What are the main considerations in deciding paper choice?

Paper white, the tonality or color value of the paper stock itself, is an important consideration in deciding paper choice. We tend to think of all photo and inkjet papers as being “white.” But, there is a great deal of subtlety in the actual color of the paper. 100% rag, handmade papers, with no, or small amounts of, optical brighteners, are not a brilliant white, but are more of a buff color. Of the 3 papers we are offering, the smooth matte is the warmest. The textured matte is actually “whiter.” But, the important thing is that all 3 papers have a slight warmth to the paper white. Glossy photo papers, of which there are many different brands, all tend of have a very strong glossy sheen, and the paper white is cool. These papers are wood pulp, not rag, and are loaded with optical brighteners, to give them a bright paper white. They are not archival, however, because the optical brighteners fade quickly and the paper white changes gradually over time to a more buff color, closer to the natural color of paper made from wood pulp. (Grocery bags are a good example of the natural color of wood pulp and they are no where near “white,” but are light brown in color.) The way a particular paper white absorbs ink will effect tint. The neutrality of the ink is impacted by the paper white. This is a native characteristic of the paper white. So, it is something to consider.

Finally, some folks may be of the opinion that if you print the same file on 3 different types of paper you can make all 3 look identical if you properly manipulate the values of the file to compensate for the paper differences. Not true. And not only that, it’s antithetical to the process of paper choice. Yes, files are prepared differently to account for the different papers they will be printed on. However, the goal of that process is to make the best looking print aesthetically for the paper chosen, not to make matte and glossy prints look identical. Think of it this way, the same musical composition can be played on a flute and a tuba, but the character of the sound is totally different, though the melody is identical. And there are differences the composer has to take into account. A flute is treble clef and a tuba is bass. Musical pitch is totally different between the two, but the melody can be identical. So, it is with image files and paper choices.

What work should I do to the file before it’s uploaded for printing?

You don’t actually have to do anything to the file other than download the dng or jpeg files off your card, make your pick, and send us the raw file. We’ll convert it, optimize it for printing, and then email you a jpeg of the optimized, ready to print, file for your review. All that said, you won’t incur any additional fees for post-production, and you are more likely to get the interpretation you want, if you convert the file yourself, get it looking the way you want on your monitor, save it as a TIFF, and send us the converted file to further optimize for printing. We work with raw and out of camera jpegs to accommodate clients who don’t do any post-production work themselves. Assuming you’re familiar with Lightroom and/or Photoshop, and typically do your own post-production work, then convert and optimize the file to that point where it looks good on your monitor, and then upload it to us. One important note about sending us raw files: They should be dng format, which all Leica camera files are natively. If you’re shooting with a camera that has a proprietary raw format, convert it to dng in Lightroom, or use Adobe’s DNG Converter, which can be downloaded for free from Adobe’s website.

What specific instructions can I provide regarding what I want, or expect, in the print?

When you upload the file to us via We Transfer (or similar service) you can send a note to us directly thru the service. Instructions are particularly helpful when you feel like the state of the file is not quite what you want, but you’re at a loss as to what additional moves are needed to get the file to where you want it to be. Or maybe it needs retouching that’s above your skill level. For instance, you could provide instructions such as, “I want the sky darker and more contrast, but keep the streetscape exactly as it is.” Another example might be, “Could you remove the electrical wires that cross the facades of the buildings on the right side of the frame.” You can even include a jpeg of the file in the upload and use the pencil tool in Photoshop to mark up the changes. In the case of retouching, there will be additional fees incurred, but an estimate will be provided in advance for your approval.

What guidelines can you suggest regarding choice of print toning effects?

As with paper choice, this is largely personal preference. Neutral is the safe choice. All the values from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights are neutral gray. Warm selenium is a custom split-tone we developed with cool shadow values and warm highlight values. A cool shadow value looks blacker than a warm or neutral shadow. So, you get the feel of a slightly richer black in the image. The warm highlight provides the look of a traditional portrait paper that flatters the subject in many situations. This split-tone effect was designed to emulate the look of selenium toned, Agfa Portriga-Rapid, silver gelatin photo paper. Portriga-Rapid hasn’t been made for decades, but it had a huge following in its day for its unique look when it was toned in selenium. Sepia emulates the look of a sepia toned silver gelatin print. All the tones from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights are rendered in subtle brownish tones. Though we refer to this formula as “sepia” the look is actually closer to brown toner, than to sepia toner, which yielded more of a golden tone on most silver gelatin papers.

What if I just shoot jpegs and don’t do any post-production work on my files? Can I still expect a gallery quality print from the file?

This answer comes with a caveat: Provided you did everything right when you captured the jpeg file, then yes, you can get a great print from it. However, if there are problems with the jpeg file, particularly in terms of exposure, then the problems are less fixable than they would be if you had shot in raw format. In any event, every file sent to us is evaluated prior to printing to determine if there are any issues that may not be fixable, and which may compromise the final result. We will explain those issues in detail via email and won’t proceed until we hear from you.

If I’m a film shooter, or a former film shooter, can I utilize this service to get digital prints from my film negatives?

Absolutely. We can make prints from scans of film images and if you only have the negative, we can digitize the film negative for you. The prices for digitizing film negatives are the same as for post-production work for digital captures—$75/hr. billable in 1/4 hr. increments. So, there are additional fees involved, but film works for digital printing too. Plus, we’ll send you the full resolution digital file from your film original, along with a large jpeg for posting on social media or for emailing. So, you’ll have a digital and film original, as well as the print.

When I send in a file that I know needs additional work before printing, will I be able to see what the altered file looks like before it’s printed?

We will send you a large jpeg for your review in all instances where significant changes were made to your file. Bear in mind that a jpeg viewed on a computer monitor, or a phone, will not look the same as your print. Not exactly. A monitor display and a print are two different media. But, a jpeg of the file will give you an idea of the changes made and it’s even more effective when compared side-by-side to a jpeg of the same image before our changes were made. Further, the better your monitor, its calibration, and the viewing environment where you work on your files, the more accurate the jpeg preview will be to the print. I do NOT recommend reviewing the approval jpeg on a phone. You should review the file on your best monitor.

What factors are significant in deciding the size of the print?

Like paper choices and toning effects, size is subjective. Many folks like huge prints merely because they are so much easier to make now and cheaper too. But, “just because I can” isn’t the best reason usually. As with all other aspects of the file, we will carefully review sharpness and noise in the file and will recommend whether the image would work more effectively in the smaller or larger size we offer. All technical issues aside, it often comes down to wall space or storage space. So, that can be a major consideration, as well. We don’t offer a size larger than 24” on the long dimension primarily because this is a service provided across distance. The transportation costs and transit damage risks increase exponentially as size increases, particularly when the print is framed. So, our decisions on sizes were based on two things—keeping options simple and straightforward, and including domestic shipping in the print pricing.

"I sent Richard a negative that was nigh-impossible to print, and did a masterful job with it: unblocking highlights, bringing out details lost in deep shadow, and all while producing a print that looks entirely natural and effortless. What a delight to be able to draw on his virtuosity!" - Richard P.