Gatorboard Question

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Shayla

Shayla

WOW Framer
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A customer wants to bring in a bunch of his Epson-printed giclee photos and have us mount them to his self-adhesive 1/2 thick gatorboard. He sent the following link to show how easy it supposedly is to do this with no press. We have a DK4468 press, but I've never mounted with self-adhesive gatorboard. Even though the guy in the clip says it's easy, from experience, I know that lining something up straight onto pre-trimmed board is harder than it seems. Also, what about bubbles? Seeing this guy wipe the photos with his bare hands is another weird thing. Our local sign shop basically prints big stickers and attaches them with a roller press to whatever backings they use, but we don't have one.

Here's my question. Have you mounted to self-adhesive gatorboard? Have you done it to size or used larger sheets and trimmed it later? Plus, whatever else I haven't thought of, please answer that, too. If it involves electrons, I'll have Dirk translate. Thanks.

 
Let me guess. He wants you to do it cheaply for him because it looks so easy in the video. If he is supplying you with his self adhesive gator board and prints my guess is he tried it and was not successful. Kool Tac makes heat activated on gator board and Mountcore. Much easier for vacuum press.

I tired self adhesive board once, it is a real pain in the butt to line up precut photo with precut board. Much easier to trim afterwards. without a mechanical roller I don't think you can guarantee bubblies will not appear latter on. Good luck if you decide to take this order.
 
I asked if he could just bring in one to try, but he wants to get twenty to save money. I told him it can be a lot trickier to do than the guy makes it look in the video. KoolTack on Gator sounds interesting.
 
oh heck no.
how many takes did he use to make that video?
kool tack on gator in your press would be a cinch, and you can trim to size after mounting.
 
shayla said:
He sent the following link to show how easy it supposedly is to do this with no press.
Click to expand...

Why does't he just do it himself, if there is no special equipment needed?

If he doesn't have access to the materials, offer to buy it for him.

I would certainly not take on a 20 pc project with unknown materials.
 
David Waldmann said:
Why does't he just do it himself, if there is no special equipment needed?

If he doesn't have access to the materials, offer to buy it for him.

I would certainly not take on a 20 pc project with unknown materials.
Click to expand...

It's a project for one of our business framing clients, and he's an employee who prints on the side. Yes, your note is why I'm hesitant. I'll see how much KoolTack charges.
 
I get it, sounds like your doing this more as a favor. Usually I would charge on the higher side hoping the customer would go elsewhere. Good luck, let us know how u make out.
 
I think you can put the print on the self adhesive board don't press it down and put it in the vacuum press under heat and run the press. The heat would melt the adhesive while the vacuum draw out the air. In theory, it should work.
 
Sounds like someone trying to do things on the cheap and he is probably going to just bung them into some cheapie Ikea frames with the glass against the artwork.

This rule comes from my personal experience:

Nothing is easy the first time you do it.

For my money this is a job for a roller press with a fairly experienced operator, especially if the boards are already trimmed to size. If you do go ahead, the best way of lining the photos up on the board is to cut a piece of release paper to the same size as the gatorboard and cover all but a quarter-inch of the adhesive surface. Line up the photo on the board carefully then press down to stick that first sliver which should get the photo anchored. Then lift the photo and progressively smooth it down. A quick squeeze in the vacuum press and the job is done.

A lot depends on the size of the photos - I believe anything over 16 x 20 would be too risky without a roller press.

Definitely make sure he understands the risks and agrees to reprint any damaged images and/or without cost to you.
 
I'm with David on this one. I would walk away.
 
Thanks for your input. The company wants to hang his mounted photos (likely of their products) on the walls with no frames, and he's sure, from having it done by someone else before, that I can easily do it. I end up sounding like a wet blanket to his peppy idea that it's easy to do, but there are so many things that could go wrong. I think the photos are somewhere between 24 x 36 and 32 x 40.

Plus, there's this. I don't know about you guys, but the more I work, the less I like weird complications. lol...I love framing cool stuff, but lately, I've been fantasizing about getting more 'double mat and a frame' jobs and fewer random puzzles.

Not actual puzzles. You know what I mean. I'm married to the kind of person whose favorite part of math was the story problems. And whose favorite story problems were those with extra, unneeded information, because, '....that's like it is in real life'. True, but having his kind of brain also helps. I just like to know how to do something and do it, and the tireder I get, the more I like it.

Is tireder a word? I'm to tired to look it up. hahahahahahaha
 
David Waldmann said:
Why does't he just do it himself, if there is no special equipment needed?
Click to expand...

My bet says - your customer tried to follow the video he supplied but it didn't go as shown......and wants someone else to do it for him.
Like others I'd probably opt out.......unless it was worth it......
If he provides images that match the board sizes he provides - that is easy. I'm not a fan of the cutting of the adhesive cover in the video - cut into the gator and the vacuum will accentuate that score line in the finished print.
Mounting to 1/2" gator in your press (same press we have) is nothing special Shayla (no more special than Mountcore or any other single step board) , the vacuum removes any bubbles. Trimming 1/2 gator and getting a nice 90 degree edge can be a challenge, but "score and snap" is usually reliable.
 
I'd consider getting Kool Tack coated Mighty Core board instead of Gatorboard. It's rigid, lighter weight and less than half the price of Gatorboard. I use it all the time to mount unframed items. Talk to Frame Specialties about it.

800-777-3165
 
Dave said:
I'd consider getting Kool Tack coated Mighty Core board instead of Gatorboard. It's rigid, lighter weight and less than half the price of Gatorboard. I use it all the time to mount unframed items. Talk to Frame Specialties about it.

800-777-3165
Click to expand...

Did it, and thanks for your suggestions. Do you mount the Mighty Core in a vacuum press?
 
We don't have a vacuum press. If it's a relatively small piece or can be done in two bites, we use our 500 MTX heat press. Otherwise I have Frame Specialties mount it in the 4x8 vacuum and we get twice a week deliveries.
 
Dave said:
I'd consider getting Kool Tack coated Mighty Core board instead of Gatorboard. It's rigid, lighter weight and less than half the price of Gatorboard. I use it all the time to mount unframed items. Talk to Frame Specialties about it.

800-777-3165
Click to expand...

Would this work for prints in frames without glazing?
Is the bond permanent?
I need to mount and gel some inexpensive prints.
 
I don't see why not. I've used Kool-Tack E2 adhesive to mount vinyl banners on Might Core and framed them and they are holding up fine! Frame Specialties says they always use the E2 adhesive on Mighty Core to form a stronger bond.

The bond will hold unless the temp gets up to the mounting temp of about 150 degrees. As long as they aren't being hung in a sauna or the oven or kept in the attic I would think you'll be fine.
 
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