LPA FUTURES 2023 / MPRINT
Up next on our journey to LPA Futures (under a month till the deadline now) is Mprint, who are one of our wonderful Partners. We sat them down for a chin wag regarding all things PRINTING.
Read below to find out what they had to say…
What first inspired you to start MPrint?
Well Marc had a printer which needed replacing and we wanted a printer for our own work. The thought occurred to us to see if we could make it pay for itself. Marc used to be a darkroom printer and Matt used to assist at a studio Marc co-owned and which used to offer commercial printing so we had some experience. We both provide other services beyond photography: video, retouching, scanning and so on so the idea of providing another service to photographers fitted in really well.
We can’t really remember how the first clients came to us but as we grew, printing to clients' deadlines, we quickly realised we needed a backup printer and that if that one had a problem, we would be back to one printer so we really needed three! We have five printers now.
How do you distribute the work between you both?
We share the work out equally. Marc is at the studio on a more regular basis than Matt as he is based more locally. This has some repercussions for which jobs he is more likely to take on. Where one or other of us has worked with a client historically we are then more likely to be the one handling that client’s work in the future but it’s a pretty informal arrangement on that level.
How did you get into the photography world?
We are both photographers printing for other photographers and creative professionals so we look at our clients' work like they do. Marc started his career as a black and white darkroom printer and grew into freelance photography.
Matt started out as a freelance assistant and in fact Marc was the very first person he worked for, scanning and assisting so things have come full circle! He started out shooting documentary photography but assisting on commercial shoots for a wide range of photographers in different genres. All the while building digital and retouching skills, in large part under the guidance of Martin Evening who he assisted for a long time.
Is the exhibition prints service a new thing for you guys?
Comparatively yes. We found more and more clients asking for larger prints. The printers we need to use for portfolios are not roll printers as you can’t print double sided on those larger printers. They take cut sheets from out of the box which means portfolio pages are perfectly flat. So we decided to invest in a larger printer which prints up to A1 in order to be able to extend our offering of service for bigger exhibition demands and it’s been a great addition. With several exhibitions and prints for print sales under our belt we’re happy we took the plunge!
What other services to you offer and whats the most in demand right now?
We offer Retouching, film scanning and portfolio consultancy, which involves working on editing and sequences for our clients portfolios. The consultancy is always a steady service for us as new clients come in and often need some guidance on finalising their set of images. Having seen so many portfolios coming through our doors we’re well placed to offer some informed advice. Retouching is also a busy one. Matt offers this on a freelance basis but has several clients who are now regular fixtures who have come through from being MPrint clients.
Do you think it’s important to have a physical portfolio as well as a digital one?
Lisa once told us, 'If your work is ever going to be seen in print, you need a portfolio.' Excellent point and good advice!
A printed portfolio shows a commitment to the work you are presenting and definitely sets you apart from anyone without one. A digital portfolio, whether in the form of a website, Instagram feed or iPad in a meeting, is obviously essential but with in person meetings having come back post-pandemic we are as busy as we have ever been and we hear from agents that clients and agencies are super happy to be seeing portfolios again and enjoying that tactile, non-screen experience again.
When planning an exhibition what are the main things to keep in mind?
Primarily, from our standpoint as printers rather than a creative one, how you're going to hang it and mount it is key. If the print surface is not going to be behind glass, it’s important to know that some papers are more robust than others in terms of wear and tear and general handling.
The surface of our soft gloss papers reflect light in certain ways, whereas matt and rag papers do not. This means being aware at least of how those prints are going to appear in the exhibition space.
Behind glass, a print on a Rag surface will gain contrast and pop, more like a glossier paper which can look fantastic. If you’re using a glossier paper, depending on the type of glass you use you can end up with reflections on the glass and on the print so that’s something else to think about.
If you want to print A1 or bigger, you need to look especially carefully at your image file and make sure it looks good in terms of texture and artefacts, particularly if you have increased the file size.
