Phot print labs, while maybe not as widespread as in the analog era, are thankfully still around and have a sufficient presence online. They’re great for 4×6 and 5×7 prints that you might keep in an album or envelope, to browse many years later. But who do you consider when you want to make larger prints for your home that aren’t just paper prints with a frame around them? Bay Photo Lab who has been around for nearly 5 decades, should be one of the top choices on your list.
When you’re printing large-scale wall art for your home, you’re not just making a decoration. This is an item that defines a room, sparks conversations, and will probably last longer than anything else that adorns that wall. The difference between an ordinary print and a showstopper hinges arguable rests on the lab you choose to make that print. Settling for anything less than a top-tier lab is like hanging your favorite photograph inside a dimly lit closet. It’s only you who would occassionally admire it, and it’s defnitely not getting the attention or space it truly deserves.
The Big Picture
A premium lab doesn’t just offer you some options for your images – you get a curated selection of choices that would fit the photograph you think deserves a space on your wall. That’s exactly the approach we took when we were trying out the new metal prints from Bay Photo Lab. I sent them a selection of a dozen or so images that I felt would look great in a metal print. They carefully chose some from there and decided upon the best possible print selection for each of them. Spoiler alert – they were all great in their own way and these prints now adorn my hallway, being one of the first things that guests view when they visit me.
MetalPrints™ from Bay Photo Lab is a new print option offered by the lab that’s been around since 1976. The print dyes are directly infused into aluminum metal sheets. By doing it this way, instead of merely applying the ink on the surface of the metal, the lustre offered by the print takes on a whole different level of shine. They’re available in High Gloss, Mid-Gloss, Satin, Sheer Glossy, Sheer Satin, & Textured options, most of which we received in the pack they sent over to us (with our images on them).
Pros
- Multiple mount options to suit your wall
- Very fine color reproduction on metal
- Various surface finish options including textured metal
- Attention to detail and edge finishing is excellent
- A very helpful team at Bay Photo Lab
Cons
- Some finish options can look very similar, to the untrained eye
- High gloss finish is a dust magnet
Gear Used With The Bay Photo Lab Metal Prints
- Power drill
- Stainless steel screws
I’m giving the metal prints from Bay Photo Lab 4 stars. Here’s a look at the various options we received from them.
Standout Mount
Edge to edge, the above print was exquisite. Not just in the print quality itself, but also in the way it was mounted. This was one of Bay Photo Lab’s standout mounts, and it reminds you in some ways of a lightbox. Except that this one didn’t have any illumination source behind it.
The print goes exactly all the way to the edges, with barely any visibly bleed. The image stands out about 1½ inches off the wall once you hang it. It’s also available in a 3/4″mount size, and in Black, White, Brushed Stainless, or Maple finished edges. If you’d like, you can even get these in a sustainably harvested solid Bamboo panel option too. I feel these would look great if you chose the color for your mount that most closely matches the paint on the wall. The mount almost disappears then, making your photograph stand out even more. The one seen here came in black.
Floating Frame
At first glance, this might almost seem like the earlier kind of mount, but on closer look, you’ll see it adds more separation to your photograph. This is one of my favorite things to do, even when printing images on paper for framing. It adds a lot more class to your photo when you visibly separate it with this kind of inset method, and Bay Photo Lab did a great job with this photo of mine. The below images show the quality of the print and the floating frame used here. The frames here are available in various colors of wood with a 1/4″ space between the frame and the metal print. Their website also lists a couple of metal floating frame options.
Single MetalPrints
Bay Photo Lab sent me more than a handful of single prints, some mounted using their float mount hanger system. Truth be told, the High Gloss and Satin prints looked quite similar in terms of their finish. What’s cool to learn however is that these two finish methods, along with the Sheer Glossy option, are all done using Performance EXT Metal. They claim these will last without fading for over 5 years, even when exposed to direct sunlight. The one on my wall (high gloss) had a float mount hanger type back (see images below)
Textured Prints
To be honest, this kind of print doesn’t work for all images. From the lot that I had sent over, Bay Photo Lab picked this photo of mine to use with the textured metal print. It kind of works for this shot, but I wish I’d picked another one from my collection for this.
My Favorite
I can’t say I’ve seen this kind of a frame here anywhere, so it was a pleasant surprise to receive one of my best light painting shots printed on metal with this unique wooden frame. The fact that it was slighly wonky and not finished to perfection adds to its uniqueness.
Overall Thoughts
Your wall art is a statement, not a placeholder. A top lab doesn’t just print—it collaborates. Bay Photo Lab helps turns your pixels into heirlooms, and your walls into your personal galleries. Their attention to detail and wide choice in their metal prints range are worth paying for.
