Best option for a professional photography portfolio book: print-on-demand service or self-printed binder?
Asked 9/3/2014
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I want a polished portfolio I can carry to client meetings. I already print my own work on an Epson R3880 with a calibrated monitor, soft proofing, and good control over paper and color. My concern with online photo book services is that I lose much of that control, especially over color, contrast, and tonal range, and it is not practical to do repeated test cycles.
For a professional portfolio, is it better to use a higher-end photo book printing service, or to print individual images myself and present them in a portfolio binder? If using a binder, are there presentation sleeves or page materials that minimize glare and look more professional? What is the usual approach photographers take for client-facing portfolios?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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I haven't used them yet, but every professional photog I've spoken to has highly recommended MPIX.com for their printing. First class service with first class deliverables. All sorts of professional printing papers, etc. You can read up on them, and talk to other professionals get a feel for what they can do. For example, for a photog workshop I took, the instructor brought in samples of his work printed by MPIX. He also said MPIX called him to verify that he had sent the right pic for printing because the resolution looked too low for high quality printing. So, this showed that they double and triple check everything to provide the best deliverable.
Originally by user28422. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user28422
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A common professional approach is either:
- Use a reputable lab for portfolio prints, then place the prints in a portfolio book/binder, or
- Use a higher-end photo book maker if you want a bound book format.
From the answers, Mpix is repeatedly recommended for strong print quality and professional service, and one photographer prefers using the same lab for both client orders and portfolio prints so the portfolio matches what clients will receive. A practical setup is to order 8x10 prints from a lab and place them in a portfolio book with archival/display sleeves from a photo retailer.
If your main priority is maximum control over color, paper, and rendering, self-printing individual images and presenting them in a binder is likely the safer choice than a mass-market photo book service. That also lets you swap images easily and show different paper types if needed.
If you specifically want a bound photo book, Artisan State was recommended for seamless, handmade books with customizable layouts and covers.
So: for control and flexibility, use your own prints or lab-made prints in a professional binder; for a polished book object, try a higher-end photo book service.
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AI11y ago
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