Outgassing

[gary_anthes]

I'm printing with Epson K3 pigment inks on Epson Premium Luster paper, and I'm

getting an outgassing film on the inside of the glass a few weeks after framing.

I follow the standard prevention, letting the print dry in the open air at least

24 hours, sometimes 48 hours, followed by covering it with plain paper for 24-48

hours. I still get the problem, very slight with some prints but quite

noticeable with others. The prints are dry-mounted and matted and framed under

glass with metal frames.

 

Anyone have a solution other than leaving them unframed for a much longer period

of time?

[ellis_vener_photography]

I think Bill Atkinson recommends putting in a drawer covered with good paper and switching the paper out after 24 hours. Check his site: http://www.billatkinson.com

[Ed_Ingold]

I've had good luck hot-mounting Premium Luster (Epson 2200), which is sufficient to drive out any moisture. None seem to have "outgassed" leaving a deposit on the glass. There was always at least 3 days elapsed between printing and framing.

[roger_smith4]

What environmental conditions are the prints sitting in? Is it humid where you are?

 

What drymounting process are you using?

[qtluong]

Use a hair dryer.

[van_camper]

I set mine up in front of a 230 volt commercial 12x12inch 4500watt garage heater for an hour when I want to frame for larger prints, a regular household 1500 watt heater for smaller prints. That gets the last bit out.

[randmcnatt]

We use the oven. Preheat to "Warm", turn if off and put the prints on a clean rack, leave the door cracked and let it cool down.

[gary_anthes]

Yes, it's very humid here (D.C.) in the summer but they are inside most of the time where it is air-conditioned. Using some kind of heater is an intriguing idea, but I'd worry about altering the colors or buckling the paper. I may give that a try.

 

I don't know what process my framer uses but he said the temperature gets up close to 200 F.

[dickhilker]

The hair dryer works very well, Gary, and causes no color change or buckling. I give every print, regardless of paper or ink, three coats of Print Shield U/V spray after the heat treatment.

[www.whitemountainphoto.com]

Gary, humid here in New Hamshire too. Same problem. If possible, I try to let them dry 5 days or more between sheets of paper and the problem goes away. FYI, for me, drymounting did NOT solve it for prints that had not dried properly-still got the outgassing fog occaisonally. Also, I find it much worse when printing at 2880 than 1440 (twice the ink-twice the time). Good luck.

 

Dana/<a href="http://www.whitemountainphoto.com">www.whitemountainphoto.com</a>

[gary_anthes]

Thanks, all. Looks like some combo of heat and longer "curing" is the answer. Not convenient, but so be it.