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PRINTS 101

A Guide to Types of Photo Prints

You've taken your photo. You've applied your edits. Now, you're ready for the most exciting part of the process: It's time to bring the image to life, giving all those intangible feelings it represents a tangible home in print.

But just how do you go about deciding which print is right for you? Well, as paper people, we pride ourselves on helping others pair the photos they love with the sizes, styles, and finishes that give them their due. Which is exactly why we took it upon ourselves to create a simple guide to navigating types of photo prints.

Here, we'll highlight what makes each of our prints unique, offering up creative display ideas and some of the many features we love about each. May it be exactly what you need to turn the moments that make an impact into displays that leave an impression.


MAPPED OUT

Finding the Perfect Print Finding the Perfect Print

When you talk about prints, most people's minds immediately go to the many photos that line the pages of old family albums. And that makes our Everyday, Lustre, and Square Photo Prints the perfect place to start. Available in a range of sizes, these prints differ slightly in paper types and printing methods (we’ll get to that later) — but all of our prints are excellent quality and designed to last.

A CAN’T-WAIT-TO-DISPLAY CLASSIC

Everyday Photo Prints Everyday Photo Prints

It's the photo print that helped put us on the map. Everyday Photo Prints are press-printed on thick, matte, eggshell-textured paper that absorbs ink and results in softer definition and deeper color tones. They’re offered in a variety of sizes and quantities that cater to the number of photos you want to print.

Perfect For: Use the blank back as cards, stick them on gifts for that little something extra, mix up sizes in a scrapbook album to document your days, or frame them.

Pro Tips: Your prints will automatically default to print with a border, but you’ll have the option to choose between a border or no border in our editor tool. Digital press printing renders your images in a series of small dots. This is why the DPI (dots per inch) that you export your images at is so important!

Display Inspiration: Who says you need a frame? Mix up sizes and stick your Everyday Prints to the wall to create a captivating collage that suits your style. The sky's the limit! Here are more ideas.

Lustre Photo Prints Lustre Photo Prints

The smooth, semi-gloss paper of our Lustre Photo Prints has a high-quality, timeless feel that will take you back to the photos of your childhood. These prints have a wide dynamic color spectrum, resulting in sharp, vivid photographs with archival quality. They too are offered in a variety of sizes and quantities, so you can print only what you need.

Perfect For: Printing photos straight from your phone, capturing the milestone moments in our baby books, or displaying in your favorite tabletop frame.

Pro Tip: Use our mobile app to easily upload and print photos straight from your phone. Your prints will automatically default to print with a border, but you’ll have the option to choose between a border or no border in our editor tool.

ALL THINGS EQUAL

Square Photo Prints

Whether you're looking to put your Instagram feed in print, or it's simply that a square crop suits your photos best, look no further than the Sqaure Photo Prints. Press-printed with your choice of border or full-bleed images, these prints are offered in quantities of 1-10, 20, 25 , 30, 40, and 50.

Perfect For: Printing your Instagram feed, VSCO images, or phone photos

Pro Tip: Want to make things easy? Connect your Instagram account when you're in our photo editor to instantly upload photos from your feed.

IT’S YOUR CHOICE

Two Types of Paper

Matte: This paper is used for our Everyday Photo Prints. Through the press-printing method, ink absorbs into the paper and produces softer color tones with a warm, organic feel. This paper is thick, with an eggshell-textured finish, and it is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Semi-Gloss: Softer color tones not for you? Our Lustre Photo Prints are printed using a traditional silver-halide method that captures fine detail on smooth, semi-gloss photo paper. These prints give you that classic, reflective finish that keeps color saturation intact. They’re printed to last forever — a step up from your average drug store print.

ALL IN THE DETAILS

Signature Prints Signature Prints

A quality print that stands on its own. Our Signature Prints were custom-tailored for those statement-piece shots, and are printed on ultra-thick four-ply paper with a similar texture to our matte prints. Featuring a strong border, this series is a museum-quality mat and premium print all in one. Choose between four frame-ready sizes: 5 x 7", 8 x 8", 8 x 10", and 11 x 14".

Perfect For: Framed portraits, special events, signed prints, or reliving your biggest days

Pro Tip: Matte paper absorbs ink differently than you might expect. We recommend viewing your image on your computer with the brightness lowered down to 50% — adjust the brightness of your image as needed.

Display Inspiration: Since these prints are ultra-thick, choose your favorite shelf and let it stand on its own! Or, skip the frame for a photo holder.

FOR LIFE’S BIGGEST MOMENTS

Large Format Prints Large Format Prints

Life's biggest moments deserve to be treated accordingly — so we created a large print that lives up to the quality of the days you want to remember. Our Large Format Prints are inkjet printed on archival paper, resulting in museum-quality giclée prints that recreate the scene in true-to-life color and impeccable detail. This allows you to print your phone photos at larger sizes without losing quality. (Hint: It's the print that comes included in every one of our frames!)

Perfect For: Landscape photos, portraits of little ones — let your imagination run wild!

Pro Tip: Although high quality, this paper is thinner than our other prints. So be extra careful when framing and mounting your image.

Display Inspiration: This one's for the standalone statement piece, so display it accordingly.

Which Photo Print
Will You Choose?
We can't wait to see them! Just tag us on Instagram
using @artifactuprising or #TellOn, and submit your photo for a chance to be featured in an upcoming article.
SHOP PHOTO PRINTS
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