Portrait Package Selection

Selecting the right combination of portrait packages, individual prints, and custom prints can be a difficult choice. Here are some explanations, ideas, and suggestions that may make your selection process a little easier.

Mixing and Matching

While our Portrait Packages are designed to address the most common print combinations, it is not unusual to find that our standard portrait packages do not exactly fit your specific print needs. A portrait package may come close, but it may lack an additional 8x10 print or some 5x7 prints you would like to give to relatives. No standard set of portrait packages can ever be expected to meet all of the unique requirements of each individual. To solve this problem we let you select any combination of portrait packages and individual prints so that you can build your own custom package to fit your needs.

Perhaps the best way to think of a portrait package is as a starting point. A given portrait package may get you close to what you want for a mixture of prints. If the package contains exactly the mix of prints that you want, then you are done! If not, then you can augment the portrait package with a few additional Individual Prints. Purchasing a portrait package and a few additional individual prints is cheaper than buying each of the resulting prints individually.

In a similar way you can add Custom Prints to a package to, in essence, create your own custom package. In fact, you can easily buy one or more packages, some individual prints, and some custom prints to create the exact set of prints you require for yourself, your relatives, and special friends. By mixing and matching these various print elements you can obtain precisely the print package you require.

The Difference Between Portrait Prints and Custom Prints?

Portrait Prints are outstanding prints produced on high quality paper. Unless otherwise requested, prints are produced on fine matte paper for a softer and more elegant look. Under typical display conditions (out of direct sunlight and in low humidity), these prints will last well over 70 years before there is any hint of fading or discoloration. They will last even longer if kept in a dark location (like an archival photo album). This is much better than the average photo lab print (even professional photo lab prints) that last on the order of 20 to 30 years. These fine prints are provided as standard in the portrait packages and when you purchase individual portrait prints.

Custom Prints are printed on extremely high quality, 100% cotton fiber paper that is museum archival quality. This is nothing short of outstanding paper. It is the same paper we use to produce our museum quality fine art prints. It has a lifespan (the expected life of a print without any detectable fading or discoloration) that exceeds 100 years (200 years if stored in a dark, low humidity environment). This is very thick paper as the prints are intended to be mounted and framed in large wall displays.

Another significant difference between portrait prints and custom prints is that we will, at your request, mat and frame custom prints for a very attractive wall display. If you purchase a custom print you can optionally specify the type of matting (single, double, or triple), matting colors, and whether or not a title window should be cut below the print. You can then either have us frame the mounted print, or you can take it to your local frame shop to have it placed into a custom frame (for comparable frames, we will almost always be less costly than your local frame shop)..

If you would like to add a few more prints to a portrait package, or if you would like to order a few prints to display in the family album, then the best and most economical solution is probably individual portrait prints. If you would like a special large display piece to go over the mantel in the family room, then a custom print is probably the best choice.

What If The Portrait Packages Are More Than I Want?

If, after reviewing the portrait packages, you decide that you need fewer prints than are offered in the package, or you have no use for some of the prints in the package (for example, you have no use for the wallet size images), then you can always skip purchasing a package and order the specific individual portrait prints you want.. This gives you the flexibility of buying exactly the print combination you need without having to take prints you can never use. The final cost will of course depend on the specific prints your decide to purchase. If you were to duplicate a portrait package by purchasing individual portrait prints then you would pay about 10% more than if you simply purchased the portrait package. There are times when you can save money by purchasing individual portrait prints, especially when you have print needs that differ significantly from what we offer in our stand portrait packages.