Bumblejax Acrylic Print Review (+Sale) (2023)

In the past I've reviewed a few canvas and metal printing services on this site, but until recently I didn't have a chance to try another interesting medium called acrylic facemounting. As you will see in the photos in this post, this process essentially sandwiches your prints between a backing plate and a thick sheet of glossy acrylic. As with canvas and metal prints, the process creates a finished product ready to hang that requires no additional framing.

Hummelis a Seattle based printing company with 10 years of experience and when I read their website I found out that they were one of the first websites in the US to offer acrylic front mount as a printing option. They do offer several other types of prints (canvas, wood, aluminum) but when I was asked if I would like to review their services it only made sense to try the acrylic option as that was clearly their specialty.

I chose to print one of my recent wildlife images of a black bear because it featured a range of dark blacks, some fine fur detail, some wet highlights, and a range of colors.

The photo arrived well packaged in a cardboard box and wrapped in bubble wrap. Living in the Yukon, Canada, the box probably took a few different flights to get to me, but shipping was quick and the print was clearly well protected for those trips.

On this page you can see some pictures of the product I received which was a 16 x 24 (1/4″ thick) acrylic sheet with a diamond polished edge, foil and an aluminum subframe/louver hanging system.

A note from Bumblejax on choosing metallic paper for acrylic glued prints:

For most images mounted on acrylic, metallic paper is a good choice as it gives the image a bit more depth and radiance, especially when combined with the vibrancy of acrylic (an extra tip would be to make it stand out). with good artistic lighting that makes it stand out even more). Only if the photos show people, e.g. For example, family portraits, or if the image has soft, muted colors, we typically do not recommend metallic paper.

The retail cost for the print options I selected is $258 + shipping. To put that in perspective, I looked up a few other popular printers online to see what the cost would be if I printed an image of this size on archival fine art paper. Generally, taking an average of different printers, you would consider about $75 for a print on quality paper. Bumblejax themselves charge $80 for a print this size on Hahnemühle Silk Baryta. So, for an additional $178, you get a ready-to-hang product.

Personally I think it's a good deal and with my business hat on I think you can get better margins on your sales by selling a ready to hang product rather than a simple paper print in a roll. It's difficult to offer traditionally framed, already-framed paper prints because you can't know what frame would look good in your client's space. This is definitely one of the reasons why canvas, metal and acrylic prints are popular with people selling through their websites rather than in a physical gallery. And from a customer's perspective, there's something great about being able to unwrap something and hang it up right away.

At this point I would also like to mention the Bublejax print shipping prices, because I think their system is awesome. Shipping is 10% of the product price within the US (excluding Hawaii and Alaska). For Canada, Hawaii, and Alaska, it's 25% + product price + $10.

If you're selling prints like a pro and not doing the printing yourself, there comes a time when you need to price individual prints or a whole batch of prints to set your pricing for standard sizes. In the past, shipping costs have always been a nuisance because until you know the size of the print and its exact destination, you can't give your customers an exact price. Well, you can with the Bumblejax system, and it couldn't be easier. Simply find the cost of all the sizes you want to offer, add 10% (or 25% of the shipping cost) and then factor in your own print sale markup. Now you can offer your customers prints with easy-to-disclose shipping costs, or include shipping costs in your print price and offer "free shipping" to your customers. This is so much easier! Good job Bumblejax.

The print quality I received was fantastic. The colors were accurate and the shades of the bear's dark fur were exactly what I would expect from a good printer.

As you can see from the photos the back of the print is also very well presented and a hanging kit has been provided along with a cloth and bottle of acrylic cleaner. This is extremely important to me because when I'm selling prints, I want my customers to unwrap something that not only looks great, but alsofeellike an expensive product. There is no way you can charge four figures for prints if the customer feels they are getting a cheap, flimsy print, even if they like the image. The presentation and quality of the product are important! On that front, Bumblejax definitely lives up to the quality of the print, so this is the complete package and I really smiled when I unwrapped it.

Having never printed a face in acrylic before, I wasn't sure what the edges of the print would look like. would they be clear Opaque? structured? Rough or smooth?

The answer, as you can see if you click on the images below to expand them, is that they are smooth and clear. There isn't even an iota of misalignment between the printed back panel and the 1/4″ acrylic panel on the front. Honestly I don't know how they make it that clean but it looks shiny and feels good when you pick it up. The whole thing is really solid.

Diploma

For amateur photographers who want to occasionally print for their own pleasure, it's relatively easy to go to Google and find an online printing service that offers affordable and acceptable results. However, as a discerning professional or amateur photographer who needs the highest quality prints and product presentation to match, it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff in these search results. I've been there myself!

At Bublejax, you get friendly service from a company that can make a variety of products, and if you have questions about anything, just pick up the phone and call. They print in-house in Seattle and from what I've seen their products are excellent. I look forward to ordering more prints from you for my clients in the future and am excited to try some of your other print media.

If you've never tried an acrylic face mount as a medium, I definitely urge you to give Bumblejax a try. Like metal prints, images can appear much more vivid than canvas and paper, and acrylic's thickness adds an intriguing depth to the viewing experience.

Offer: Save 35%

If you are a professional selling your prints and want to try Bumblejax's services, you canclick here on this linkand save 35% on your first order and 15% on all subsequent orders.