One of the best components of RedBubble is both the add this to my cart and Buy Wall Art buttons. Each supplies the uploader and viewers with an amazing tool that allows us to determine two important things:
- To determine if we are saving our work at the correct resolution (no, not DPI )
- To determine which frame-color would best suit the style of a photograph.
For any photographers about to be displayed in an exhibition , RB gives you the perfect tool to determine your frames.
Before you take your photograph down to a retail-store, use RB to your advantage. We all know how much fun it is NOT to have someone tell us “Oh, it looks great in that $1500, red-gum, triple-beveled, picture frame! VISA or EFTPOS?” Before you get to that stage, take a look at RB’s very simple setup.
Follow The Menu
Choose whether you want LAMINATED, MOUNTED, CANVAS or FRAMED. Not all options may be there, the artist may have chosen to have their work in a few of these styles.
Size Matters
Scroll or look down the window a bit.
You’ll see the words “Print Size” (applies to the image size in a framed print) or “Size” (applies to the size of any image laminated or mounted) To the right of this will be where you’ll discover the true resolution of the image - because some images only have the option of SMALL.
Because RB needs to set a PPI that allows our images to be printed at a quality worthy of printing onto these mediums, the size of the image may decrease quite considerably. When an artist saves their work at, say, 2000pixels by 1800pixels, the available DPI is insufficient to create an adequately sized image. If that doesn’t make sense, read some other posts of mine . They should help make sense of all this.
Anyway, depending on the resolution of the image, you should see the options for SMALL, MEDIUM or LARGE sized resolutions of the image. I usually click on LARGE. This gives me a big enough picture to determine how well the frame is going to look!
Colour, Color, Collar
Next down the window is FRAME COLOR. (Considering we live in Australia, this should be spelled COLOUR. But I know why it is not.)
This is where the fun begins. As with most photographs, it is the color of the frame that sets it off makes it more appealing to viewers. But when you want the photograph for an exhibition, it’s your final decision that helps sell it. Trust me. A pink protea is going to sell or die depending on whether it has a grey or brown frame!
So choose one that befits your photograph. The options are not endless, but they are very good. Unsure what BLACK, CHAMPAGNE, CHARCOAL, CHERRY, MOCHA, WALNUT and WHITE will look like as a wood-grain? Scroll down the window just a little further.
You’ve chosen CHARCOAL (grey)? _This is a great combination for the protea ! But it’s the WHITE background that doesn’t work now. Easy fixed.
Show Me The Matte
Now we see the choice of “MATTE COLOR”. This is the color of the background around the photograph. This often makes all the difference to how well a photograph projects itself from the frame.
Test your work on both a dark and light background, just to see the difference it will make to the final wall-hanging.
You’ve got it all worked out. Wasn’t really all that difficult after all, was it? ...
Now you can either get RB to produce and deliver. Or choose a frame from a local outlet.
DISCLAIMER:
RedBubble supplies a great service, product and price-range. This post is for artists who want to choose a picture-frame not available on RB. Take all factors into consideration before making your choice. Read between the lines before ripping them to shreds. Tie your shoelaces before walking.
