acrylic face mount prints- lab recommendation?

[hieuabc]

I have several images for an upcoming gallery exhibit that I think would look better as an acrylic face mount print, than my normal framed and matted image on epson baryta.  Four to six prints, all square, 20x20 and 30x30" in size.
I have not used an outside lab for years, I presently print all my own work, mostly on an ipf8400.
I used to deal with whitewall, they were fine.  But have not used them in several years.  Looking for a lab to work with.
I am not sure if this is going to be a single order, or a longer relationship.  It depends on how these are received.
I looked into doing this myself- I have a fairly clean mount room and a cold roller laminator,  but it sounds like this is more complex a process than I want to dabble with.
Any recommendations would be appreciated
Thanks

[Lessbones]

I would recommend going with dye-sub over face mounting with acrylic-- you'll get a similar look if you choose a glossy surface, and it will likely be cheaper than printing and mounting.  My lab does both if you would like to get a pricing comparison-- not sure what area you're located in:  griffineditions.com

[stockjock]

I would recommend going with dye-sub over face mounting with acrylic-- you'll get a similar look if you choose a glossy surface, and it will likely be cheaper than printing and mounting.  My lab does both if you would like to get a pricing comparison-- not sure what area you're located in:  griffineditions.com

Doesn't dye sub give a somewhat reduced color gamut?  I've never compared but that has been the impression I've gotten over the years.

[Lessbones]

The overall gamut volume is lower, than an inkset containing extra reds, greens, violets, etc. like canon's, but it depends on the imagery.  It has quite a bit more possible saturation in bright yellows/reds, and deep blues than most aqueous inks can achieve.

[robertDthomas]

I have used several Dye Sub printers as well as Acrylic face mount and find that the overall image quality of Acrylic looks better,  Better fine detail and overall color.  Of course it depends on who you use but of several I have tried all Acrylic showed better.  But as other poster mentions the cost is quite a bit more.  I think Whitewall is still a good choice.

[dchew]

I think Whitewall is still a good choice.

Me too. I still cannot believe their shipping rates. Germany to Ohio, 40x90" print, $59.95 (not the print, but the shipping). That was a fraction of what companies here in the States wanted. And, it showed up a few days after it was done in production. Total order to delivery time, 9 days.

I don't know how they do it.

Dave

[dgberg]

It is done with smoke and mirrors but it is not magic. What many (not all) do is charge the customer half of the shipping cost up front which comes across as a fantastic deal. (Usually enough of a shipping discount to get the sale.) The other half is buried in the price.
You have a large printing company doing $5 million a year. They charge the customers upfront $250,000 for shipping and bury the other $250,000 in the sale price. The company gets back 100% of their 10% shipping costs.
I have a large vendor that I purchase from that has free shipping on everything. (Well it is not really free.) Most of the prices are very competitive. You can see quite a few items that are priced 2 to 3% above the competition. Believe me they are getting it back.

Dave, Your deal was a deal. You would expect $250 + or -

[mearussi]

FYI:

Both dye sub metal and acrylic face mount prints are beautiful in their own unique ways but neither are considered "archival" each due to different reasons, if that's important to you. Metal, being dye based, has a rated display life of about 60 years and face mounted acrylic, if made using double sided film, will separate over time, especially if subjected to temperature extremes (such as being shipped in very hot UPS/FED X vans), as the print, film and acrylic all have different COEs. There is another method of creating a face mounted print using a proprietary method that gets around this problem (I forgot the name but no doubt other here will mention it) but it's very expensive.

The other problems with these prints is that the acrylic scratches very easily (yes, even the "scratch resistant" version) and the metal print's edges are easily bent because they are printed on thin aluminum sheets (they have to have a frame around them to protect them).