Photo Enlargements
Our digital photo printing service provides enlargements of your photos that are the highest quality available and that have a longevity of up to 100 years - over 6 times greater than a traditional photo print. This is a great way to restore and preserve precious photos, create special gifts, and make enlargements from your digital camera files. Utilizing our state-of-the-art digital printing service, we can output your photographs to a variety of photo papers at sizes up to 60" wide, or for something special, choose from a wide selection of fine art medias such as watercolor papers and canvas. Our printing on canvas and watercolor paper is museum quality and an excellent way to create an archival print with an artistic look. We even have some canvas and specialty materials that can be printed at widths up to 96" for making a very big impression.
Our digital photo printing equipment also allow us to reproduce your photos on wallpaper for a custom wall mural or on special materials to make a removable and reusable wall graphic. Visit our Custom Wall Mural and Wall Graphics pages for more information on these services.
This page describes our services for digital photo enlargement. For professional photographers looking to make limited edition or open edition prints of their work, visit our Giclee Photo Printing page.
If you would like to get prices on printing and shipping, or place an order, click the Pricing/Order button next to each item in the Printing Materials tab. The Pricing/Order wizard will prompt you for the necessary information such as quantity, dimensions and finishing options to show you prices in real time, and allow you to enter you state and zip code to see the shipping costs. If you're ready to order, you can provide additional information such as how you're sending files or if you need design work, if you want a proof, and how you want us to handle cropping of your files if necessary, and then add the print to your shopping cart. You can also compare product prices in the wizard by clicking the Products tab and selecting different materials from the drop down menu to see how the price changes.
The information below shows the variety of materials we offer for digital photo enlargements, has our recommendations for the best materials to use in different situations, provides answers to common questions, and explains how to place an order.
All the printing materials in this category are eco-friendly, so they are not individually marked as such.
- Printing Materials
- Our Recommendations
- FAQ
- How to Order
Photo Papers
Below are the photo papers we recommend for digital photo enlargements. Photo papers simulate the look of traditional photo prints, but are still printed using the giclee process. They are popular because they offer tremendous color depth and saturation, and are the least expensive materials for high quality digital printing.
Satin Photo Paper - 9mil
This photo paper is our least expensive, yet it provides excellent image quality and color depth without the glare issues of high gloss papers. Great for posters, prints, and indoor signs. Can be laminated and mounted on a variety of substrates such as posterboard, Sintra, or Gatorfoam. Available in widths up to 60".
Up to 200 year indoor longevity if kept away from direct sunlight.
Gloss Photo Paper - 9 mil
This photo paper is our least expensive, yet it provides excellent image quality and color depth with a high gloss finish. Great for posters, prints, and indoor signs where glare is not a concern. Can be laminated and mounted on a variety of substrates such as posterboard, Sintra, or Gatorfoam. Available in widths up to 60".
Up to 200 year indoor longevity if kept away from direct sunlight.
Matte Lithography Paper - 13mil
This natural white, cover weight paper is water resistant and designed to mimic heavy offset printing paper. It features excellent image quality and longevity, so it’s great for photo poster prints, photo enlargements, art prints, and indoor signs. It can also be mounted to a variety of materials such as posterboard, Sintra, and Gatorfoam. Available in widths up to 36".
Approximate longevity of 50-80 years.
Metallic Photo Gloss - 255 gsm
This resin coated metallic high gloss photo paper results in prints that are sharp, vibrant, and exceptionally rich-looking. The metallic finish adds a distinctive look and is the perfect way to make portraits, commercial display prints, and competition prints that stand out from the others. It is also adds a distinctive look to black and white photography. While this paper is moisture, smudge, and scratch resistant, we recommend careful handling and framing behind glass. Available in widths up to 44". Approximate longevity of 50-80 years.
Watercolor Papers
Below are the watercolor papers we offer for digital photo printing. We offer watercolor papers from a variety of paper mills in a range of weights and textures. For the most part, these are the same papers that artists use for watercolor painting, but they have been specially treated for giclee printing. Some of the papers below were created specifically with giclee printing in mind, but all of them produce excellent results.
Sunset Textured Fine Art Paper - 310gsm
This rough textured, acid-free watercolor paper offers a natural white, matte finish and great color range providing excellent reproduction of both photography and traditional art. Though careful handling is always recommended, this paper is designed not to mar or scuff during normal handling like some other fine art printing papers. Available in widths up to 60". Approximate longevity of 80-100 years.
Sunset Cotton Etching Paper - 285gsm
This lightly textured, acid-free watercolor paper is made from 25% cotton and offers a natural white, matte finish and great color range providing excellent reproduction of both photography and traditional art. Though careful handling is always recommended, this paper is less likely to mar or scuff during normal handling like some other fine art printing papers. Available in widths up to 60". Approximate longevity of 80-100 years.
Crane Museo Max - 250gsm
This acid free paper combines breakthrough technology with the finest 100% cotton rag to produce a paper capable of vivid colors and subtle detail. This paper contains no optical brighteners and and has durable, flake free finish. Excellent for both fine art printing reproductions and photographic prints. Available in widths up to 60".
Approximate longevity of 80-100 years.
Canson Edition Etching - 310gsm
This museum-grade 100% cotton rag paper is internally buffered and acid free with no optical brighteners for the highest archival quality. The excellent white point makes for rich, accurate color reproduction, making it an outstanding choice for both fine art printing and digital photo reproduction. Available in widths up to 44".
Approximate longevity of 80-100 years.
Canson Rag Photographique- 310gsm
This 100% cotton museum grade white fine art and photo paper has an exceptionally smooth white tone that is achieved during manufacturing by introducing natural minerals to the process. The extra smooth finish and deep blacks make for excellent fine art printing and photography. Available in widths up to 44".
Approximate longevity of 80-100 years.
BFK Rives - 310 gsm
This is the world’s number one mould-made traditional printmaking paper, with more than 500 years of history and heritage. This exceptional 100% rag museum grade paper is ideal for fine art printing and photographs and gives them a very prestigious aura. The unique pure white tone is obtained without the use of optical brighteners, and the paper has a very specific smooth and velvety texture. Available in widths up to 44". Approximate longevity of 80-100 years.
Crane Textured Fine Art Paper - 225gsm
This 100% cotton rag, acid free paper is great for art and photographic reproductions. It is available in both a smooth, hot press finish and a classic textured cold press finish (shown). It is also available in sheets in an extra heavy weight of 425 gsm in both finishes. Available in widths up to 44".
Approximate longevity of 80-100 years.
Somerset Enhanced Velvet - 255gsm
Somerset Enhanced Velvet is made by St. Cuthberts Mill in England. This unique fine art paper has a fine texture and beautiful photo realistic definition. This is a special version of the popular watercolor paper designed for digital fine art printing. Also available in a 505 gsm sheets. Available in widths up to 44".
Approximate longevity of 80 to 100 years
Hahnemuhle Torchon - 285gsm
This watercolor paper is made by Hahnemuhle in Germany. It's a fine art printing paper with a unique parchment texture that produces photo realistic definition and tremendous color range and depth. Available in widths up to 44".
Approximate longevity of 80-100 years.
Arches Aquarelle Rag- 310gsm
The world’s number one mould-made watercolor paper is now available for giclee fine art printing. This genuine 100% rag watercolor paper complies with the highest archival standards with no optical brighteners and is extremely age resistant. It gives a unique and unrivalled character to traditional artwork and photographs. Available in widths up to 44".
Approximate longevity of 80-100 years.
Schoellershammer Linen - 300gsm
This unique paper has a natural canvas-like appearance and produces outstanding color. Made in Germany by Schoellershammer, producing quality paper since 1984, this 100% cotton fiber paper has a bright white color (without the use of optical brighteners) and is acid-free, lignin-free, and non-yellowing. Available in widths up to 44".
Approximate longevity of 80-100 years.
Canvas
We offer a broad selection of canvas options to cover must any need and budget. All of the canvas choices below are specially treated for giclee printing to provide superior results, and all of them can be mounted on stretcher bar without fear of cracking.
Matte Decor Canvas - 18mil
This economical lighter weight polyflax/cotton blend canvas is specifically designed for high volume canvas printing. It is acid free with a low gloss finish, and durable enough that it can be cleaned with water and mild detergent. Can be stretched and mounted. Available in widths up to 73".
Estimaged longevity of 50-80 years indoors.
Satin Decor Canvas - 18mil
This lighter weight polyester/cotton blend canvas offers a satin finish and excellent color reproduction. It's acid-free for fade resistant fine art or photo reproductions and is very economical. Printed with latex inks, it's water and scratch resistant without the need for a surface coating. Available up to 104" wide. Can be stretched and mounted.
Estimaged longevity of 50-80 years indoors.
Matte Designer Canvas - 20 mil
This polyester/cotton blend canvas is acid-free and is designed for fade resistant giclee canvas fine art printing or photo canvas reproductions, and is great for those who wish to retouch their prints. Since it is printed with latex inks, it’s water and scratch resistant without the need for a surface coating, which makes it more economical. Available in widths up to 60".
Estimaged longevity of 50-80 years indoors.
Satin Designer Canvas - 20 mil
This satin finish polyester/cotton blend canvas offers excellent color reproduction and is acid-free for fade resistant giclee fine art printing or photo reproductions. Since it is printed with latex inks, it’s water and scratch resistant without the need for a surface a coating, which makes it more economical. Available in widths up to 60".
Estimaged longevity of 50-80 years indoors.
Gloss Designer Canvas - 20 mil
This polyester/cotton blend canvas features a gloss finish and outstanding color depth and saturation. Since it's printed with latex inks, it is durable enough to be cleaned with water and mild detergent without requiring a top coat, which makes it an economical choice, and like all our giclee canvas, it won’t crack when stretched or mounted. Available in widths up to 60".
Estimaged longevity of 50-80 years indoors.
Satin Artist Canvas - 21 mil
This certified archival cotton blend canvas is acid and OBA-free with longevity tested at over 100 years. The satin finish provides good color depth with less glare,making it ideal for museum quality art and photo reproductions. It is printed at 1440 dpi with 8 color eco-solvent inks for the largest possible gamut and accuracy, and the inks are water and scratch resistant without the need for a top coating.
Gloss Artist Canvas - 21 mil
This certified archival cotton blend canvas is acid and OBA-free, with longevity tested at over 100 years. The gloss finish provides exceptional color depth, making it ideal for museum quality art and photo reproductions. It is printed at 1440 dpi with 8 color eco-solvent inks for the largest possible gamut and accuracy, and the inks are water and scratch resistant without the need for a top coating.
Premium Canvas - 22 mil
This certified archival poly/cotton blend canvas is free of optical brighteners that can yellow with age, is extremely flexible to prevent cracking, and offers the largest color gamut available. An acrylic topcoat is applied for resistance to damage from water, chemicals, and scratching, and is available in gloss, satin, or matte finish.
Estimated longevity in excess of 100 years.
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Finishing Options
For photo enlargement, most photo papers and watercolor papers would be framed under glass and not need any special finishing. For photo enlargements that you want to display outside a frame, we have various lamination and mounting options listed below.
Vinyl Laminate - 4 Mil
This pressure sensitive laminate is available in gloss, luster or matte finishes, with the matte finish being the most popular as it has a sand texture like polycarbonate that diffuses glare without muting the colors of the print. Laminates offers surface protection and can change the finish of your print to suit the display environment. When a high-gloss finish is desired, and glare is not a concern, gloss is the appropriate choice. Keep in mind that a gloss finish will show flaws, scratches and fingerprints more than any other laminate. Luster and matte offer the same protection without these disadvantages.
Polycarbonate Laminate - 5 and 10 Mil
These pressure sensitive laminates, also know as Lexan, are the most durable available. They resist scratches, abrasion and chemicals, and their textured velvet finish hides fingerprints and diffuses glare. They also provide a unique optical technology that prevents the laminate from making the print darker or dulling the color.
Permanent Adhesive
While not technically a laminate, this pressure sensitive adhesive applied to the back turns any print into a decal, complete with peel-off release liner. We can apply the adhesive and either send the print rolled for mounting to the surface of your choice, or mount the print for you to a variety of substrates. See the Mounting Materials section below for more information.
Posterboard
This paper board comes in 22x28 and is an economical mounting material for short term posters that need enough rigidity to stand up in a poster frame or other sign holder. Other sizes are available on a special order basis.
Foamcore
This 3/16 inch thick foam board has a polystyrene core with paper facing. It's great for short term displays or those on a tight budget, but it's too easily dented when handled for long term or abusive environments. Available in black, or white by request.
Gatorfoam
This foam board has a styrofoam polystyrene core with a Luxcell veneer and is available in thicknesses of 3/16 and 1/2 inch. It's much more durable and harder than foamcore making it more suitable in situations where it will be handled frequently, but the corners will still dent with impact so careful handling is recommended. The faces are also archival so it's great for long term display of prints. Available in black, or white by request.
Sintra
This expanded PVC plastic board is available in a variety of thicknesses, but 3mm and 6mm are the most popular for mounting. It's water resistant and fire retardant, making is desirable for display applications. Since it's a solid board, it's more durable than foamcore or gatorfoam, but it's also heavier and not as rigid. It also expands and contracts with temperature changes, up to .05 mil/ft per degree F.
Photo Papers
For the most inexpensive digital photo printing, the Satin Photo Paper offers tremendous image quality, but like the Kodak photo paper, the longevity will only be about 2-5 years indoors if kept out of direct sunlight. Of these, the Kodak is the heaviest, the weight of traditional photo prints.
For digital photo printing with great longevity, we have several excellent choices. The Matte Lithography Paper is designed to simulate the look of heavy weight offset printing papers, and it produces exceptional quality and a moisture and smudge resistant image that will last indoors for over 100 years. It is one of the heavier papers at 13mil and 270 gsm, and is excellent for framing.
For digital photo printing with a traditional photo weight without a completely flat finish, then the Satin or Gloss Photo Papers are excellent choices. They have a longevity of up to 100 years, heavy 9 mil thickness, and excellent image quality, and while they are more durable than some photo papers, they should still be framed under glass like all papers.
Watercolor Papers
Watercolor papers produce softer color than glossy medias, and there is no way around that. However, we use special inks designed to optimize color depth on watercolor papers and the results are stunning compared to what was possible even a few years ago. All the watercolor papers we offer have been specially treated to allow the ink to stay more on the surface and therefore produce better color, and the best image quality. Of these, the Crane Museo Max, Canson Edition Etching and Canson Rag Photographique papers are our recommendation because they produce the best color depth. The Canson papers are heavier and also easier to handle without damaging the print compared to most other watercolor papers where extreme care must be taken not to mar the image prior to framing. The Arches Aquarelle is also a favorite when a more textured paper with a warmer white base is desired. If you want a paper to impress your customers, BFK Rives has a 500 year history and is one of the most prestigious fine art printing papers there is. It also prints and handles very well.
The Sunset Textured Fine Art paper, and the Sunset Cotton Etching paper are both excellent choices for a high quality watercolor print at the lowest possible price. The other choices all satisfy particular needs and tastes, such as a brighter white color, more or less surface texture, heavier or lighter weight, etc. We have printed samples of all of our papers, so contact us and we will be happy to send you sample so you can see and feel the paper for yourself.
Canvas
The Decor canvas is our least expensive canvas option. It's a lighter weight than our more expensive options, but this acid free Fredrix canvas, which comes in Matte and Satin finishes, offers good image quality and some really big sizes, up to 73" wide. It's an excellent value and a good choice for high volume jobs or tight budgets.
The Designer Canvases offer color depth and gamut similar to our more expensive Artist Canvas, so they are quickly becoming our most popular canvas options. They are printed at 720 dpi with eco-solvent inks, so water has no effect on the print, eliminating the need for a top coating, which is one reason why they are less expensive. The Satin Designer canvas is an excellent choice when you want to avoid the glare of the gloss version without giving up as much color depth as a matte canvas requires.
Our Artist Canvas and Premium Canvas are both certified archival and are free of optical brighteners, and have estimated longevity in excess of 100 years. The Artist Canvas is available in a gloss or satin finish and is printed at 1440 dpi with eco-sol inks so it's waterproof without the need for a top coating. It's printed with an 8 color Hi-Fi ink set and is our most popular canvas for museum quality canvas giclee prints.
The Premium Canvas is printed at 2880 dpi with a 9 color water based ink set and has an acrylic top coat that is available in gloss, satin and matte finishes. This is the finest quality canvas print available, but for most applications, the Designer or Artist canvas series are more than adequate and also less expensive.
No, because the process is digital you can order any quantity from 1 on up. There are discounts for ordering multiple copies, so the price per print decreases with larger quantities, but there is no minimum.
Normal turnaround time is 3-4 days. During the order process you will be asked if you have a specific due date, and if you do, we will adjust your shipping method, if necessary, to get your order to you on time. If you need your order even quicker, we also have a rush service. If you authorize rush charges, we can get your order shipped the same day or the next day. Rush charges are typically 50% of your order up to a maximum of $75. If we're able to meet your deadline without bumping other jobs, we won't actually charge the rush charge, but you must authorize the rush to guarantee delivery.
When you're ready to order, you can use the Pricing/Order button next to each item in the Printing Materials tab, and the Pricing/Order wizard will prompt you for the necessary information such as quantity, dimensions and finishing options, and allow you to see the shipping costs. If necessary, you can click the Products tab in the wizard and choose a different material from the same product type in the drop down menu.
You will also be asked to indicate how you are sending your files and how you want us to handle cropping, if necessary. You will also be allowed to choose whether or not you want a proof, and if so, what kind of proof you would like. You can choose a reduced size printed proof for $30, which will be printed on the same material as your final print, or you can choose to have us evaluate your file to look for any potential problems and send a pdf proof for $15. A reduced size printed proof of the overall design is good for proofing color, or we can print a section of the graphic at full size so you can see how an image will look when blown up. If we feel the file will print poorly or your file doesn't scale to the correct size, we will always contact you to discuss your options before printing, so if you've already examined your files before sending them, a proof is often not necessary, but since custom printed graphics cannot be returned, a proof is your best way to verify what the final print will look like in advance.
Lastly, there is a Special Instructions field where you can provide any information you think we may need to process your order correctly.
Once you've provided all the required information, you can add the item to the shopping cart where you can either check out, or choose to continue shopping to return to the page you came from. On the shopping cart screen you can see all the items you've added to your order, delete any that you don't want, and have a chance to upload your file.
You don't need to create an account to complete your order, but doing so will allow your account history to be maintained for future reference and ordering convenience. The only account information that is stored are your billing, shipping, and e-mail addresses, and this information is secure and confidential. Creating an account WILL NOT result in unwanted e-mails from us, or anyone else.
To finish your order, you will be asked to specify either normal turnaround time for your order, or provide a specific due date. If you do specify a due date, you will also be given the option to authorize rush charge for your order. If you need your order completed in less than the normal 4-5 day turnaround, you should authorize rush charges to ensure you get your order on time. Rush charges are 50% of your order total, up to a maximum of $75. If we don't have to bump other jobs to meet your deadline, you won't be charged the rush fee, but if you don't authorize the charges, we'll do what we can to complete your order on time, but won't go so far as to bump other jobs. If you specify a due date, we will adjust the shipping method, if necessary, to ensure your order arrives by the date you specified. In this case, extra shipping charges may apply.
Next you will be asked to select the shipping method, and finally the payment type. You should know that your credit card is not being charged when you submit the form. We are collecting the information for your order, but you will not be charged until we have verified your order to make sure there were no mistakes made. That way, if there are aspects of your order that change, we can adjust the order and the shipping cost, if necessary, before you are charged.
Once you click the Order button, you will receive an order summary via e-mail for your records, and we will receive your order and the process can begin.
As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please Contact Us and we'll be happy to help you with the process.