WhiteWall ChromaLuxe HD Metal Print Review

Often, photographers put so much stock into the cameras in their bags without giving much thought to how that image is printed. But the print medium is the finishing touch on a photograph — and often, which medium works best depends highly on the picture itself and where that photograph will be displayed. Images with softer, muted tones are often lovely on matte art paper. But mix a photo with vibrant colors with a glossy metallic sheen, and those colors pop off the print. WhiteWall ChromaLuxe HD metal prints fit in the latter category.

ChromaLuxe prints are a permanent glossy coating adhered to a thin aluminum sheet. The final result is a glossy print that helps show off vibrant colors and pops of contrast. But the glossy finish isn’t the only reason to go metal — it’s even durable enough to hang in a covered outdoor space. I ordered two ChromaLuxe prints to see how well it renders an image — and just how durable the final print is.

The Big Picture

WhiteWall ChromaLuxe HD prints are vibrant, colorful prints with a glossy sheen that adds depth. But that’s not the only reason to choose metal. These prints are much more durable than traditional prints or canvas. They can even be hung outdoors in a covered area. The prints passed water, drop, and scratch tests, and the aluminum makes them fairly lightweight. 

But these prints aren’t ideal for hanging in a dark corner. The glossy sheen really needs good lighting to give the image the depth and pop that the medium is capable of. It’s best hung near a window or a light fixture. The stunning image quality and durability also sit at a higher price point.

I’m giving WhiteWall ChromaLuxe HD metal prints five out of five stars.

Pros

• Vibrant colors and contrast
• A glossy finish adds color and dimension in good light
• Resistant to moisture
• Wasn’t damaged in drop or scratch tests
• Lightweight
• Straight-forward ordering process with lots of customization
• Easy hanging for larger prints with a railing

Cons

• Pricey
• The high gloss finish needs a well-lit wall

What we Tested

I ordered a 12×16 of a Northern Lights long exposure and a 6×4 of a portrait. Both were the original glossy finish (rather than the brushed aluminum option). Both were complimentary prints provided by WhiteWall for review purposes. 

Innovations

WhiteWall didn’t invent metal photo prints. But, as a high-end lab, WhiteWall knows the fine details are crucial. The ChromaLuxe metal prints are durable prints that are cured under UV lights. WhiteWall also offers various customization options, including pairing it with a frame, multiple mounting options, and regular or brushed texture.

The Process

Perhaps it seems silly to talk about the process of ordering a print online — but once you’ve been on the receiving end of slow, confusing, and buggy ordering platforms, you’ll understand why I’m going to spend a few seconds talking about the ordering platform. Once you upload your image, you’ll see either a room view displaying the print in a room or a 3D view. The 3D view surprisingly shows off a mock-up of the metal print. It even shows the reflection off of the shiny surface as you turn the print around and the mounting hardware on the back.

From there, a sidebar offers all the different options, starting with size. Metal prints are available as small as 3.5 inches square up to 59 by 39.3 inches. Images can be cropped to the correct aspect ratio online within the ordering platform. An image optimization tab improves contrast and saturation and is recommended if you haven’t already made print-specific edits.

From there, there are seven different customization options, including adding a frame, choosing a glossy or brushed finish, customizing the mounting hardware, adding a border, or rounding the corners. You can even select a round, hexagon, octagon, or dodecagon. Finally, you can even create multiple panels from a single image. This is a feature we requested a few years ago on their acrylic prints, so it’s great to see it here.

Once you customize your image, add it to your cart and check out. Print plus delivery time in the U.S. is about nine days.

Larger ChromaLuxe prints use a rail hanging system (unless customized with cylindrical spacers or no hardware). The back uses a wide railing with a wide groove that can accommodate nails or screws. That makes hanging pretty easy — I was able to take down an existing print and use the hardware already there. Smaller prints use a hook support rather than a railing, similar to the teeth on the back of a picture frame.

Build Quality

One of the reasons to choose a metal print is its durability — it’s not going to shatter as easily as glass, but it can also hang in more environments than canvas. It’s also lightweight, so when ordering a big print, it’s a little easier on the walls and hanging hardware. Moisture isn’t good for most traditional forms of photo prints. But, WhiteWall says that ChromaLuxe prints can handle some moisture — they can be hung in high-humidity environments such as bathrooms or even in covered outdoor areas such as covered porches or balconies.

WhiteWall says the print is water resistant, so I splashed the surface with water, let it sit for a minute while I snapped a few photos, then wiped it dry. The metal print was undamaged.

ChromaLuxe prints are made by adhering a permanent coating to the aluminum. If I had to guess the reason for all those fragile stickers on the box, I would guess scratches. However, I did try to lightly scratch off the coating with a fingernail, but once I wiped off the fingerprints, I couldn’t spot any damage. I also dropped the smaller print a few feet onto the carpet. I suspect hard drops may chip the corners, and sharp objects could scratch the coatings, but minor mishaps and an accidental scrape with a fingernail shouldn’t be too disastrous.

WhiteWall also notes that imperfections in the metal can result in “minor surface imperfections or irregularities.” I didn’t mind any in my review samples, but I wanted to note it regardless.

Despite the print shipping with layers of bubble wrap and fragile stamps, I couldn’t damage the print with water, scratches, or even small drops. The only “damage” I did to the print in all that testing was leaving fingerprints on the glossy surface, which wipe away with a lens cloth.

Image Quality

I knew exactly what image I wanted to print when I read WhiteWall’s description of ChromaLuxe prints and how they render color and contrast. I printed my favorite Northern Lights image from a summer of sleepless nights that finally gave me a light show strong enough to see with the naked eye. Because that image has primarily just three colors — green, purple, and black, I also printed a small portrait as well.

Both prints render colors beautifully. The colors in the aurora pop, while the trees and rocky lakeshore are rendered the same deep black as in the digital file, only with a glossy sheen. Compared to a similar image that I have on canvas, the metal print has colors that are much more eye-catching. While the colors in the portrait are the softer tones of Fujifilm’s Asita, the colors in the print are pretty close to the original file. The greens aren’t quite as warm, but the skin tones still look lovely in the metal.

The detail is rendered fairly clear in the final prints. In fact, the detail was so clear that fine, flyaway hairs in the image almost looked like a scratch on the surface because of the way they caught the light. Some high-end prints may be able to squeeze out a bit more detail than the metal can. But from a standard viewing distance, the metal doesn’t lack anything, and the shine helps details in the highlights really pop.

The colors and contrast on the ChromaLuxe prints are stellar — but they are only stellar under good light. ChromaLuxe prints have a glossy surface that reflects light back. If there’s no light to bounce back, then the image is all dull shadows. That means where you hang the ChromaLuxe prints matters. It’s not a good choice to hang in a dark corner. But hang it near a window or light fixture, and you’ll be rewarded with catchy pops of color.

I’m not the biggest fan of high gloss prints, but the ChromaLuxe HD metal prints are a lovely way to show off your favorite colorful images.  The metal and glossy finish renders color and contrast well — just hang on a well-lit wall and avoid fingerprints.

Who Should Buy It?

If you already have a space picked out for your print and that space is a dark corner away from natural light or light sources, then ChromaLuxe isn’t the best medium for that print. It really needs light to shine. The price also limits the metal print to art that you want to hang on your walls for a long time, not prints that you swap out annually for a new favorite.

But, if you have a photo with vibrant colors and contrast that you need to pop off the wall and a well-lit wall to hang it on, consider a ChromaLuxe print. The metal prints really stand out compared to canvas or a framed print. If you want to hang the print in a moist space like an outdoor patio or bathroom, mark another tally in the column for ChromaLuxe. It’s a durable but vibrant way to show off colorful photographs.

Tech Specs

WhiteWall lists the following specifications for the ChromaLuxe HD prints:

• Printed on 1 mm thick aluminum
• Glossy surface
• Water-resistant
• For indoor or sheltered outdoor areas
• Choose between glossy aluminum or brushed glossy aluminum
• Aluminum railing mount for large prints and hanging hooks for prints under 9.8 inches
• Optional wall post mount for images from 7.8 inches to 39.3 inches
• Minimum size: 3.5 x 3.5 in. (9 x 9 cm)
• Maximum size: 59 x 39.3 in. (150 x 100 cm)
• Optional framing

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