Types
of Prints •
Which Type Do
I Want?
People
by photographs for lots of different reasons; they move them, inspire
them, turn them on.
Assuming that you like, hopefully love, the image the type of print
you should buy depends on what you want to do with it. How long you
want it to last? Do you want something mass produced or something that
is hand made? Do you hope it will increase in value?
Lets take
the cheapest option. You see an image in a magazine, you rip it out,
apply blu tack and stick it to the wall. In a couple of weeks/months
it starts to fade; it no longer inspires you, so you rip it down, tear
out another and repeat the process. After a while you decide to but
a cheap repro from a poster shop or a cheap ink jet print but the same
thing happens. It just takes a little longer.
OK so you
like the images on this site and would like something to hang on you
wall. You don't want to spend a fortune but don't want to have to junk
it in a few months. Look for the pictures that are available as poster
prints, these are on regular photographic paper which is going to
stay looking good for quite a few years. I've got prints on my wall
that were printed on similar stuff in the 1980s and still look just
as good. One word of warning though - direct, bright sunlight will
fade most photographic materials eventually.
If you
want something that has a bit more of a quality 'feel' to it then go
for a giclee print. Non limited or open edition prints giclee prints
are made on archival matt paper which is a heavy weight paper, specially
designed for photographic prints. The paper is acid free and the inks
are long lasting so the print is resistant to fading and staining.
Now we
start to look at prints for people who like the images but are serious
about what they hang on their wall. You may be hoping that a print will
appreciate, rather than depreciate, in value. Limited edition Giclee
prints are again made using permanent inks but are printed on Hanemuhle
Photo Rag Paper that feels like the top quality papers watercolour
artist use. These prints are often bought by collectors and are so stable
that, with some care in storage, they will last for generations.
The ultimate
type of print is the Silver Gelatin Print. This is the traditional
wet darkroom process of producing prints. We have all seen photographic
prints from the late 1890s and early 1900s which testify to the stability
of the traditional photographic process. Although modern plastic coated
papers are available the very highest quality and maximum image depth
is produced when prints are made on fiber based paper. All fiber based
papers are similar to heavy weight artists watercolour paper but the
photographic emulsion is completely smooth with no texture. Simon Pocklington's
prints are either made on a warm tone paper which produces rich, dark
chocolatey, blacks or have a specialist toner applied.
Only certain
images are available printed by this method and these are usually limited
to an edition of ten
Delivery
Times. Since
all our prints are hand produced to order please allow 5 working days
for despatch from the UK plus the delivery time to your part of the
world. UK Special Delivery is FREE
Please
e mail for a prompt quote stating preferred print size and finish