Mounting Questions

[iancoxleigh]

I am going to enter some prints for exhibition in about a month and I'm in the

process of gathering supplies and making my final prints (and deciding what to

submit!).

 

The exhibition submission rules are very strict. All prints (regardless of size

or aspect ratio) are to be mounted onto 16x20" photographic presentation/mat

board. There will not be a window mat over the print. When I have framed in the

past, I have taped (with linen tape) my print to the window mat and then not

mounted to the backing board at all.

 

Any suggestions on what works best? What are the pros and cons? I have seen a

wide variety of options: 3M Photo Mount, acid-free roll-on glue, dry-bound

sheets, repositionable dry mount sheets, etc . . .

[mike kwan]

I don't know if it's the best solution, but I've used Scotch Tape Runners for similar applications in the past. They make two kinds, one of scrapbooking, and one for general use. Both are archival-safe and acid-free, so I really don't understand why there's a difference. The stuff is hair-thin, and goes on very easily.

 

The only problem is that it's a permanent mount (initially you can remove the piece, but after a while it cures and becomes permanent), so if you ever want to remove the prints from the mount, you're out of luck.

[david j.lee]

have you tried lineco transparent corners? i use them to mount prints in backing board when

i frame with window mats.

[JDMvW]

Dry mount would be best for this, I think, but it can be difficult without a press. How many are you doing, and do you have access to a press? An iron might do for just a few, but try it out now so you have time for something else if it doesn't work out.

 

There are dry mount sprays, but I've never especially been pleased with the appearance of the final. You want that print to look like it had been created right on that surface.

[kevinteo]

Do you need the process to be reversible? Dry mounting is permanent, but it achieves highly

uniform flatness of the image.

[iancoxleigh]

Thank you all for the suggestions so far.

 

Some further information.

 

1. I plan to mount some 15 prints. Most will be either 11x14 or 12x18.

 

2. It does not need to be reversible. I suppose it would be nice, but, I can't think of a good and yet reversible mounting method.

 

3. I don't have access to a dry-mount press immediately. My mother recalls dry mounting in the past (not photographs though) and doing it by using an iron. I'm willing to give that a try.

 

If that doesn't work, I could join Gallery 44 ($75 membership) in Toronto here and use their dry-mount press. So, Dry mounting is a possible option.

 

It does seem like a lot of work and full of potential for failure. Is it worth it? I suppose that is a subjective enough question that only I could really answer it.

[frans_waterlander]

I'd go with drymounting (easy for me to say since I have a Seal drymounting press). I'd put a thin black border around the images and print them on paper large enough to cover the whole 16x20" area for good looks.

[JDMvW]

>>It does seem like a lot of work and full of potential for failure. Is it worth it? <<

 

If you don't try, you'll never know. Moreover, you will learn from the process. Beware of "it's good enough for government work" attitudes in approaching this. Give it a full commitment and at least you'll know you did your best.

[rachelfoster]

Let us know how it goes! How exciting!

[gordonjb]

Ian,

 

I did quit a lot of dry mounting back when I was in school. It is quite simple to do if you nave access to a press. I have also used 3M Photo mount adhesive. it is messy and a lot more hassle and risk of screwing up than dry mounting. If you are careful and have a good hard rubber roller to work out any air quickly then the 3M method looks quite similar to dry mounting in fact I do not believe there is any noticeable difference. I think your best bet would be to pursue the use of a dry mount press. This is very outdated information but back when I was young ( I warned you it was outdated ) a dry mount press was a pretty common item in graphic arts companies.

[alberta_pizzolato]

Several notable photographers recommend dry mount tissue.

 

"The dry mount tissue I use is Beigang BufferMount, a fully archival and removeable dry

mount tissue."

 

Read here for the full story and technique: http://www.paulwainwrightphotography.com/new_framing.shtml

 

Good Luck!

[frans_waterlander]

But... be careful with drymounting! Some inkjet papers cannot handle the 170 degrees F or so needed for drymounting as I found out again yesterday. Epson and HP satin papers in particular have given me problems: fine dark lines in blue sky areas, fine dark lines that were not there before drymounting. As far as I know there is no solution to this problem other then using cold methods like vacuum mounting, basically the use of pressure sentive adhesives in a vacuum press.

 

Epson matte papers work fine in my drymount press and that's the paper I prefer to work with.

[iancoxleigh]

Alright, alright, I'll dry mount! LOL.

 

Gordon, thanks for giving a comparison to using the 3M Photo-mount. I wouldn't have bet that it would be more problematic.

 

Frans, I print mostly to Hahnemuhle Museum Rag or Photo Rag and they should be fine. If I print something on a glossy or lustre finish, I'll try it out with a scrap first. Thanks for the heads-up.