chris jordan
13-Sep-2004, 23:40
Hi guys, I've been doing lots of experimenting and research on this topic lately, so I thought I'd share my results to date. The idea is to find a way to display large color inkjet prints (40x50" and larger) without glass, protected in such a way that the prints can be considered archival. The mounting process is easy and there are lots of chemically and dimensionally stable backing materials to choose from; the problem lies in protecting the print surface. Face-mounting with clear plexi is one option for some kinds of prints, but it looks like glass (thus defeating the whole purpose) and it does not work with Ultrachromes.
My results with the various spray lacquers are mixed. First, as a side note, it turns out that all of the sprays are the same-- Lyson Print Guard, Premier Art Shield, and a couple of others, all appear to be the exact same product, in the same can, with the same numbers stamped on the bottom, from the same factory somewhere. So if you want to use a lacquer spray, get the cheapest one because they all seem to be identical!
Generally the sprays work great, and the technique is easy to perfect so that there are no visible streaks, blotches, etc. They totally solves the problem of bronzing with Ultrachromes on RC papers, and also darken the blacks a bit, while providing good UV protection. My standard practice is to apply eight coats, thus more than doubling the UV protection that the sprays were tested with by Henry Wilhelm.
The only problem I have found with the sprays is that they leave an ever-so-slight sand-papery texture on the surface of the print, which I fear might collect dust over time. If this happened, the print would be very hard to clean. I have tried applying Renaissance Wax over the surface to fill in the sandy texture, but I couldn't get it smooth enough to be satisfactory.
Next I have tried a whole series of laminates, with also mixed results. The matte laminate surfaces are terrible-- they haze the whole image, flatten the color, and fog the blacks badly. The gloss laminates give the image a cheesy plastic placemat look that's also unacceptable. In the middle are laminates with medium surfaces called "satin" or "luster", and these can be beautiful-- smooth and tasteful, with no fogging of the blacks, and a nice overall sheen that doesn't reflect any more than the raw print. They also solve bronzing in Ultrachromes.
The laminates generally provide the surface with bombproof protection, that can be rubbed forcefully with the hand, wiped with a wet cloth, and even sprayed with windex and wiped off with a wet sponge. As an added benefit, many of the laminates have 98% or 100% UV protection, which according to Henry more than doubles the expected life of Ultrachrome prints.
The challenge with the laminates seems to be to find one made with an acceptably archival plastic. Most of the respected printers and framers in the country use laminates made of PVC (Vinyl) made by Neschen, Drytac, and Mactac. Unfortunately Henry Wilhelm says PVC is not recommended for photographic applications. He doesn't not specifically address PVC laminates, but in his chapter on film sleeves and envelopes he says PVC is terrible for a whole host of reasons.
The general skinny on PVC is that an organic material is added as a plasticizer, and over time that organic stuff can seep out of the PVC and leave an oily reside on the surface. The oily residue looks bad, attracts dust, turns black, can harbor bacteria and mold, and also can damage or discolor whatever it is in contact with. My fear with PVC laminates is that over time, the oily stuff could seep inward, coming into contact with the print surface. To date no one has tested the stuff with this in mind, so no one knows whether this will happen. However, the Neschen company (one of the biggest lamination manufacturers), claims that they have prints hanging in their office that were laminated fifty years ago and have shown no deterioration whatsoever. Many framers also have been using the stuff for years, and they claim it does not deteriorate over time. Maybe the direct contact with the print prevents the PVC from seeping inward, in which case it might be very long lasting.
The adhesives on almost all of the laminates are acrylic, which is chemically stable and will not be a problem for any print surface.
Neschen does make a couple of laminates from different materials-- one polycarbonate and one polypropylene. While more chemically stable than PVC, polycarbonate turns yellow over time, and thus it is kicked out of the running. Polypropylene, on the other hand, is Henry Wilhelm's favorite archival material-- it is chemically and dimensionally stable, doesn't yellow, doesn't seep or outgas, doesn't harden or crack, and won't damage any photographic surface. However, Neschen's polypropylene laminate doesn't contain a UV protectant! Dang. They also make a polyester one that doesn't have UV protection. Also, neither of these is offered in the same nice satin finish as their PVC product.
So I'm not sure where to go from here. One idea is to laminate with the polypropylene, with a layer of PVC over the top for UV protection. But the two layers might start to be too thick, and block too much light transmission, plus it would be just a fundamentally nerdy solution. I might also just try the PVC, and see what happens after a few years. I'm waiting to hear back from Neschen about other products they are developing also; maybe there will be enough call for a UV-protected polypropylene product that they will make one. A few people are in the process of testing some of the laminates, so hopefully in the next few months there will be better info about the archival life of the PVC and other laminates.
So that's the scoop for now. Please let me know if you have any additional thoughts, experiences, etc.-- I'd sure like to arrive at a satisfactory solution sometime soon.
regards,
cj
www.chrisjordan.com
My results with the various spray lacquers are mixed. First, as a side note, it turns out that all of the sprays are the same-- Lyson Print Guard, Premier Art Shield, and a couple of others, all appear to be the exact same product, in the same can, with the same numbers stamped on the bottom, from the same factory somewhere. So if you want to use a lacquer spray, get the cheapest one because they all seem to be identical!
Generally the sprays work great, and the technique is easy to perfect so that there are no visible streaks, blotches, etc. They totally solves the problem of bronzing with Ultrachromes on RC papers, and also darken the blacks a bit, while providing good UV protection. My standard practice is to apply eight coats, thus more than doubling the UV protection that the sprays were tested with by Henry Wilhelm.
The only problem I have found with the sprays is that they leave an ever-so-slight sand-papery texture on the surface of the print, which I fear might collect dust over time. If this happened, the print would be very hard to clean. I have tried applying Renaissance Wax over the surface to fill in the sandy texture, but I couldn't get it smooth enough to be satisfactory.
Next I have tried a whole series of laminates, with also mixed results. The matte laminate surfaces are terrible-- they haze the whole image, flatten the color, and fog the blacks badly. The gloss laminates give the image a cheesy plastic placemat look that's also unacceptable. In the middle are laminates with medium surfaces called "satin" or "luster", and these can be beautiful-- smooth and tasteful, with no fogging of the blacks, and a nice overall sheen that doesn't reflect any more than the raw print. They also solve bronzing in Ultrachromes.
The laminates generally provide the surface with bombproof protection, that can be rubbed forcefully with the hand, wiped with a wet cloth, and even sprayed with windex and wiped off with a wet sponge. As an added benefit, many of the laminates have 98% or 100% UV protection, which according to Henry more than doubles the expected life of Ultrachrome prints.
The challenge with the laminates seems to be to find one made with an acceptably archival plastic. Most of the respected printers and framers in the country use laminates made of PVC (Vinyl) made by Neschen, Drytac, and Mactac. Unfortunately Henry Wilhelm says PVC is not recommended for photographic applications. He doesn't not specifically address PVC laminates, but in his chapter on film sleeves and envelopes he says PVC is terrible for a whole host of reasons.
The general skinny on PVC is that an organic material is added as a plasticizer, and over time that organic stuff can seep out of the PVC and leave an oily reside on the surface. The oily residue looks bad, attracts dust, turns black, can harbor bacteria and mold, and also can damage or discolor whatever it is in contact with. My fear with PVC laminates is that over time, the oily stuff could seep inward, coming into contact with the print surface. To date no one has tested the stuff with this in mind, so no one knows whether this will happen. However, the Neschen company (one of the biggest lamination manufacturers), claims that they have prints hanging in their office that were laminated fifty years ago and have shown no deterioration whatsoever. Many framers also have been using the stuff for years, and they claim it does not deteriorate over time. Maybe the direct contact with the print prevents the PVC from seeping inward, in which case it might be very long lasting.
The adhesives on almost all of the laminates are acrylic, which is chemically stable and will not be a problem for any print surface.
Neschen does make a couple of laminates from different materials-- one polycarbonate and one polypropylene. While more chemically stable than PVC, polycarbonate turns yellow over time, and thus it is kicked out of the running. Polypropylene, on the other hand, is Henry Wilhelm's favorite archival material-- it is chemically and dimensionally stable, doesn't yellow, doesn't seep or outgas, doesn't harden or crack, and won't damage any photographic surface. However, Neschen's polypropylene laminate doesn't contain a UV protectant! Dang. They also make a polyester one that doesn't have UV protection. Also, neither of these is offered in the same nice satin finish as their PVC product.
So I'm not sure where to go from here. One idea is to laminate with the polypropylene, with a layer of PVC over the top for UV protection. But the two layers might start to be too thick, and block too much light transmission, plus it would be just a fundamentally nerdy solution. I might also just try the PVC, and see what happens after a few years. I'm waiting to hear back from Neschen about other products they are developing also; maybe there will be enough call for a UV-protected polypropylene product that they will make one. A few people are in the process of testing some of the laminates, so hopefully in the next few months there will be better info about the archival life of the PVC and other laminates.
So that's the scoop for now. Please let me know if you have any additional thoughts, experiences, etc.-- I'd sure like to arrive at a satisfactory solution sometime soon.
regards,
cj
www.chrisjordan.com