Tech | Fast and easy framed prints

Note: This article was originally posted to a different web site on March 10, 2006. I reproduce it here because it could still be useful to someone.

March 10, 2006

It's easy to get 4x6 prints from your digital camera. But your digital images probably contain enough resolution for significantly larger prints. And there's nothing quite like the sense of satisfaction you'll get from seeing your large prints framed on your wall.

When I started thinking about hanging some of my photos, I quickly realized that I wasn't interested in the traditional, expensive process of printing and framing. Instead, my goals were:

• Display a substantial number of photos (at lesat 10) at a reasonable cost (under $20 each). I want to spend the money on rotating lots of prints, not on framing them.
• Easily swap new photos into the frames inexpensively without a lot of work (such as cutting new mattes).
• Gorgeous museum-quality framing isn't a requirement; it's just my apartment.
• Accomodate basically rectangular images; relatively narrow images like panoramas will need to be framed separately.

If that sounds like a good plan to you, read on. If it doesn't, please don't send me hate mail about how much better traditional framing is -- just keep doing what you were doing.

The images

Images from modern digital cameras contain enough resolution for at least 8x10 prints, even if you crop them significantly. I suggest that you try to keep your image at no less than 150 dpi (dots per inch). That means if your goal is to make the image 8 inches by 10 inches, the size of the digital image should be no less than 8x150 by 10x150, i.e., 1200x1500 pixels.
Because you're printing the image closer to its native resolution, it's important to work on it a little more so it looks strong and sharp. In Photoshop, I suggest that you at least use the Auto Levels option (and possibly add extra contrast yourself) and the Unsharp Mask option (set to anywhere from 50 to 200 depending on the type of image). This is also a good time to consider black and white -- you might be surprised how good your color image looks in black and white at a large size.

The "matte"

I like to crop my digital images, which means they're all different sizes. This in turn means that to frame them with a traditional matte I'd have to cut a new matte for every print. But one of my goals is to swap out prints often without extra work!

With an 11x14 print, I can place an 8x10 (or slightly larger) image within a broad white margin that takes the place of a matte. Then I can just load the print into an 11x14 frame and get most of the visual benefit of matting without the extra work.

This is easy to set up in Photoshop. Once your image is ready in every other way, do the following:

• Use the Canvas Size option to resize the canvas so that it is 8 pixels longer in each direction, centered with a black background. This adds a thin black border to your image that will help set it off from the thick white margin.
• Use the Canvas Size option again to resize the canvas so that it is substantially longer in each direction, centered with a white background. At this point, set the dimensions so that they are proportionate to 11x14 (they don't have to be 11 inches by 14 inches, just in the same ratio). This is easier to do if you change the settings to use inches instead of pixels.

To simplify the last step, after switching to inches, just pick a measure one or two steps above the current size of your canvas from this list: 2.75x3.5; 5.5x7; 8.25x10.5; 11x14; 12.375x15.75; 13.75x17.5; 16.5x21; 19.25x24.5; 22x28; 27.5x35; 33x42; 38.5x49; 41.25x52.5; 44x56.

Take the time to look at the result and see if it feels right to you. If the white border is much thinner in one dimension and much thicker in another, you may want to try again -- or crop the image. Images that are relatively narrow may just not work well with the 11x14 ratio. Also, if you're hanging images next to each other, make sure their white margins have a similar thickness.

The prints

There are plenty of places on the web to get large prints inexpensively. My choice so far has been printroom.com, which offers 11x14 prints for $4.95 with a choice of surfaces (glossy, matte, semi-gloss), good quality, and inexpensive surface shipping. For no more than $75, you should be able to get 10 nice prints shipped to your door.

In the frames I prefer to use (below), the print usually touches the glass (this wouldn't be the case if we were doing professional framing with a thick matte). As a result, I strongly recommend getting matte prints. A glossy print tends to show dark patches where it touches the glass (the glossy surface and the glass combine to distort light in a noticeable way).

The frames

As mentioned above, my goal is to quickly get my 11x14 prints into a decent looking frame without matting or cutting anything. Because we've printed our images at 11x14 with a white border, we can simply put them in a frame designed for 11x14 prints without a matte.

Everyone has their own taste in frames. My preference is for a simple, thin to medium thickness black frame. And in the interest of speed, I want a frame that's easy to load and unload.

My choice so far has been the Format 11x14 front loading wall frame, made by MCS Industries. It has a simple front loading design in which the glass snaps in and out of the plastic frame without fastenings or tools. The black frame is very thin when viewed from the front and about 1/2" thick to set it off from the wall when viewed at an angle.

This frame is currently available on the web here and here -- look around for a sale price to get it even cheaper. It's also common in art supply stores such as Michael's. It should cost no more than $6 per frame including shipping.

I'm sure there are much nicer 11x14 frames out there for more money. If you see one you like, don't let me stop you. My goal in writing this is to demonstrate a low budget approach.

Framing

If you chose a simple frame, loading your prints into the frames should be easy. In the case of the frames mentioned above, you just pop out the glass, slide in the print, and snap the glass back in.
Inexpensive prints are often made on relatively thin photo paper. As a result an 11x14 print can start to sag or bubble if it's left hanging loose. To avoid this problem, make sure that each print is firmly sandwiched between the glass and some backing. If the cardboard backing that came with the frame isn't thick enough to accomplish this, you may want to add more carboard or paper.

Hanging

The best thing about those inexpensive frames? They're so light that you can hang them on a plasterboard wall with no more than a strong thumb tack. If you don't get the tack located quite right the first time, you can move it and leave only a tiny hole in your wall, not the kind of mess that a nail makes.

One print is nice, but three or five prints hanging together look even better. Lay them next to each other on the floor until you get an arrangement where the adjacent prints relate well to each other. For example, prints that have similar scale (level of detail), forms, or colors might go well together. Maybe you even have three prints that tell a story.

Don't hesitate to put vertical and horizontal images next to each other. And think about arrangements other than just a straight line -- maybe several images can form curve or wrap around a corner.
Above all, do what looks good to you and have fun!