Research: Where to Print

I know, I've blogged about this before! But things change. In this case: technique, scale, funds, and paper types have all changed. Last semester I was simply looking for a place to print my collage elements - I thought that was all I'd need because I never thought I'd be re-photographing my collages in the end. Surprise, surprise.

This semester, I have spoken to Tom several times about what kind of paper I should print my re-photographed collages on, and we have always come to the same conclusion: rag. It looks and feels weighty, important, meaningful. It's also EXPENSIVE. So ... where to print?

I called Action Photo in Carytown last week and was disheartened (but not surprised) to hear that they charge $55 for an 18x24, which is probably the smallest I'd be willing to go for exhibition prints. I didn't think to ask what an 11x14 would cost, but I'll be sure to do that since that size is far more reasonable for my portfolio box.

On a happier note, I looked at El-Co Color's website tonight and was pleased to see that they are at least a little cheaper than Action. And El-Co seems to be good about giving price breaks on large orders, so if I end up ordering all of my 11x14s from them I could be in good shape as far as expenses go.

The last option I explored was Keith Fabry, on Cary Street. They do not list rag paper as an option, but I know that they do direct printing (printing on just about any surface) which leads me to believe I could bring my own paper in for them to print on. I find this to be the most appealing option. I'd LOVE to go pick out the exact type of paper I want and then have it professionally printed. I can't wait to call them and find out how much that would cost!

So, I now have a few options to try out. I'm going to work on getting some samples together next week, and hope to have a solid plan for my final prints soon.