It's a well kept secret, but Epson and Canon inkjet printers can utilize extra long sheets of paper - perfect for printing your own panoramic images.
Panorama photography is one of the fastest growing segments in the field. With the aid of widely available stitching software it is easy to capture simple 2 to 3+ shot landscape panoramas effectively turning a 8MB camera single image to an equivalent 16MB to 24MB+ file. This allows for much higher resolution prints without sacrificing the details. The more proficient may venture out and do “Mosaic’s”. Mosaics consist of multiple rows of images using a longer focal length then stitching them all together to form one incredibly large and detailed print.
Copyright Bill Bailey
Another popular area of panoramic photography is Virtual Reality (VR) Photography. This is an immersive technology that allows the viewer to interact with an image like that seen in Real Estate Virtual Tours. VR can be shot in both in “Cylindrical”, 360 degrees by the FOV of the lens, to full “Spherical” formats encompassing the full visual range of a scene 360 degrees by 180 degrees. These images can be flattened to form what is known as an “equirectangular image”. These images create a unique perspective when viewed 2 dimensionally. Standard equirectangular images are generally 2:1. So the resulting spherical panorama can be printed 24” long x 12” high or up to 4 feet long x 2 feet wide. Proportionately larger prints are also possible.
Keeping print quality under your control is important. Red River's line of pano inkjet media allows you to print images on demand instantly. Whether you are a dedicated pano enthusiast, or occasionally find a panorama worthy of printing, Red River Paper has premium grade inkjet media in pano sizes you need.
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How Much Do Inkjet Panos Cost?
The average six color inkjet printer uses about $1.00 in ink for every 80 square inches.
The chart below estimates ink cost for some possible pano sizes:
| Print Size | Estimated Ink Cost |
| 12" x 36" (432 sq.in) | $5.40 |
| 8" x 36" | $3.60 |
| 12" x 22" | $3.30 |
Paper cost for these images is between $1.60 and $3.32 depending on the surface you choose. At most your cost for materials is under $9 which is competitive with volume labs, and much less than top quality custom finishing.
What Paper Types are Available
What type of paper you choose is highly dependent on the subject of your panoramic photography. You might choose a glossy for high impact, high contrast subjects. On the other hand, for low key, nature, or artistic imagery you might choose a non-reflective matte or cotton paper. Red River Paper offers 10 different inkjet papers that are sure to meet any need.
Are They Compatible With My Printer?
The short answer is yes. Red River's pano inkjet papers are selected for compatibility with dye or pigment inks. We recommend using the rear media tray or specialty tray to feed these sizes. Remember that with Canon printers, your maximum paper length is currently fixed at 23.39"
What About Picture Frames?
There are no standard pano picture frame sizes however some
companies like Frame Destination have several pano
frames sizes for aspect ratios 2:1 and 3:1.
You can check out their list of picture frame sizes here.
Vertical panos can be mounted like regular photos. Horizontal panos might need a little extra support if
they are not dry mounted. The support can come from an additional tape or archival
t-hinge at the top or clear mounting strips at the bottom to keep the print from
sagging in the middle. Detail picture mounting info and tips here.
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