​Printing digital artwork should be simple—but a few common mistakes can turn a beautiful image into something flat, muddy, or pixelated. This guide walks you through how to get the best possible results, whether you purchased a digital print or are printing artwork for your home.
I’ve been a professional photographer for over 15 years and hold a Bachelor of Fine Art degree. I prepare every image with printing in mind, but the final result depends heavily on how and where it’s printed.
This article will help you avoid the usual pitfalls.

​This is the most common issue I see.
Do not download your files on a phone or tablet.
Mobile devices often:

• Compress files
• Change file names
• Reduce resolution
• Strip important print data

Even if the image looks fine on your screen, it may print soft or blurry.
​
Always download your files using a laptop or desktop computer.
Once downloaded, you can transfer the file if needed—but the initial download matters.

Recommended Print Labs
For consumer-quality professional results, I recommend:

• MPix.com – consistent color, excellent paper options
• Nations Photo Lab – another solid, reliable choice

These labs use professional printers and proper color management, which makes a noticeable difference—especially for large prints.

Why I Don’t Recommend Store Kiosks
Most big-box store kiosks:

• Use limited color ink sets (often only 3 colors)
• Automatically alter images
• Print too dark or muddy
• Lose detail in skies and shadows

They’re fine for quick snapshots—not artwork.

Paper Choice: Keep It Simple
For wall art, these finishes work best:

• Matte – soft, timeless, no glare
• Luster – slight sheen, good detail, very popular

Glossy paper is not recommended for large wall art due to reflections and fingerprints.

Color Differences Are Normal
​Every screen displays color differently.
Your phone, tablet, laptop, and TV are all calibrated differently, and printers interpret color in their own way. Small variations in warmth, brightness, or contrast are completely normal and do not indicate a problem with the file.
This is one reason professional labs produce more consistent results.

Your purchase includes personal print rights, meaning you may print the artwork for yourself or your home.
Print rights do not allow:

• Resale
• Redistribution
• Commercial use
• Uploading to other websites

If you have questions about usage, feel free to reach out before printing.

TV Screensaver Files
If your download includes a TV screensaver file, it is sized specifically for modern flat-screen televisions.
Use the file as provided—no resizing needed.

​Digital painting is an editing process that enables artists to create portraits with a classic Heirloom painting. I use images from your session and turn them into portraits that feel timeless and resemble classic portrait pieces. 

Despite a Bachelors degree in painting, I rarely bring out a brush and canvas these days. 
However the love of the art has not left me. 
Using a digital tablet and pen, I am able to essentially paint on the digital image. 
Turning photographs into heirloom paintings involves a meticulous editing process. I begin by recreating the atmosphere of the portrait's mood, enhancing the overall tone and emotion of the image. Using dramatic lighting, I strengthen the focus on the subject, drawing the viewer’s attention to key elements. I soften edges, blend textures, and refine details to mimic the delicate brushstrokes of a traditional painting. Each piece is carefully crafted to convey a timeless, artistic quality that transforms the original photograph into a cherished work of art.

We now offer this as an upgrade option with images from your session! 

Photographing clients is the one part of our job clients see, we do much of our work before and after the session. Editing is harder, and easier, than one would imagine. It takes a lot of classes, research and testing to get it right and we are always learning and expanding as our programs are. Take a look below to get an idea of how we like to edit.

             As photographers and not digital artist we strive to retain the integrity of the image and subject while enhancing the overall image. For instance, a general rule is 'if it will be there in a month it stays'. Tattoos, birthmarks, scars will remain unless requested and face blemishes, bruises, spots on clothes will be edited out. We smooth the complexion while retaining wrinkles. We want you to look like the best version of you while not feel like you are a stranger. 
              We edit out flyaway hair,  extra subjects in the background,  cars/buildings if possible. My goal with each image you get back is for it to be a 'portrait', not simply a photograph someone took of you. 
         ​

      We take hundreds of pictures during a session, making real time adjustments to each shot. Every click is intended and planned for. Sometimes it's to get extras to use for face swapping, sometimes to catch the hair not billowing to the sky, or to expose for different lighting situations, or it's to ensure there's no eye blinking. There are just way too many reasons to list here. It’s necessary to take these images, they are part of the working process of art, just as a painter sometimes tries a few colors before making the final stroke. 
​        We then go through the images and cull them, marking the ones that will be edited, discarding the eyeblinks and my own testing shots to select the real pieces of art that all the other shots helped create.  We choose the best of each 'pose', combining several photos together if necessary so hopefully we can get some of everyone smiling, not blinking and looking their best. We love to add extra shots, the story telling images taken throughout a shoot in addition to the posed images. ​

We take those shots and spend a great deal of time working with them by hand to tone the color, smooth any imperfections, and produce heirloom pieces of art that are up to our artistic standards – the same quality of work you saw in our portfolio. 
​And finally, to answer the question of why we do not give out all the images we shot. Not all shots are created nor intended as final products – they simply enabled us to work out issues that arose to ensure you’d get the high quality images you received. ​

      We understand in this day and age people prefer their images digitally so they may immediately show them off and delay thinking about the whens' and whys' of prints. That's great! We have no problem with that, sharing helps our business grow and we want you to have all the beautiful images we spent time creating for you! This is why we offer digital images with our packages.  But it is not our preferred way to deliver images to you, we much prefer prints and here is why. ​
            When you invest in professional portrait photography you are looking for more than some pictures to store inside the computer and forget about. You invest in someone with the knowledge and expertise that allows you to present your family and memories in an artistic way that brings you joy when you view it, whether it be a wall collage, a heirloom canvas or memory album. Something you can hold when you need to remember that nostalgic feeling of togetherness. I could go on forever with this topic and with much less eloquence than others have, so let's just move on to the second reason we prefer prints over thumb drives. 

     The technical aspect. We simply cannot guarantee prints you have printed yourself.  We cannot guarantee each image will print equally as lovely at 30x46 as a 4x6 and colored correctly. There are many factors into prepping an image to print, large or small. We consider the size, product, company and add-ons when prepping images to print.