The Importance of Printing Out Your Photos & Some Tips On How to Do It Right
Why It’s Important to Print Your Photos
In this growing age of social media and digital formatting, the subject and dialog around photos has changed from 8x10s to Facebook formats. While I'm in the digital age, and madly in love with scrolling through Instagram feeds, there has been a growing fear in me that people aren't printing out their photos. A digital memory is not permanent and needs to be treated as such.
As fast as social media is for sharing personal memories, the time is fleeting. It takes forever to go back through all the mundane photos I have on Facebook to get to the real memories I want to share with someone. I don't see these pivotal moments from my life everyday as I would like. It's been pushed back to bottom of my feeds. And I have no guarantee that they will remain.
Digital photos are temporary. What if the internet just stopped? (I'm not saying it will because I very nearly had a heart attack at the thought but sometimes you never know) Or what if, in an effort to free up space somewhere, the digital images I have are scrapped? I'm not okay with losing that.
It's so important to have a printed version of these cherished moments. Whether it's in an album or hung on the wall, a printed photograph can be archived and saved. It's lasting and visible for me to get at quickly. I want to preserve those memories. I want to have a legacy to share and leave my children when I pass on.
I remember the moments of pulling out my parent's old photo albums and pouring over the images. It not only holds the cherished memories, but now it's created new ones as we gathered on the sofa to hear stories of ages past.
Don't let the images get lost in the social media shuffle. Print and display them on your walls. If you're discouraged by figuring out the printing methods, just reach out and ask me! I'll be happy to help you preserve your memories.
The Top 4 Tips for Printing Your Photos
Tip 1: Design a Gallery Wall
Take a look at the space in your home. If you have a great wall that has empty space, this might be the best time to create that gallery wall you’ve always dreamed of. I can help design a space specifically for you! Ask me about it and we can create a plan for your wall. You can then order them directly from your online gallery. Don’t forget to order the mat and frame to go with it!
Some helpful things to consider: Make cutouts of various print/frame sizes using craft paper or cardboard and tape them to the wall to get a feel for the space available. Be sure to use a leveler of some kind.
Tip 2: Create an Heirloom Album
I love albums. They are classic, timeless, and can be beautifully displayed on coffee tables or shelves for everyone to see. I have two versions personally that I offer. I have one you can design yourself through the online gallery. It’s simple and easy. Or, I can design one specifically for you and get them printed from my Premier Printing Company. These are much more luxurious and come with a keepsake wooden box engraved with your names.
Some helpful things to consider: Albums are very personal, and the layouts can be tricky. Think of your day in terms of the love story. Each set of two pages should be a chapter in that story. Getting ready photos on two pages (or a spread as they call it in the biz), the first look on two pages, the ceremony on two or more, etc.
Tip 3: Print A Collection of 5x7 Proof Prints
Some people love to have smaller frames around the house and a collection of prints to interchange them as their mood or style changes over the years. This is a great option for those who cannot decide. You can also archive the rest of the gallery in your safe or files to keep them protected for a lifetime.
Tip 4: Create Thank You Cards or Calendars For Yourself
I have a number of clients who have used the shop in their gallery to create Thank You Cards for their guests. While they aren’t kept, I recommend trying other things for yourself, such as a calendar each year using the photos from your wedding. They are sleek, modern and I love the surprise of seeing a new photo each month. Again, this is all in the shop of your gallery! Easy to print.
Bonus Tip: Please Consider Using a Professional Printer
If you do not choose to print through me, PLEASE please please, use a professional printer. Each printer has a different color space and some places might not print out what you see on the screen. I completely understand going the cheap route and bringing your photos to Walgreens or Walmart (I did the same thing before becoming a photographer), but I’ve had clients come back unhappy with them based off crappy printing quality. The color and quality are so important to making sure they last for years to come instead of fading. Professional printers usually coat their prints with clear protectants that preserve the picture for a lifetime.
I hope this helps give you some ideas of what to do with your photos, and ways you can archive them. Again, please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns about printing photos. I am so desperately passionate about having physical representations of your amazing memories that these calls are so important to me.
