4x5 presentation format for photo editors

[mike_troxell2]

How do most people submit 4x5 transparencies to photo editors? I've

used the TransVue mats before but I'm considering the Bair #45 4x5

Transparency Mounts from The Stock Solution

(http://www.inkjetart.com/sp/45.html). Has anyone used these for 4x5

submissions? If not, what mounts/sleeves do you use?

[tedharris]

If you sleeve your chromes first they look ok. I would ahve to measure but I think that losing about 1/4 inch all around is a bit much although I could be wrong on how much if any I lose in my mounts.

 

I use panodia mounts which, IMHO, is absolutely the best system around but alas they are out of business. Light Impressions makes a decent solution as well and, you may still be able to fins panodia materials fro Calumet. Another good solution is taht available from Pratt but they too may be out of business now.

[todd_caudle]

Light Impressions' Foldmats are pretty good. I've used them for years, mostly by default, since I haven't searched very hard for something better.

[mark_blackman1]

Scan them and send them on a CD / DVD.

[jnanian]

mike -

 

i have only used transvue mats. they are kind of a drag though, because the outer

sleeve always gets trashed, and when that happens you know the drill - gotta buy a

new ne ...

 

i have a prat portfolio, and pressbooks. their portfolios are beautiful. check out their

stuff here: http://www.prat.com/. i think their website lists their american retailers...

 

good luck!

 

-john

[mike_troxell2]

Thanks for the responses. I'm looking into all the solutions that were mentioned. I have some of the FoldMats from LightImpressions. I like them but I heard of one photo editor who complained about them taking up too much space on the light table. As far as scanning 4x5s and burning them to a CD/DVD, I scan everything to my files but some editors do not accept digital submissions. I'll keep looking. Anyone else use any other solutions for 4x5 presentation?

[garrett_kwakkestein]

I have been down this same road as well. The difficulty is finding something that is inexpensive, high enough in quality, and versatile enough to meet my needs. I choose to mount the transparencies that are only the best, all other second rate images go in the circular file cabinet. So, when I need them, I can pull from the stock, and they are already mounted and ready for presentation. Unlike filing them away in the sleeves, they are better protected, ready for presentation, and cropped to the exact dimensions I desire. Here is what I do� most of the commercial products are way too expensive to be practical, so I make my own. I obtain heavy weight black cardstock, acid free of course, from the local professional paper supply shop. Then bring it to any professional printer (stay away from the consumer type of print shops, who will charge you an arm and a leg for this stuff) who has the means to trim on a heavy duty paper cutter (the size of my car). Voila.

 

The catch: Good paper usually requires buying a lot, i.e. couple hundred bucks worth. But, you get almost more mounts that you will ever need. Next determine the optimum personal size you want them cut to. And third, for the center hole, you can either cut them to your needs on an individual basis, or get a die cutter (I hope this the right term) and have the professional printer punch them in. The die cutter usually has a one time set up fee for getting it made and just loaning it to the printer as needed for your work. Then as you submit your images, and they come back used or trashed, you can simply re mount them and they are ready again for the next showing.

 

This may sound like a lot, but once you get it done you have your own individual style, abundant supply, and no worries about a company going out of business dictating your future.

[bill_proud]

Mike,

 

I do the same as Garrett. I have black matte board cut to 8x10" outside and just under 4x5" inside. Still, at $2.00 per mount, it is expensive if you submit just twenty images to only one buyer. And no one responds about how nicely they are presented. Only how nice the image looks and "I need to find a place for this in my magazine." Those are the comments I look for.

 

I've gone to sending plain unmounted sleeved only images with my name on each transparency. This seems to be the only ding I've been asked for, individual labeling.

 

Also, just sending a 4x5 box of trans is cheaper and easier to return. I can get by using the Fed Ex envelope rate.

 

good luck

[mike_troxell2]

Thanks for all the advice. I've been using 8x10 QuickMounts for 4x5 transparancies but at $2 each they can get expensive. Unfortunately, nearly every solution is expensive. I think Bill is probably right. All they are asking for is to have the transparancies labelled. I think most photo editors just want to see good, sharp trancparancies that will meet whatever their needs are at the moment. A well done photo submission package is important but I think we probably sometimes go overboard. I believe I'll start using the individual PrintFile 4x5 sleeves, the #45-1 sleeves that have a strip at the top where you can label them. I use NSCS Pro 3 for all my filing and labeling and the labels it prints will fit perfectly in the space on the PrintFile sleaves. Thanks again for all the responses.

[tom_daniel1]

Does anyone know what happened to Franklin Photo Products in South Bend IN? I have been using their mounts for some time and they are very good and reasonably priced. Went to reorder and all phone numbers and web site are gone.

 

Tom Daniel