best way to print digital paintings?

[Lohan]

Hey, I am making a painting for my gf's birthday in Painter. I wo0uld like to print it out large and frame it. Anybody know the best/cheapest way to do this? Does it matter what resolution I should be working specifically, or just large? I live in nyc so if you know any specific places in the area that would be cool too, but I'm assuming I will be doing it online. Thanks everyone.

[Rascar Capac]

recent thread might help out...read Ilaekae's post

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=53837

[Mike Frank]

Go for at least 300 dpi at the size you wanted it printed. I had a few school things printed out for me at Kinko's, price was based on inches I think, 18 x 24 for about $20 each on the cheapest paper they had. Afterwards a friend told me that the cheap paper would end up yellowing pretty quick.. so the quality/price should reflect how well it holds up to aging, I guess. Just try and find some shops that do that kind of thing, poster/sign stores or maybe a small print house.

[Blue]

Get the good paper, or get it laminated if you want it to last a long time.

[jfwalls]

See if you can find someone that uses archival inks and papers. I know alot of Epson printers have that type of paper and ink available.

[DSillustration]

the easiest thing to do is to find someone with a nice epson.
the inks are rated for 70+ years if you use decent paper.

if thats not available,
there are websites like:
www.imagers.com
they do a spectacular job,
and can do single prints on canvas, paper, or poster.

if thats out of your price range,
most walmart photolabs can print 8x10 or even 11x14 photos from digital files.
the photo is incredibly archival and an 8x10 costs less than $3.

[Qitsune]

Yep, I go with the photolabs too, some of them have even higher than 12x18, in the case of labs where you can send the file over the net they will even have the minimal vs recommended rez info on their sites. And you can get pretty glossy images

[lyon]

My favorite place to get images printed is:

www.whcc.com

The prices are pretty amazing and they do everything from photoprints to giclees to 4 color press. I will get a 16x20 made of my images and it is only $12. An 8x10 is $2. 16x20 mounted on foam core is $20 and they will also mount on masonite, or about a dozen other substrates. Really high quality work. I was pointed to them by a couple photographers here and I am always amazed at the prints I get back.

You can implement all kinds of options, from the paper type to special coatings and embossings. It is addicting once you get some of your work printed up.

You can get massive prints too, up to 60" by as long as a roll of photopaper.

On top of all that, they will 2nd day air the prints back to you for free if the order is more than $12.