One of the coolest products to come on the market is canvas prints. Your portrait will be printed on museum-quality canvas and hand stretched onto a custom-built wooden frame (three depth sizes include 3/4″, 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2″). The image will be gallery-wrapped, continuing around the sides of the frame for a beautiful print, ready to hang on your wall. No additional custom framing is needed. Your print is made with the highest quality, archival inks that never fade or discolor. Each print is sprayed with a UV coating for added protection and a gloss-type finish.

I use Simply Canvas as my provider because they have the reputation as being the best in the business. They only work with professional photographers so you will have to look elsewhere if you want to do it yourself. In addition to standard sizes, they can produce any size you desire and they even can be produced in a collage of multiple prints or one image over multiple frames. Canvas prints are perfect for filling any large wall space in your home with a work of art. These are perfect alternatives to traditional wood frames and look beautiful in today’s modern home or office. I’ve got one of my girls that is 24″x36″ mounted over the fireplace and it looks great!

Here is what the original imaged looks like and how it looks on the wall. The black border is not necessary, I just added that for this post to make the picture stand out more. Notice that the picture actually wraps around the frame. Some picture is lost on the top, bottom and sides because of this so plan accordingly. Even that is not a problem because they can stretch the image around the sides if needed.

Here are a few of the details:

• All prints are sprayed with an UV coating so they will not fade.
• All prints are stretched by hand.
• Any size, any shape from 6″x6″ to 60″x100″.
• Images will be very sharp even at larger sizes.
• Hang with or without a frame.
• Back is complete with hardware for hanging.

Let me know if you you need more information or a quote.

Canvas Prints Make Great Wall Art! is a post from: Houston Wedding Photographer Jerry B Smith

I get asked by a lot of couples for a photo mounted with a signature mat that wedding guests can sign. The idea is to have a bridal, engagement or wedding photo displayed at the reception in a frame with a wide matte border that well wishers sign and leave personal notes for the couple. These look great displayed in the home and often fit better in a contemporary setting than a traditional bridal or engagement portrait. 

There are many options and sizes available. Most of the professional labs offer products where they professionally print the chosen photo and mount it in a signature mat. They will also also add the couple’s name and wedding date at the bottom if desired for a finished look. I’ve order several from Bayphoto.com which offers them in 16×20 and 20×24 sizes and clients have been very pleased. I’m sure others offer them as well. A search of the web will also result in a number of mat frames that you can mount the picture yourself. If you go with the traditional paper mat, remember to have several Sharpie pens out for guests to sign the picture with and it is always a good idea to have someone sign it so other guests will know doing so is OK. I always bring a few myself in case whoever is in charge forgets or they get lost. The picture to the left is an example of how it looks.

I came across another idea at a wedding that I think makes an even better option. There is a company called Signature Keepsakes that offers the Engravable Signature Frame. This is an elegantly polished silver alloy (not cardboard) mat that your friends and family engrave their names and well wishes into using an engraving pen.  This technique is done by using a specially designed engraving scribe which writes much like a regular ink pen. Once fully signed, the mat is finished and a photo can be inserted in the center thus creating a unique keepsake.  

The Engravable Signature Mat comes in several sizes and will depend upon the retailer who carries the product.  Their site lists local and online retailers where the mat can be ordered (ordering is necessary so they can engrave your information). Standard sizes are 11 x 14, 18 x 20, 16 x 20, 20 x 24.  Custom sizes are available with certain minimums.  The Signature Mat can be framed in any frame moulding and will depend on your taste, the event, and size of the mat. All Signature Mats include the Signature Engraving Scribe, guest instruction card (5 x 7), and micro-fiber polishing cloth to remove smudges. 

Signature Mat Ideas for Wedding Receptions is a post from: Houston Wedding Photographer Jerry B Smith