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Need Advice for 60x40 Metal Prints

etrigan63

Active member
I have some fine art stuff that a gallery wants at 60x40 in Metal. I suspect my current cameras don't have enough pixels to pull that off. Realistically, how many megapixels do I need for clean, fine art prints at that size? I am not wealthy and am too bumbling to rob a bank.
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
First, congratulations.

One of our best sellers to date is a pano taken several years ago with a P30+ (31 MP). Several files were taken before stitching into the final image. The printed image is 30x60 on metal and we are at the end of the limited edition. Phase One thought enough of the print to license it several years ago.

One the other end we have a 40x60 print (on metal) that was captured using the IQ180. I can't tell the difference.

Don

Forgot to add that the subject matter is the Grand Canyon
 
Last edited:

etrigan63

Active member
First, congratulations.

One of our best sellers to date is a pano taken several years ago with a P30+ (31 MP). Several files were taken before stitching into the final image. The printed image is 30x60 on metal and we are at the end of the limited edition. Phase One thought enough of the print to license it several years ago.

One the other end we have a 40x60 print (on metal) that was captured using the IQ180. I can't tell the difference.

Don

Forgot to add that the subject matter is the Grand Canyon
Do you think I could pull it off with a GFX 50? The R model looks mighty appealing to me based on rumored specs.
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
Considering the sensor is the same size as the P30+ but with added sauce I'd say yes.

I wrote the above thinking of what I normally shoot which is landscape so I'd temper the answer with depending on the subject. We do most of our prints now on metal and have been very pleased.

Don
 

etrigan63

Active member
Considering the sensor is the same size as the P30+ but with added sauce I'd say yes.

I wrote the above thinking of what I normally shoot which is landscape so I'd temper the answer with depending on the subject. We do most of our prints now on metal and have been very pleased.

Don
Yeah, I'm doing abstracts and can't stitch or use multi-shot. I did some with the X1D (loaner from Hasselblad), but those were not printed large. I was concerned that I would have to get something really big budget to do this, but the GFX50R will likely fall on the right amount that won't give my wife (and CFO) an aneurysm.
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
With regard to enlarging files for print, the type of subject matter makes a significant difference. That being said, using good lenses, properly exposed image, good technique, and good post-processing----I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how good an image from the Fuji 50S (and presumably same with the R) will enlarge and print.

Ken
 

etrigan63

Active member
With regard to enlarging files for print, the type of subject matter makes a significant difference. That being said, using good lenses, properly exposed image, good technique, and good post-processing----I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how good an image from the Fuji 50S (and presumably same with the R) will enlarge and print.

Ken
B9999935-1.jpg

Here is a resized (down) sample of the work I am doing. It has to be caught in a single exposure (no multi-shot). Would I be able to print that large from a Nikon Z7 in 14-bit mode? Just considering all of the options.
 

Frankly

New member
Back in the olden days we printed 30x40 Iris prints from all kinds of what would be considered marginal files nowadays. They all look fine, a 30x40 print is hanging over my desk ~ it was scanned on an early Kurzweil greyscale only flatbed circa 1990, longest dimension was only 4000 pixels. I have similar large prints from things like first generation Kodak Photo CD and 6mp digital cameras. Heck I did a 14x44' billboard ad using a 2mp small sensor camera in the late 1990s (billboards are lower dpi than you think).

As long as you aren't comparing side by side with the ultimate of ultimate files it won't matter. Especially with atmospheric subject matter like you are showing, that should be very forgiving. If you photographed lawns and wanted to count blades of grass then I could see the requirement but fireworks smoke and such has some margin of error. Think of Gursky, Wall, or Crewdson where they made giant prints and you can read the ingredient label from a tiny box off in the corner of the frame... but even those run out of juice and go to mush at a certain point.

When I'd print for other people it was tonality and focus that were the root cause of 99% of lousy images. Most people don't understand how to set a white and black point and think they prefer mush, even "professionals". Seriously sometimes ad people would embed thumbnails rather than full size images into their projects and yet the thumbnails were not always terrible!

I'd use the camera that gives you the best focus on clouds, smoke, and nebulous subject matter and let the resolution fall where it may. There will always be someone shooting higher resolution that you are, no matter how much technology or money gets spent, because even if you stitch 48 frames together to make a 6tb file there is some nut out there stitching 64 frames to make a 10 tb file.

I haven't printed on the current metal media but again (I'm not that old, sorry to sound like it) the early stuff had a tooth that was more forgiving than the slickest glossiest stuff. If you're spending serious money on these larger prints I'd run tests.
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
View attachment 136152

Here is a resized (down) sample of the work I am doing. It has to be caught in a single exposure (no multi-shot). Would I be able to print that large from a Nikon Z7 in 14-bit mode? Just considering all of the options.
Interesting image.

I'd recommend sizing to your finish dimensions then go into the image at 100% and look at everthing; you might also wish to go into a little further checking it out. I usually do this with all our work no matter the size we're printing.
 

Rand47

Active member
Interesting image.

I'd recommend sizing to your finish dimensions then go into the image at 100% and look at everthing; you might also wish to go into a little further checking it out. I usually do this with all our work no matter the size we're printing.
What Don said. . . And if you are short of resolution, take a look at Topaz AI Gigapixel. It is getting some good reviews.

Rand
 

DougDolde

Well-known member
I just ordered a couple small metal prints from Metal and Paper Pro who was previously known as West Coast Imaging. I was surprised to learn that they were actually shipped from Bay Photo !

I asked what the deal was and the reply was Bay Photo purchased WCI a couple years ago and does all their production.
 

DougDolde

Well-known member
I've found a product I like better than metal. It's cheaper than a face mount. It's called a UV Acrylic and is printed directly on acrylic with a very expensive (75k or so) flatbed printer. I use 1/8 Trulife acrylic and then a 1/4" piece of clear acrylic is bonded to the back so you have a nice 3/8" thick presentation

I get mine made here. They are very good and pretty fast
https://impactvisualarts.com/prices/
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
I've found a product I like better than metal. It's cheaper than a face mount. It's called a UV Acrylic and is printed directly on acrylic with a very expensive (75k or so) flatbed printer. I use 1/8 Trulife acrylic and then a 1/4" piece of clear acrylic is bonded to the back so you have a nice 3/8" thick presentation

I get mine made here. They are very good and pretty fast
https://impactvisualarts.com/prices/
The website describes the UV Acrylic as a five color print. How does the five colors resemble the color games at viewed on my monitor?
Stanley
 
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