photographer dry mount

JBergelin

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
Posts
374
Loc
Big Rapids, Michigan
Several customers have brought in photographs that were mounted by the photographer onto some sort of cardboard, chipboard (?) I am not sure what process was used but the result is that the board has become (for lack of a better word) warped. The recent one is only slightly warped maybe 1/4 inch but one was almost 1 1/2 inches high in the center - concave or convex I am never sure which one applies.

The really sad part is that these are beautiful, once in a lifetime prints - kids that are now grown, fraternity brothers from the charter dinner, wedding pictures and such.

Anyway what is the best method to use to frame these warped boards?

Thanks
 
First order of business in my shop would be to send the customer back to the photographer to mount the photos properly. There is no reason for you to try to fix up someone else's shoddy work.

Framerguy
 
The first thing I would try to do is go to a local photographer and get a copy to copy. It is really inexpensive and they look identical. I know there are some copy right issues here but I believe if you destroy the originals then what is the harm. I know people will not approve of this but my goal would be to make the customer happy. The only thing I wouldn't do is give them back the originals along with the copies.
If you don't want to do that then I would send the customer back to the photographer for duplicates.

Good luck
 
Yes, there are copyright issues. Even if the picture is damaged, you still need to get the copyright holder permission to copy like any other copyrighted piece of work, like a book or a piece of music. Unless you have someone who is really good with copying, it is difficult to produce a copy that will look exactly the same as the original.

Most photographers do not mount their own work, they have their labs do it for them. Most labs don't neccessarily mount with conservation in mind, they do it as a value added service so they are most concerned about cost. That's why I mount all the photos we do in our studio myself. However, going back to the photographer and showing them what has happened to the photographs might be a good way to get photographers to start insisting that their labs do a better job of mounting.

The board is most likely 3X board. That is the most commonly used. Could you possibly try countermounting the back of the board with a piece of thin rag mat to pull it back the other way?
 
Like Anne stated, most photographers had the lab dry-mount the photo for them & 75% of the time it is a 2 or 4 ply "mountboard" (not archival)
In the case of the warped mounting, sometimes just warming it up again in your dry mount press & then letting it cool under weights will solve the problem and you can frame it normally. Usually this warping is caused by not pre-heating and getting the moisture out of the mountboard & the photograph before drymounting.
Another method is to drymount the already mounted photo to a larger mountboard, mat & frame as normal. Again, let cool under weights to help minimize any warp.
 
It might also be Luian or Masonite, this was in practice at one point. It is like thin chip board, dark brown in color, if a few years old the corners tend to be brittle, and somewhere between 1/8 and a 1/4 inch thick. The back of the board maybe slightly rough and the front side would be very smooth, almost polished. I think this is what you maybe be referring to, but my eyes are not that good and it is hard to see from where I am sitting.

And yes this stuff is terrible.

Patrick Leeland
 
Thanks for the ideas - I tried to get two customers to go back to the photographer and encountered such reluctance that I am hesitant to suggest it again. Shoulders pull it and eyes widen to "deer in the headlights" even though I explain that it was the photographers responsibility in the first place. I don't know what they are afraid of - perhaps the original cost has them worried that they will be charged again.

The piece currently in the shop was from over 10 years ago and I don't think the frat brothers know who the photographer was - no back label with name and address.

Mike, if I try heating it up what temp would you recommend?

Jeanne
 
Jeanne - Try 180 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes - face down - use a colormount coversheet on the photo side to prevent motteling
 
Thanks Mike -

I will give it a try. (and remember for those other pieces) I appreciate the help.

Jeanne
 
99% of the photographers in this area do the same thing. They use something a little thicker than 4 ply, brown like cardboard with a white mounting surface. Horrible to work with. I have sent several customers back when they request me to use acid free materials and I show them the photo is mounted on what is basically cardboard.

Several of the larger photographers around here also give the customer a how to frame sheet saying no glass at all should be used.............
 
Ah, yes the old "no glass should be used because we've put a single coat of protective lacquer on your photos". Unfortunately, that single coat isn't enough to protect that photo from much of anything. It would take numerous coats to do any good and most photographers aren't going to pay to have that done on anything but their competition prints. I know this because my husband and I have had a photo studio for 17 years and are active in our state and local professional photographers groups. I've been trying for years to convince the photographers (and labs) in this area to change their ways on mounting and lacquering pictures but even though I've a CPF and do know what I'm talking about, I still can't get them to listen. After all, the lab and the big name photographer they saw speak who does it that way know better than a professional framer with a background in conservation framing! :mad:
 
I hate to say this but I refused to frame a 26 x 30 family portrait recently. It was to be put over a fire place and I said it had to have glass. I had told the customer (I work with at my other job) when she went to have the pictures made to tell them no mounting and no coating at all..Well....they dont listen.

She recentally asked me how to clean the picture...
 
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