Drymount Question

MerpsMom

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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I'm feeling like a newbie again, asking somewhat elementary questions lately. I don't do much drymounting anymore and want a refresher. A customer took a digital photo, PhotoShopped it to what he wanted, and I'm framing it.

Background is extreme high-gloss black, image is a statue. Conservation is no issue. Three mats, top is also extreme high-gloss (wrapping paper), AR glass, and high-gloss black mica frame. I want it to all match well in shine. Would you dry mount this, use PMA, PerfectMount, or just hinge it? Any imperfection is going to show, but if I don't affix it down, seems to me it may wave slightly such as does a Cibachrome.

Thanx.
 
No matter how you mount this item, there will be issues with the glare. If you don't dry mount it, it will bow or bend slightly and show the reflection as such. If you dry mount it, it may "orange peel" and show the reflection as such.

Use the color mount cover sheet by Seal (cat #631). It is a laminated cover that will reduce or eliminate the "orange peel" effect. You need to be sure the fusion or tissue is trimmed to the edge of the photo so it doesn’t show, or it will bond to the color mount sheet and ruin it.
 
When in doubt with a project such as yours i take the safe route and use 3M photo spraymount in my cold vaccuum press. I've always had great results,and piece of mind !!!
Good luck, Lori
 
MM, How large is it? The AR glass should even this out the glossiness (sp), maybe. I'd probably stay away from the heat if he did it himself. I mounted some calendar art done by kinkos and the blacks became very flat. That was a few years ago. So many variables in the new inks etc.

Orange peal can come from release paper that is worn out, temp to high and also the emulsions used for processing in some cases. Stay at a low temp and use double release paper.
 
I think this might be a job for PMA. Little pressure does the job and no worries about the orange peel effect.

Sounds like a neat project - but how is the customer ever going to see anything with all that glossy black surround? It will be a real pup to light correctly!
 
I would not practice on your customers art. Get another print to play with. My guess is that heat will kill the print.
 
I don't suppose you have any Perfect Mount on SuperSmooth laying around? That was the perfect solution to situations like this so, naturally, it was discontinued a while back.

I have a little left, but I'm hording it.
 
Try a photo like it with speedmount in the press for 10 seconds. like Greg said, practive with something else first
 
Thanx for the quick response. Actually, the gloss is the desirable part of the thing: we both fell in love with the mirror-like depth of the blacks. The piece is 12" x 13". He's just discovered messing around with PhotoShop and his new super printer. The paper is high-gloss photo stuff. And I can try drymounting with a smaller version he gave me. It's the orange peel I'm afraid of but probably the heat warning is well advised as well.

These products are pleasurable: if it gets mucked up, he prints me another per our agreement; and because it's just a photo he shot, it's repeatable. I know Ron's keen on PMA so I may try that first. Whatever the outcome, I'll post it.
 
Cathie, let us know, yes!

I can imagine the heat not getting along nicely with the gloss. If the heat does not work, then it could always be mounted at a blueprint place, where they use roller laminators. That has worked for me on glossy things.

It's so small, though, I would probably not mount it at all- other than hinging, that is.

Don't forget the magic chant to get all that shine to align and stay speck free...

edie the meckaleckaho goddess
 
fry one good and see if you do get the orange peal.
faintthud.gif
So if you like all of the gloss why the AR Glass?

I recently did a b & w photo for my son , I used the black leather, some black core silver and a charcoal mat for the 3rd mat. I used a metal burnished silver frame. Stunning. It's easy to play with large scrap mat. The photo was 8x10 horizontal and framed in a 16 x 21 vertical. He had the photo for some time and I did end up using perfect mount simply because I didn't want to heat up the press.
 
Perfect mount is good, but if you want to dry-mount it, I would use Speedmount as it works on lower temperatures (as higher heat affects the inks) and use Mylar as the release paper so you don't get the orange-peel affect.
Also, what kind of paper is it on? If it's on photopaper for inkjet printers, wouldn't it act the same as regular photopaper when you static mount it? (that is, use a sheet of acrylic as the backing board and its inherent static draws the paper towards it and keeps it against the acrylic)
 
Not that you need it for archival qualities, but A/C Restore seems to be less prone to orange-peel than regular speedmount. If you use either, try 130 degrees for 3-5 minutes and quickly cool under weight for a few seconds. Never say never, but I haven't ruined (YET) any homeprinted glossy's with temps below 135.
 
Now you guys have me worried. I know I have SAD which renders part of the brain useless, but maybe it's worse than I thought? The AR will let me see the gloss on the workup rather than the reflection of what's in front of the workup?? I'll rethink the thing. :(

please come out, sun
 
Thanx for the quick response. Actually, the gloss is the desirable part of the thing: we both fell in love with the mirror-like depth of the blacks. The piece is 12" x 13". He's just discovered messing around with PhotoShop and his new super printer. The paper is high-gloss photo stuff. And I can try drymounting with a smaller version he gave me. It's the orange peel I'm afraid of but probably the heat warning is well advised as well.

These products are pleasurable: if it gets mucked up, he prints me another per our agreement; and because it's just a photo he shot, it's repeatable. I know Ron's keen on PMA so I may try that first. Whatever the outcome, I'll post it.
There is one way that has not been offered ,so far. You can always static mount it onto plexi. Place the photo on the plexi while the protective coating is still in place and draw the outline of the photo. Use a box cutter, X-Acto or razor blade to cut out the opening and peel away the paper. Place the photo in the opening and attach the matting.
 
The last time I did a static mount to plexi of a
glossy photo print, the plexi didn't hold it
like it used to do.
I wondered if it was the paper or the
plexi that had changed, and decided
the paper must be the culprit.
Bummer, as that was always a good
method.
 
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