Dumb question of the day, printing material

[davinche]

Our wedding photo got damaged, so we would like to order another copy, we own the rights to our photos so I planned on ordering from one of the online printing shop (probably mpix) but I don't know what the type of material (probably the wrong word) we have is called. Our photo is printed directly onto a 1/8-1/4" (didn't have a ruler) piece of card stock or cardboard, is there a name for this in the printing world? At first I thought the photo was was just taped to some cardboard but it is actually printed directly on to the material. My wife is picky and wants the same type of print.

 

[ChrisA]

Our wedding photo got damaged, so we would like to order another copy, we own the rights to our photos so I planned on ordering from one of the online printing shop (probably mpix) but I don't know what the type of material (probably the wrong word) we have is called. Our photo is printed directly onto a 1/8-1/4" (didn't have a ruler) piece of card stock or cardboard, is there a name for this in the printing world? At first I thought the photo was was just taped to some cardboard but it is actually printed directly on to the material. My wife is picky and wants the same type of print.

It may not have been printed on that material. Many times it is llaminated after the print is made. Traditional wet chemistry prints were mounted with "dry mount tissue" using a large hot press machine. This was the "standard" method for maybe 50 years and is stil common today. The result is that the photo paper is perminently fused to the mat board. It could have been printed directly onto a ridgid material but I doubt it.

You should be able to get a very good print made if you are wiling to pay a profesional lab for custom work. but getting an exact duplicate may not be so easy because there are a lot of types of paper and ink many of them very good or even much better then what you might have.

If you want "exact" you will have to work with a local lab and deal with them in person.
But do you really want an exact duplicate. Maybe today there is a better process? Today there are 200 year archiveal inks and UV proof anti-reflective glass plenty of good options available

Where do you live?

Edit: read profile. There as no shortage of good pro-quality labs near you.

 

[jtblueberry]

I think it is unlikely that it is printed onto card stock. It is probably printed on photographic paper and then mounted onto some type of material (this could be a type of card stock or similar). You wouldn't necessarily be able to tell that the photo paper isn't part of the material that it is mounted onto if the job was done well.
Anyway, my paper of choice is luster, or e-surface paper. You could have that mounted onto the same thickness of a material that you like (I like gator board but there are less expensive options).
If you describe the surface it may help (smooth, slightly textured, really textured, glossy, matte, etc.).
I agree that if you really are going to be picky, just take it to a lab and have them print to a similar paper + mount material.

 

[davinche]

I think it is unlikely that it is printed onto card stock. It is probably printed on photographic paper and then mounted onto some type of material (this could be a type of card stock or similar). You wouldn't necessarily be able to tell that the photo paper isn't part of the material that it is mounted onto if the job was done well.
Anyway, my paper of choice is luster, or e-surface paper. You could have that mounted onto the same thickness of a material that you like (I like gator board but there are less expensive options).
If you describe the surface it may help (smooth, slightly textured, really textured, glossy, matte, etc.).
I agree that if you really are going to be picky, just take it to a lab and have them print to a similar paper + mount material.

Thanks to both of you for your responses... I will take a closer look at the material tonight when I get home. I think I am just going to order the print from mpix and put it over the current photo/material we have from the original wedding photographer.

 

[jtblueberry]

I am assuming the print is 11x14 or larger...correct me if I'm wrong.
If you just put the print over it will appear wavy and likely will not stay flat in the frame. Most labs use special adheasive and a heat press to get the photo to bond to the mount board. You can probably have it mounted by your printer (I highly recommend this).
I have a local frame shop mount my prints for $10-$20 each.

 

[davinche]

I am assuming the print is 11x14 or larger...correct me if I'm wrong.
If you just put the print over it will appear wavy and likely will not stay flat in the frame. Most labs use special adheasive and a heat press to get the photo to bond to the mount board. You can probably have it mounted by your printer (I highly recommend this).
I have a local frame shop mount my prints for $10-$20 each.

You are correct it is a 16x20 print. I didn't get a chance to re look at the material but I've decided to have the photo printed locally and mounted by the printer as well.

 

[jtblueberry]

Good choice. An online lab could probably do everything too but this way you can show your local lab your original so that they can match it. Good luck.