Print Portfolio Presentation

[giganova]

Hi all!

I'd like to make a portfolio folder with some of my best work that I can show to others. Not web based, but actual prints. All my photos are B&W. Any recommendation regarding:

1. What print size?
2. What paper?
3. Any suggestions what portfolio boxes look nice?
4. What online print facilities are you using?

Thanks!

 

[AlTheKiller]

I've been using 8.5x11" Hahnemuhle Glossy Fine Art Baryta for my prints. I self print so I am not sure about where to have them printed online.

 

[cz23]

I'd go with 11 x 14 or 12 x 18, which would be a nice size to handle and view up close. With a generous margin.

If they are not for a gallery, I'd consider a non-rag paper, which would be cheaper and stand up to handling better. Red River has some nice stuff. But you're sending them out, right? I print at home, but I've used WHCC for BW and found them excellent.

Pia Zingaro makes some beautiful boxes, but a little expensive. I'd search Amazon too.

Good luck with it.

John

 

[airfrogusmc]

I would go with 12 X 8 mounted on 11X14 white 4 ply museum board with 4 ply over mats. In an 11 X 14 clamshell box. I print my own.
https://www.archivalmethods.com/category/portfolios-cases

 

[02Pilot]

I think a lot of it depends on the photos themselves. Some photos look better on certain types of paper and in bigger or smaller sizes. For example, landscapes probably benefit from a rather different treatment than night street shots.

 

[gnuyork]

I've been using 8.5x11" Hahnemuhle Glossy Fine Art Baryta for my prints. I self print so I am not sure about where to have them printed online.

That's my absolute favorite paper. It's fantastic for both B&W and color.

I use a few other papers as well. Epson Exhibition Fiber is also really nice.

As far as size for portfolio... not sure. That depends on your presentation box I suppose. 8.5x11 is OK, but a little bigger would be nicer in my opinion. But that's subjective of course.

I do my own printing on either Epson or Canon printers. Both make great prints. For online, the only place I have used is myphotopipe.com. They were not bad at all, but I prefer to print my own.

 

[x-ray]

I've looked at a lot of presentations and made many myself to both advertising clients, agencies and fine art galleries.

What I have done for decades is make prints no larger than 8x10 and dry mount them on 11x14 white museum board. I most often do a mat from the same 4 ply board. It's neat, clean, easy to view and can be viewed on a desk easily. It looks like you care about your work and your client. Often space is limited and larger prints are hard to handle. I carry my presentation in a hard case either leather covered, aluminum or linen covered hard case.

I would never take loose prints unmounted or put prints in plastic sleeves and binders. Plastic sleeves are very shiny and make viewing difficult. Both loose prints and sleeved prints in a binder look amateurish.

If I'm making digital prints, my x-ray art images are on epson hot press natural cotton rag. My color images are on canson arches platine. Both are what I use to do digital prints for my galleries. If my image exists as an analog image I prefer to do actual silver gelatin darkroom prints that are on fiber base paper with a slight selenium tone or in some cases brown tone. Toning is very light to add richness.

In the past couple of years though I've done commercial presentations on either my laptop or iPad.

In the old days I did my commercial portfolio by laminating my prints on a 4 or 5 mm white plastic board and doing a super high gloss laminate over the top. Some people would mount thin black felt on the back. If the laminate became scratched from handling I'd use something like Johnsons paste floor wax on it and buff to a high gloss. It makes a magnificent looking presentation.