Why You Should Print Your Work
In a world where most of our photos live on screens, there’s something special about holding a physical print in your hands. Whether it’s a darkroom print, an inkjet print, or a simple proof from the lab, printing your work makes photography feel real in a way that a screen never can.
I’ve been guilty of letting my photos sit on hard drives, only revisiting them when I scroll through old folders. But every time I take the time to print my work, I’m reminded why it’s such an important part of the process. Here are some of my reasons on why:
1. A Print Feels Like a Finished Piece
A photo on a screen feels temporary—it can be deleted, forgotten, or lost in a sea of files. But when you print an image, it becomes tangible. It’s a final form, something that exists in the physical world, not just as pixels on a display. Holding a print in my hands gives me a sense of completion that a digital file does not.
2. You See Your Work Differently
Printing forces you to look at your images in a new way. Colors, contrast, and composition all feel different in print. Flaws that might go unnoticed on a screen become more apparent, and strengths that seemed subtle suddenly stand out. I’ve had moments where I thought a shot was just “okay” on my laptop, but once printed, it felt completely different—more alive, more impactful.
3. It Preserves Your Work Beyond Digital Decay
Hard drives fail. Cloud services shut down. File formats become obsolete. Prints last. A well-made darkroom print or an archival inkjet print can outlive you. I’ve found old family photos from decades ago, and they still hold up.
4. Prints Create a Physical Connection
Scrolling through photos on a screen is passive. Holding a print in your hands is active. You can feel the paper, see the texture, notice the details in the highlights and shadows. A print invites you to slow down and appreciate the image, rather than swiping past it in a second.
5. A Print Gives Your Work a Place in the World
A printed photo lives somewhere—on a wall, in a book, in an album. It becomes part of a space, part of someone’s life. There’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing your work displayed, whether it’s in your home, a client’s hands, or even just a stack of prints on your desk.
Final Thoughts
Printing is one of the most satisfying parts of photography. Whether it’s a fine art darkroom print, an inkjet test, or a simple proof from a lab, it makes your work real in a way that digital never will. So if you haven’t printed your work in a while, do it. You might be surprised by how different it feels.
