Print fulfilment for Landscapes - "automatic" using a lab, or self fulfil using local printer

[James Blonde]

I'm a landscape photographer trying to set up an Imagefile website with a fulfilment service to One Vision or Loxley, but I've got a fair number of non-standard sizes, panoramas, etc, I've done nothing to the image beyond post production, I haven't cropped to a standard size (I'd prefer not to if I don't have to, but I may come back to that...) and I'd prefer not to have prospective buyers a) having to crop themselves and b) getting a rubbish picture because I've not prepared it properly!

I've tried looking for a local recommended print shop or gallery that does custom or large format prints, but I don't know of any in Devon and I simply don't know where to start.

In terms of the Loxley or One Vision print options in theimagefile, there are so many as to be distracting and difficult to manage / scroll through (>1400 different standard options / formats / finishes, etc for Loxley), and I guess are more geared towards Portrait or Wedding photographers. I just want the image to come out as I've processed it! I've colormunki'd the display, I'm fairly content with the couple of small sized test prints I've done (I suspect I'll have to bite the bullet sometime and do something larger to see what I get) but beyond that, I'm lost.

Oh, and does anywhere do a decent mounting service??

Anyone got any thoughts or suggestions as to where to start with this? Any recommendations? Anything worth reading? Clearly, I haven't got a clue!

 

[Box Brownie]

Hi James

In case it helps? I did an exhibition in April this year that was almost all wildlife (mammal & birds) the rest were some aviation and one landscape.

I used and will be using again Oxford Giclee for my prints, I mounted my own having bought mounts and backing 'boards' (and other accessories) from Picture Lizard.....................and as it was my first exhibition I used commercially available frames from the big Swedish shed FWIW Oxford Giclee do have on their website the complete mounting & framing service but the costs were a bit steep for what my intended "pricing" and circumstances were. In other words I entirely did the self fulfilment, even down to sending 2 mounted but unframed prints to Australia.

When it comes framing non standard sizes (or even better quality frames) my thought would be to find a local framer..................and if he makes mounts IMO be sure he knows how to cut mounts with the minimum to zero 'overcuts' as I found to my cost when I needed a one off! Compared to the Picture Lizard produced ones it was like night & day.

It is my plan to add to my portfolio and hopefully make online sales from my own website but again so that I have control it is my intention at this stage to stick with self fulfilment. Having said that if (when?) I add the likes of greetings cards/notelets that may be a product that could be done using the likes of Loxleys??? But for now I need to increase the range of images and get the mounted prints 'out there' in whatever ways I can?

Edit ~ FWIW Googling produced a range of choices of framers in Devon https://www.google.co.uk/#q=framers+in+devon

 

[James Blonde]

Thanks Box Brownie! I'll have a look at those places!

I may have to take a look at self fulfilling I think - it'll give me more control of the image, formats, finishes and arguably pricing as well. Whilst automatically sending my orders off to a lab sounds good, as does having pre-configured pricing and mark-ups, it's all meaningless if I can't automatically get the options I want or they're lost in a sea of similar options. I know the bulk of their market are going to be weddings or portraits, so I can't really expect differently. I also want the buyer to get what they see, not then have to crop it to size (or crop to a different format completely!) I'm not really expecting many orders anyway so it's not like I'd be rushing off to deal with orders every 10 minutes, but it's nice to at least give people the option, and you never know...!

 

[testbloke]

Loxley will print and frame custom sizes if you phone customer services. We already do this for some well known landscape photographers.

 

[James Blonde]

Thanks Testbloke - that's good to know! Might give them a ring in the week!

 

[simonkit]

I use Zenfolio who have One Vision set up as a provider but partly for the same reason as you have just chosen to self-fulfil orders instead, the other reason is that bizarrely Zenfolio don't offer standard print/frame combinations on auto-fulfilment despite them being available at One Vision. I still use One Vision to supply framed prints (very good quality BTW) but access the One Vision site and place the order directly with them myself

Sion