I'm looking to put together a photo mosaic for my wife's birthday, and I need to have it professionally printed in a large format. I haven't actually made one before, but I'm going to use Andrea Mosaic. With it, I can create mosaics that are 200 megapixels or more...........which will probably end up having a pretty hefty file size. Can anyone recommend professional quality photo printing companies in the Houston area who might be able to accommodate a large job like this? I had thought about using smugmug (I have an account there), but their file size limitation is something like 42 megapixels......so if I want this to be poster size, it would not be true photo quality. A bonus would be if they would frame it there as well.
have you thought about making a book? it'd be a cheaper alternative. http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/print-products.html
My wife actually used that exact same thing to make a book for my birthday, so.........unfortunately, that would be out of the question. (though the book she made me was awesome)
Try out Thomas Reprographics. http://www.thomasrepro.com/services/largecolor/digital_big_color_photo.shtml
Thomas is a good bet, and we used to go to HPI (Houston Photo Imaging) for most of that, but it's been a while.
i don't live in houston so i can't give you a recommendation on where but any reputable repro service should be fine. what i would suggest is that you make the poster a size where you could buy a ready-made frame. i don't like putting glass in front of a poster so i would have the printer mount the poster on gatorfoam and laminate it. (if you want the glass, you won't need to laminate.)
Thank you.......I was already planning for a ready made frame, but I'm getting close to crunch time, so I might have to make some allowances (ie......cough up a LOT more money for custom framing) if I start to panic. I'd LIKE it to have a fine photo look to it........without being soft or on canvas or some other type of media that can't convey the details of the smaller pictures. Of course, I might be barking up the wrong tree. I imagine I can have one without the other. I've read something about "metallic" prints that have a lot of detail, so that may be the way to go.
SAM'S!!!! LOL i know that sounds funny, but they print out almost any size for really cheap and they look really good!!!
ok just texted here LOL. they took photos of their niece for her quincenera. took the pics to sams and she said she THINKS she got a 10x20 printed. it looked really good and i believe they can use a frame if u ask them for it. I dnt wanna text her back but im almost certain she paid about $20 for it LOL I could be wrong..this was a year ago.
^not sure what that means, everyone's "eye" is different. as i said, i don't like glass in front of my work. i print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Bright White, 310 gsm, it has great texture and is contrasty. yes, paper makes a huge difference. you need to go in and look at samples and see what you like.
Look up "59 minute photo" near the Galleria area. It's an independently owned shop and their prints are awesome. They have some cool stuff like protected textures that make your photos last forever. I know they have large-sized ones because they have them up on the windows and on their walls. The guy is also an awesome photographer. They have 59-minute turn-around on even large prints. I highly recommend those guys. "59 minute photo" (I don't have their number) but you can google them. Westheimer near Hillcroft. They might still be open right now. Call them. I've asked about SAM's, and they have a limitation on the size that's what she said.
