All digital files are optimised prior to digital photographic printing. We offer the following papers; Fuji Cristal archive (gloss or lustre), Kodak metallic or Ilford High gloss (equivalent to Cibachrome). Samples of paper surfaces and digital print quality available on request.

More details on our choice of papers >
View digital printing sizes and prices >

Frequently asked questions

Are your prints better than I can print on my inkjet at home?

The general quality of Inkjet printers intended for home has come on a long way in the last few years, and prices for the machines have come down a lot in price too. So why use a lab service like us? We think the answer is simple; quality, consistency, choice and price!

Quality
Our dedicated photographic printing machines are the same machines used to output the wonderful big glossy photographic prints you see in art galleries. In fact some of those exhibitions where printed by us!

Consistency
Getting consistent results in your photographic printing means knowing things like colour calibration, paper calibration, ambient light, sharpening, colour optimisation, archival inks, paper choice. We are the experts so you don’t need to be – you just need to send us your digital files and we optimise them for the printers we know inside out.

Choice
Our digital printers output from 6”x4” right up to 30”x20”. That’s a awfully big inkjet printer for your home or studio, plus a lot of printing materials if you get something wrong.

Price
With the cost of Inkjet printers coming down to well under £100, it would seem good value to have full control of your prints at home. In reality, good ink is not cheap; quality archival ink cartridges are expensive and don’t last long at all. Without monitor and printer paper calibration, you are not going to always get the results you want first time, and that means reprints. Unless you are a professional studio with a high throughout, in-house printing gets expensive and time-consuming fast.

Are your digital prints good enough quality for exhibitions?

We certainly think so, and so do our professional clients. Modern digital cameras and the great printing materials we use mean we struggle to tell a digital print from a traditional large format transparency. If you don’t believe us, come and see for yourself, or order a sample pack.

Is digital printing worse quality than traditional slide or transparency enlargements?

A few years ago, we really could tell the difference between a large format Cibachrome print, made from a medium format transparency and a digital print from a 5MP camera. These days, inks, papers and digital cameras have moved on so much, we really think they are on a par. Once you have seen the deeply saturated colour and close-up detail on our digital prints, we think you will agree. Get in touch if you would like to see samples!

Can I preview what my end print will look like on my computer; a soft proof?

High-quality computer monitors can display more colours than any printed medium. Being able to accurately preview which aspects of this wider colour spectrum will be used for any given printer is a process called soft-proofing. You can download and install the ICC profile for our printer here, allowing you to get an on-screen representation of our photographic printers output before you commit your files to us for print. Watch out for our blog posts exploring this subject in more depth.

How do I get my digital files to you?

We have a choice of CD-ROM/DVD with enclosed form for larger file sized digital orders, or simply use our online file send service to get your files over to us fast. See our ordering page for more details