Go big: Canon large-format printing tips

When you photograph the most colossal creatures on Earth, an A5 print doesn't always cut it. Canon Ambassador Pie Aerts shoots spectacular images of nature's giants – giraffes and rhinos, lions and elephants – and prints his images at A2, A1 and bigger, sometimes up to 2 x 3m. "These animals really come into their full force if they're presented large," he says, "almost life-size."

Dutch-born Pie has spent a decade documenting African wildlife. He exhibits internationally, runs masterclasses and sells limited-edition fine art prints, donating a percentage of the proceeds to conservation and community projects in Africa. Here, he shares his tips for large-format printing on Canon printers, and explains why he is so passionate about printing at scale – the bigger, the better – to give subjects and images the impact they deserve.

What is considered a large-format printer and what are they used for?

Large-format printing is defined as anything above A3. The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 is ideal for home printing onto fine art photo paper in sizes up to A2 for posters or fine art exhibition prints to be displayed in a gallery or sold to collectors. The same technology is found in the roll printers of the same name family: imagePROGRAF PRO Series 2100 (24in), 4100 (44in) and 6100 (60in). The Canon Arizona range of UV flatbed printers can produce a stunning array of prints on rigid media up to 2.5 x 3m in size and 50mm in thickness. Arizona printers are often used for photos and fine art applications, including with textured and elevated print surfaces on media ranging from glass and metal to wood and even stone.

The Canon Colorado UVgel roll-to-roll production printers can produce high volumes of posters and banners, creative wallpapers and photo and fine art canvas prints up to 1.625m wide. Plus, the addition of a white ink is bringing new levels of creativity to high-value applications with magnetic, coloured and metallic media types.

"Printing your work teaches you so much," explains Pie, who is now so experienced, he can glance at the back of his camera and foresee exactly how the print will look. But that skill has come from years of practice, making mistakes along the way. There are many printer options from Canon to consider when it comes to large-format printing. The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 provides the flexibility to print at A5, A4, A3, all the way up to A2, switching easily between sizes and media types.

In the internet age, there is a risk of content overkill. "Images are everywhere," says Pie. "It is important to make a clear distinction between digital and offline. I've always had a strong connection with paper and books. These days, it's all very quick. I print to slow down the process." Equally, viewing a photograph at A2, A1 or bigger is a completely different experience. "Photography, and art in general, requires time and patience," says Pie. "Good images raise questions and I want to invite people to look again, taking time to digest the story."

Printing at this scale is a statement about the value you place on your work. "Art is not meant to be displayed on a small backlit 800 pixel-wide screen," Pie continues. "It's meant to be displayed beautifully printed, on a paper type you intentionally selected, using a certain ink, in a big frame in a museum."

"The larger you print, the more detail becomes visible," says Pie. Keep this in mind when composing shots. "Good images are built up in several layers – foreground, background, middle. They all connect within one overall narrative."

An example of this is Pie's Land of Giants photograph (above). As you look further into the picture, you learn more about what you're seeing, from the elephants at close range to other members of the herd behind, and finally, the landscape visible beyond. "If you looked at this on a phone, you wouldn't see what you see in a large print," explains Pie.

"If you focus on creating limited edition artworks, it improves the perception of your brand as an artist," says Pie – something which applies as much to graphic artists or illustrators as photographers. On Pie's website, he offers prints for sale in a range of sizes, from Small (30 x 45cm) to Extra Large (100 x 150cm). Editions are limited to 25 prints at the smallest size and just five at the biggest.

"The profit margins are higher, the more you go up in size," Pie explains. With larger runs of smaller prints, more handling and shipping is required for less remuneration. Creating prints at different sizes also caters to different markets. "Some people don't care whether or not something is numbered or limited," says Pie. "They just want to have a beautiful piece in their homes, whereas others are willing to put down a whole lot of money because they know it's only being printed five times."

The wildlife photographer has the following advice for those starting out – don't be afraid to start small and build up. "We all need to start somewhere. It's perfectly fine to begin by printing and selling your prints in a smaller, more intimate fashion," he says. "You can't expect to catch the attention of big collectors overnight. Build up your reputation, finesse your craft as a photographer and a printer – and your market worth will follow. Start by selling your work to your family and friends, people you know, who can support you. Growing your business takes lots of little steps. When I look back at my own career over the past seven years, it has not been a straight line. It's a slow process. Embrace that rhythm and learn to value your work."

Creating big, beautiful prints is more than an end in itself for Pie, though. Photography is a tool in the urgent battle we face to save ecosystems from collapse and species from extinction. "It is really important to educate people, but the first step is to make them fall in love with what they see," he explains. "If people love something, then they are willing to fight for it."

Whatever drives your own photography, whether it's wildlife or something different, printing in large-format is guaranteed to amplify the message – hopefully creating, in Pie's words, "not only awareness but also action".