where should I get my prints done for an art gallery?

[JbleezyJ]

I won an exhibit contest and 2 of my photos will be in a Gallery in LA. Anyways I need to send them prints within a week. Also I've never printed professionally, is there something I should to to my files before taking or sending them to get printed? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Blake.Oney]

I'm still getting the hang of the pre work for printing so I'll leave that to someone else, but I use Nations Photo Lab. They have a real quick turn around time (24 hr) and the prints are really good. Digital Photo Prints & High-Quality Photo Printing Lab - Online

 

[Big Mike]

Ask the gallery?
Call a local pro lab and ask them what they require?

Ideally, you will want to be sure that your prints will look how you expect them to. This means that your screen should be properly calibrated. You should also ensure that your calibration matches up to that of the lab. Most pro labs will do a series of test prints for you, if you ask them. You might also ask to download their printer profile and use that with Photoshop for soft proofing.

For some things, you could just ask the lab to do the color correction for you. But in some cases, the color is you own personal choice, and not something that is just 'correct'.

Maybe your photo doesn't require the color tones to be exactly precise to what you see or want it to be...it's up to you.

 

[KmH]

I won an exhibit contest and 2 of my photos will be in a Gallery in LA. Anyways I need to send them prints within a week. Also I've never printed professionally, is there something I should to to my files before taking or sending them to get printed? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Will the prints be for sale?

Which kind of prints do you and/or the gallery want - chromogenic prints or giclée prints?

What kind of paper do you want the prints on - matte, metallic, true B&W, one of the Hahneühle inkjet papers? Do you want them spray coated with a Lustre finish to protect them from UV light, fingerprints, and to add a little sheen?

Who is taking care of the photo's presentation (mat, frame, standout, gallery wrap)?

As far as preparing your image files for print, you can read some basic info here: Mpix.com - Help

The gallery should have a contract for you to sign. The gallery needs to provide a delivery invoice for the photos.

 

[cyngus]

AdoramaPix - Home

just started using them for my clients.. was suspect to their quality but ordered a few shots for myself to test and they were surprisingly stellar.. they even do gallery wrapped canvas prints.. fairly decent prices too

 

[Blake.Oney]

A lot of labs to color correct, and a lot of the time I use it, but there has been a couple time when the color correction changed the way I meant the photo to look. If it's a normal shot that you don't want a specific cast or something on then color correction would be fine. If not, then I would definitely recommend getting a profile and calibrating your monitor as Mike said.

 

[KmH]

If you are going to have prints made, it pays to have a color managed workflow so you don't have to rely on someone else to color correct your photos.

From Mpix.com Mpix.com - Help

Color issues
An experienced color technician reviews every order you submit to us. The technician performs an overall color correction on monitors that are calibrated to our printers. Here at Mpix we have built in every control measure possible to standardize this process. However, color correction is performed by several different technicians, and the process does have an element of human interpretation. We have received rave reviews from customers for years regarding our color process. However, because of the human element exact color match from order to order cannot be guaranteed. We do provide ICC printer profiles to assist you in the color process. In addition, you can accomplish consistent color by properly calibrating your monitor, using the ICC printer profiles and selecting the ‘no color corrections’ option on the Order Summary page. Please be aware that if the ‘no color corrections’ option is selected our color technicians are not able to adjust density, color, contrast, and other elements of your files.