Posted by Bill Pelzmann on February 10, 2010 at 12:42 AM
I have seen paper prints mounted on metal but hadn't heard of this dye-infusion process until last week. This new medium has dyes infused into specially coated aluminum plates. It is an alternative to plaque mounting that some of you may want to try.
Claimed benefits:
- brilliant colors
- superior sharpness
- durable, "archival" prints without glass
- ultra-hard scratch-resistant surface
- waterproof
- easily cleaned with any commercial glass cleaner
Also, the aluminum plates are VERY light weight compared to plaque mounts, so shipping costs, especially for large pieces, should be significantly less.
My 20"x30" print of the "Control Tower" from South Coyote Buttes arrived today. The color saturations and sharpness are superb! I ordered the high gloss surface, but probably a satin finish would be better to reduce surface reflections.
If any of you are in the Westminster area and want to see the results, give me a shout.
Hey, Brent, does anyone in the Denver area do this work?
Posted by Steven Peckham on February 10, 2010 at 10:13 AM
Neat stuff Bill.
Two questions
1) How light is VERY light weight? Must be something like one pound or less for a thin sheet of aluminumumum.
2) Do you think it is ready to hang on the wall as-is, or should it be framed (sharp edges, questionable mountings, whatever)?
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on February 10, 2010 at 11:56 AM
Steven, the 20" x 30", with the float mount back, weighs 2 lbs. That weight is entirely in the float mount. I'd estimate the metal plate alone weighs ~ 1/2 lb. This compares to 6 lbs for an identical size plaque mount.
The basic float mount is ready to hang as-is. The mount is solid. The edges are not an issue, but the corners would certainly hurt, if dropped on a bare foot. There is an option to round the cornes.
I certainly think the unframed look is elegant. Similar to a float mounted plaque. However, since it is very thin, you don't get an edge finish.
Posted by Adam Kavalunas on February 10, 2010 at 12:46 PM
Hey Bill,
How did the BP metal prints compare to your normal prints as far as color-matching and sharpness. I've used MC for my metal prints recently. They are slightly less sharp that my normal LightJet prints I get from Photocraft, and have some color/shadow issues. The metal prints have a slight yellowish tint to them, and the shadow detail is lacking (basically a lot of grain is introduced). I basically have to go and tweak each image to ensure it looks ok on the metal print, and I'm still not completely satisfied. I had some BP samples sent to me, but they were tiny and didn't lend much for comparison. The colors did seem more accurate in the BP samples tho.
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on February 10, 2010 at 2:21 PM
Adam.
When compared side by side to my Epson 3800 prints, you can notice a slight magenta shift and a very slight darkening. My epson prints were made with a custom paper profile, whereas I just sent BP a standard sRGB JPEG. I haven't checked to see if BP offers profiles for their process, but I feel the differences are acceptable for this test image.
There is absolutely NO change in shadow detail or grain, except for the slightly darker print.
Thanks for the feedback on MC. I thought I might try them next, but not if your experience is typical.
Posted by Adam Kavalunas on February 10, 2010 at 2:45 PM
Thats so odd. You had a magenta shift and darkening, I had a yellow shift, and lightening. But by the sounds of it, I think my differences were more noticeable than yours. I may just have to get a real BP sample done of the 1 of the same images I had MC do to get a true comparison.
Posted by Pam Colander on February 10, 2010 at 2:52 PM
Interesting alternative. Thanks very much for the info Bill.
Posted by Tim Mulholland on February 10, 2010 at 3:06 PM
There's also another provider - AluminArte.com
They found me last year and sent me some samples. The samples are impressive and I've thought about having them print something for me, but haven't tried 'em yet...
Tim!
Posted by Adam Kavalunas on February 10, 2010 at 4:07 PM
Yeah, Aluminarte is the same as Image Wizards. Their prices are quite a bit higher than the other two. I also got some of their samples. They did appear to be the sharpest of the 3 though.
Posted by John Klotz on February 11, 2010 at 1:07 AM
I have thinking about somethig like this also. How do B&W images translate on this process?
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on February 11, 2010 at 1:39 AM
Good question, John. I have no idea how delicate tonal ranges in a B&W print would translate.
Most B&W photographers are pretty picky about their papers and surfaces.
I'd be interested in hearing your impressions, if you give it a try.
Posted by John Klotz on February 11, 2010 at 11:40 PM
Bill, I am looking just the right B&W image and I will let you know if I try it.
Discussion
11 repliesClaimed benefits:
- brilliant colors
- superior sharpness
- durable, "archival" prints without glass
- ultra-hard scratch-resistant surface
- waterproof
- easily cleaned with any commercial glass cleaner
Also, the aluminum plates are VERY light weight compared to plaque mounts, so shipping costs, especially for large pieces, should be significantly less.
My 20"x30" print of the "Control Tower" from South Coyote Buttes arrived today. The color saturations and sharpness are superb! I ordered the high gloss surface, but probably a satin finish would be better to reduce surface reflections.
Bayphoto did my printing:
http://www.bayphoto.com/bayweb/pro_metalprints.htm
Total cost for the float mounted 20"x30", with tax and shipping - $108
Note: they offer 25% off on your first order.
Magna Chrome also offers these prints at similar prices;
http://www.magnachrome.com/
If any of you are in the Westminster area and want to see the results, give me a shout.
Hey, Brent, does anyone in the Denver area do this work?
Two questions
1) How light is VERY light weight? Must be something like one pound or less for a thin sheet of aluminumumum.
2) Do you think it is ready to hang on the wall as-is, or should it be framed (sharp edges, questionable mountings, whatever)?
The basic float mount is ready to hang as-is. The mount is solid. The edges are not an issue, but the corners would certainly hurt, if dropped on a bare foot. There is an option to round the cornes.
I certainly think the unframed look is elegant. Similar to a float mounted plaque. However, since it is very thin, you don't get an edge finish.
How did the BP metal prints compare to your normal prints as far as color-matching and sharpness. I've used MC for my metal prints recently. They are slightly less sharp that my normal LightJet prints I get from Photocraft, and have some color/shadow issues. The metal prints have a slight yellowish tint to them, and the shadow detail is lacking (basically a lot of grain is introduced). I basically have to go and tweak each image to ensure it looks ok on the metal print, and I'm still not completely satisfied. I had some BP samples sent to me, but they were tiny and didn't lend much for comparison. The colors did seem more accurate in the BP samples tho.
When compared side by side to my Epson 3800 prints, you can notice a slight magenta shift and a very slight darkening. My epson prints were made with a custom paper profile, whereas I just sent BP a standard sRGB JPEG. I haven't checked to see if BP offers profiles for their process, but I feel the differences are acceptable for this test image.
There is absolutely NO change in shadow detail or grain, except for the slightly darker print.
Thanks for the feedback on MC. I thought I might try them next, but not if your experience is typical.
They found me last year and sent me some samples. The samples are impressive and I've thought about having them print something for me, but haven't tried 'em yet...
Tim!
Most B&W photographers are pretty picky about their papers and surfaces.
I'd be interested in hearing your impressions, if you give it a try.