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Jan 14, 2024

8 expert tips for printing, framing and displaying your photos

If you’re anything like me, your phone houses thousands of photos, but your home

If you’re anything like me, your phone houses thousands of photos, but your home is shockingly devoid of printed images.

Erica Connolly understands the predicament. The Texas photographer frames and sells photography of her travels, but even for a professional, she says narrowing down which shots are worth printing and hanging can be difficult. The first step, she says, is a serious culling after each vacation or special occasion.

"When I get back from a trip, I choose 10 favorites that are either going to go in my print shop or on my own walls. Those tend to be the ones that have a story behind them and make me happy when I see them," she says. "I also lean toward framing photos that reflect my own personal interior space — for example, if the colors or vibe match what I already have going in my home, I’m naturally going to gravitate toward those images."

Connolly advises not overthinking things and framing "anything that evokes a memory or feeling." Here's more advice from her and other experts about how to incorporate framed photography into your space.

When deciding which photos to hang where, Colorado photographer Joe Hendricks says it's important to consider how you want to feel in each space — and the story you want to convey to guests.

"Show the most important pictures to you when you walk into the house," advises the owner of Elope Telluride, a studio that photographs elopements. Hendricks's landscape photography decorates the walls of his office as it's what inspires him while working. Toward the bedrooms, more personal moments are on display. His primary suite is filled with photos of his son and a montage of the fifth-grader's early years. "He's the first and last thing I want to see every day."

According to Hendricks, the living room is prime real estate to show off accomplishments and interests, whether that's travels or a hobby.

The camera you shoot your images on — whether a point-and-shoot, DSLR or phone — isn't as important as the resolution of the photo sent to the printer. "If you’ve edited a phone photo anywhere, make sure you’re saving it in high res," Hendricks says, adding that most phone apps give you the option to save in original resolution even after editing.

For a printed photo, Connolly recommends a minimum resolution of 300 DPI (dots per inch). "Never print a photo that is a screenshot or a photo that has been super cropped as that diminishes the image quality," she says. "Always save the image at the highest resolution possible for the best printing outcome."

Most online printers will indicate if your image is high enough resolution for the size print you want. In general, if a device captures imagery of 12 megapixels or higher, Hendricks says you should be able to print in any size.

Many printers offer hundreds of options — from different types of paper to the border width around your image. The most common finishes for a printed photo are matte, lustre and glossy, which offer varying levels of shine. If you’re struggling to decide, Hendricks advises keeping it simple.

"A classic print on matte paper with a small one-inch border in a frame is timeless and perfect. You can't go wrong," he says.

Hendricks says a local print shop with a large-format printer is always a safe bet; he also recommends Costco or Sam's Club. Connolly says Artifact Uprising is a great choice for online ordering. Both photographers advise steering clear of printing at the kiosk at your local supermarket or pharmacy as color calibration and quality are often an issue.

Once you’ve chosen your photos, frame selection comes next. While online companies such as Framebridge and Smallwoods have simplified the print-to-frame process, the options for materials are still plentiful. Connolly suggests letting the photo and your surroundings steer the selection process — for example, if your house is near a forest, a dark wood frame will probably look beautiful, she says.

"It's fun to consider what's going on inside of the image," she says. "If you have a shot from nature, you might consider a wooden frame. If it's a more industrial image, a black metal frame may be a better fit."

If you’re planning a symmetrical gallery wall with images of the same ratio and orientation, you’ll probably want to stick to the same frame and matting for all of them, Connolly says. But if you’re going for something more eclectic, consider mixing up sizes and materials.

While mats aren't required, they add a level of polish to framed photography. Plus, says Connolly, they draw your eye in by creating separation between the image, frame and environment. She generally recommends increasing the mat size as the size of the photo increases but adds that a large mat around a small image can create an interesting contrast.

Consider the negative space available in your home, choosing images and frames that sufficiently fill it, Connolly says. She says framing images that are too small for their intended wall is a critical error many homeowners make.

"Go bigger, go bigger," she urges. Framing companies and designers often recommend that art take up between 60 and 75 percent of the available wall space where you plan to display it. "The larger the art, the better! I promise it's going to look the best," Connolly says.

If you’re planning to hang a gallery wall of framed photos, interior designer Tori Alexander suggests steering clear of focal points, such as over the mantle. "Use a secondary wall in the room or passage spaces such as hallways and stairwells," says the principal of Alexander Interiors.

Alexander explains that rooms are often architecturally oriented away from the largest swath of wall space. Installing a group of frames there will take up a good amount of it, "adding interest to an area that otherwise may feel like a void."

The height at which you should hang images is relative to the size of the wall itself, Alexander says, though "a good rule of thumb is [to start] 60 inches from the floor," with the goal of centering the piece at eye level. Function should be a priority, she adds — be mindful of how normal daily activities may impact frames.

"If you have young children, you may want to avoid placing framed pieces within their reach or you may spend countless hours re-leveling and keeping the collection straight," she says.

In an era of open floor plans, not every home has wall space to spare. If that's the case for you, Alexander says not to worry.

"I love a rod-and-chain to hang items like art or mirrors by suspension in front of windows," she says. "Because windows are often the architectural focal point of a room, they really enhance the impact of art when well-executed."

Or, just go for tabletop frames on a desk or shelf. "Tabletop frames are generally smaller and for images sized four-inches-by-four inches or five-by-seven," Connolly says. "The more memories around your house, the better. It's nice when your home can tell a story of you."

Kristin Luna is a Tennessee-based journalist who writes about travel, food and home design.

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