How do you store and show your best prints?

[MBlue72]

Hello:

I have been visiting this site for about a year and have found it to be one of best for discussions of printing, papers, etc. I am an amateur and have enjoyed photography for almost 40 years (digital photography since 2004). I print my own work using Epson printers.

My question is: how do you store and show your best prints (that are not framed and hung)? In all my reading of this and other forums, I don’t recall this specific question addressed in any detail.

I have about a dozen of my favorite prints framed and hung on the walls of our home. But, I also have another 50-75 of my better images that I would like to print and store and have available for viewing. I am looking for a classy “system.” I am willing to spend a few dollars per print (say up to $4 or $5), excluding the cost of paper and ink for the print itself.

These are not my “proofs” or run-of-the-mill prints. Those I currently store in Avery “Super Heavyweight” Sheet Protectors (proofs) and Itoya “Art Portfolio” 11x17 landscape books (prints).

This storage and presentation system would be used if/when friends ask to see some of my work or simply when I want to enjoy my best prints. Last year I purchased a beautiful Prat Paris 16-ring portfolio (11x17) with this purpose in mind. Although quite beautiful (and more than $100), I was dissatisfied. It is, of course, a personal preference, but I simply enjoy holding a beautiful print in my hand without a glossy plastic enclosure inhibiting the experience. Another personal preference: I most enjoy largish prints with substantial “white space” – I just feel a narrow border feels too crowded. So I am leaning toward  “8-by-something” artwork with landscape orientations being 8x12, 8x13 or 8x14 and portrait orientations being 8x10. Obviously, I would adjust these aspect ratios as the image dictates.

I usually print on matte papers (70%?) with Hahnemuhle Photo Rag and Moab Entrada Natural being my favorites. For coated papers, my favorites are Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta and Museo Silver Rag.

At this point I am considering the following four options for my storage/presentation approach:

1)… loose 11x17 prints in archival storage boxes … probably with interleaving between the prints. This is certainly the cheapest and easiest solution. White space would be a minimum of 1-1/2 inches all around – this is a little tighter than I would like.

2)…A variation would be storing the loose 11x17 prints in “Folios” (fold over envelopes made of high quality, heavy art paper). These are available in various sizes but I would also consider making my own.

3)… binding 11x17 prints into a screw post album. Moab and others offer up to 12x12 albums but I am considering making my own to accommodate the larger 11x17 sized paper. This option is the most time consuming.

4)… mounting the prints using 4-ply mat board (1/16-inch thick) and acid-free foamboard (1/8-inch) as a backing board. If I do this, I am thinking about having 2-1/2 inch white space all around which leads to 13-by-something package (13x15, 13x17, 13x18 and 13x19). This would allow me to store the matted prints in archival boxes sized for 13x19 materials. This option is the most expensive … about $3.50 per mounted print, not including the cost of the storage box. At this point, despite the cost, I am leaning toward this option.

I would be very interested in hearing of your experiences and thoughts.

Thanks for any help or ideas you can share,

Dave

[neile]

Order a set of bags from www.clearbags.com in the appropriate size and stick the print inside as:

1) A straight print
2) With a piece of matboard cut to size behind the print
3) Mounted to foamcore with a mat on top

#2 and #3 are my normal choices for this. #2 is dirt cheap and almost zero effort, yet keeps the print from getting bent. #3 makes for a nicer presentation, but requires you to cut the mats which can be time consuming. The size options are endless too. Want to do your 8x10s with a 5" border all around? No problem, they'll have a bag for that.

I've gone the folio route for small prints (see the link in my signature) but unless you're willing to shell out several thousand dollars to do a print run you have to hand cut them. It's incredibly time consuming but if you want to do it Brooks Jensen has a great DVD on the subject.

[MBlue72]

Neil:

Thanks very much for your reply. Although I am familiar with Clearbags, I have never visited their site. They have some interesting products. Your idea of using a "clear bag" with a print and matboard seems pretty interesting to me. Inexpensive and very flexible. I could envision putting the print and matboard in loose or even with four archival corners.

Sorry my response was delayed -- I got wrapped up in the holidays, visiting family, etc.

Thanks again,

Dave

[Alan Goldhammer]

At this point I am considering the following four options for my storage/presentation approach:

1)… loose 11x17 prints in archival storage boxes … probably with interleaving between the prints. This is certainly the cheapest and easiest solution. White space would be a minimum of 1-1/2 inches all around – this is a little tighter than I would like.

I would be very interested in hearing of your experiences and thoughts.

Thanks for any help or ideas you can share,

Dave

Your #1 is the method I use.  I think the polypropylene bags are not totally "clear" and do affect the image (I do use the bags for shipping and display at sales events).  I usually keep a portfolio box on the coffee table in the livingroom with interleaved prints in the box.  You can get archival storage boxes and interleaf paper from numerous suppliers (I like Archival Methods who have always provided me with excellent service).  I find that visitors like to hold the prints in their hands or put them on the table to look at.  The box size is one inch in depth and you don't want to overwhelm visitors with a box of 50-75 prints (rotate them on a regular basis). You just need to give them quick instructions not to touch the image portion of the print (you would be surprised how many people normally would do just that).

Alan

[neile]

Thanks very much for your reply. Although I am familiar with Clearbags, I have never visited their site. They have some interesting products. Your idea of using a "clear bag" with a print and matboard seems pretty interesting to me. Inexpensive and very flexible. I could envision putting the print and matboard in loose or even with four archival corners.

I'll do it with the print fully t-hinged to the backboard, all ready to get put in a frame. It doesn't take much work and keeps things secure. If you do order bags I suggest getting the "Protective Closure" (PC) bags. The stcky part is on the bag, not the flap, so you don't accidentally stick to the image when you are putting it into the bag.

Neil

[abiggs]

I do what Neil does, however I don't like to use foamcore as the backboard. I prefer the same museum board (often referred to as mat board if not of good quality) for the back of my print. I T-hinge my prints that hang from the backboard and use 2-sided tape to secure the 2 museum boards together. When I am lazy, which sometimes happens, I will just hinge the boards together, allowing the viewer to open up and see the signature on the actual print.

[MBlue72]

Thank you all for your input.

Andy, do you store your assembled print/museum boards in clear bags for protection? Do you stack them in archival boxes? I do like the idea of the hinge so the mat can be lifted. I am thinking about printing a title and capture date/location (in medium gray) in the lower border area and signing the prints there too. I print with Qimage which makes this pretty painless. All of this would be hidden by the mat.

Thanks again,

Dave

[abiggs]

Dave, I only print on demand, so I don't have any prints sitting around the studio waiting for a sale. If I did, I would likely purchase a flat file storage solution and then keep my prints in clear bags.

I am not a fan of actually printing the details on the page. I prefer creating something like a large Avery label that can be attached to the back of the museum board that has those kinds of details, which is also some kind of certificate of authenticity.

[neile]

Dave, I only print on demand, so I don't have any prints sitting around the studio waiting for a sale. If I did, I would likely purchase a flat file storage solution and then keep my prints in clear bags.

I am not a fan of actually printing the details on the page. I prefer creating something like a large Avery label that can be attached to the back of the museum board that has those kinds of details, which is also some kind of certificate of authenticity.

Agree with Andy on this one. I leave a margin around the image on the paper just for signing, but no image details. The image details and such go on a simple Avery label I stick on the back of the foamcore.

Neil

[budjames]

AppleTV and my web site.

Bud

[Jeff Magidson]

AppleTV and my web site.

Bud

That's just another reason why i'm enjoying making fine art prints. When I first started doing photography 25 years ago the print was so important. Now almost all amateurs and many professionals view all their images in their final destination on a monitor. That makes a good physical print all the more special.