Print Finishing & Mounting

Most people are familiar with the standard finish that's been on photographic prints for years - the Lustre Finish, or as we photographers call it, an "E Surface".  All of our prints are available in this finish, at any size.  As with any photograph or piece of art being displayed, it should be protected from UV, dust and daily use and handling.  The most common method for this is to place the print in a frame, behind glass.

Today though, we have the ability to offer so many more choices for printing and displaying your photography.

In addition to the Lustre finish, we offer a Matte finish on prints 16x20 or smaller.  The Matte paper is great for Black & White images, but is equally at home with colour.  The paper eliminates glare, so often, the colours look richer and deeper, although not quite as bright.  The Matte paper, like the Lustre, should be displayed behind glass.

Fine Art Papers

Recently, we've also been able to offer a selection of Fine Art Papers for print sizes from 8x10 to 16x24.

These papers are 100% cotton fibre, pH buffered and acid free to extend the life of your print many times that of traditional photographic prints.  The paper is available in either a smooth surface, typically used for studio portraits or portraits of children, while the textured surface (hard to see, but pictured here) is great for outdoor or environmental portraits and other Fine Art prints. We have samples of the paper to see, and feel, at the studio. And yes, they feel even better than they look!

Together with our UltraChrome HDR pigment ink and large format professional printer (which uses 11 separate ink colours), we can create long lasting prints of superior quality that will last for generations. This is the same, exhibition quality, paper that we use for our Fine Art Limited Edition Photographs and represents the finest quality available.  We will assist you in selecting the perfect mat and frame combination to create a true heirloom and one that suits your home decor and tastes. Visit 'The Print' page for more information about the process.

Although the following finishes are available on smaller prints, they are most widely used on prints that are larger than 16x24.  Once your print starts getting larger than this, framing with glass can get quite expensive, but will also make the framed print quite heavy.  These are some options for displaying your photograph without glass.

Gallery Wraps

Although relatively new, Gallery Wraps have taken off in regards to photographic displays.  

A Gallery Wrap is a printed image that literally 'wraps' around a wooden stretcher frame. These are printed with the same high quality pigment inks used for the Fine Art papers, but printed on artist's canvas instead. 

Gallery Wraps are sprayed or laminated for extra UV protection to protect against fading, scuffs or scratches. Depending on the size of the image, the canvas will have a 1 3/4" to 2 1/2" edge where the image is wrapped around.

Gallery Wraps are delivered ready to hang with out the need of glass or even a frame. Even though the wraps cost more than a traditional print, when you take the cost of framing into account, the Gallery Wrap is actually a great value. It's extremely light so mounting on the wall is never a concern, and when viewed from an angle, actually creates a three dimensional experience.

Gallery Wraps represent an economical, yet highly functional and beautiful method for displaying your photograph.  The archival quality is second only to the Fine Art Papers and will surely provide years, if not generations of enjoyment.

ProTexture Lacquer Spray

If you still like the look of a framed print, but don't want to use glass, the ProTexture finish is one of the best.  This protective finish consists of about seven coats of a high quality UV resistant lacquer spray.

The resulting finish is beautiful.  As you can see in the photo at left, glaring lights are diffused, similar to a matte finish, but it still retains the deep, rich colours of the lustre style finishing. I had to make an effort to actually photograph the glare. It wasn't easy. This finish really is the best of both worlds.

We also offer a variety of laminated finishes, but the ProTexture is our favourite when wanting to display your photograph within a frame, but without glass.

There are many ways of mounting your photography once you've decided on the method of framing. On prints up to 16x24, framing with a mat and glass usually doesn't require any mounting at all. The print is attached to the mat via archival 'hinges'.  This is why the Fine Art prints typically have a border around the image. Nothing actually touches the finish of the image itself ensuring that it remains truly archival.  The mat will support your print, and the glass will protect it.

If you are using a lamination or lacquer spray to protect your print so you don't need glass, we recommend Masonite Mounting. We can have your print mounted to Mounting Board, but the board is susceptible to warping with a change in humidity.  It's fine for small prints, such as 8x10s, but we strongly recommend the Masonite for prints 11x14 or larger.

Although slightly more expensive, we also offer Gatorboard, which is extremely light-weight (lighter than Masonite) yet very strong and will remain flat.  If weight is a consideration on a larger wall hanging, you may want to consider Gatorboard.

The next step is framing your portrait. For more information, follow the Framing Your Print link.

Mike Guilbault,MPA

Master of Photographic Arts.