Best Metal Print of 2023
- What is Artbeat Studios?
- How the Best Metal Print of 2023 was Scored
- How Did Artbeat Studios Do on the Ol' Scorecard?
- Tiebreaker for the Best Metal Print of 2023<
- Color
- Frame
- Detail
- Value
- Presentation
- Packaging
Every year, I test a bunch of metal prints on YouTube and give detailed descriptions and scorecards for each print. There's always a few clunkers, but by and large, the prints I review are pretty darn good. This year was no exception!
Here's a rundown of the contestants in this year's competition with links to my full YouTube video reviews:
It was a stiff competition for the title of "Best Metal Print of 2023," but ultimately, a familiar face won - Artbeat Studios. But how did I arrive at my decision to crown them the winner? Let's find out!
Table of Contents
What is Artbeat Studios?
Artbeat Studios is a medium-sized printing company here in Southern California that was established with the purpose of creating the best-quality photographic prints on the market. Where other companies churn prints out as fast as possible with little attention to detail, Artbeat Studios focuses on the quality of the product as opposed to the quantity.
Part of their mission to perfect the printing process is to focus only on wall art prints. There are no photo books, mugs, t-shirts, or other products to muddy the waters - just exquisite prints on metal, acrylic, canvas, and paper. And all printing and packaging is done in house so the Artbeat Studios staff has the ultimate control over quality.
Apart from that, Artbeat Studios specializes in service after the sale. I can attest to this having purchased dozens of prints from them over the years. Not only have the prints I've received been top-notch, but the staff's care and concern about my happiness as a customer has been impressive.
How the Best Metal Print of 2023 was Scored
I scored each of the best metal print of 2023 contestants using the same 30-point scale. The scale is comprised of the following metrics, each of which is worth a maximum of five points:
Using these metrics gives a complete picture of the print. The Color and Detail categories offer a glimpse at the quality of the printing process. The Frame category ticks the box for the attention to detail in constructing the print. Meanwhile, the Presentation category offers a measurement of the overall look and feel of the print. Evaluating the Packaging is important, too, as it gives you an understanding of the care each company takes to ensure your print arrives in the same condition it left their shop. Lastly, the Value metric offers a sense of the "bang for your buck" of each print.
If you watch each of the videos I linked to in the introduction, you'll see that this year's best metal print of 2023 contestants were all over the place in terms of their scores - from a low of 10 (YIKES) to a high of 28.
How Did Artbeat Studios Do on the Ol' Scorecard?
Artbeat Studios tied for the highest score this year with Shiny Prints. Each company earned a 28 out of 30. I'll explain how I determined the winner between these companies a little later.
For now, let's examine how Artbeat Studios arrived at a score of 28...
As I note in the scorecard above, there was really nothing surprising about this Artbeat Studios print. After years of reviewing their work, I've come to expect superb color and detail - and I wasn't disappointed with this print. The colors, sharpness, and contrast were all on point. I described the blacks in the print as "spaces you can practically dive into" - they were that good.
Of course, Artbeat Studios specializes in making prints that look like a million bucks, so the presentation was spot on, too. The packaging was as robust as ever as well, meaning the print arrived to my door looking as good as if they walked into my house and handed it to me.
Now, I did ding Artbeat Studios two points, but both were extremely ticky-tacky...
First, I prefer wall prints to have rubber tabs on the back to protect the print and the wall. As you can see above, this print didn't have them, and honestly a point off for something so small is perhaps too harsh. But still, a point was deducted for that from the Value metric.
Second, though the frame was close to "absolute perfection," there were a few very minor misalignments that I felt couldn't be overlooked. Again, this is a very minor detail that perhaps didn't warrant a whole point deduction, but here we are.
Overall, this print is absolutely stunning and more than worthy of the title of the best metal print of 2023.
Tiebreaker for the Best Metal Print of 2023
A close-up view of the print from Artbeat Studios.
This year, both Artbeat Studios and Shiny Prints ended up with a final score of 28, so how did I determine a winner? That's easy...
The tiebreaker was an evaluation of the severity of issues that led to point deductions. As I noted above, Artbeat Studio's infractions were extremely minor and perhaps didn't warrant full point deductions.
A close-up view of the print from Shiny Prints.
However, Shiny Prints' deductions were big enough issues to warrant two full point deductions. On the one hand, the frame had some scuffs on it, and while that often occurs on the metal before the printing company starts printing, it was distracting enough to deduct a full point. The Shiny Prints metal print was also pricey, so I felt that a full point deduction on the Value scale was needed.
So, in the end, the Artbeat Studios metal print was crowned best metal print of 2023 because of its outstanding print quality, superb value, and excellent packaging. This continues a trend, too - Artbeat Studios beat the competition in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as well!
If you want the ultimate metal print for yourself, your client, or to give as a gift, I can't recommend Artbeat Studios enough. Check out their website to see what they can do for you!
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