The Best Photography Print Mediums

Choosing the best photography print medium that will be beautiful, fit your budget, and stand the test of time is an important consideration if you are are considering a fine art landscape photography print for your home.

Blue chunks of glacial ice are washed ashore on the black sands of Diamond Beach in Iceland.
'Diamond Beach', Jökulsárlón, Iceland. Limited Edition of 150.

Once you have selected your favourite image from an artist, you may have the option to choose from various print styles or mediums. What accounts for the price differences among them? How will they appear in real life? Are you inclined towards a wooden frame, or do you lean towards the frameless, floating look?

If these questions sound familiar, you are taking the right step by initiating some research to explore the top available options.

It may be that have never seen a sizable, high-end fine art print before. Those who have visited galleries showcasing such masterpieces frequently share a common reaction; they are astonished by the beauty of a large, high-quality print when seen up close. It is important to stress that viewing an image on a computer screen is not comparable to the experience of seeing a gallery-quality landscape photography art piece in person.

Red maple leaves hanging near a gentle cascade available as a print from Dean McLeod Photography.
'Tranquility', Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Limited edition of 150. Framed with a stunning Omega® Light Aluminum Scoop wooden frame combined with a white linen liner.

As a general rule, the vast majority of gallery-quality prints are produced by professionals in state-of-the-art labs who have dedicated their lives to mastering their craft.

Below is an easy guide to explain the differences between some of the most popular photographic print mediums available today.


Loose Paper Prints

Loose paper prints can be produced from a variety of devices like ink-jet or digital chromogenic printers. These prints are often of excellent quality and can be packaged flat or rolled in a cardboard tube and shipped to your home, but require external framing or mounting of some kind before they can be installed on your wall.

A loose paper photographic print from Dean McLeod Photography.
Loose paper prints are the most inexpensive way to obtain a nature photograph, but must be handled with extreme care. They require mounting or framing at an additional expense before they can be hung on your wall.

Selecting this medium comes with certain considerations, such as the genuine risk of damaging the print if you handle it yourself. Therefore, it is strongly advised to enlist the services of a professional for framing.

Keep in mind that custom framing can also be expensive, sometimes costing more than the print itself. Glass is often used to protect the print, but will often introduce some amount of glare on the photograph in bright rooms. Asking for anti-glare glass is a good idea if it is available from your framer.

Another option is to have the paper print professionally mounted and laminated on the surface to protect it, so the print can be installed without glass to eliminate glare.

Loose paper prints are generally the most cost effective way to obtain some nice wall art, as long as you are willing to spend some extra money to have it mounted or framed.


Canvas Prints

Closeup view of canvas photographic prints from the front and back.
Photographs can be printed on a special canvas material, then wrapped and stapled to an inexpensive wooden frame.

Canvas prints are another medium that still remains popular. A photograph can be printed on this specially coated cotton or plastic-based fabric, which is then wrapped and stapled over a light wooden frame. They are usually ready to hang directly out of the box, outfitted with a wire or metal hanger. Canvas prints can also be externally framed with a special canvas floater frame for a more finished look.

It is worth noting that canvas prints can be prone to warpage, and the larger the canvas, the more prone they are, which can become rather unsightly.

Some artists offer their work printed on canvas because they are generally less expensive to produce, but unfortunately they do not possess a lot of vibrancy or clarity. The texture of the canvas tends to wash out the fine details in an image, and they are generally not considered fine art for photographic purposes.


Dye-Sublimated Metal Prints

A newer medium that has become very popular are metal prints, most commonly produced using a method called dye-sublimation.

This method involves an initial printing of the image on specialized transfer paper, followed by securing it onto a specially coated aluminum sheet in a large heat press. Once the press is closed, it subjects the paper to both heat and pressure, causing the ink to transfer and infuse into the coating on the aluminum.

The most commonly used aluminum sheets used for metal prints are manufactured under the brand name Chromaluxe®.

A corner detail closeup of a photographic metal print.
A typical Chromaluxe (dye-sublimated) metal print. A recessed floating frame is attached to the back of the print, making it appear to 'float' on your wall.

A recessed 'floater frame' is usually attached to the back of the print, so it will appear to 'float' on your wall, arriving ready to hang with no external framing required.

It is also possible to order your metal print without the rear floater frame, then frame it yourself with an external wood or metal frame. However, this print style is usually chosen because the buyer prefers a frameless, contemporary look.

Dye-sublimated metal prints are very durable, waterproof, and possess nice color saturation and good detail. They are excellent for any room in your home, particularly high humidity areas like kitchens or bathrooms, with no risk of water damage. Would you like to hang a print over your bathtub? Look no further.


Acrylic Face-Mounted Prints

Finally, the most advanced photographic printing method available today is called acrylic face mounting. This medium is very reactive to accent lighting and tends to be very vibrant.

A diagram showing the various layers of an acrylic face mount photographic print.


In its most simplistic form, acrylic 'face mounting' a photograph starts by printing a photograph on paper, then applying a clear adhesive to the face of the image, after which a sheet of acrylic 'glass' is permanently bonded over the photograph. It should be noted that actual glass is not used; acrylic is simply a high quality plastic. (The two terms are often used interchangeably in the industry).

A sheet of stiff backer material like Dibond® or another sheet of acrylic is then bonded to the back of the print to protect it and provide rigidity. Finally, a recessed floating frame and hanging hardware are usually attached to the backer. These prints will appear to float on your wall, similar to a metal print.

To simplify, acrylic prints are essentially a 'photo sandwich'; acrylic on the front, acrylic or Dibond® on the back, with the photo in between.


Premium Lumachrome® TruLife® Acrylic Face-Mount Prints

Many of the industry's top professionals agree that Lumachrome® technology combined with TruLife® acrylic produces the finest face-mount prints in the world today.

Lumachrome® is a proprietary, state-of-the-art archival transparency paper infused with iridium particles that features vivid, brilliant colours lasting over 120 years with incredible 3D depth and dimensionality. When lit with quality lighting, its reactive properties make it come alive with a glowing response that is absolutely stunning.

A diagram showing the various layers of a Lumachrome TruLife photographic print.


TruLife® is a revolutionary optically-clear acrylic with an anti-reflective coating that drastically reduces reflections and glare while allowing viewers to see the finest details in the image for the best viewing experience possible. The thickness of the acrylic gives the photograph an amazing three-dimensional depth with vibrant color and clarity that is unsurpassed.

When accent lighting is used on these prints, it refracts or 'bounces' within the acrylic, causing a unique effect that appears to illuminate the image from within, or make it appear 'backlit' like a computer or television screen.

This captivating effect is unique to the acrylic face mount style and is the reason they look so bright and vibrant, full of rich detail with amazing depth.

A diagram showing all of the layers that comprise a Lumachrome TruLife acrylic face mount photographic print.
The many layers of a Lumachrome® TruLife® acrylic print make them works of art unto themselves.

Additionally, TruLife® acrylic gives your art piece 99% UV protection, is abrasion resistant, has anti-static properties that repel dust and it cleans like glass with no special acrylic cleaner required.

A robust recessed floating frame is attached to the back of the print so they are ready to hang with no external framing required. These premium-quality prints are also available with full custom external framing options.



And The Winner Is...

It is my opinion that Lumachrome® TruLife® acrylic face-mount prints are the best that money can buy, and for good reason. These art pieces are the absolute gold standard of print mediums available today. They are museum-quality, archival to last over 120 years with incredible colour, clarity, detail, and three-dimensionality.

As an artist, I am proud to offer Lumachrome® TruLife® acrylic prints, ChromaLuxe® HD metal prints, and Fujicolor® Crystal Archive Pearl paper prints as my preferred products, all in Limited Editions to provide my customers with art pieces that they will be proud to show in their homes. These prints are engineered to last a lifetime and beyond.

A large framed photograph of hot lava hanging on the wall in a loft apartment.
'The Dragon', East Rift Zone, Hawaii. Limited Edition of 150.


An Important Note

At the end of the day, viewing a photograph on a computer screen doesn't even begin to do it justice. I regularly receive comments from excited customers about how stunning these large-format prints really are in person when they see one for the first time.

Being in the same room with these artworks, up close, grants one the genuine opportunity to fully grasp the artist's vision and the exceptional quality of the final product crafted with museum-grade materials.

When expertly crafted in acrylic or metal, fine art photography prints take on a life of their own and are absolutely breathtaking to see on your wall, often transforming the room with a gallery-quality atmosphere.


Expensive Gallery Or Direct From The Artist?

You might have encountered acrylic face-mounted artworks primarily in upscale galleries, but it's important to recognize that many galleries face substantial operating costs. These expenses, which include rent, utilities, taxes, managerial salaries, and sales staff wages, can significantly inflate the price of a print.

The good news is that you don't have to deal with pushy salespeople or over-inflated gallery prices to have the exact same museum-quality luxury fine art print delivered directly to your home.

Through my e-commerce model, I can avoid the unnecessary expenses associated with traditional galleries and extend the resulting savings directly to you. My close partnerships with award-winning master printers ensure that my art pieces consistently meet the highest standards. In most instances, the prints I offer surpass the quality you would typically find in a gallery, all while being available at a significantly reduced cost.

Remember that an expensive print in an upscale gallery is often of no higher quality than a print from a conscientious, dedicated photographer who strives for perfection of their craft.

Invest in what you love. Invest with your eyes.


A photographic print of Llanos de Cortez waterfall in Costa Rica hangs over a fireplace in a modern living room.

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Simply click above to save 10% on your first print purchase.

Portrait of Canadian landscape photographer Dean McLeod.
Dean McLeod Photography fine art logo.