Dry Mount Procedure

[aaron2]

Hi,

 

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Just received a used Seal Junior 70 and can't wait to use it. Since it doesn't come with a manual, I would appreciate anyone kind enough to brief me on the proper mounting procedure. I would be using the Seal ArchivalMount tissues to mount fibre-base B/W photographs. Questions:-

1. Do I apply hand pressure to the print/mounting board during mounting?

2. Do I need to sandwich the print/mounting board between two sheets of mounting board?

3. What's a release paper used for?

4. How long do I leave the print/board in the press?

5. What's the ideal temperature setting?

6. Do I place the print facing up or down?

 

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Thank you for taking the time to help out.

 

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Aaron

[robert_a._zeichner1]

When you buy the dry mounting tissue (I use Seal MT5 for black & white

fiber prints), there will be some instructions that will indicate

temperature recommendations. The whole process is a little tricky at

first. I use a couple of pieces of 2-ply rag board as the protective

layers above and beneath the print. I first tack the tissue onto the

untrimmed print at the center with a tacking iron. I then trim the

print so the tissue and image area will exactly the same size. I next,

place the the print on the mount board (4-ply rag board) and carefully

tack the tissue to that at two adjacent corners, pulling gently out

from the the center of the print so I don't get buckles. I then place

the whole mess between the two protection sheets I described earlier

and close the press. No need to hang on to the handle, as the

thickness of all the materials will take care of the required pressure.

Now here's the trick: If it's too hot or you cook it for too long, the

edges will lift up. If it's too cool or you don't cook long enough,

the whole print may come loose. When you remove the mounted print,

quickly place it under a clean, flat weight, prefereable something

metal that will act as a heat sink. This will assure that the mounted

print will cool into a flat state and that portions of it won't lift up

from the mount. Hope this helps.

[gene_crumpler8]

Ansel Adam's Book "The Print" shows how to do this. Great resource for

print making.

[brian_ellis3]

Release paper is placed on top of the print to protect it during the

dry mounting process. Light Impressions sells something else that

serves the same purpose and is more permanent than release paper

(i.e. it can be used over and over). However, if you need to make

more than one pass (i.e. if your print is larger than your platen so

that you first dry mount say the top half of the print, then repeat

to dry mount the bottom half) I'd suggest placing a piece of mat

board on top of the print rather than release paper or the stuff that

Light Impressions sells. If you use something thin like release paper

then the edge of platen leaves a mark on the print at the point where

the second run was made (at least mine does). The termperature needs

to be turned up to something like 300 or 350 if you use mat board on

top of the paper or else it will take forever to melt the tissue. If

you have access to back issues of the magazine "Photo Techniques," I

believe there was an article on dry mounting within the last year or

so. You probably could get a manual from Seal also or check out a

book from your local library. One dry mount press is pretty much like

another so you shouldn't need anything specific to your particular

brand and model.

[jnorman1]

i would just comment that the library of congress does not consider

any method of dry mounting to be archival. all of the materials

which we prepare for exhibition purposes for HABS/HAER are mounted

with linen tape hinges. prints are flattened prior to mounting using

mild heat in a press.

[sandy_sorlien]

I would strongly caution against the 300-350 degrees Brian suggests. I

find if I use smooth (must be smooth!) crescent board on top, 180

degrees is enough (with Seal ArchivalMount tissue). For me, any hotter

and the print sticks slightly to the board and you can sometimes see

where that happened. Granted, the thermostats on these things are

probably inaccurate from the get-go, and the tissue melting points

vary depending on the type, so what you have to do is test your

materials with your press --- don't start with a high temperature on a

good print! Practice with reject prints and scrap board. Also, the

pressure is important --- if you really have no manual or the Seal

website doesn't help, you can vary pressure by adding cardboards under

the print.

For best adhesion you must pre-dry all materials to get the humidity

out, in press without the tissue, first.

[dan n.]

Aaron... practice on unwanted prints... my experience...time to time...

fiber base paper do wrinkle no matter how careful you dry mount

it...after a couple of bad luck... I give up dry mount... I solve the

problem by printing on over size paper... (one size over size of the

print) and reinforce the back of the frame... the print will look and

stay flat... good luck....

[dk_thompson]

jnorman: same thing in the museum community in regards to dry

mounting...to permanently mount anything is considered to be a big

mistake, on par with ruining it. The hallmark of being "archival" is

to be reversible.

[michael_feldman1]

I don't think it is fair to compare the mounting policy of a museum

or the Library of Congress with what photographers should do to their

own photos. In the mounting process (and the washing, toning, drying,

spotting, etc) a certain number of prints of will inevitably be

damaged. That is why photographers need to make extra prints to

account for these problems. However, once processed and properly

mounted, the print will look better and will be considered archival.

For a museum, there is only one print, and they cannot risk damaging

it with the dry mount process.

[dk_thompson]

Hey...you all can do whatever you want...really. It's just that

technically the words "archival" and "permanently mounted" do not work

together.

 

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Have you ever wondered about the lack of any accelerated

testing, or even "real-time" testing, done to dry mount adhesives as

well? Why bother with acid-free board and all that, if you're

unsure just what the adhesive and even the base material of the tissue

itself is made of?? Just something to think about.

[aaron2]

Hey,

 

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Thanks for all the useful tips. They'll come in handy when I get

started. A couple more questions if you don't mind:-

1. Does it mean that release paper isn't really necessary? It looks

quite expensive and I'll rather skip this one if I can.

2. The press is in 110v and I'm in a country that requires 230v. I've

found an old transformer that reads 330 VA. What does 330 VA mean? Is

it useable for my mounting press that says 3.5 amps, 450 watts? Am I

going to blow it???

3. There's also a red indicator on the press. Is there other meaning

to it other that to show that it powers up?

 

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Thanks again for helping out.

 

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Aaron

[sandy_sorlien]

Any completely smooth paper or board can be used as a release paper.

Vellum is great, but that is expensive. I just use Crescent board now,

no paper, with Agfa Classic fiber prints. And regarding permanent/

archival issues, I suggest only drymounting for exhibition, and only

if absolutely necessary to keep print flat (fiber *will* lie flat,

flatten it by itself first). Do not drymount what you intend to sell

or donate to a museum or discerning collector.

Cheers, Sandy