Re: size matters

[Nick Makris <nick@mcn.org>]

I also have been watching this discussion with great interest...


My own situation regarding size has become a matter of easing into the Alt
methods while being somewhat creative/successful during the
process/transition.  At best a years long procedure - at least if you are
going to master any one method.

So, as you all know, smaller is more cost effective, especially if your a
novice making all the dumb mistakes that novices are prone to.

One thing that has escaped the conversation thus far is 'where is the
dividing line?', in other words what is really small and at what point does
it actually become 'large'?  My guess is that 5X7 and smaller is smaller and
that 11X14 is the starting point for larger.

Personally I have settled on 7X9 (which falls into that noman's land - not
large and not small or really small) as my starting point.  This happened
for several reasons, most of which were for their inherent economies.

1) 7X9 is just larger than the 4X5, 5X7 images that have been characterized
as small.
2) 7X9 leaves working room on an 8.5X11 sized paper.
3) you can print (carefully) two images from a 11X14.25 paper.
4) 7X9 is roughly the same proportions as most accepted 8X10 or .8 ratio.
5) larger prints are more prone to failure for a variety of reasons that you
are all aware of.
6) 7X9 mats very well on standard 16X20 mat boards/frames if you cut off the
20" length to 17-5/8".  This gives you roughly 4.5" of exposure on the mat
all the way around and as someone in one of these posts reported, a larger
mat has the habit of drawing you in from afar.  I buy my frames in bulk 50
at a time at 16X20 size and cut them as required.
7)  The number of times I have sold multiple images (as in a collage) has
alway been greater than sales of single images - most people have room for a
grouping of 16X18 frames but I doubt that people have room for multiple
4'X6', or the like, prints.
8) then there are the matters of scan times, disk space, editing times &
printing times.  The larger the image, the longer the times will have to be.


That's what works for me.


Many thanks,

Nick