You may have seen an amazing-looking large metal print in an office or a friend’s home and been blown away by its quality, as it should be! A large metal print is a significant investment, and you want the final result to knock people’s socks off.
Metal prints are a great way to display your photo art, too. Metal is a fantastic substrate for showcasing your favorite photos. But some types of images are better-suited for metal than others. Some metal printers are better than others, too. So, what are the best images for metal prints? Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
- Why Make a Metal Print?
- Landscape Prints on Metal
- Astrophotography Metal Prints
- Vibrant Colors
- Macro Photography Metal Prints
- Family Portraits
- Tips for Printing on Metal
Why Make a Metal Print?
Making high-quality metal prints is a true art form. Some printers, like Shiny Prints, have perfected the process. Photo credit: Shiny Prints.
The primary reason for making a large metal print of your photography is that they look so cool. Seriously, I was psyched when I first saw my images on canvas stretched out on a frame. Seeing one of my images on metal was even better.
It’s the flatness that does it for me. We’re used to physically seeing a photo or a painting either in a photo album or in a frame. Framed large photos are usually matted first before framing, but even if the photo fills the frame, a large percentage of what we see is not image content.
With a metal print, the entire viewing experience is 100% image. And unlike a poster print, a metal print won’t have any wrinkles and is extraordinarily sharp. The presentation of the image itself becomes an art form.
Many types of subjects will work with metal prints. Here is a short list of metal print tips for some subjects that could be made into a metal print…
Landscape Prints on Metal
Photo credit: Shiny Prints
Your favorite landscape photo will likely look great as a metal print. You might also try out some sizes and aspect ratios beyond the standard enlargements.
Standard sizes tend to be the aspect ratio of the Full Frame or APS-C formats or the slightly cropped sizes that have been around since before 35mm became the most popular format in photography. So, we may be used to printing in multiples of either 4×5 or 4×6 inches, such as 16×20 or 16×24.
A landscape image in a wide format ratio will capture everyone’s attention when made as a metal print. Maybe a square image, too, for certain subjects. Provided that your printer of choice can make custom sizes, that is. Be sure to check!
Astrophotography Metal Prints
Photo credit: Shiny Prints
Few image subjects surpass astrophotography for sheer wow power. Something about a well-crafted image of a landscape with night sky features simply draws in the viewer. If deep sky astrophotography is your thing, imagine your pic of the Helix Nebula on a large metal print. WOW!
Vibrant Colors
Strong, vibrant, brilliant colors stand out on metal prints. It can be almost any subject matter. Graffiti on a wall, a beach scene with puffy clouds, a blue sky, the sea, or a sunflower- all sorts of styles will work when vibrant colors are printed on metal.
As you can see in the image above, the deep, bright colors of the flowers in this print of me with my son pop off the metal print I ordered from Shiny Prints.
Macro Photography Metal Prints
Photo by LuckyStep via Shutterstock
The intense colors and contrasts involved in many macro subjects look outstanding as a large metal print. Another factor that makes them stand out is that the magnification ratio increases with larger prints. The up-close detail of the image and the ultimate sharpness of metal is a fantastic combination!
Family Portraits
Photo by arda savasciogullari via Shutterstock
Whether printing for yourself or for a client, a family portrait enlargement metal print will show off both your photographic talent and the family; plus, the sleek lines of the metal print allow the viewer to focus their attention on the family and the love they show for one another in the image.
Tips for Printing on Metal
Photo credit: Shiny Prints
A few very important tips for printing on metal are to choose a high-quality printer, send them high-resolution files, and display the metal prints properly.
Shiny Prints is one of my favorite places to have metal prints made. Their high-quality products are matched by their excellent customer service. They accept custom print sizes and can print from high-resolution JPEGs or from TIFFs, too.
As you can see in my video above, the quality of Shiny Prints metal prints is no joke. The colors, detail, and sharpness of the metal print I ordered are just incredible. The overall quality of the print speaks to the Shiny Prints team’s dedication to packaging their very best work to send to customers as well.
In addition to that, Shiny Prints has very reasonable prices for all size options. It really is the best of both worlds!
No matter which metal printing company you choose, though, the secret to success begins with the image file you send. Ensure the file meets the printer’s guidelines for minimum resolution (though strive to send high-resolution files for better results). Then, when you get the print, take care to hang it properly. The print should have a hanging mechanism that allows you to quickly and easily mount it to the wall. Take care to hang it at the proper height (roughly eye level) and ensure the print is level, too.
If you have yet to make one of your favorite photos into a large metal print, upload one to the Shiny Prints website and see what they can do for you. You won’t be disappointed!
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