

That wasn't the end, though. I realized that was SO close to a standard 24x36 frame, so it might be better to go for that size. So now the choice was: uneven borders or crop. Well, looking through my photos, most of my best ones are landscape, and landscape tends to look a bit more impressive when its in a wide panoramic format. So I settled on cropping my pictures to 16x28. This is probably how I will do most of them. However, I have a few shots that don't quite work. Some of them can be stretched just a tiny bit to make them fit. Others just look wrong. For those, I'm still not sure whether to go for uneven borders or a custom (24x32) frame size. This question probably won't be answered for a little while.

In my next entry, I'll cover just how to get these larger prints onto paper

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Improving my presentation - Table of Contents

Part 1: Larger Prints

Part 2: Printing Larger Prints

Part 3: Advantages of a Wide Format Printer

Part 4: Choosing a Wide Format Printer

Part 5: Nicer Frames

Part 6: Better Matting

Part 7: Improved Matting Techniques

Part 8: Better Signs
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