I've been asked to provide digital file of one of my prints, I need some advise.

[bill koenig]

I recently shot a very nice fall color seen at a local golf course. I gave the manager a 13 x 19 copy printed on

my Epson 3800, along with my card, and pricing info for reprints.

Today I have a message on my answering machine from the club manager asking if I could provide a digital file, as

one of the members would like to have a wall size print made.

Before I reply to him, I need some advise. I don't feel comfortable giving anyone a copy of a file that I'm

trying to sell.

One thing that I need to consider, is this wall size print might be displayed at the club, and might help sales

of my print.

What should I do?

[phil_jackson2]

Just tell you don't give out large digital files of prints, and tell them you will have it done for him, and send it to a good lab, then charge accordingly....phil

[bruce_watson1]

What Phil said.

[martin_savoie]

I would ask my client the size he wants and than offer him to print it your self.

 

For that i would go to the best place you now for big print and have a price idea of the work.

 

By that, you keep your file and you make sure that the result fits your demand.

 

You say:

 

is this wall size print might be displayed at the club, and might help sales of my print

 

In that regard i would make sure to get the best print out. You will also be able to put you’re © or .com links.

Large prints are not easy to reproduce. But still can.

 

Just advise...

[Matt Laur]

Hey, just be glad that the club hasn't figured out that they could be asking for a piece of the action or worse, if you didn't get them to sign a property release allowing you to sell images of their property/facility. I agree with Phil, but just emphasize that you're fanatically committed to personally seeing to the quality of any prints of your work, and you'd like to handle that end of the process personally.

[phil_jackson2]

What Matt said about personally seeing to the quality of your prints is absolutly right, if you gave him the file and he got a bad printout, it could and probably would reflect on your work....phil

[kelly_flanigan1]

They just want to print it themselves and save money! :) Thus ponder "loosing" profits by "giving":) them the nice digital file! :) Giant prints can be scanned; digital files get sent to printers via email. Ask the club manager if you can exchange the file for free golf, cart usage for life! :) Once you release the file into the wild remember its harder to control. It may come to my print shop and the customer will say its theirs ie they own it and shot the image. Grey area work is a massive headache for a printer; typically there is no contact info in the file header; no water marks; the customer might be one thats decades old. Its radically worse that the pure film era; where a real slide or negative original was brought in as an input. Most of the problems are created by the photographer; they release stuff to customers and the web and blindly assume nobody has a printer at home; or sends it a print shop as their own input. Much of the lay public assumes they own your image since you gave it to them.

[g dan mitchell]

There is no way I would give them a digital file that they could print from under these circumstances. If they want other

sizes of prints you might offer to provide those to them for resale.

 

If they want a "wall-sized" print that is larger than what you can do your 3800 (it all depends on the definition of "wall sized")

you should tell them that you'll give them a price on this after you check with a print lab to see what the pricing would be.

 

Dan

[bill koenig]

Thanks everyone for your reply's. This shot was taken from public property (the road just off the property had the best angle) I'm also what they call a social member of the club, if that makes any difference.

I have a good relationship with the club, and there won't be any problems with them wanting a piece of the action.

The file should be high quality, it was shot with a Nikon D200 with Nikkor DX 12mm to 24mm zoom lens, with the camera mounted on a tripod with remote release.

Any recommendations of a online printer that does quality large prints like this?

[Matt Laur]

How large is large?

[r_johnston]

MPIX makes prints of at least 18x24", and in think they make also make a 36" Like others ask what size is a wall sized print. Many mount pictures of 8x10 or 11x14 and think a 16x20 or 24 is "large."

[jonpaulgallery]

Try Calypso Imaging in Santa Cruz ( www.calypsoinc.com ). They print as large as 4x8 feet for me on their Lightjet printer.

Good quality and good folks.

Please put value on your image. So many people these days sell for the sake of ego (not implying that you would) and kill the market for everyone else. Consider your fine work having the value of fine art, not just the value of paper and ink.

Best of luck!

Jon