Digital BW, The Print

Denis,


> I've been starting to sell prints on HME (Museum Etching) and Crane
> Museo. 3MK BO prints.

> As of now I've been selling prints only. I was thinking of offering
> semi finished products in the form of matted prints.
>
> But after going trough my (limited) mats samples, I could not find one
> that I liked. One might look good with one paper and for one image but
> for another image on the same paper, it would not look good.
...

I standardized on mats from Light Impressions.  Their 'Gallery White' is
a non-brightened paper with a Lab B=3 (varies a bit batch to batch).  
Then I try to have a print and paper tonoe, as well as a matting style
that avoid a mismatch between the print and mat board.

Due to the Lab B of 3, I find brightened papers do not  work well where
a paper border is left around the image for signing.  A brightened paper
with lots of OBAs is too bluish and will draw the eye to the border
instead of into the image.  So,  if the print is mounted with a paper
border showing, I use un-brightened paper.  Ideally, this is what I'd
use for everything.  With the 1800 3-MK prints, un-brightened paper is
my norm.

For some of my printing, however, I prefer a brightened paper.  For
example, currently my 100% carbon solution for the 7500, to me, looks
best with Premier Art's Smooth Bright White paper.  To avoid the problem
of the bright paper border, I simplly have the overmat go to the print
-- no border.  I sign both the mat and print.  The print tone itself is
fine with the mat board.   As a matter of prinitng sytle, I tend to do
some edge burning and avoid bright highlights (that would still be too
cool) near the edge for the same reason I don't like the bright white
borders.  The eye will to to those bright spots, whereas I want the eye
to be guided into the image, not out of it.  So, with a print tone that
is not cold, no paper bording showing, and appropriate edge burning, the
brightened paper works rather well with the creamy mat board.  But for
OBA fade concerns, I might actually prefer it -- as do most.

I think selling prints in mats (and clear bags) looks a lot classier
than just the prints.  Frankly, it's so easy that the return to me on a
per hour basis is probably better with the un-framed but matted prints.

Paul

www.PaulRoark.com <http://www.PaulRoark.com>





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