A metal print, 12 × 18 inches

The premium finish. Aerial and drone work in particular holds an extraordinary amount of detail, and metal is the surface that shows it.

What it is

• The image is transferred into a coating on an aluminium sheet with a glossy white base, which is what gives it the depth and the luminance people notice first.
• No frame and no glass. The panel itself is the finished object, and it hangs a little proud of the wall. Ask us about the hanging hardware when you write. It varies, and we would rather tell you what yours comes with than guess here.
• Printed by a professional lab and sent straight to you. Metal shows a fingerprint and a scuff more readily than paper, so unpack it by the edges. If it arrives marked, tell us and we have it remade.

What it suits

High-contrast pictures, water, sunsets, anything shot from the air. It is glossy, so it reflects a window. Think about where it will hang before you choose it.

Whether your photograph can carry it

A print is only as good as the file behind it, and there is no way to add detail that the camera did not record. At 12 × 18 inches, here is what that means in plain numbers.

Between those two it depends on the picture and on how close people stand, and that is a conversation rather than a rule. Send it anyway: a file that is too small for this size is usually the right size for a smaller one, and telling you which is most of the job.

We check every file, and we refuse work that would disappoint you. That is not a disclaimer. It is the reason this exists. Anyone can take your money and send you a soft print.

If you are not sure what any of that means, you do not have to work it out. Send the picture and we will tell you.

How it works

There is no basket and no checkout. You send the file, we tell you what it can be printed at and what that costs, and nothing is made until you have said yes to the number.

1. You send the file

   Use the form on the print page. It checks the size and the format as soon as you pick a file, so you know straight away if there is a problem with it. No account and no payment.

2. We look at it and quote you

   We open the file at full size and check the things that decide whether a print works: how much detail it holds, marks and dust, and whether the horizon is level. You get a reply within two working days with what it can be printed at, what that costs, and what we would not do. You can walk away at that point and nothing is charged.

3. The lab makes it and ships it to you

   Once you have agreed the price, a professional lab prints it and sends it to your address in plain packaging with nobody else’s name on it. If it arrives wrong, tell us and we have it remade at no cost to you.

A person reads every one of these. At the moment, that person is Robert. Nothing is automated and nothing is outsourced to a script. You will hear back within two working days.

What it costs

metal, 12 × 18 inches: quoted with your file.

We quote each job once we have seen the file, because the honest answer depends on the photograph as much as on the size. Nothing is charged, and nothing is made, until you have that number and have said yes to it.

• The size and the material. That is the whole list. There is no rush fee, no file-handling charge and no minimum.
• Postage is included in what we quote you. We would rather tell you one number than three.
• You get the number before anything is made, and you can walk away at that point without paying anything.

The other two sizes and materials are on the print page.