Digital Photography Market

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Impact Of Digital Photography On Interior Decoration

The digital camera has had a rapid ascent. According to the Camera and Imaging Products Association, the market for digital cameras peaked in 2008 at 119 million shipped units, dropped slightly in 2009 and is set to resume growth in 2010. At the same time, mobile phones have been outfitted with ever improving digital cameras, making digital photography accessible to more people than ever before.

Not only has the technology changed, but the usage has changed as well. People no longer have all their photos developed into prints, because they are able to sort out the rubbish before printing. People are storing their photos on hard drives or sharing them online. The once very popular activity of creating photo albums has given way to the design of hardcover photo books online.

The rise of digital photography has also had a strong impact on interior decorating. Decorators had been previously limited to the available prints for inexpensive wall décor, more individuality meant a much larger investment in paintings or professional photography and development. The proliferation of high-quality digital images has put highly-individualized wall decor into the reach of every decorator. Residential and commercial spaces are seeing more and more of these new forms of wall art.

The digital printing industry has responded to the increased demand by launching innovative new products. The evolution of printing technology has also had a large impact on this development. In particular new printers such as the HP Indigo, which are particularly suited for highly customized and specialty printing, have led to the growth of the web-to-print industry.

Companies such as Cewe and Kodak have had to reinvent themselves to cope with the decline of conventional photography and adapt to the emergence of digital photography. Also, new specialty companies have emerged such as myprinting in the web-to-print space offering a wide range of specialty digital printing products.

Products in the wall art and wall décor category can be very differentiated. They range from simple posters on regular photographic paper to more premium acrylic or aluminium composite photographic wall panels.

Posters were once reserved for rock bands and teen idols, but with the emergence of web-to-print unique posters can be created simply and inexpensively from digital photos. A large number of formats are widely available on the market. Specialty suppliers offer up to 50 different formats and a range of different substrates from inexpensive lightweight photo paper to premium posters on high-quality fine art paper.

For centuries, canvas has been the preferred medium of painters. Their artworks have graced the halls of museums and galleries for years. Now, the artist’s canvas has become accessible to every one through the same market and technological developments described above. Digital printing technology now exists that can print in high-quality onto artists canvas giving digital photos a gallery feel and bringing artwork to walls efficiently and inexpensively as canvas prints. Digital photos are printed onto high-grade artist’s canvas and stretched onto wooden frames.

The newest type of product that has emerged are the photographic wall panels. These panels can be of various materials, the most common being the acrylic panel. The digital image is printed directly onto the back of the acrylic panel giving it a striking sense of depth that is not present in other types of wall décor. The material also allows the decorator to experiment with different lighting as this can highly accentuate the image, especially if the panel is back lit. The acrylic panel has not only been used in a decorative sense but also for practical purposes such as in signage and for informational or marketing messages. Another type of panel is the lightweight foam-core panel, which is easier to mount and very versatile. In addition to wall art it is also used by creatives in marketing or design to present their ideas and concepts.

Digital printing on metal is still a niche offering, mostly reserved for highly specialized companies and it can be pricey. However, there are some companies that are beginning to offer bespoke prints on metal substrates at standard prices. One such offering is the aluminium composite panel, which is made up of two thin sheets of aluminium with a solid plastic core. The image is printed directly onto the aluminium, not printed on cardboard and mounted with adhesive as in earlier forms of this product. Thicker tapes of metal printing include the alloy or metal boxes, which due to their size are difficult to wall mount.

About the Author

Rudiger is a photojournalist and blogger who has a passion for visual arts and photography. He writes about news in photography as well as digital printing. He blogs about Visual Arts and Photography.

The top 5 digital camera lenses 2010-2011


digital photography market5
digital photography market5
digital photography market5