Canvas Printing & Photo Enlargements on Epson 9600

Canvas Printing

2009-06-11T23:42:00.000-07:00

Just printed a 24x36 photograph of an Arabian stallion on water resistant satin canvas. The photographer, a pro, is Judith Wagner; the horse is A Jakarta, owned by Deor Farms and Royal Arabians in Butte Falls, Oregon. We used the standard depth (3/4") stretcher bars (vs. the heavy duty (1 1/2" deep), and printed on the face only (vs. gallery wrap), as they will be putting this in a picture frame. A cross brace was used - the standard stretcher bars on a canvas print this large will distort when the canvas is stretched without the brace.

This canvas print will be displayed at a regional Arabian horse show, and is a great marketing tool for their stallion.

Poster Printing

2009-06-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

Recently we received an order for a 36"x48" poster print; a young woman was getting married soon and wanted a couple of photos of her and her fiance enlarged and printed as a poster. They planned on having their wedding guests sign the poster (instead of a guest book). Because of resizing and cropping issues, after enlarging the photos and merging them onto one layer, there was lots of white space. So, after getting approval from the bride-to-be, we filled some of the white space at the top of the poster print with text. Using a script font in photoshop, we added the bride and groom's names and their wedding date. The bride loved it. Hopefully we will get to print some of her wedding pictures on canvas.

Inks and Media for Epson 9600 printer

2009-06-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

I purchase all of my supplies for the Epson 9600 Stylus Pro large format printer from IT Supplies. They have the best prices that I have found, shipping is free on all orders over $75, and they ship immediately. Even though they are back east, all items are shipped from the closest warehouse - in my case, from California. I buy the 220ml ultrachrome inks., RC photo papers, water resistant canvas, cotton canvas, and art papers (all in roll form).

Photos printed on Canvas

2009-06-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

It's June - the wedding month! We have printed many digital photos of engagements and weddings on canvas. Attention is paid to all details in the image; all spots are removed (with Photoshop software)from the wedding dress and groom's clothing. The canvas print must be perfect - after all, it is intended to last for a lifetime!

Photo Gifts

2008-05-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

Many photos (printed, scanned, or digital files) can be turned into great gifts. I have scanned in old photos of deceased loved ones, touched them up a little, then printed them on canvas and framed them. It's a great way to keep sweet memories alive forever.

A canvas print or a photo reprint/enlargement/poster of children is an awesome and memorable mother's day or father's day gift. Christmas, too. Take your favorite wedding image - we can print it on canvas and put it in an elegant gold or silver frame. Makes for a perfect wedding gift or anniversary gift.

Technology art prints/posters

2008-05-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

Printed a digital photo image of Circuit board city - it was a digital collage of an orange sunrise backdrop with a circuit board assy in the foreground. This would be excellent for office or factory decor.

Printed 30" x20" on Epson Premium semimatte RC Photo Paper with genuine Epson ultrachrome inks. Edited in Photoshop CS2; applied level corrections, auto contrast and auto color plus 194 unsharp mask.

Tropical Art Prints

2008-05-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

Just printed a digital photo file; it was a photograph of Hawaiian islands. Very tropical and peaceful. Printed 11"x14" on Epson Premium Glossy resin coated photo paper with genuine Epson ultrachrome inks. I could use lower cost off brand inks and papers, but after trying some on my little every day printer, I decided it was not worth it. The off brand inks were constantly clogging, refilling cartridges was too messy, etc.

Fathers Day Gift Ideas

2008-05-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Fathers day is coming up; it's on June 15, 2008 according to Holidays.net. Have one or two (or more) of his favorite digital photos printed on canvas at Allreds Photo, or order a framed canvas print. We also offer top quality photo enlargements; order any size up to 44" wide - oversize art prints are our specialty, and our shipping charges are reasonable.

If you do not have a digital image file to process, but would like to order an art print, photo enlargement or poster, framed photo, or canvas print, we recommend Acclaim Images; they have thousands of images available as art prints at their stock photography site.

Repair Manual for Epson 9600

2008-05-13T10:01:00.001-07:00

I previously wrote about finding a repair manual for the Epson 9600 printer - here's the link to a free download for the service/repair/tech manual for the Epson 9600 printer. Save the entire manual on your hard drive so you have access to it when needed.

Blessing of the Hounds printed on Canvas

2008-05-08T16:09:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week I got an order to print a digital stock photo on canvas. Digital image processing is so much easier to do than film (at least for the end user). The image # is 0345-0605-2807-2826; it is a Stock image of the annual blessing of the fox hunting hounds, horses, and riders at the Iroquios Hunt Club in Lexington, Kentucky USA. The Blessing of the Hounds event marks the beginning of the hunting season and follows the tradition of honoring Saint Hubert, the patron saint of hunters. You can purchase the digital image file or order art prints, canvas prints, or posters and oversize poster prints at Acclaim Images.com.

To order art prints, photo enlargements, canvas prints, posters, and oversize poster prints of your own personal digital photos and scanned images, go to Allreds Photo.com

Family Portraits as Mothers Day Gifts

2008-05-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

I have printed quite a few family portraits on canvas for Mother's Day gifts. What a great gift idea! We printed 2 separate portraits of childres on canvas; the customer requested paint brush strokes added to the photo(s); he wanted them to look like oil paintings on canvas. I added oil painting brush stroke effects in Paint Shop Pro (I like their brush stroke effects better than Photoshop). The partial image at right shows how it looks on screen; love it printed on canvas!

Art Prints for Frame Shop

2008-04-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

I just finished printing 7 20"x30" art prints on semi matte photo paper for Acclaim Images; I drop ship for them, and this order is going to a frame shop in Illinois.
Most of the images were photos of the Chicago are, one of them the Navy Pier on the Chicago waterfront with skyline in the background (shown above). I loved that one-it's very colorful!

I'm framing a 20"x30" art print of rolling sandstone formations at the Wave in Arizona's Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area, shown below. This is also for Acclaim, I will drop ship directly to their client for them.

Pet Memorials

2008-04-02T00:03:00.000-07:00

We got an order last week for a photo of a goldfish named "Goldie" who had passed away at the age of 11. The owner wanted the imaged printed on canvas then framed with a gold wood frame with linen liner (DA198). Their plan was to hang it where the fish aquarium had been as a memorial to their beloved pet fish.

I got an email from the customer and they loved it!

Water Resistant Canvas Test Results

2008-03-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

As previously posted, I printed the 2 each of the same image on Premiere Art Water Resistant Canvas with Epson Ultrachrome inks; the approx size is 8"x8". I let them dry/cure for about a week, then I stretched one on the stretcher strips and left the second one unstretched for the time being. Then I applied 3 coats of Premiere Imaging Products' Printshield spray as directed on the can. Temp was aprox 68 Degrees F. First coat applied horizontally, wait 5 minutes min., rotate print 90 deg clockwise, apply second coat. Rotate canvas 90 degrees clockwise, spray 3rd coat.

After letting the canvas prints dry for a few days, I stretched the second canvas print.

Now the water resistance test:

I wet a paper towel, then squeezed out the excess water. I scrubbed both of the canvas prints with the moist towel; neither one was affected by the moisture!

I expected the canvas that had been stretched after spraying with the lacquer to have some of the ink rub off when rubbed with the moist towel, but it did not happen. This product exceeded my expectations and I will continue to use it.

Editing in Photoshop CS

2008-03-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

I've been printing a number of portraits on canvas lately, and I have great admiration for portrait photographers. It is a lot of work to get the skin tones adjusted, and this is one of those things where years of experience and a good eye are invaluable. Image files are almost always way too red, and canvas printing seems to intensify red and green tones. If the image file is srgb, I leave it as is (vs RGB); keeps the reds muted.

Pictures/Portraits printed on Canvas

2008-03-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

We have done quite a few portraits on canvas these last few weeks. The most frequent problem is file size-the digital image files are usually too small. However- after resizing using Genuine Fractals by Lizardtech, the pictures look good. If the original image is nice and sharp, resizing up works well. If the image looks pixellated on the screen, it doesn't alway print out that way (usually prints out looking normal).

If we're printing on a resin coated (RC) photo paper, the image better look good on the screen. Printing photos on canvas is a little different. Because the canvas is textured, it's much more forgiving than photo paper, and an image that doesn't look perfect on the moniter usually prints out on canvas looking great!

Click here to Order your portraits printed on canvas at Allreds Photo.com; these make perfect gifts: Christmas gifts, photo gifts, foto gifts, Valentines day gifts, Birthday presents, Wedding presents, shower gifts, anytime gifts. Landscapes make an excellent housewarming gift. If you are looking for an idea for an anniversary gift, look no further! Take a wedding picture or photo, we can print it on canvas, and then frame it it in the traditional wedding silver picture frame. Click here to see our picture frames.

Framing and Matting Oversize Art Prints

2008-02-25T10:23:00.000-08:00

I am in the process of framing a couple of oversize Art Prints; they are 30"x40" printed on semimatte paper, have a 2" wide mat, non-glare/matte acrylic glazing, and a 2" wide black flat face wood frame.

One of the images is a black and white sepia toned horizontal photo of 4 row boats in line docked at a lake; image #0015-0502-1515-3229 can be viewed/ordered at Acclaim Images; the image description is as follows: Fishing Boats; Scenic Still Life, Black and White Fine Art - Pictures, Photos, Photography

The second image is a photograph of a dock on a foggy still lake, also available at Acclaim Images; the image number is 0400-0703-0916-2446. The description of this image is as follows: Stock Image of a Moored Sailboat and Dock in the Fog on the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.

These poster size photos print out nicely and are suitable for decorating a large wall space - these particular posters/art prints have been ordered by an architect design firm for decor in a restaurant.

I order the frame mouldings chopped (they cut to the size I order plus 1/8" and the corners are mitered) and I join them on a v nailer/underpinner. This machine is perfect for small frame shops like Allreds Photo; it's made by Inmes, the price is reasonable (we paid $525.00 new), it does not require compressed air or electricity. It's called an underpinner because the frame is placed face up (so the operator can see the joint) and it's vnailed from the underside. It's operated by a foot pedal - very simple and easy to use. I've had it for about 2 or 3 years and have not had a single problem other than operator error.

When framing these oversize art prints, I have to order oversize (oversize is anything over 32"x40"; I order 40"x60") foamcore, mat board and I order the acrylic pre cut. It's expensive to have these huge items shipped - if possible, I find a local supplier and pick them up myself. The closest suppliers are 2 1/2 hours away in Sacramento.

Website Maintenance

2008-02-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

Last night I got the Sales tax function added on my website - it's 7.25% in California with no additional tax for this area (Shasta County). I also updated shipping to offer free delivery throughout the local area.

Water Resistant Canvas and Art Prints

2008-02-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

"Unlike traditional photography where a gelatin emulsion protects the image, ink jet papers are porous like a sponge, even after the ink has been applied. In order to protect the image over time, a coating is needed to seal the print."

I use PremierArt's water resistant canvas in the 17", 24" and 44" widths (wish it came 36" wide). The photographer/artist tried to wipe what she thought was a spot of the printed portion of the canvas with a little moisture and the inks smeared! We spray all of the canvas prints with 3 coats of PremierArt's Print shield, which is a lacquer based finish; according to PremierArt's (Premier Imaging Products) website, this spray adds uv resistance, scuff resistance and water resistance. However - although the can the product comes in and PremierArt's website recommends its use on canvas, the website now says it will crack when canvas is stretched. That may be the problem!

Testing to commence as follows: I printed 2 of the same image on the water resistant canvas. They will be allowed to cure for a minimum of 24 hours. One of the canvas prints will be stretched on the bars (prior to spraying), and the other will be sprayed unstretched/prior to stretching. That one will be stretched after spraying. Then I will test each for water resistance.

Results to follow...

Printing with ICC Profiles

2008-02-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

Quite a while ago I wrote about my colors (orange especially) not printing as expected. My oranges were yellow, etc. I did find a solution by going to the Epson large format forum at yahoo.com. That links to the Epson large format signup page at Yahoo.com.

The solution I found was to use ICC printer profiles. Bill Atkinson developed profiles for the Epson 7600 and Epson 9600 Stylus Pro Printers with either Photographic Dye ink or Multichrome ink. These ICC profiles are available as a free download at Epson's website - click here to to go their web page. Be sure to read his instructions on how to use his profiles. They are awesome and I have very few problems with color.

Epson recently changed their Premium semimatte photo paper from 250 gsm to 260 gsm; I still use the printer profile for the 250 semimatte paper, but I changed the print paper properties for all semimatte drivers from Premium semimatte (250) paper to Premium Semigloss Photo Paper (250) per Epson specification that come shipped with the paper (gotta read those).

Canvas Printing

2008-02-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

Last week I printed several different canvases that were scans of oil paintings done by a very talented Arabian Horse photographer.

The challenge is that, due to time constraints, I was unable to see the original paintings - I made no alterations to the image files, which were received in RGB format as .jpg files. The artist was satisfied with the canvas prints, which she was taking to the Scottsdale Arabian show to sell in her booth as framed canvas prints of her oil paintings.

The artist thought the background was too red on one the prints. I made a collage of three of her paintings lined up on a black background (piece of cake in photoshop) for her; she thought that was too red also. I reprinted the collage and re-shipped at no additional charge. Actually I had to redo those canvas prints twice; there was a problem with the scan on the bay horse (his hoof) that we didn't catch on the first 2 shipments. It seemed like there was a piece of light that came in on the scan; it was easy to fix in photoshop using the clone and repair tools.

I found her easy to work with and look forward to doing more business with her.

Epson Stylus Pro 9600 Printer

2008-02-16T23:26:00.000-08:00

The LCD readout on my Epson 9600 has had the message "Maint Req 0040" for several months now; the paper out lamp also flashes every 3 seconds. That requires servicing the cleaning assy, which is fairly simple to do. Then I started getting ink smears outside of the subject area (on the print head side margin), so I began to seriously think about getting on the ball and servicing the cleaning mechanism on the printer.

Then the lcd readout changed to Maint Req 0042. The 0002 specifies the CR motor (carriage return motor). After much research and almost paying big bucks for a service call, I decided to reset the counter on the CR motor. Apparently Epson built in counters (based on the number of pages printed) on several components (print head, CR Motor, PF motor, cutter, maintenance tank, etc). The component may be capable of performing for several more years. but Epson designed the printer to tell you otherwise.

Anyway, I reset the counter on the CR Motor by going into maintenance 2 mode as follows:

1. Turn off power to printer
2. Power back on while pressing these 3 buttons: Paper source, paper feed down, enter; the LCD will read "View Counters".
3. Press the paper feed down once, or until "Clear counters" shows on the lcd (NEVER EVER RESET COUNTER UNDER INIT ALL-THIS IS TO BE DONE AT THE FACTORY ONLY)
4. Press Selec type, then paper feed until "CR Motor" shows on the lcd
5. Press Selec type - the LCD should read "Exec"
6. Press Enter the CR Motor counter is reset to full life

If you need to back up through the menus, press the paper source.
When finished power off, then power back on.

Shipping Artwork

2008-02-12T10:17:00.000-08:00

I just updated shipping charges for the larger size canvas prints (18"x24" and up). When I first started a few years ago, it was pretty cheap to ship the oversize stuff through the post office. Last year (2007) they increased their prices, but they were still cheaper than DHL on some stuff. Now DHL has changed their pricing structure to more accurately charge for dimensional weight on oversize items that are light. So the playing field is pretty level now as far as shipping is concerned. UPS is usually the most expensive, DHL and Fed EX are priced about the same as each other (and cheaper than UPS), and the post office is usually the cheapest. The trade off is that the post office doesn't have tracking except on express mail.

My next duty is to update shipping charges on the framed canvas prints and then the wood picture frames. The photo enlargements are okay as is - they ship rolled up in tubes, so the costs are reasonable.

Then I have to change the site setting to charge sales tax (yuk!) - I moved from Oregon (a no sales tax state) to California, where they tax you any way possible.

Lastly I have to chnge the zip code settings to offer the free shipping in my area (Redding, Anderson, Cottonwood, etc...)

Epson 9600 Ink smears in border

2008-01-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

I occasionally get ink smears in the border area only on my Epson 9600 (right border when facing printer). Note; these ink smears are only in the border and come and go. The printer is 3 years old, light-medium use and the lcd had been displaying "maintenance req 0040" for the past few months.

I called for epson service and the cost is so high ($200 to come out plus $175/hour, plus parts-Epson estimate= $1000), I thought I would do the service myself - I'm pretty handy and the service tech told me "it's not rocket science". To take care of the maint req 0040, I will replace the pump & cap assy Epson p/n 1245149 ($79.64), the flushing box P/n 1112239 ($103.43), and the wiper p/n 1230744 ($5.14). The printer status printout shows low lifetime left (one asterisk) on the CR Motor, so I plan on replacing that also while I have everything torn apart.

I would like to clean the print head at the same time, but the service manual doesn't address that. Have any of you done this (cleaned the print head)? If so, how and what did you clean it with? Do I need to use the drainning cartridges?

Any advice, thoughts or ?? from your personal experiences would be greatly appreciated...

Framed canvas prints for 2007 Arabian Nationals

2007-11-16T21:57:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago I completed 17 framed canvas prints for a major Arabian horse trainer. As usual, it was a rush job (I had two days to get it done). This time was especially difficult because I was communicating with 3 different people. Anyway, I got em all done and shipped off to Albuquerque just in time.

Because of my upcoming move, I had let my supplies run down. That got a little hairy! Finding enough frames of the same gold color usually works out - that's a miracle in itself!

The best part is the image files: all of the photographs are taken by professionals. My personal favorites are shot by Judith; the total composition of each image is usually breathtaking, and there is very little image editing to be done on my part.

30" x 40" Canvas prints

2007-04-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

I printed 3 each 30" x 40" canvas prints for my best customer, Acclaim Images. 30x40 canvas prints are always a challenge. First, because of the sheer size; 30" x 40" is pretty big and can be difficult to handle. Second, because of the size, I use the heavy duty stretcher bars to avoid warping. These heavy duty stretcher bars are much bigger than the standard stretcher strips. They are 1 1/2" deep and allow another 1 1/2" of canvas on the back side of the bar. All of my canvases are gallery wrapped - to order your image printed on canvas, click here; i.e., the image is continued on all four sides of the frame (stretcher bars/strips). On a 30x40, that adds 6" to the length and width of the image.

Here are the 3 images printed on canvas:

This is a photograph of a coffee cup and saucer filled and overflowing with coffee beans. You can find it at Acclaim Images by searching for image number 0180-0512-0423-0351.

This is a black and white version of silverware (knife, fork, and spoon) on a black background. You can find this at Acclaim Images by searching for image number 0346-0701-2906-0241.

This is a color high resolution stock photo of wheat. The stalks of wheat are sharply focused while the background is blurred. This image can be found at Acclaim Images by searching for image number 0430-0609-2022-1923.

All of these images came out looking fantastic printed on canvas.

Framing Photos

2006-03-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

I broke down and ordered an underpinner (v nailer). It's called an underpinner because the frame moldings are placed right side up, allowing the user (me) to see how the joint looks. The vnail is inserted from the bottom. This machine allows moldings up to 4 1/2" wide and can stack vnails.

The Nielsen Bainbridge wood frame kits I have been using are:
1) Way too expensive,
2) Poor and inconsistent quality - many times the moldings do not match or their cuts are far from perfect. These things really stand out on the black frames.
3) Lead time - it takes over a week to get these crappy things delivered!
I'm sick of it!

I found a nearby molding/foamboard/matboard supplier in Portland, Oregon so my lead times will be shorter. Because I will have the capability of joining my own wood frames, my costs will be much lower. Not only will I be able to make a little more money (now I can actually charge for my labor costs), my resale prices will be lower.

Color Problems with layered(flattened) images

2006-03-14T23:04:00.000-08:00

I've pretty musch resolved my color problem (the oranges were too yellow - now they are perfect!) by using profiles. Occassionally I still have problem with oranges/reds being not being red/orange enough and blues coming out too purple. This only occurs on images that have been created (vs. digital photos).

I worked on an image by (#0037) Alan Crosswaite today with no embedded color profile. Using Photoshop CS, I usually convert images (most are srgb) to Adobe RGB and print with no problem. This particular image had been digitally created with layers. After trying to adjust with absolutely no luck, I went back to the original file, left it at the original color profile (none) and it printed perfectly! Duh!

THE LESSON HERE IS IF THERE IS NO EMBEDDED COLOR PROFILE ON A DIGITALLY CREATED IMAGE, DON'T CONVERT IT!

Same thing on one of Verna Bice's images - it was a digitally altered photo of a woman. Her portraits always print out with a greenish tint to the skin because of too much black. I just adjusted the tone of the entire image to the reddish side.

It never ceases to amaze me how an image or a photo can look on screen and how different it looks printed.

I love canvas prints - the texture of the canvas hides many imperfections in a digital image, and allows me to enlarge a small digital photo file or a scanned photograph more than printing on RC photo paper allows.

Canvas Print challenges

2006-03-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

Previously I mentioned ink coming off the canvas along the edge of the wood frame when stretching/mounting the canvas. This is caused by the edges of the wood being too sharp. There are several cheap/offshore suppliers of the stretcher strips, but many of them leave the edges too sharp and I have to round them off with an xacto knife. I've learned through trial and error that the Fredrix brand works best; the edges are rounded and quality is pretty good. Ya gotta watch out - some of the suppliers out there market Fredrix brand, but ship cheap off brands.

I also changed from using an acrylic spray to the Premiere Art spray varnish. Since I use the Premiere Art canvas, it makes sense to use their product to finish it. When I do an unframed canvas print, I stretch it by hand vs. the canvas pliers. All of the above seem to have resolved the problem of ink coming off the edges of photos printed on canvas.

Shipping/Customer damage to photo Prints

2005-08-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

I received a returned photo print yesterday; it was 11"x14" printed on Epson Premium Semimatte Photo Paper. The customer had complained that our labels (identifying the image # and Allreds Photo as the photo services supplier) would show through on the front of the photo after it was mounted on wood. That is correct - it would interfere with the quality of the finished product. I will no longer put labels on the back of the photo prints.

I had been placing them on the back of the prints mainly for promotional purposes; if someone happened see one of our photo enlargements or a canvas prints, they could turn it over and see where and what to order. This was effective, because I have had at least 2 repeat orders recently. One had originally been ordered as a photo print, then was re-ordered as a canvas print. The second ordered a canvas print then re-ordered a photo print. We need to find another way to effectively identify our product(s) that won't interfere with the use of the print(s). I never put any marketing materials in with or on products shipped to a customer that I know will be reselling (such as an art dealer or wholesaler).

The second issue on the above mentioned returned photograph is there were creases on the print (both diagonal and horizontal). When I received the print back it was rolled with the printed side facing in. The print was not shipped this way - I always roll it the same way it comes off the printer/media roll - that would be with the printed side facing out. Horizontal creasing is caused by rolling the print in the opposite direction. Many people do this to in an attempt to remove the curl from a print. "Experts" (professionals) don't do this. If you feel you must flatten it, just lay it on a flat area. Be sure to cover it to avoid damaging the print. Diagonal creases on prints and photos are caused by pulling printed materials out of a shipping tube by one corner (of the print). The proper way to remove prints from a shipping tube without causing damage is as follows: While the print is still in the tube, carefully roll it a little tighter/smaller. When there's enough room in the tube, gently remove the print out by sliding the whole roll out at once.

Framing and Matting Photos

2005-08-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

I have made arrangements to have a vendor booth at the Arabian Horse Show which is at the Jackson County Expo Friday, September 2 thru Sunday, Sept 4. The carpeted display panels to hang the artwork have been ordered (Approx total $600) and were shipped to me last Wednesday; still need to pick up a lightweight table, tablecloth, and literature racks.

Framed canvas prints on display will be:
A-Jakarta in an 18 x 24 Gold Frame (front and center),
11 x 14 framed canvas print of Cathy McKinty's bucksin photo,

16 x 20 Cathy McKinty photo (3 poodles) matted and framed in a cobalt blue aluminum frame (the finished size is 26 x 22),

11 X 14 AWESOME photo of London Bridge matted and framed in Wild Plum Aluminum frame - in this photo the frame looks black, but it's plum colored
Ansel Adams black and white photo of the Grand Canyon (to be matted and framed in photo Grey aluminum frame.

Last fall I purchased a whole case of foamcore and 1 case of varied white colors and 1 case of various colors of 4 ply Crescent mat boards. Along with that I bought a Logan 750 mat cutter - it does a great professional-looking job.

First I cut the foam core with the straight cutter. The photo is then mounted to the foam core with clear self adhesive mounting strips; they basically provide a ledge that holds the photo in place - the photo is not glued down or anything like that. It was about 80 - 85 degrees in my work area; when I tried to peel the backer strip off the adhesive, the adhesive came with it. Setting the mounting strips on a block of blue ice solved that problem. Next the selected mat is cut with the straight cutter the same size as the foamcore, then the lines for the opening are drawn on the back side of the mat and cut with the 45 degree angled cutter. All work on the mat is done from the back - this prevents marking up the front side (assuming we are woking on a clean surface). The foamcore (with photo held in place by clear mounting strips) and mat are then assembled by making a hinge with self adhesive linen tape, then covered with kraft paper and set aside in a safe spot.

At this point, if I haven't already done so, I assemble three sides of the aluminum frame that will be used for this piece and set that aside.

Now it's time to cut the 1/8" thick acrylic; I chose this to use as glazing instead of glass because it looks the same as glass, it's much lighter than glass, and it's virtually unbreakable, which means it's shippable! The acrylic is cut the same size as the foamcore; if the piece I'm cutting from is small enough, I can stick it in the mat cutter (for use as a guide only) and cut it with a tile knife. I leave the blue protective plastic on, score 3 times on the first side, flip it over, then score the opposite side once (just to cut through the blue protective film). With the deeply scored side facing AWAY from me, I stand on one part near the scored line, bend it back towards me until its break cleanly at the score line. Now I remove the blue protective film from 1 side, wipe of any debris with a clean dry tshirt, and put it face down on top of the mat/photo/foamcore assembly. The blue protective film is then peeled away from the other side and the whole thing is then slid into its frame. The outside of the acrylic can be cleaned later...

The last/fourth part of the frame is assembled, the euro wire hangers are tightened in, then the plastice coated wire (easy on the fingers) is put on. Voila! Beautiful artwork!

It's been a while since I did any photo mounting or mat cutting, so the first one took me about 1 1/2 hours (I cut the mat from the front side instead of the back, so I had to start over). My second piece took about 40 minutes - no mistakes.

Tomorrow I'll do the Ansel Adams piece and whatever else I can find. I have lots of white matting, I own the Ansel Adams images, so I will probably take a few to sell. Ronald Reagan on his horse may be a good one, too.

Click here if you would like fine art prints of your photos.

Time for dinner - I'm starving!

Just gotta say that I love doing this because the results are always beautiful and satisfying.

Printing Photographs

2005-08-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have been performing print order fulfillment for Acclaim Images since October 2004. Purchased an Epson Stylus Pro 9600 large format digital printer in January 2005. This printer can print up to 44" wide - it's huge! Since all of the digital photo files were from Acclaim Images, most of them were done by professional, semi-pros, or good amateur photographers (with a few exceptions).

What prompted me to purchase my own printer is the lack of local suppliers, their under utilized printers, and their outrageous prices. So in late January I began producing the photo enlargements myself as Allreds Photo; I took lots of time to learn about stretching and mounting canvas prints. I read 2 books on matting, framing, and mounting photography and canvas prints. Plus, there's lots of info out there on the web. The sites I found most useful were usually on the suppliers websites (i.e., framing info on the frame supplier's website).

Because I felt the need to diversify, I launched my own website, Allreds Photo.com in May of 2005. We offer canvas prints, photo enlargements, photo posters, framed canvas prints, and framing and matting services at reasonable prices with exceptional service.

Also - News Flash! - just began offering photos mounted on wood plaques - people that show animals such as horses and dogs, love to use these at shows. They are sturdy, heavy enough to stay put, and can be wiped off. I did one as a prototype for some people in Butte Falls, Oregon that have a young Arabian Stallion. They show him on the National Circuit in Class 'A' Arab horse shows and wanted something to showcase a professional photo of him. It's a great marketing tool...

That's pretty much it for now. I started this weblog with the purpose of tracking problems encountered with large format printing and the solutions utilized.

The first problem I encountered about 2 months into using the Epson 9600 was a color problem: the oranges started coming out too yellow/not enough magenta. Solution to follow soon.

My latest dilemma is ink coming off canvas prints at the edges of the stretcher bars - it doesn't happen 100% of the time. I think it's because of the protective acrylic spray that's applied prior to stretching. Experiments and results to follow.

Okay - now I'm signing off...