Professional Photo Printing FAQ - enquiry & ordering
About enquiry & ordering
Trail Studio is one of the very few high-end art craftsmen in Hong Kong. In order to ensure quality, our practices may be different from the others. This FAQ will help you understand the reasons.
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Why do I need to provide the file in order to quote? |
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Many compaines don't trouble-shoot, but make customers bare responsibilities of having wrong understandings/giving wrong instructions for unexcepted/undesired results. |
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Besides using high-quality materials & craftsmanship, we also carefully check the files & production dimensions, etc. We will give recommendations/suggestions if a problom is found. |
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Otherwise, the quotation can be invalid due to file /specification problems, which will only waste the time of both parties. |
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For preliminary price estimation, you may refer to an approximate size in our price list. |
2 |
Why can't I bring a file to you for instant printing? |
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High-quality photo printing may sound simple, but it involves many steps. That’s one reason it’s costly and can't be done immediately. |
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To avoid misunderstandings from verbal discussions, please refer to our website and order via email. Having email-record is also a fair way to protect the rights of both parties. |
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email inquiries are processed fairly and sequentially. |
3 |
How long does the production take? |
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about 7-10 working days for printing & about 20-25 working days for printing+framing, estimation only. |
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This is a reasonable time for truly high-quality production. It is impossible for high-quality craftmenship to be cheap & fast. |
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Handicraft production times can’t be precisely estimated, but we’ll complete orders ASAP while ensuring high quality. Otherwise, our labor, rent and other costs may rise unnecessarily. |
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Please reserve additional time for discussion, especially for customers who have not used similar services before. |
4 |
Can you print paintings/illustrations? |
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Trail Studio also specializes in printing/reprinting of paintings/digital artworks, we provide artwork-digitization service as well. |
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For printing paintings/digital artworks, avoid photo paper; canvas/fine art paper is recommended. |
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5 |
Why don't you agree to produce in exact accordance to the spec. I found elsewhere? |
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Mounting/framing may seem simple, but it actually involves a lot of expertise and experiences |
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The potential/ hidden problems of many 3rd-party specifications, are easily obvious to us, such as wrong measurements, undurable construction, etc. |
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Discerning customers trust Trail Studio for expertly crafted production specs. Visit our website to explore our products. |
6 |
Do those wedding-theme printshops print better wedding canvas-photos than you do? |
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Indeed Many customers turn to us to reprint wedding photos after being let down elsewhere, and they’re thrilled with the results. |
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Canvases/photos have numerous popular uses if it's of high-quality, it is illogical to serve only wedding customers. |
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Instead, why do some printers target wedding clients with little printing experience and offer such low prices for handcrafted work? |
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Our giclée fine art canvas offers superior image quality over budget UV and solvent canvases often found in the market. Their durability is also questionable. |
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A skilled photographer captures your greatest moments—an expert photo craftsman showcases them. With handcrafted work, cheap means low quality. |
7 |
Those wedding-theme printshops also provide photo albums, autograph banners, etc. Why don't you have them? |
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Trail Studio’s craftsmanship and equipment are tailored for large-format fine art, unlike those used for photo albums or autograph banners. |
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Many companies outsource services to multiple providers, where quality is less guaranteed and file or privacy risks increase. |
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Albums and banners are not part of our craft. As craftsmen devoted to perfecting large-format wall art, we never outsource or share our customers’ trusted files. Every piece is proudly crafted in-house.
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8 |
Why common 3R/4R photo-printing isn't available from you? |
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Small size photo printing machine is different from our fine-art-use giclee-printing machine.
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When size is small, the image-quality advantages of giclee-printing may not be obvious/taken seriously |
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Giclée printing, known for exceptional quality and longevity, is rarely used for prints under 12×8” due to cost and reduced visual impact. Still, if you value its benefits, we’re happy to provide this service.
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9 |
Why don't you frame third-party photos or build empty frames for DIY framing? |
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Every steps of printing and framing affect the overall aesthetic of the large-format photo product. We like to handle every steps altogether to ensure quality.
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Large picture frames that can provide adequate long-term protection for artworks are difficult to DIY-disassemble, otherwise it is easy to damage the artwork/frame or even cause injury.
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Trail Studio was born from a love for photography and a dedication to exceptional photo printing. We prioritize printing and, due to limited manpower, don’t frame third-party prints of uncertain standard.
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10 |
How to decide which production type matches my need? |
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It depends on your personal preference/budget/topic of photography, you can refer to the info & examples in our website.
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It can't be generalize, but here are some suggestions:
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Have a very good budget for the highest quality & durability : framed fine art paper.
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Have a good budget for high quality & durability : framed professional photo paper/ fine art canvas.
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With budget or time constraint: professional photo paper/ fine art paper, print-only then DIY framing with an Ikea frame.
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