TrianglePhotoPrints.com Paper , mounting, finish options – Addicted to Metallic Paper

 

The Print experiment

Recently, I ordered a few samples from my lab that creates the prints for my www.trianglephotoprints.com web site.  The goal of the exercise was to compare the standard E-Surface paper vs. the Metallic paper that are offered as paper options for the all the prints on the web site.  I was also interested in viewing the Single/Double weight backboard in the flesh. 

As the self-proclaimed “birds and babies”, I decide to use this print of my now “family famous” spoonbill.  

I ordered two copies of this print with the following options:

• E-Surface paper with Lustre coating and  Single/Double weight backboard.
• Metallic paper with the Single/Double weight backboard.

These options can be set on any of your prints, once they are added to the shopping cart.

Paper/Print Options

This screen shot is from the www.trianglephotoprints.com  shopping cart for my chosen print. 
I highlighted the link to set your paper/print options.

  If you click the “E-Surface Color Paper”, you are presented with the following paper options: 

Here you can select your paper finish, Color Correction option (I suggest leaving as the default so a lab technician personally examines the print) and any color Conversion.  

Here is the description of the two paper options I  ordered from the web site.

E-Surface Paper

“Kodak Professional Portra Endura paper (aka Traditional E-Surface paper) is the most popular choice. This paper has slightly textured Matte finish. Accurate color, realistic saturation, excellent neutral skin-tone reproduction, and brighter colors are just a few of the attributes that describe it.  The standard print life is 100 years in home display, and 200 years in dark storage.

NOTE: B&W images will still print in black and white on this paper.”

Metallic Paper

“If you have never seen a Metallic print, you owe it to yourself to try this paper.

Endura Metallic paper offers natural looking skin-tones, sharp details and beautifully saturated colors. It is strong and resistant to tearing or curling without any additional lamination. This paper uses a patented combination of film and laminate layers that results in striking three-dimensional images on an ultra-bright background. This paper is truly impressive.

NOTE: B&W images will still print in black and white on this paper.”

 

Mounting, Framing,  Lamination and Coating Options

For the mounting options, you would click the “Frames, mounting, etc..” that is highlighted here.

This brings up the following options:

The Lustre Coating option is only available on the E-Surface paper. This is set in Lamination & Coating section of the above dialog.
The Mounting and Frame dropdown allows you to select your mounting and framing options.  Since I am planning to frame these pictures myself, I selected the Single Weight Backboard Option.  This is the least expensive mounting option; however, that foam core mount looks very interesting to me.

Here is the description of these options that I ordered from the web site:

Lustre Coating

Lustre coating is an environmentally friendly, non-flammable coating which protects against UV light, finger prints, and dust. With the coverage and appearance similar to lacquer, the Lustre Coating gives your prints a rich, glossy sheen.
NOTE: One extra day is required for processing. Available for all print sizes. Not available on Metallic paper.

Single Weight Backboard

Mounting your print on a backboard not only gives the print extra support, but it also helps preserve the value of the print over time. Single-weight backboard is 1/16" thick. These are rigid, lightweight art boards added to the back of the print with a smooth white surface and a white foam center. NOTE: One extra day is required for processing.

 

Result

Though, I like both prints for different reasons.  I really like the metallic paper for the “3D look” it gives the prints. It really makes the colors of this particular print  pop out.   I encourage you to try this metallic paper and see if it “wows” you like it did me.  I can see value of the E-Surface when you want a soft look to the photo. 

Have you ever framed a print and over time, it ends up being “wavy” in the frame where you look at the picture on the you notice bad reflections because the print is not flat in the frame.  The backboard will definitely solve this problem at a reasonable cost.