So, I'm going to have my first "real" art show at a local place in a few months, and need to figure out how to get prints and frames and mat and everything without taking a horrible kick in the wallet.
I've been consistently disappointed with CafePress and Zazzle prints, since they always seem to turn out a lot darker than they should and don't offer a lot of variety in paper type/quality.
Can anyone recommend a good place to have professional-quality prints made without having to spend a ton?
Does anyone have experience with DeviantArt prints? Do you recommend them?
Any advice would be appreciated.
My brother and some friends work in the print media industry and your probably do that for a bargain.
Too bad they live in Germany. Not sure, but the shipping might negate all the savings. :/
Anyway, do you have a Michael's art store or similar place near you? I think Aaron Brothers has good deals on framing prints, too. Maybe those places offer printing capabilities that CafePress and Zazzle lack...otherwise, I can't really help, never printed professionally before D:
Good luck and hugs!
Also bear in mind that different papers will print colors and values totally differently. The more matte and absorbent the paper, the more muddy your darks will be. When on a budget (like I am haha), darker images seem to look better in terms of values on less absorbent papers such as photo stock.
I hope this helps! A lot of it is, sadly, trial and error unless you can find someone with a printer that is really good at knowing how it will translate print files and can help you make adjustments.