Digital Heat Tolerance

[Kittyfaces]

Does anyone have any experience heat mounting a digital print produced from an Epson 7500 inkjet (pigmented inks I think) on Epson Premium Luster paper? I have a roll of 3M PMA but the digital paper is thick, somewhat slick, about 18x28 and will be on display without a frame for 6 months... I worry about it buckling... However, the room is climate controlled so maybe PMA will work? What are all your thoughts?

I looked in Chris Paschke's Drymounting and Laminating Handbook and this printer and paper aren't listed. The people who printed the image have no idea of its heat tolerance.

Thanks all!
Erin

 

[Ron Eggers]

Erin, I've heat mounted some of my own prints on this paper (from an Epson 2000P). While they didn't appear to suffer, I worry of the effect on the longevity of the prints, so I avoid doing this with anything that needs to last.

Of course, if they're going to be displayed without glazing, maybe longevity isn't an issue.

 

[Jim Miller]

Originally posted by Ron Eggers:
Erin, I've heat mounted some of my own prints on this paper (from an Epson 2000P). While they didn't appear to suffer, I worry of the effect on the longevity of the prints, so I avoid doing this with anything that needs to last. Of course, if they're going to be displayed without glazing, maybe longevity isn't an issue.

Good points, Ron.

Long term effects of damaged inks & coatings, such as color shift or fading, might not show up for years. Please don't skip the glazing.

The heat of dry mounting is known to be damaging. Wet mounting is risky because the inks are extremely water-sensitive. Solvent-based spray adhesives are relatively short-lived, could chemically react with the inks, and would eventually kill you.

Wouldn't it would be great if we had a relatively inert mounting adhesive that didn't involve heat, water, solvents, or high pressure?

Well, we do. My choice would be 3M Pro-Spray and a brayer, to sheet PVC (Sintra).

Or, if long term preservation is an issue, Pro-Spray them to reinforced alphacellulose board.

 

[Lance E]

If it’s only for short-term (6 month) display uses then I would not be concerned about ongoing damage.

Having played around a great deal with the prints from a 7600 (running Ilford papers and Ultrachrome inkset) I know that heat has had little or no effect, in fact the prints take more heat than an ordinary RC photo paper before damage occurs. The inks have not become brittle after heat was applied, over long term, maybe this would become more noticeable.

Jim, I note your comment "extremely water sensitive", during our initial test we soaked a print for 20 minutes, no colours bled.

Without glazing the surface can be laminated, coated with an acrylic varnish or a gel medium.

 

[McPhoto]

Kitty -
I agree w/ Lance - We have been dry-mounting Epson inkjet prints for several years w/ no problems. Also, like Lance, we water-tested these prints and found these prints to hold up better than traditional photos.

 

[Kittyfaces]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to heat mount 1 and if all is well, I'm going for it. I need to skip glazing because these aren't even going into frames... they're reproductions of old photos for a museum exhibit (mounted to black ArtCare foam with reverse bevel cut) and once the display is over in December, they'll go into the archives... that's why I worry a little bit about the effects from heat because some will be used again in the future.