If you live in Connecticut, humidity may not be an issue but, bright sunlight and various other factors can work together to reduce the life span of your photos. While some may accept this as the way of things, others choose to resist this natural or elemental progression. They are turning to another form that will virtually immortalize their memories and photo treasures. These are metal photo prints.
What Is a Metal Photo Print?
A metal photo print is a print recreated on an aluminum substrate. It involves a specially coated aluminum plate. It also requires a process called “dye sublimation printing.” This technique, although hardly new, has been adopted for metal prints.
Dye thermo-sublimation, when reduced to its simplest forms requires the following:
* A digital photographic image
* Special transfer paper
* Dye sub inks
A heated substrate surface – though steam accomplishes the same thing at the right temperatures
The printer prints the digital photo on the transfer paper than presses it onto the surface. He or she then proceeds to heat the substrate to a minimum of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, the substrate captures the photo. The operator removes the paper and discards it, but the image remains permanently.
In today’s printing shops, the result is an image captured on metal. The chosen medium is usually aluminum. It may appear as either a gloss or a matte. It may also be smooth or brushed. It depends upon the process and the company offering the metal photo service.
Why Metal Photo Prints?
Several reasons explain why some people in Connecticut say they prefer metal to traditional photo prints. As noted previously, they are virtually everlasting. However, this is not the only reason why a professional photographer may opt for this type of print. Some reasons include:
* Sharpness
* High resolution
* Durability including scratch resistance
* Impact resistant
* UV light resilient
* Impervious to humidity
Suitability for indoor and outdoor uses including bathrooms and covered patios
The robustness of metal print is such you do not require a glass pane to shield it.
Maintenance and Metal Photo Prints
Yet, this does not mean you can neglect your metal photo print entirely. They can gather dust on the wall in your Connecticut home or on your Maine cottage porch, so be sure to talk to the printer who does the work. He or she can recommend what methods will best take care of the work. Take the right precautions to protect your metal photo prints then relax and enjoy what beauty has been wrought by combining a delicate print with the durability and strength of metal.
