Prints on the Wall

Photo taken with a Lego camera and processed in LR4.

As I looked around my apartment recently I realized that the four photos framed and hanging on my walls that were shot by me had been there since I moved in almost seven years ago.

I had heard of Mpix as a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and decided it was time give it a try. I had two photos from my trip to Kodiak that I thought would be a good test.

The first order I placed was for a 11 x 14 inch E-Surface print surrounded by a two inch white mat with a black flat frame and covered with glass. It is a simple online process to upload your photo and make various mat and frame selections. You can also preview what the final product will look like matted and framed before you purchase. Mpix will also color correct for you if desired, however, so far I've not taken them up on that and the results have been spot on.

If you order by 11 a.m. you will have the framed photo in two business days.



I followed this up with two more orders, a 12 x 18 inch E-Surface print surrounded by a two inch white mat with a black metal frame and then most recently I had a 20 x 30 inch black and white print delivered. That is a 20x30 inch print with a two inch mat and I went back to the black flat frame which adds four inches to each dimension. Still arrived in two days and took longer to unpack than it did to place the order.

Two things that I wish would change. First, you are limited to the 2 inch mat which means you can't mat an 8x10 inch photo in a 16 x 20 inch frame. Creating a mat effect in Photoshop would be one possible workaround. Second, I recently received an email from Mpix letting me know that they will remove my photos from their server unless I order another print soon. While I understand they are not a storage site, I'm not sure how the three photos I have sitting in my account are busting their data capacity.

Mpix does all kinds of other printing, including canvas. I spoke with them at PhotoPlus Expo in New York where they had all kinds of samples and answered all my questions. I'm sure they will be exhibiting at Photoshop World in Washington, D.C., March 24-26, if you want to check them out first hand.

I've become a fan of this service and will definitely use them again.