Alternative to canvas

ShawWellPete

ShawWellPete

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Hi guys,

I tend not to get a huge number of photos printed, I do a photo book of my best photos every year and every few years I frame some pictures, usually I use fairly plain black wooden frames and buy some mounts and do it myself. It's getting time for me to do more as the last lot was probably 4 years ago.

One of my favourite recent photos is this one

Sevenoaks Weald by ShawWellPete, on Flickr

I'd like to put it above a relatively modern fireplace where there a large gap. I quite like the 16x9 aspect ratio so would like to maintain it and would like it between 36 and 48 inches wide. I think canvases look a bit dated now and have been looking at alternatives. I guess I could print it on quality paper and have it mounted and framed. I have also been looking at the aluminium prints that ds colour labs sell.

I've never seen an aluminium print panel, how do they look? Has anybody got any other suggestions? or recommend a good online printer that will do it?

Thanks, in advance, for any suggestions.
 
Metal is an option and the ones I have seen have looked good, other options you could look at are Acrylic Panel, or Block Panel, another that I have been looking at is Bamboo Panels, so may be worth looking at them as well.
 
Loxley do a print wrap, a cross between a canvas print and a traditional print. That photo would look absolutely stunning on a high gloss/metallic one and you'd have a fairly unique product as I haven't seen anything similar on the High Street.
 
That shot is made for brushed aluminium , you'll not regret it once you see it
 
To print a photograph on canvas is inescapably naff - like trying to pretend that the photo is a painting, or something like that. The two media just aren't visually or culturally compatible. The very concept has a Woolworths or pound shop sort of flavour about it (remember Woolworths?).

Acrylic sheet (once commonly known by a brand name, Perspex), and aluminium too, contribute a slick, hi-tech aesthetic and may be more suitable for a car showroom than a domestic interior. Generally, they smack of the commercial.

Consider an inkjet (often pretentiously called Gicleé) print - as available on a range of papers including some from Hahnemühle from certain labs like theprintspace (https://www.theprintspace.co.uk/CTypeAndGicleePrints) or Point101 (http://www.point101.com/giclee_printing/paper). They use pigment inks and have an admirable display life.
 
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Kevjones said:
Loxley do a print wrap, a cross between a canvas print and a traditional print. That photo would look absolutely stunning on a high gloss/metallic one and you'd have a fairly unique product as I haven't seen anything similar on the High Street.
Click to expand...

I'll look at that thanks

stumac said:
That shot is made for brushed aluminium , you'll not regret it once you see it
Click to expand...

I have never seen any so thanks for the tip

droj said:
To print a photograph on canvas is inescapably naff - like trying to pretend that the photo is a painting, or something like that. The two media just aren't visually or culturally compatible. The very concept has a Woolworths or pound shop sort of flavour about it (remember Woolworths?).

Acrylic sheet (once commonly known by a brand name, Perspex), and aluminium too, contribute a slick, hi-tech aesthetic and may be more suitable for a car showroom than a domestic interior. Generally, they smack of the commercial.

Consider an inkjet (often pretentiously called Gicleé) print - as available on a range of papers including some from Hahnemühle from certain labs like theprintspace (https://www.theprintspace.co.uk/CTypeAndGicleePrints) or Point101 (http://www.point101.com/giclee_printing/paper). They use pigment inks and have an admirable display life.
Click to expand...

And there is the counter argument, I know exactly what you mean, and that is my concern! Once printed it will then need to be framed and that creates a whole new set of options :)
 
My personal favourites for this image would be either metal or fine art.
For metal I would not want brushed for this image, I would stick with high gloss white. Fine art / giclee prints are really nice, which paper is personal preference. However these do not handle well so can be a pig to mount without rubbing. I also don't like fine art paper behind glass or Perspex so don't like it framed. Hence I rule it out.
Back to metal then. I got a metal print done for my mum but the unfinished minimal look would not fit in for her so I got it framed, no glass or acrylic, just the frame moulding around the metal print.
Not a flat frame but an almost triangular moulding profile with the thin edge towards the viewer. It looks stunning.
Many others still prefer a pure c type print, mounted flush behind acrylic is popular.
It is all personal, this is just my take but I do have the biggest lab in the country as a playground (Loxley).
One thing you can do for a few quid is order a sample paper selected and sample of each metal print finish from Loxley, whether you buy the final product from there or not it lets you see the options in the flesh.
 
testbloke said:
My personal favourites for this image would be either metal or fine art.
For metal I would not want brushed for this image, I would stick with high gloss white. Fine art / giclee prints are really nice, which paper is personal preference. However these do not handle well so can be a pig to mount without rubbing. I also don't like fine art paper behind glass or Perspex so don't like it framed. Hence I rule it out.
Back to metal then. I got a metal print done for my mum but the unfinished minimal look would not fit in for her so I got it framed, no glass or acrylic, just the frame moulding around the metal print.
Not a flat frame but an almost triangular moulding profile with the thin edge towards the viewer. It looks stunning.
Many others still prefer a pure c type print, mounted flush behind acrylic is popular.
It is all personal, this is just my take but I do have the biggest lab in the country as a playground (Loxley).
One thing you can do for a few quid is order a sample paper selected and sample of each metal print finish from Loxley, whether you buy the final product from there or not it lets you see the options in the flesh.
Click to expand...

Thanks Kevin, Is this what you're referring to?
 
testbloke said:
My personal favourites for this image would be either metal or fine art.
For metal I would not want brushed for this image, I would stick with high gloss white. Fine art / giclee prints are really nice, which paper is personal preference. However these do not handle well so can be a pig to mount without rubbing. I also don't like fine art paper behind glass or Perspex so don't like it framed. Hence I rule it out.
Back to metal then. I got a metal print done for my mum but the unfinished minimal look would not fit in for her so I got it framed, no glass or acrylic, just the frame moulding around the metal print.
Not a flat frame but an almost triangular moulding profile with the thin edge towards the viewer. It looks stunning.
Many others still prefer a pure c type print, mounted flush behind acrylic is popular.
It is all personal, this is just my take but I do have the biggest lab in the country as a playground (Loxley).
One thing you can do for a few quid is order a sample paper selected and sample of each metal print finish from Loxley, whether you buy the final product from there or not it lets you see the options in the flesh.
Click to expand...
Hi, just wondering why not brushed ? I thought it would be great for the texture with the sky/etc , not questioning you , just wanting to be educated :-)
 
stumac said:
Hi, just wondering why not brushed ? I thought it would be great for the texture with the sky/etc , not questioning you , just wanting to be educated :-)
Click to expand...

Purely personal. I don't really like the brushed metal.
 
ShawWellPete said:
Thanks Kevin, Is this what you're referring to?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is the normal framed alumini offering.

However, I made my own product and used the prism core moulding ...
http://www.loxleycolour.com/walldisplay/framed/prismrange#overview

I tried many frames on the metal print but as there is no mount or border I found the normal style frames were taking away from the image. I liked this moulding as the edge towards the viewer is very thin and found the moulding draws the eye to the image rather than giving something else to focus on.

I also thought doing this softened the overall product enough for it to fit in the old folks living room.

If you did want to go down that route, or pick a frame outwith the standard offerings just phone sales and tell them.

Hope this helps
 
testbloke said:
Yes, that is the normal framed alumini offering.

However, I made my own product and used the prism core moulding ...
http://www.loxleycolour.com/walldisplay/framed/prismrange#overview

I tried many frames on the metal print but as there is no mount or border I found the normal style frames were taking away from the image. I liked this moulding as the edge towards the viewer is very thin and found the moulding draws the eye to the image rather than giving something else to focus on.

I also thought doing this softened the overall product enough for it to fit in the old folks living room.

If you did want to go down that route, or pick a frame outwith the standard offerings just phone sales and tell them.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

Thanks Kevin,

I can see that would look good, particularly with a dark frame. Is it an optical illusion or is one of the frames (third one down) convex rather than convex (ie the picture stick out of the frame rather than inside the frame)?
 
Yes the prism core has the depth the prism surface is the opposite
 
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