Dry mounting Epson Photo Quality Ink Jet paper

"Thor Lancelot Simon"

No! You don't want to tack the tissue to the art or mat at more than
one place -- that's the best way to wrinkle the tissue when it goes
into the press and guarantee a permanently damaged work.
One tack to the art, one tack to the support; that's all.

I found a 'one-tack' method would shift on me when mounting large prints.

FWIW: I tack the MT to the print at the center. Trim both together.
Make corner marks on the mount. Takc the tissue at the corners, being
very careful to stretch the tissue out so there are no wrinkles. Toss
the mess into the press.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
Remove spaces etc. to reply: n o lindan at net com dot com

"Thor Lancelot Simon"

No! You don't want to tack the tissue to the art or mat at more than
one place -- that's the best way to wrinkle the tissue when it goes
into the press and guarantee a permanently damaged work.
One tack to the art, one tack to the support; that's all.

I found a 'one-tack' method would shift on me when mounting large prints.

FWIW: I tack the MT to the print at the center. Trim both together.
Make corner marks on the mount. Takc the tissue at the corners, being
very careful to stretch the tissue out so there are no wrinkles. Toss
the mess into the press.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
Remove spaces etc. to reply: n o lindan at net com dot com

"Trish Williams" wrote in message
om...
I am a new illustrator printing my work on Epson Photo Quality Ink Jet
paper or Epson Matte Paper Heavyweight, for sale in the fine art
market. I have been having my work professionally dry mounted but am
finding the cost prohibitive. In an attempt to learn to do this myself
I have looked for information in Google Groups and discovered that the
process is to dry mount the corners of the photo paper in a dry mount
press. The images I have had professionally mounted seem to be
completly adheared to the mounting board, not just in the corners. An
exacto knife inserted under the edges cannot lift the page. Is this
possible?
Absolutely, if you're careful and practiced.
Do you know if the process for this thinner paper is different from photo
paper?
Usually less time and/or heat required
Can you recommend a dry mount press for this purpose?
Mine is an old (25+ years!) Seal. No, it's not for sale!
I have been looking on E-Bay for a mounting press but hesitate to purchase
a press that may not be able to mount my images.
Make sure the platen is clean and smooth. It would be good if the platen is
large enough to mount your largest photo, but you can mount in more than one
pass, if you're careful!

_General_ basic info: Dry mounting requires a press that heats to 160F to
250F (more or less), and temperature sensitive mounting paper (a tissue-like
paper that is covered on both sides with a glue that melts in the press).
There are different types of dry-mount tissue that adhere at various
temperatures. Older fiber-based photo papers could withstand higher
temperatures, so the tissue might adhere at 220 to 250F. Modern RC photo
papers can't withstand high heat, so tissue for these papers might adhere at
180F. Thicker papers may require longer time or higher heat to properly
adhere.

_General_ mounting procedu Warm up the press to the proper temp for your
mounting tissue. Make sure that your mounting board and photo are completely
dry by placing both in the press for a few minutes (without the mounting
tissue). Tack the mounting tissue to the back of the photo in the center
using the tacking iron (or an ordinary clothes iron that you don't mind
getting gunk on!). Trim the tissue and photo to the desired size/shape.
Position both on the mounting board; hold the photo securely in the center,
lift each corner and tack the tissue to the mounting board. The photo is now
tacked to the tissue in the center, the tissue is tacked to the board at the
corners. Put the whole unit in the press for the appropriate length of time
(30 seconds?) to melt the adhesive entirely. Remove the board and photo,
place on a cool, hard surface (kitchen counter?) under a heavy weight
(several college physics/philosophy textbooks) for 10-15 minutes.

The whole process is very easy the seventh or eighth time you do it!
Variables to watch for are how much heat will your photo withstand, and how
much heat will the mount board absorb before the tissue adheres to it. Keep
your work area and the press platen (the heated part) clean. Any dirt that
gets between the mount board and the photo will make a permanent bump; any
dirt between the photo and the platen will make a permanent dimple.

Ken Hart

In article ,
says...
I agree with Thor, the 3M sheet is a sensible alternative which, as far as I
am aware, has no vices. I have a drymount press, but it kills any inkjet
print at 80C with a gloss surface.

I drymount inkjet prints all the time using luster, glossy and matt surfaces
without any problems. If there was going to be any damage to the ink it
would show up immediately and would not affect the lifespan of the print.
Problems with altering the surface texture of a print are usually caused
by several things. First, is that the press may be too hot. 80C or 180F is
generally considered safe for RC types of photopaper, but if that is an
issue there are tissues that will work down to 75C/160F. It is also possible
that the work is being kept in the press too long. Usually with common
thickness mat board one minute is enough.
Another thing is to make sure that both the board and the print are dried
before bonding. Heat without pressure for 30 seconds or so on each side
to drive off moisture.
The last important thing to watch for is the covering of the artwork when
it is in the press. Usually the best thing is a full size piece of release
paper with several layers of plain paper or Seal's "cover sheet" above that.
You don't want to have the print in contact with the metal heating surface or
have bumps in it get embossed into the print.
Finally, after removing keep the whole sandwich together and cool under
weights (I use a bunch of hardcover books).

The museum market doesn't like drymounting much, but if you look at old
photos you will find that the dry mounting tissue has acted as a buffer and
protected the print from impurities in the mat, so that in many cases the
print is fine and the old mat is starting to discolor and crumble.
Newer "archival" mats may not have this problem, we will see.

--
Robert D Feinman
Landscapes, Cityscapes and Panoramic Photographs
http://robertdfeinman.com
mail:

In article ,
says...
I agree with Thor, the 3M sheet is a sensible alternative which, as far as I
am aware, has no vices. I have a drymount press, but it kills any inkjet
print at 80C with a gloss surface.

I drymount inkjet prints all the time using luster, glossy and matt surfaces
without any problems. If there was going to be any damage to the ink it
would show up immediately and would not affect the lifespan of the print.
Problems with altering the surface texture of a print are usually caused
by several things. First, is that the press may be too hot. 80C or 180F is
generally considered safe for RC types of photopaper, but if that is an
issue there are tissues that will work down to 75C/160F. It is also possible
that the work is being kept in the press too long. Usually with common
thickness mat board one minute is enough.
Another thing is to make sure that both the board and the print are dried
before bonding. Heat without pressure for 30 seconds or so on each side
to drive off moisture.
The last important thing to watch for is the covering of the artwork when
it is in the press. Usually the best thing is a full size piece of release
paper with several layers of plain paper or Seal's "cover sheet" above that.
You don't want to have the print in contact with the metal heating surface or
have bumps in it get embossed into the print.
Finally, after removing keep the whole sandwich together and cool under
weights (I use a bunch of hardcover books).

The museum market doesn't like drymounting much, but if you look at old
photos you will find that the dry mounting tissue has acted as a buffer and
protected the print from impurities in the mat, so that in many cases the
print is fine and the old mat is starting to discolor and crumble.
Newer "archival" mats may not have this problem, we will see.

--
Robert D Feinman
Landscapes, Cityscapes and Panoramic Photographs
http://robertdfeinman.com
mail:

In article ,
Robert Feinman wrote:
In article ,
says...
I agree with Thor, the 3M sheet is a sensible alternative which, as far as I
am aware, has no vices. I have a drymount press, but it kills any inkjet
print at 80C with a gloss surface.

I drymount inkjet prints all the time using luster, glossy and matt surfaces
without any problems. If there was going to be any damage to the ink it
would show up immediately and would not affect the lifespan of the print.

I don't see how we know that that's necessarily the case. The inks suffer
chemical degradation for many reasons, and the process can clearly be sped
up -- blast them with UV light for a short while and you _will_ take years
off their eventual lifetime. I'd be reassured to know that that were not
the case with head in the 180F range, but I don't think it's safe to just
assume that that's how it is.

--
Thor Lancelot Simon
But as he knew no bad language, he had called him all the names of common
objects that he could think of, and had screamed: "You lamp! You towel! You
plate!" and so on. --Sigmund Freud

In article ,
Robert Feinman wrote:
In article ,
says...
I agree with Thor, the 3M sheet is a sensible alternative which, as far as I
am aware, has no vices. I have a drymount press, but it kills any inkjet
print at 80C with a gloss surface.

I drymount inkjet prints all the time using luster, glossy and matt surfaces
without any problems. If there was going to be any damage to the ink it
would show up immediately and would not affect the lifespan of the print.

I don't see how we know that that's necessarily the case. The inks suffer
chemical degradation for many reasons, and the process can clearly be sped
up -- blast them with UV light for a short while and you _will_ take years
off their eventual lifetime. I'd be reassured to know that that were not
the case with head in the 180F range, but I don't think it's safe to just
assume that that's how it is.

--
Thor Lancelot Simon
But as he knew no bad language, he had called him all the names of common
objects that he could think of, and had screamed: "You lamp! You towel! You
plate!" and so on. --Sigmund Freud

Yep, done all that. The issue seems to be particularly with the slow dry
inkjet papers like Ilford Classic and Epson Colorlife. My DM film is the
lowest temperature one I can get in the UK and needs between 70 and 80C for
2mins between two mountboards in a seal press. Less than that and the print
will lift. Putting a release paper on top doesn't work either. The actual
gloss surface is lifting. As you say, RC paper isn't an issue if the print
is kept below 80 and a couple of minutes.

On 2/11/04 1:24 pm, in article ,
"Robert Feinman" wrote:

In article ,
says...
I agree with Thor, the 3M sheet is a sensible alternative which, as far as I
am aware, has no vices. I have a drymount press, but it kills any inkjet
print at 80C with a gloss surface.

I drymount inkjet prints all the time using luster, glossy and matt surfaces
without any problems. If there was going to be any damage to the ink it
would show up immediately and would not affect the lifespan of the print.
Problems with altering the surface texture of a print are usually caused
by several things. First, is that the press may be too hot. 80C or 180F is
generally considered safe for RC types of photopaper, but if that is an
issue there are tissues that will work down to 75C/160F. It is also possible
that the work is being kept in the press too long. Usually with common
thickness mat board one minute is enough.
Another thing is to make sure that both the board and the print are dried
before bonding. Heat without pressure for 30 seconds or so on each side
to drive off moisture.
The last important thing to watch for is the covering of the artwork when
it is in the press. Usually the best thing is a full size piece of release
paper with several layers of plain paper or Seal's "cover sheet" above that.
You don't want to have the print in contact with the metal heating surface or
have bumps in it get embossed into the print.
Finally, after removing keep the whole sandwich together and cool under
weights (I use a bunch of hardcover books).

The museum market doesn't like drymounting much, but if you look at old
photos you will find that the dry mounting tissue has acted as a buffer and
protected the print from impurities in the mat, so that in many cases the
print is fine and the old mat is starting to discolor and crumble.
Newer "archival" mats may not have this problem, we will see.

Yep, done all that. The issue seems to be particularly with the slow dry
inkjet papers like Ilford Classic and Epson Colorlife. My DM film is the
lowest temperature one I can get in the UK and needs between 70 and 80C for
2mins between two mountboards in a seal press. Less than that and the print
will lift. Putting a release paper on top doesn't work either. The actual
gloss surface is lifting. As you say, RC paper isn't an issue if the print
is kept below 80 and a couple of minutes.

On 2/11/04 1:24 pm, in article ,
"Robert Feinman" wrote:

In article ,
says...
I agree with Thor, the 3M sheet is a sensible alternative which, as far as I
am aware, has no vices. I have a drymount press, but it kills any inkjet
print at 80C with a gloss surface.

I drymount inkjet prints all the time using luster, glossy and matt surfaces
without any problems. If there was going to be any damage to the ink it
would show up immediately and would not affect the lifespan of the print.
Problems with altering the surface texture of a print are usually caused
by several things. First, is that the press may be too hot. 80C or 180F is
generally considered safe for RC types of photopaper, but if that is an
issue there are tissues that will work down to 75C/160F. It is also possible
that the work is being kept in the press too long. Usually with common
thickness mat board one minute is enough.
Another thing is to make sure that both the board and the print are dried
before bonding. Heat without pressure for 30 seconds or so on each side
to drive off moisture.
The last important thing to watch for is the covering of the artwork when
it is in the press. Usually the best thing is a full size piece of release
paper with several layers of plain paper or Seal's "cover sheet" above that.
You don't want to have the print in contact with the metal heating surface or
have bumps in it get embossed into the print.
Finally, after removing keep the whole sandwich together and cool under
weights (I use a bunch of hardcover books).

The museum market doesn't like drymounting much, but if you look at old
photos you will find that the dry mounting tissue has acted as a buffer and
protected the print from impurities in the mat, so that in many cases the
print is fine and the old mat is starting to discolor and crumble.
Newer "archival" mats may not have this problem, we will see.

"f/256" writes:

"Trish Williams" wrote in message
om...

I am a new illustrator printing my work on Epson Photo Quality Ink
Jet paper or Epson Matte Paper Heavyweight, for sale in the fine
art market. I have been having my work professionally dry mounted
but am finding the cost prohibitive. In an attempt to learn to do
this myself I have looked for information in Google Groups and
discovered that the process is to dry mount the corners of the
photo paper in a dry mount press. The images I have had
professionally mounted seem to be completly adheared to the
mounting board, not just in the corners. An exacto knife inserted
under the edges cannot lift the page. Is this possible? Do you know
if the process for this thinner paper is different from photo
paper? Can you recommend a dry mount press for this purpose? I have
been looking on E-Bay for a mounting press but hesitate to purchase
a press that may not be able to mount my images.

See if your local library has or can get for you "The Life of a
Photograph: Archival Processing, Matting, Framing, and Storage"
ISNB#0240800249

Get that book and read it cover to cover!

Do not dry mount anything you care about. Even if the process is
`perfect' it makes it impossible to to remove the work from the
backing if re-mounting is needed in the future.

Hinges and rice paste cost only a few c per mount.

--
Paul Repacholi 1 Crescent Rd.,
+61 (08) 9257-1001 Kalamunda.
West Australia 6076
comp.os.vms,- The Older, Grumpier Slashdot
Raw, Cooked or Well-done, it's all half baked.
EPIC, The Architecture of the future, always has been, always will be.