how to display color 30x40s

[Mark_3899]

One could simply sandwich the print between two pieces and use clips or something to keep it together if no frame was wanted. Am i totally off base, or is that a totally legitement option. That way you could also change the front piece if it was ever damaged.

This would be like encapsulation. That is a method of preserving archives, unfortunately you would never get the tension necessary to keep the 30x40 print flat enough. Acrylic isn't used behind the surface mounted print. Usually we put a piece of 4 ply behind the surface mount print to protect the back. I've seen corplast used also. Like Tim said, it adds depth and richness and it's really quite beautiful. Gursky and Struths are done this way and they go for between 40 and 60 thousand, so don't worry about reversable.

the one weak spot is the outer surface of the acrylic/plexi itself - which is susceptible to damage - then what do you do....

You make sure whoever is showing your work is insuring it.

[tim atherton]

Yes, unfortunately there is very little research on face mounting to date.

Some has been done on the Diasec method and a little on the others. There is basically one conservator in Hamburg doing research, who did some work at Kingston and the CCI in Canada, and a conservator at the Tate, that I know of.

From looking at their papers, it does overall seem fairly promising and quite stable, and their are doubts that the Diasec process is superior in an major way to similar processes such as the Seal one. Diasec keeps things pretty close to their chest though,

The process itself, if done correctly seems fairly stable. Off gassing of acetic (ethanoic) acid from the acetoxy-curing silicone rubbers coming from the edges of the prints have been of some concern, but has been shown to occur at a fairly low and controlled rate.

I also seem to recall some concerns about the highly acid environment that occurs as part of the Diasec proprietary process - but I might be wrong on that.

It was also found that much depended on the quality of workmanship of the lab doing the mounting - which seemed to vary quite substantially

Basically, as stuff has only been mounted like this since the 90's, it's all fairly new, with limited research. I think our OCnservator has my copies of the various papers, but I'll see if I can track them down.

[luke snyder]

i live in boston so i'm going to see if i can find a place that does face mounting. How much is usually charged for that and whats the difference between that and cold seal? This is very interesting and i appreciate the help.

[Michael W. Ringler]

Take a look at http://www.MiGallery.com My wife and I have developed a process using high quality liquid water based acrylic emusion, we mount a standard print to an artboard that is coated with acrylics then coat the print with this emusion. It is much thicker than the can spray-on type sealers and much safer (no toulenes or other type of ...lene chemicals). If you are interested, e-mail or call us.

Michael Ringler mringler@qtm.net cell ph: 574-329-1451

[tim atherton]

Luke

Color Service in Needham have been recomended by others for this (using Optimount by Seal) - talk to them and see what they say and see if it fits what you really want

Color Services, Needham, 781-444-5101

[me]

http://www.martinjuergens.net/Assets/download/Queens_Thesis_Juergens.pdf

this may help

[jay archibald]

duggal visual solutions in new york (duggal.com) provides excellent service for sandwich plexi frames. though i have yet to deal with the insistencies of a museum, most galleries and collector's i work with now insist i print out of new york to achieve this look. full bleed print that comes off the wall and looks downright sexy. as for the fragility of the frame itself, be careful, it will scratch and chip if dropped. does anyone know of a place on the west coast that provides this service? thanks, jay

[Scott Fleming]

There's a woman out here who is a photography professor at some college or other. She has just opened her own gallery. She has her own Epson 9600 and she is 'stretching' prints just like canvas on a wood frame. She wraps the printed edge around the edge of the frame. Looks pretty good. The prints lay very flat. One could frame and mount such a framed piece to look like a traditional mount. She has one large print like this about 36" x 60" or thereabouts. I don't know if she has springs or what behind the frame keeping the paper tight.

[tim atherton]

is she printing on paper or canvas?

Paul Shambron did this on canvas with the big prints from his "Meetings" project

( http://www.photoeye.com/templates/mShowDetailsbycat.cfm?Catalog=ZC285 )

[Scott Fleming]

I don't know much about these inkjet papers. Don't use em. The paper she is using has a canvas like texture and I assumed it was one of those I'd seen mentioned in conjunction with inkjet printers. I just thought it was a paper with a texture. It's not really canvas is it?