In this post I discuss why you need to consider bringing your room to life with a large format print. It is often said that an image is not complete until it is printed. I am not sure I completely agree with this statement. There are images that are better suited to being viewed digitally, after all the right image displayed on a backlit screen can look amazing. Some would go as far as saying it’s the viewing norm now as everyone is used to seeing bright and vibrant backlit images daily on their phone screens. That said printing an image is a really good way to impress and when it comes to printing the larger the print the better!
The Focus In The Room
Ask yourself. When you enter a room what is the first thing that usually grabs your attention? My guess is 9 times out of 10 it’s the TV! If we go back in time to the 1920’s General Electric introduced a television with a 4″ Screen. I know! Thats tiny in comparison to the huge screens of today. In fact, the most popular size of TV on on sale in 2021 is a whopping 65 Inches! Now that’s a huge amount of real estate to be competing with so it’s no surprise that the TV is usually the focal point in any modern living room.
Diverting Attention With A Large Format Print
Whilst there is nothing wrong with the TV being the main focus within a room I personally would rather try and divert attention towards something else. There are several ways to do this such as a feature wall, spectacular fireplace, antiques displays, large wall art or a large format print to name a few.
It’s worth noting that the main focus of a room does not necessarily have to be the largest item in a room. It just has to draw the viewers attention long enough to stop the eye from wondering.
Lets Get Printing
I recently made this photograph during a trip to Scotland. Bracklinn Falls is a very popular beauty spot located above the Scottish town of Callander. The falls are part of the Keltie water where the river crosses the highland boundary fault. I think the image is an excellent candidate for a large format print and will be a great reminder of a fantastic few days
What Is A Large Format Print?
Let’s begin by answering the question.
A large format print is usually considered to be a print above 18 Inches (457mm) up to 100 Inches (2540mm) in size. Prints over 100 Inches are classed as grand format prints or super wide format prints.
Choosing The Right Type of Print For Your Room
When it comes to printing there are several types of print media to choose from. For centuries people have hung tapestries and paintings on their walls. In more recent times canvas prints have appeared on out walls and of late there are gallery style prints that are becoming ever more popular for that special feature.
Canvas Prints
Canvas prints have an old-fashioned look, similar to that of an oil painting and are cheaper than traditional framing and mounting methods. This type of print is a very popular choice for anyone who want to create a piece of wall art. There are several companies who produce good quality canvas prints. The prints are usually very good value for money so it is easy to see why canvas is a popular choice.
Photographic Paper
There are two main methods to producing a photographic print. Home printing and printing by using a professional print lab. Large format prints are usually printed by a print lab unless you are lucky enough to own a large format printer. Whilst both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, I’ll leave that conversation is for a different day. Regardless of printing at home or using lab there is a huge choice of paper types to choose from. Matt, Gloss, Textured, Silk, Tissue, smooth, natural and bright white to name a few. Then there are different paper weights to choose form. As you can see it can be a little bit of a minefield.
An experienced photographer will know which paper type to print an image on. Everyone else should experiment. Personally I usually print photographic prints on Fujicolor Professional Lustre photographic paper and Giclée Fine Art Prints on Photo rag 300gsm cotton based paper with a smooth matt coating.
There are also costs associated to framing your print. Depending on the size and type of frame you choose the additional costs can soon mount up. (Pun intended)
Acrylic Large Format Print
Acrylic prints are are an elegant and stylish way to showcase a piece of art with a WOW factor. It’s bold, vivid display means it is perfect for show-stopping features. Your viewers eyes will immediately be drawn to an Acrylic Gallery print, therefore it’s great choice for a large feature display.
Acrylic photo printing is amongst the best options where longevity is concerned. Unlike glass, acrylic is shatter resistant, lighter and provides UV protection to prevent an image being damaged by sunlight.
Acrylic prints come in two varieties, face-mounted or direct-print. Face mounted acrylic prints are printed on quality archival paper. The paper is then mounted to the back of a sheet of acrylic between 3mm and 6mm thick. Direct-print as the name suggests is printed directly on the acrylic’s back face.
Which Large Format Print Did I Make?
If you haven’t already guessed, I decided to print my Bracklinn Falls image as a large format acrylic print. The print measures a whopping 750mm x 500mm and hangs with pride above the fireplace in my lounge. Standing off the wall by around 1cm the image appears to have a floating look and feel.
The print looks amazing and definitely delivers on being attention grabbing with a certain WOW factor. We don’t get many visitors to our home albeit those who do visit usually comment on the beautiful image with it becoming a major focal point of our room and most certainly a conversation starter. I guess you may say mission accomplished!
Bracklinn Falls – Callander Scotland
Print Shop
I have a range prints for sale in my print shop including this image of the Bracklinn Falls. If your interested or want to know more details just follow this link.
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