There’s nothing better than seeing your memories come to life in print. Flipping through your moments and feeling the weight of the page, the exquisite textures of our papers, is second to none. But because our design process is entirely online, it’s important to be aware that your digital photos are going to look different in the final printed product. Computer screens simply don’t do real life justice. On top of that, the paper type you choose will also impact the print result.
Understanding the difference between onscreen and in print, as well as our range of paper types, is very important to the process of creating a MILK Photo Book or Album. Let us help you achieve the best print result and avoid any surprises when you receive your beautiful MILK keepsake.
Onscreen vs. in print
Computer monitors are designed to make digital imagery appear pleasing onscreen. To achieve this, every digital display contains backlighting (a light which shines through pixels) and the RGB color mode (an artificial color mode optimized for onscreen viewing). Backlighting helps your images to appear brighter and more detailed. The RGB color mode uses red, blue and green light to display a wide range of colors onscreen. Some bright colors (like fluorescent blues and purples) cannot be replicated in print.
Once you take your images offscreen and into the pages of a MILK Photo Book or Album, you lose the artificial backlight and shadows in your photos may appear darker with subtle details less visible. What you gain is beautiful tactile pages of memories, printed on archival papers using the best digital printing technology available.
Pro Tip: You can calibrate your screen to view RGB color accurately so that you may assess the color balance in your images and how dark areas will print. Alternatively, you can dim your monitor's brightness for a general approximation.
The difference in print between paper options
Your choice of paper type will impact the print result. It is important to understand the papers we offer, so you can make the right choice for your photos and achieve the look and feel you want.
We offer uncoated, semi-coated, textured and untextured papers. These tactile qualities will impact how your photos appear on the page. Depending on the paper you choose, your images can appear warmer or cooler, textured or smooth, vibrant or subdued, natural or lustrous.
Below we've outlined each paper we offer and their qualities, to help you choose a paper that will achieve the best print result for your images.
MILK Photo Books paper range
Satin
Available in our Premium Photo Books, Softcover Photo Books & Classic Photo Books
• Printed on 170 gsm paper.
• Paper is a classic white color with triple-blade coating.
• Paper has a satin top finish for a vibrant print result.
• Archival quality, suitable for milestone moments.
Matt White
Available in Premium Photo Books, Wedding Magazines and Softcover Photo Books
• Printed on 148 gsm paper.
• Subtle texture and chalky white shade.
• Has a softening effect on images - they will appear less sharp.
• Paper is uncoated which allows inks to sink into the paper surface.
• Art paper with an appearance similar to watercolor paper.
Matt Ivory
Available in Moleskine Photo Books and Premium Photo Books
• Printed on 135 gsm ivory-colored paper.
• Image appears soft and velvety.
• Highlight appears warmer.
• Rich color reproduction particularly in mid-to-deep tones.
• Works best for vintage photos and illustration/sketches/artwork.
Textured
Available in Premium Photo Books
• Printed on 148 gsm paper.
• Subtle texture and chalky white shade.
• Has a softening effect on images - they will appear less sharp.
• Paper is uncoated which allows inks to sink into the paper surface.
• Art paper with an appearance similar to watercolor paper.
• Rich color reproduction particularly in mid-to-deep tones.
Semi-gloss
Available in Classic Photo Books
• Printed on 190 gsm paper.
• Semi-gloss finish/surface that mimics real photo paper.
• Images print crisp and sharp.
• Excellent color saturation which makes images appear vibrant and rich.
MILK Photo Albums paper range
Photo Lustre
Available in Premium Photo Albums and Premium Leather Photo Albums
• Printed on 260 gsm paper.
• Semi-gloss lustre finish/surface that mimics real photo paper.
• Images print crisp and sharp.
• Excellent color saturation which makes images appear vibrant and rich.
Eggshell
Available in Premium Photo Albums and Premium Leather Photo Albums
• Printed on 216 gsm paper.
• Subtle texture and chalky white shade.
• Has a softening effect on images - they will appear less sharp.
• Paper is uncoated which allows inks to sink into the paper surface.
• Art paper with an appearance similar to watercolor paper.
• Rich color reproduction particularly in mid-to-deep tones.
Semi-gloss
Available in Classic Photo Albums
• Printed on 260 gsm paper.
• Semi-gloss lustre finish/surface that mimics real photo paper.
• Images print crisp and sharp.
• Excellent color saturation which makes images appear vibrant and rich.
We now have a PDF Preview option available via the My Books page of your account. We highly recommend using this to check over your completed book project in detail. The PDF Preview will help you to gauge the quality of your images at final size and preview your layouts. If you have many dark images, or are printing black and white images, please contact customer service for advice.
Photo Credit: Geoff Duncan. Website: www.geodun.com
