Fine Art Photographer and Photo Guide, Matt Meisenheimer (of Backcountry Journeys) chooses Acrylic Prints for their vibrance and detail, and orders from Bay Photo to make sure his images are printed with the highest quality. In the video below, Matt takes us through a start-to-finish tutorial for an Acrylic Print, including: general adjustments, sharpening, soft proofing, file prep, ordering a hard proof, and reviewing the final result (spoiler alert.. it's gorgeous!).
File Prep in Lightroom and Photoshop
Although we list our basic File Prep Guidelines in our Support Center, Matt covers more of the fine-tuning process of his image in Lightroom and Photoshop ahead of ordering the Acrylic Print. We know each photographer has their own workflow, so please know that the Lightroom portion is a general quick guide, while he dives deeper in his preferred application, Photoshop.
Part of the file preparation in Matt's process includes using the downloadable Bay Photo ICC Profile to soft proof. Soft proofing is a great way to preview how your image will appear in print (showing you if any colors fall outside the printer color gamut), and allows you to adjust for print before ordering. An additional tip we'll mention is that since not everyone is set up with a calibrated monitor to make their own color adjustments for print, we offer full color correction service which is guaranteed. Neither option is better than the other, it just depends on your preferred method, and the level of control you'd like when it comes to color.
Hard Proofing a Test Acrylic Print
Matt doesn't always hard proof, but when printing a large Acrylic Print, it can be the best tool for actually seeing a hard copy of what your image will look like on that medium. To do this, Matt chooses a 4x6" Acrylic Print (same aspect ratio of the final display size of 24x36") without the additional DiBond or Stainless Posts.
The Final Result? Well, we'll quote Matt on this one:
"I'm really happy with this print. And it doesn't get better than this if you're a photographer. It's a unique feeling. This is what photography is all about... seeing your work displayed, seeing it printed. I love Bay Photo, and they do such a great job with their Acrylics."
Watch the Full Tutorial:
Table of Contents (also listed in the caption on YouTube):
0:00 Introduction & Overview of Print Process
2:19 Important Things to Know Before Printing (Guidelines & ICC Profiles)
7:20 How to Prep for Print in Adobe Lightroom Classic
29:04 How to Prep for Print in Adobe Photoshop
58:17 Order Process on BayPhoto.com & Ordering the Hard Proof Copy
1:03:29 Assessing the Hard Proof & Making Final Adjustments
1:06:54 Ordering the Final 24x36" Acrylic Print on BayPhoto.com
1:08:33 Unboxing the Final Print & Closing Thoughts
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Special Thanks to Matt!
At Backcountry Journeys, Matt Meisenheimer has been leading and guiding photography workshops across the world for over 5 years. His passion is photography and sharing that passion with others is an important part of his life. To learn more about Backcountry Journeys, visit this page. To view more of Matt's fine art photography, visit this page.