How to turn phone pics into art?
August 18, 2015 6:46 PM

I want to go beyond just printing photo stock on my inkjet printer. What are your ideas or experiences for taking a picture off your phone or point-and-shoot and making a really nice art piece for your home?

I've printed my own pictures in the past and framed some. They're OK, but tend to fade or degrade over time. And they just have that "home-made" look. I'd like to give a more high-end treatment to a couple of pics and make something really nice that will last.

Have you done this? What kind of paper (or other medium) did you use? Did you do it yourself or use a service? What are your best recommendations and ideas for transforming a digital pic into a piece of art? Also what was the cost?
posted by Right On Red to Media & Arts (7 answers total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
I had reasonable luck using canvas pop, though it was for Instagram photos.
posted by vunder at 6:59 PM on August 18, 2015


Have on hand the following:
Your favorite high res color image printed on plain white paper sized 8x10
Cheap white canvas frame sized 8x10 from crafts store (~$7)
A bottle of Modge Podge from crafts store (~$5)
A sponge paint brush
A throwaway plastic bowl

Cut the photo to exactly match your canvas size, trimming edges carefully
Pour a generous amount of Modge Podge into bowl
Paint Modge Podge onto canvas
Carefully position your paper image to lie flat onto the canvas.
Work fast - you only have a few seconds to adjust placement
Now paint another layer of Modge Podge on top of paper, edge to edge.
Don't worry if it's a bit crinkly. It adds character and texture.
It will dry clear, don't worry.

Dry for 24 hours

Admire your expensive looking image. Prices are estimated.

I also do tiny versions of these to make as gifts.
posted by HeyAllie at 7:09 PM on August 18, 2015


Fracture? (Printed directly on glass)
posted by misterbrandt at 7:37 PM on August 18, 2015


Turn into a digital negative and palladium print?
posted by Mac-Expert at 7:46 PM on August 18, 2015


I've printed 12Mpx images at CostCo and then framed them. They look very nice, even years later.
posted by humboldt32 at 8:22 PM on August 18, 2015


Use archival ink and paper if you want them to last. Matte paper is nice for rich hues and tonal range. This stuff goes behind glass and matte paper helps decrease the glare.
posted by Oyéah at 9:56 PM on August 18, 2015


Mpix and others will print on aluminum, which is very durable and has a nice tonal range. I've had surprisingly nice pieces made from phone shots. I've also had wood blocks made from Instagram photos at Shiner Photo, and wall stickers from tinyme.com, and both were great.
posted by judith at 7:07 AM on August 19, 2015


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