Print Presentation

[mdm]

I have a question on drymounting and presentation in general. I have a Seal drymount press that I have used to flatten curly carbon prints, it was not an expensive thing and came with a big box of tissue too. I have tried drymounting a small print but cant get the tissue to do anything even on max temperature with a long press time, does it deteriorate with time or is my press not reaching a high enough temp, although the gauge is sitting at 350F. Also the top rubber mat needs to be adhered to the top lid, at the moment it is loose, what could be used to do this.
I thought I would eventually have a go drymounting glossy inkjets printed on a 24 inch printer as I want them flat, is there a preferable way of keeping prints flat?

Edit, ok I think the rubber mat goes underneath, trying again.

[John Jarosz]

Also the top rubber mat needs to be adhered to the top lid, at the moment it is loose,

The rubber pad should be under the mount board. The top platen must be bare. Use a sheet of thin cardboard/mount board between the print and the platen. If the print is under the rubber pad there's no way for the heat to get to the print/mount tissue.

350 is way too high. Most mount tissue is activated around 185 F or so.

If you drymount injet prints most inkjet papers start to go bad at 185 so you need a low temp tissue.

[Jac@stafford.net]

A little off topic, but do any USA galleries use the old European convention of pinning prints to uniform show-board?
Sorry if my age is showing.
.

[mdm]

Thanks. There is something wrong with the tissue, cooked it to the point where paper went yellow and still nothing happening.

[John Jarosz]

Are you using a tacking iron to position the print on the mount? Does the tacking iron melt the tissue when it's in contact with the tissue?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyWImlYBvyA

[Peter Lewin]

It also depends on the tissue type, so you have to check the envelope.

The "Archival" dry mount tissue bonds on cooling, not on heating, and the adhesive melts at 175F. So for that type of tissue, you leave it in the press just long enough for the adhesive to melt (you have to experiment a little, it depends on what you have between the print and the platten), then quickly take the mounted print out of the press, put it on a flat surface, and put a weighted metal sheet (I use a baking pan with a jug of water on top for weight, much cheaper than Seal's own very expensive weight) and let it cool. Sometimes it takes me more than one try.

The older Seal papers, like MT5, bond on heating, but around 225F (not as high as you have set). They are done once you take them out of the press after a minute and a half or so (again, experiment). The papers which bond on heating are easier to use, but are permanent, while the "archival" versions can be removed simply by putting the print back in the press and re-heating.

[tgtaylor]

I use Seal Bienfang Colormount dry mount tissue which has a melting point of 185F. Place 2 mat boards in the press and bring it up to 185F. Take the boards out and sandwich your tacked print between them with a sheet of release paper on top of the print. The release paper prevents any impressions of board fibers from being transferred to the print. Place the sandwich in the print and lock down for 5-10 seconds and release up. This drives any moisture in the board out. Then clamp down for no more than 1 minute and then remove the print and let cool. As mentioned above, the tissue bonds upon cooling so refrain from flexing the board until it is cool. You can reuse the release paper as long as there are no creases in it.

Thomas

[mdm]

The tissue came in a big stack in a non original box so I have no idea what it is except I now have a lifetime supply of toilet tissue. It looks like it would be brilliant for wiping a photopolymer plate. Thanks for the helpful replies. I am going to get some ordered soon.

[Paul Metcalf]

drymount "tissue" is somewhat stiff, not like "tissue" at all really. I'm wondering if you actually have what's called release paper or tissue, used between the artwork and overlay mountboards when pressing to keep any seeping drymount tissue from causing the artwork to stick to these overly boards.

[John Jarosz]

Yes, good call!

[Drew Wiley]

I never realized pinning a print to a board was a European custom. I've always associated it with trailer camps and Elvis rugs.

[MIke Sherck]

I never realized pinning a print to a board was a European custom. I've always associated it with trailer camps and Elvis rugs.

Hold on a minute, everyone: I want to make some popcorn.

[mdm]

drymount "tissue" is somewhat stiff, not like "tissue" at all really. I'm wondering if you actually have what's called release paper or tissue, used between the artwork and overlay mountboards when pressing to keep any seeping drymount tissue from causing the artwork to stick to these overly boards.

Very possible, except it is not waxy as described on youtube. It is much like very thin blotting paper and scratching around in the box I see it came from carter holt harvey, a local paper and packaging manufacturer so it may be blotting paper or substitute release paper. It did stick to the back of a print briefly when I pinned it to the back with a hot soldering iron but that was only briefly, no lasting bond. Anyway I have some tissue and release paper on the way.

[mdm]

A print board is a very sensible way of deciding if a print has legs.

[Drew Wiley]

I have a mock gallery wall to look at things fully framed before they go out, but also a choice of light banks to simulate various actual display conditions. The
former is under remodeling, but might get replaced by a formal showroom/gallery setting anyway. One step at a time. My former in-house studio is now a feline
hospital. My wife is into animal rescue. The lab and picture framing facility is in its own dedicated building, off limits to felines.