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Photo Forum / Film Photography / Darkroom / November 2004

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Dry mounting Epson Photo Quality Ink Jet paper

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Trish Williams - 01 Nov 2004 15:50 GMT
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.
Thor Lancelot Simon - 01 Nov 2004 18:28 GMT
>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
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>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

No.  I don't know what you read, but you misunderstood it.

Dry mounting bonds the entire artwork to the support.  A sheet of
wax-infused tissue is placed between the artwork and the support and
the entire assembly is placed in a very hot press that looks much like
a giant sandwich press of the sort used to make panini (ugh) or Cuban
sandwiches (yum!).

What I have been wondering, myself, is what that much heat does to the
permanence of the Epson ink and paper.  It's not clear to me that it's
actually designed to be dry-mounted.

A better option may be 3M Repositionable Adhesive, which is also
usually considered archival.  It is somewhat annoying to work with, in
my experience, but no heat is required.  Spray adhesive, glue,
double-stick tape, etc -- those are definitely no-nos.

If you cannot find a working solution that bonds the entire print to
the support you will need to hinge the print with archival linen
tape, or use clear polyethylene corners to hold the corners of the
print in place.  The latter solution usually works better for small
prints, the former for large ones; but I do not know how well the
linen tape will stick to the very slippery Epson inkjet paper.

All these materials are available from Light Impressions.

Signature

Thor Lancelot Simon                                         tls@rek.tjls.com
  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

Christopher Woodhouse - 01 Nov 2004 20:53 GMT
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.

On 1/11/04 5:28 pm, in article cm5rnm$2ql$1@panix5.panix.com, "Thor Lancelot
Simon" <tls@panix.com> wrote:

>> 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
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
>
> All these materials are available from Light Impressions.
Robert Feinman - 02 Nov 2004 14:24 GMT
> 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.

Signature

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

Thor Lancelot Simon - 02 Nov 2004 17:20 GMT
>> 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
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>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.

Signature

Thor Lancelot Simon                                         tls@rek.tjls.com
  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

Christopher Woodhouse - 02 Nov 2004 18:52 GMT
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 MPG.1bf154a4f9cdf0f8989883@news.acedsl.com,

>> 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
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> print is fine and the old mat is starting to discolor and crumble.
> Newer "archival" mats may not have this problem, we will see.
Donald Qualls - 01 Nov 2004 20:00 GMT
> 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
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> 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.

Generally, you'll tack the corners using a tacking iron (looks like a
tiny clothes iron on a handle like a soldering iron), to hold the print
and dry mount tissue in place, then put the assembly (with cover paper,
usually, to protect the print surface from anything that might be on the
press platen) into the dry mount press for all-over adhesion.

I can't help you with recommendations; it's been about thirty years
since I dry mounted anything.

Signature

The challenge to the photographer is to command the medium, to use
whatever current equipment and technology furthers his creative
objectives, without sacrificing the ability to make his own decisions.
                                                         -- Ansel Adams

Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer   http://silent1.home.netcom.com

Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.

Thor Lancelot Simon - 01 Nov 2004 20:42 GMT
>> hesitate to purchase a press that may not be able to mount my images.
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>usually, to protect the print surface from anything that might be on the
>press platen) into the dry mount press for all-over adhesion.

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.

Signature

Thor Lancelot Simon                                         tls@rek.tjls.com
  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

Nicholas O. Lindan - 01 Nov 2004 21:14 GMT
"Thor Lancelot Simon" tls@panix.com

> 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.

Signature

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

f/256 - 01 Nov 2004 20:41 GMT
> 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
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> 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

Guillermo
prep@prep.synonet.com - 03 Nov 2004 17:43 GMT
>> 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
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>> 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.

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

Thor Lancelot Simon - 03 Nov 2004 20:59 GMT
>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.

That's simply not true.  Modern archival mounting tissue can be removed
by simple reapplication of heat.  Hinges and paste, or linen tape, often
must be trimmed from the print with a knife -- I have often been quite
amused to hear this slicing away of part of the print as evidence of a
"reversible" mounting process.  Sure, you can _supposedly_ soak or steam
rice paste away (_supposedly_ without damaging the gelatin emulsion that's
sitting right next to it -- ha!) which I consider about as likely as
reversing a dry-mounting job done with traditional (not modern "archival")
tissue: possible, but very difficult and failure-prone at best.

The only truly reversible "mounting" process is use of corners, whether
paper or intert plastic, with inert adhesive.  The problem, of course,
is that these don't reliably hold large, heavy, highly flexible prints
in place, much less flat, over long periods of time; in other words, they
are reversible, but they aren't much by way of _mounting_.  Meanwhile,
there is considerable evidence that modern dry mounting techniques,
coupled with modern archival boards, actually _protect_ prints from
contamination all too common in display environments by removing the
opportunity for contaiminants to reach 50% of the total surface area of
the print itself (the back).

I have come around to the point of view that prints that will be
displayed, then, should be dry-mounted; while prints for archival storage
should not be mounted _at all_.  You just can't have it both ways.

Signature

Thor Lancelot Simon                                         tls@rek.tjls.com
  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

otzi - 04 Nov 2004 13:12 GMT
>>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
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
> displayed, then, should be dry-mounted; while prints for archival storage
> should not be mounted _at all_.  You just can't have it both ways.

Take a look at this.

http://www.pictureframingmagazine.com/forum/FramingTalk.asp

Signature

Otzi

Ken Hart - 02 Nov 2004 01:37 GMT
> 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
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> 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 procedure: 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
 
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