B&W printing

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dwl22

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I've got some B&W landscape (mainly) shots I'd like to get printed for framing. I've had some done by a large company before with varying levels of success! They sometimes come with odd mottled checkerboard areas - to be fair they re-print with no qualms. But I'd like something better and happy to a bit more.

Any recommendations? Should I be aiming for someone who prints B&W and not (as I suspect the big boys do) it's simply their normal colour printing with no colour! Or am I wrong?



thanks
Dewi
 
if they are realey special, Ilford will do a good job but they are not cheap.
 
I've used ilford a couple of times, and they are very good. However they are very expensive, several times more expensive than more run of the mill places. Unless you've got a real appreciation for fine black and white prints (I don't tbh) or are doing an exhibition, then they're not worth spending the extra money. I've always been happy with DSCL and photobox prints but it depends how discerning you are and how much you want to spend.
 
thanks Both for your comments. I think there's a difference between the black I used to get in the darkroom last century (even my poor efforts) than what comes from Photobox. I'm happy with what they do but if I'm going to hang a big B&W landscape on my wall and pay for a frame I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing with printing it.

I'm happy to pay the Ilford price if they are better. It just feels "right" that the printer says "black and white" so there's no chance of any colour fringes. Anyone else got an opinion / recommendations?
Dewi
 
Ah, if you've done some darkroom black and white printing, then I think you would probably appreciate the Ilford prints as they do print on real silver gelatine paper. My recommendation would be to get the same image printed small at a few labs to see what you think before going large scale.
 
having seen his galleries, feel a bit odd sending him any images that don't come anywhere near the quality for him to print!
I've given Ilford a try and I'm trying The Print Space as well as I can go get them easily enough - and they do colour too.
thanks for the tips people

Dewi
 
dwl22 said:
having seen his galleries, feel a bit odd sending him any images that don't come anywhere near the quality for him to print!
I've given Ilford a try and I'm trying The Print Space as well as I can go get them easily enough - and they do colour too.
thanks for the tips people

Dewi
Click to expand...
I think you are being a bit harsh on yourself. Your B&W images are lovely. Martin will really pull the best out of them for you.

He is a photography tutor too, and runs the digital monochrome learning forum. I can assure you he is used to far worse than your work! He will offer good advice should you need it too.

http://www.digitalmonochromeforum.co.uk/
 
Very kind words. Thank you!
i'll peruse the mono forum and tinker a bit more i think. most of the ones I've done I've adjusted first in Lightroom in colour then converted using Nik without doing any selective adjustments - so I might spend a little more time on them.

I'll feedback on the places I've tried, but my first impressions of the The Print Space are very positive: nice B&W prints on Harman Warmtone and a Batyra gloss. Unsurprisingly (no offence to them, for the price they do a decent job in colour) they do blow photobox out of the water.
Waiting for some Ilford prints.

Dewi
 
intake it you don't have an A3+ printer yourself. if you enjoy B&W then getting one and doing your own will give great satisfaction
 
I ca certainly recommend both Ian and Martin at the website Toby mentioned.
If you are anywhere near the Staffordshire/Cheshire border then I have an Epson 3880 and print using ABW and would be happy to do them for you for the cost of the paper.
Dave
 
A very generous offer! What a nice place this is. Lots of help, lot of encouragement and offer like this. Miles away in Londinium so you don't need to load up the printer.

To POAH: Not sure I can justify buying a printer just for populating the walls of the house! Maybe if I was selling any....

Dewi
 
Cheers
dave
 
Thought it good manners to report back!
I've now got some B&W landscapes (Yosemite) printed from Photobox, Ilford and Theprintspace.
To be fair for the price (I usually print when they've got an offer and wait for free P&P!) the Photobox ones aren't bad. I had a 16x10 pearl and the blacks are okay and the shadow detail not bad. But they took two goes to get it right. I've had it before with B&W with them: you get a odd "grid" pattern all over. I call them, they go "ok" and they re-order one. They turn around fast as well.

I have a direct comparison of a 10x8 image on matt from Ilford and theprintspace. Image wise I wouldn't say there's anything in it although the Ilford looks a little "colder" (which I prefer for this particular shot). Ilford posted in a massive tube with lots of packaging and was about 3 days which I think was good. Theprintspace I picked up from and you could order in the morning and go pick up same day. You get them flat in some clear envelopes. I also had a warm paper for another print and I really liked it.
Butthe Ilford one smelled proper!

So, I have few conclusions!

Are the more expensive prints better than Photobox? - oh yes. If I was selling or sticking a shot on my own wall, I'd pay for this.

My concerns about a colour printer not giving me the same as a proper B&W print seem misplaced.

I think I'd go Ilford for old school B&W but since I can save the postage at ThePrintSpace and they do finishing (and they can do my colour ones!) I think they win.

Now I might be tempted to try Martin Henson!

Dewi
 
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