Fiber based paper thoughts

[jtomasella]

What is your favorite? I'm really disliking the Ilford fiber based. It's not flat right out of the box. It's a pain to get in the easel, and unless your developer is 2 inches deep you have to flip and poke to make sure it is covered until it is soft enough to lay flat. Drying is a whole other monster. I use book binding tape and it always seems to pull out on one side. I lay the glass flat so the moisture stays even. After drying I lay it between some matt board heat up with an iron then lay 18x18 ceramic tiles on top for a day. Once out of that it just curls right back up.

[John Olsen]

I love the Ilford FB "Classic." It takes some care to get into the easel, sure, but the result is well worth it. Try putting it into the developer face down. Or are you developing by inspection? After air-drying I run it through the dry mount press for 20 s and then lay it between a couple of (dried) matboards for the rest of the day. It's flat then and doesn't re-curl. Good luck.

[Alan9940]

Sorry, I love both Ilford FB Classic and FB Warmtone; with the latter be my overall favorite. I, also, really like Adox Lupex developed in Amidol for contact printing 8x10 negs. Like John, I air-dry on window screens, then flatten in a warm dry mount press. Upon cooling, I still can have a very slight curl, but nothing that's an issue for dry mounting and/or non-permanent mounting with a window matt.

[jtomasella]

I love the Ilford FB "Classic." It takes some care to get into the easel, sure, but the result is well worth it. Try putting it into the developer face down. Or are you developing by inspection? After air-drying I run it through the dry mount press for 20 s and then lay it between a couple of (dried) matboards for the rest of the day. It's flat then and doesn't re-curl. Good luck.
I have flipped it face down in the developer then once it is soft I can re flip. I always wear gloves and use both hands when I work with it. I only use tongs when printing with the RC paper. I guess I'll have to try drying on a screen. I have a roll, just need to buy the frames. I do like the look I get from the paper though. I'll look into a press this summer since I'm back to work. One of out customers sells them for putting designs on tee shirts.

[jp]

That's how they all work. I've used Ilford, Foma, Oriental, Adox

I mostly use a speed-ezl which has a fairly generous opening to slide unflat paper into.
Make your developer 2 inches deep.
Hang it up to dry two pieces back to back with a few wooden clothespins to keep them together; they will curl in opposite directions and cancel the curl out, sort of like how balanced audio/data signals work.
Clean mat board and heat is great for flattening. Find a locally used (shipping is expensive) seal drymount press for that purpose and for drymounting for final presentation. Once drymounted it will not curl.

[Tin Can]

OP what FB paper do you prefer?

Why attack Ilford?

Our best supplier!

[dasBlute]

For me - Ilford MGFB warmtone is by far my favorite paper - it just prints really well has a great look, tones easily, etc, though FOMA 532 II is very nice as well...

these fit my printing style and vision - what little of that there is :)

as for flattening, I use a dry mount press if I need it quickly, otherwise, I place a print inside a large book. under a stack of other books, for weeks or so :)

-Tim

[jtomasella]

OP what FB paper do you prefer?

Why attack Ilford?

Our best supplier!
I'm not attacking, I love Ilford. I shoot their film in 4x5 and 120, I use their developer , stop and fix. I love their RC paper, I just have trouble with the fiber based paper. Just wanted to know if it is me or most FB papers are like this. Apparently it is me and I just need to spend more time with it. Well after reading my post I probably was a bit harsh.

[Greg Y]

OP what FB paper do you prefer?

Why attack Ilford?

Our best supplier!

Curling is in the nature of fibre-based papers, regardless of maker. As has been pointed out. Once dry, there are ways to flatten a dry print. Tin Can has a really good point here. Ilford has become the standard for reliability. Sure I liked Brilliant from Guillemot-Boespflug, and I loved Fortezo & Forte Poly-warmtone. You can't get your hands on Foma or Adox. I don't like spending time adapting to changing papers & developers, but with the choice of Galerie, Classic, & Warmtone, I can count on getting a print whose tonalities work for me. Kudos to Ilford for continuing to support film photographers.

[Corran]

most FB papers are like this.

All fiber papers curl. All. Your statement isn't a complaint, it's an observation.

After experimenting with different brands and types I came back to Ilford's offerings (in all different surfaces) and will be sticking with them. They are fantastic papers. I recently got a working dry mount press and I don't know how I lived without - now all my prints are immediately flattened after drying and I couldn't be happier. "Mostly" flattened prints from weight/time still have a certain wavy look in the mat.

If you haven't printed before, start with RC.

[Steve Sherman]

I'm not attacking, I love Ilford. I shoot their film in 4x5 and 120, I use their developer , stop and fix. I love their RC paper, I just have trouble with the fiber based paper. Just wanted to know if it is me or most FB papers are like this. Apparently it is me and I just need to spend more time with it. Well after reading my post I probably was a bit harsh.

Is the Ilford FB paper new ?? What's the humidity level where it is stored ?? Reduce the humidity level will reduce the curl, that said, FB paper is always going to curl to some degree. If you're going to use FB paper for serious work, a dry mount press is almost essential.

[Tin Can]

Bryan is an expert and I respect his opinion...really!

a hot press is a must in my opinion, I learned on FB as required by my instructor 22 years ago, and bought my own press as soon as possible 8 years ago

but often use RC these days as it is so much faster to process to print

but always Ilford, for 22 years

I now have a lifetime supply of Dry Mount Tissue

buy now if you can





All fiber papers curl. All. Your statement isn't a complaint, it's an observation.

After experimenting with different brands and types I came back to Ilford's offerings (in all different surfaces) and will be sticking with them. They are fantastic papers. I recently got a working dry mount press and I don't know how I lived without - now all my prints are immediately flattened after drying and I couldn't be happier. "Mostly" flattened prints from weight/time still have a certain wavy look in the mat.

If you haven't printed before, start with RC.

[Corran]

I appreciate the sentiment but wouldn't say I'm an expert at printing. But I have done a lot of it at least, and practiced, which is the first step towards proficiency.

I was stupid at the start and insisted on printing on FB from the get-go, and I can still remember the pain of going through a whole box of expensive 11x14 paper and making not a single good print, because I didn't know what I was doing. Getting a handle on the basics with cheaper RC is certainly preferable!

[Drew Wiley]

I printed with Ilford FB Cooltone today. Wonderful paper. I also use quite a bit of MGWT FB too. I can hardly remember how many brands of FB papers I've used, both graded and VC. Each has its particular personality and learning curve; all but a couple of them were wonderful products. Paper needs to be held flat by masking blades in the easel when exposing. After processing and washing, let them completely dry, at least overnight, on fiberglass window screen material.
Then place them under a big sheet of plate glass for a few days, and they'll be nice and flat for drymounting. It's easy and predictable. But there is a distinct technique to drymounting too, which I won't go into here. RC paper is actually a lot more difficult to mount properly. I've used RC for commercial jobs headed for a printing press, but never for personal work. If you happen to prefer RC, nothing wrong with that. I don't.

[jp]

90% of my paper use is RC paper.. Contact sheets, quick prints, etc... Use it, learn it, enjoy it. It's a real silver photo and it's convenient.
FB paper has some nice texture options, FB glossy can be a little blacker than RC I think. Some of the warm creamy Foma papers are only FB as well.

[jtomasella]

I’ll definitely look into getting a press this summer. Maybe I’ll order a box of 8x10 FB paper and see if it’s not as unruly as my 11x14. Humidity is pretty low and consistent in my basement. I do most of my printing on RC, mainly because I’m still learning and I planned on just using the fiber based for my special prints.

[Fred L]

Throwing in my support for Bergger Neutral. Lovely paper, tones nicely. Was going to try Adox but we know what happened there, can only hope it gets figured out, heard it was very good paper. A bit pricey, but what isn't. Still have some Brilliant Graded, which WAS my favourite paper...sigh

and screen dried usually. sometimes if in a rush I'll dry with a Salthill dryer, but that tends to give wavy edges if I don't baby it.

[John Kasaian]

It's Fomabrom these days. Or Galerie.
Before that, Emaks or Slavich when I could find them---both long gone now.
I had to wean myself off the excellent Kodak yellow stuff when they stopped making it.

[John Layton]

Yes...thank goodness for Ilford's continued dedication, which gives us practitioners the consistency we need to continue upwards on the same curve without needing to suddenly abandon it and jump to the bottom of yet another one! As one who considers himself a lifelong student I truly appreciate this. I do embrace new curves from time to time but by my choice and as circumstances might dictate...it being the baseline of consistency which Ilford offers that gives me the courage to do so.

So...Multigrade Classic, Warmtone, and to a lesser degree Cooltone, and three Moersch developers (warm, neutral-warm, and cool), and I'm good to go, with the only caveat that if I don't use up a particular batch of this paper within about two years I begin to notice enough change in Dmax to need to recalibrate a bit. But that's on me and not Ilford!

[Ulophot]

(John, by curves, perhaps you are wryly referring to Hurter & Driffield curves...? [I don't use emoticons.])

I am using strictly Ilford Warmtone FB, including for contacts; gloss for those, semi-matte for prints. I tried the Bergger last year (subtle differences, as posted at the time). Coming back to photography some years back but with limited time for it, I streamlined equipment, processes, and materials so that I could make them all work for me. When WTFB was first introduced, I was thrilled with it, as a needed warmtone paper in a fast-disappearing small lot of them. I'm very happy with it still.

I have some Art 300 on back-order, to see what it has to offer. I rarely see it mentioned here. I know the Classic FB fairly well from years back and can see using it for certain subjects, but am sticking with WTFB for now and just waiting until I can get back to safe portraiture, for which I want the warmtone.

[Corran]

I love ART 300 for photos with a lot of texture (sand, rock, etc.). Perhaps a bit on-the-nose, but it gives a wonderful sheen and feel.

Preferably mounted w/o glass, if possible.

It's still basically Warmtone, which is nice for the consistency of color/printing.

[LabRat]

A difficulty when using FB can be the choice of easel used...
Easels with a small slot for holding the paper top edge can be difficult to use, as the paper might slip when closing...

Wet or dry weather can make this harder to handle...

Cut size paper is from a big roll, hence the inward curl, but if you remember to work and move with the curl each step of the process, it behaves...

Go with the flow...

Steve K

[jtomasella]

Well I ordered more FB paper but since so many seem to like the warm tone I'm going to try that, Ilford of course. Also picked up more RC pearl, that really seems to be my go to when printing everything.

[ic-racer]

I learned on FB as required by my instructor ...
I think this is the only forum on the internet where FB does not mean FaceBook...

Just to add something more useful to the conversation, I got a Seal press just for print flattening about 15 years ago. I don't know why I waited so long to get that. Of every way I had tried to flatten prints, that is the best for me hands down.

[Greg Y]

"Just to add something more useful to the conversation, I got a Seal press just for print flattening about 15 years ago. I don't know why I waited so long to get that. Of every way I had tried to flatten prints, that is the best for me hands down."

They don't come up for sale very often, & shipping would be a killer. I hauled mine back from Erik Larsen in Grand Junction, on return trip from New Mexico. It filled up the back of my hatchback and just about put my back out (it took two of us to lift it) getting it into my house (the big Ademco with the steering wheel on top)..... But if you've got a darkroom, eventually you'll want to mount your photos... a drymount press is an essential.

[John Layton]

I love my Seal Masterpiece 500-T. Picked it up six years ago from a guy who'd just gone out of business - but he'd recently purchased it as a replacement so its in great shape, and a steal for 200 bucks (worth the four hour RT drive)...but a beast to move! Yes...good for flattening, and after having very carefully re-tensioned the plate, I can mount 40x60's in four bites without showing any overlap seams.

[Tin Can]

I decided not to chase down a Seal Masterpiece 500-T. $200 is cheap compared to new from B&H D&K Masterpiece 550Q Mechanical Dry Mount Press (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/425972-REG/Seal_Bienfang_SE_60173_Masterpiece_550_Mechanical_Dry.html/specs?ap=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=CjwKCAjwk6P2BRAIEiwAfVJ0rFsLbxgA7TzQbYHKHZkeeJgEGLcJp1OtppbKlXZ0JJrfNnbCjBbmWRoC1n4QAvD_BwE)

Very happy with my 210M as I decided to restrict my print size to 16X20 which it can press in one go on to much larger mat board

I can just barely move a 210 M from table to table, so now it's on top of a rolling toolbox, the drawers are handy

[jtomasella]

I decided not to chase down a Seal Masterpiece 500-T. $200 is cheap compared to new from B&H D&K Masterpiece 550Q Mechanical Dry Mount Press (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/425972-REG/Seal_Bienfang_SE_60173_Masterpiece_550_Mechanical_Dry.html/specs?ap=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=CjwKCAjwk6P2BRAIEiwAfVJ0rFsLbxgA7TzQbYHKHZkeeJgEGLcJp1OtppbKlXZ0JJrfNnbCjBbmWRoC1n4QAvD_BwE)

Very happy with my 210M as I decided to restrict my print size to 16X20 which it can press in one go on to much larger mat board



I can just barely move a 210 M from table to table, so now it's on top of a rolling toolbox, the drawers are handy

Almost choked when I saw that price. There is one on ebay for $1,300

[Drew Wiley]

I wisely bought a 500T about 35 yrs ago new. Had it shipped to my workplace, and I borrowed one of their big flatbed trucks, along with a forklift and helpers. On the same heavy steel table with big plate glass weight ever since. I should probably invest in a new thermostat, just in case; but the original one still works. I already have a new replacement pad on hand if needed. I've done a lot of drymounting over the years, but have a large cold mount roller machine too.

[Doremus Scudder]

I'd love access to a 500T or similar. I have absolutely not enough room to have something so big in my workroom. As it is, I have to wrestle the 210 in and out of the storage area and set it up for dry mounting every time I need it. I couldn't begin to do that with the 500...

@OP:
Fiber-base paper isn't ever flat unless mounted well. Even prints flattened in a mounting press curl a bit. That's just the nature of the beast. I never display a print that's not dry mounted to a 4-ply board.

Doremus

[jtomasella]

I'd love access to a 500T or similar. I have absolutely not enough room to have something so big in my workroom. As it is, I have to wrestle the 210 in and out of the storage area and set it up for dry mounting every time I need it. I couldn't begin to do that with the 500...

@OP:
Fiber-base paper isn't ever flat unless mounted well. Even prints flattened in a mounting press curl a bit. That's just the nature of the beast. I never display a print that's not dry mounted to a 4-ply board.

Doremus
What kind of board do you use?

[Drew Wiley]

It's a basic fact of life. Different expansion/contraction coefficients board versus mounted paper due to humidity changes have always warped things, and always will. Every competent picture frame knows that. With big pieces you either need to cold mount to something inert, or else countermount something equal on the back, or allow a rigid picture frame do the work. The museum board most of us use for drymounting is rather hydroscopic, and the softer the brand of board, the more easily it absorbs humidity. Keeping drymounted prints tight in stacks or portfolio boxes helps, as does storage in reasonably dry conditions. For big display prints what I did was to laminate a veneer of 2-ply museum board to a rigid backing prior to drymounting the print itself. Among brand choices, the current Archival Methods ragboard I'm now using is quite firm. Rising was similar, Light Impressions and Strathmore a bit softer, and Crescent objectionably soft and hydroscopic.

[JMO]

What kind of board do you use?

Drew Wiley mentioned the Rising brand, and that's the one I use. Also, when I first got into LF and B&W printmaking nearly 10 years ago, an experienced LF friend was nice enough to allow me to observe him doing the several steps in dry mounting prints so they will be well adhered to a good 4-ply board that will remain flat (subject to vicissitudes of changing humidity) -- and that helped a lot. And one IMPORTANT bit of advice he gave me was to decide from the outset which color or shade of mounting board I wanted to standardize on for my B&W prints going forward. I chose Rising Warm White, and that's what I buy in 32x40in sheets for my "proof" prints (personal keeper favorites) and general use. However, I also occasionally buy some Brite White 9x12in 4-ply boards in 25 sheet bricks from Archival Methods due to their frequent "sale" price breaks for that size and number. I use those 9x12in boards for mounting extra copies of 8x10 prints that I consider gifting candidates (with the thought that the recipient will decide what shade of board to use for the window-mat and any framing materials).

[Greg]

Last year used a lot of vintage FB Portriga Rapid for a project. The Paper really had a curl to it. My solution was to place the paper between 2 sheets of 2 ply archival board and place it a hot Seal press for under a minute. Took it out and placed on my cellars cool concrete floor with sheet of counter top atop it and a weight or two. Paper cooled down in about a minute. Then stays flat in the easel, and remains pretty flat when placed into the developer. This 2 minute procedure just worked.

[jtomasella]

Drew Wiley mentioned the Rising brand, and that's the one I use. Also, when I first got into LF and B&W printmaking nearly 10 years ago, an experienced LF friend was nice enough to allow me to observe him doing the several steps in dry mounting prints so they will be well adhered to a good 4-ply board that will remain flat (subject to vicissitudes of changing humidity) -- and that helped a lot. And one IMPORTANT bit of advice he gave me was to decide from the outset which color or shade of mounting board I wanted to standardize on for my B&W prints going forward. I chose Rising Warm White, and that's what I buy in 32x40in sheets for my "proof" prints (personal keeper favorites) and general use. However, I also occasionally buy some Brite White 9x12in 4-ply boards in 25 sheet bricks from Archival Methods due to their frequent "sale" price breaks for that size and number. I use those 9x12in boards for mounting extra copies of 8x10 prints that I consider gifting candidates (with the thought that the recipient will decide what shade of board to use for the window-mat and any framing materials).

Is there a reason the color matters? I watched a video from Fstoppers where he mounted a print that was the same size as the board. I booked marked Archival methods, the 9x12 is on sale now lol. Also, anyone have experience with Neschen Gudy 831?. I was thinking of doing the cold mounting instead of heat activated.

[Doremus Scudder]

What kind of board do you use?

I've been using Bainbridge Alpharag Artcare board in a couple of colors of white for some years now. It's buffered and has impurity-absorbing particles (activated charcoal?) embedded in it, so not for use with color materials.

Drew is right about mounted work curving a bit. I intend everything to eventually be framed and have an overmat, which holds everything straight. The slight curve doesn't matter for gallery presentations, etc.

Best,

Doremus

[LabRat]

Just me, but I have stopped dry mounting, in favor of flattening print in hot press, then using archival mounting tape on the top edge of print to board, then overmatting...

The conservators like this, and the natural roll curve is pressed into the mount board... Had no problems with humidity so far, and image looks like a framed natural photo print instead of a printed on matt page... And has relieved my fear of ruining a print and matt in the mounting process...

I don't mind, but others???

Steve K

[Drew Wiley]

You must be working with very small prints, LabRat. But they'll buckle sooner or later. Paper hinging is a method applied to watercolor paintings with perimeter mats, and likewise suits l"float-mounted" Pt/Pt prints coated on textured watercolor papers. The glossier a print is, the worse any unevenness looks. What conservators like or don't like is a complex subject. Drymounting actually protects a print by sealing the backside of the print. In any event, it doesn't diminish the value of a print whatsoever if correctly done; whereas something being visually funky almost defeats the whole game from the start if the print is intended for display, or displayed for sake of sale. And there is a correct way even to do hinging or selective perimeter attachment to minimize buckling; but I won't go into that at the moment.

[Pieter]

I get slight ripples along at least one edge of many of my 11x14 prints flattened in a dry mount press. Not sure if the temperature is too high or somehow the pressure is uneven. It's a press that has seen a bit of use, I bought it second-hand from someone who acquired it for a local university photo department.

204098

[Drew Wiley]

Now as per cold mount foils and the question of jtomasella. Cold mounting is far more difficult than heat drymounting. And without specialized equipment and a lot of practice, is a darn easy way to ruin something. I'd reserve it for RC color print media and glossy polyester media like Cibachrome and Fuji Supergloss. You also need a truly flat, non-warping substrate, so cost per print will be significantly higher than drymounting.

[JMO]

Is there a reason the color matters? I watched a video from Fstoppers where he mounted a print that was the same size as the board. I booked marked Archival methods, the 9x12 is on sale now lol. Also, anyone have experience with Neschen Gudy 831?. I was thinking of doing the cold mounting instead of heat activated.

I suppose that if the color or shade doesn't matter to you, then that's fine. But if you get a few years into this hobby and have prints on several shades of white and off-white mounting board, the point my LF friend was making is you might wish you didn't have such variety (which made sense to me). He also steered me away from my thinking about possibly using gray or black board. There are various, subtly different off-white shades offered by the various mat board makers for a reason, as each may (probably?) communicate something (again subtly) about you and your prints. Archival Methods offers an item for only a few dollars that is a selection of samples of all the colors/shades they sell, so you can make your own decision.

[Ron789]

I get slight ripples along at least one edge of many of my 11x14 prints flattened in a dry mount press. Not sure if the temperature is too high or somehow the pressure is uneven. It's a press that has seen a bit of use, I bought it second-hand from someone who acquired it for a local university photo department.

Uneven pressure might well be the cause. Or temperature too low? What temperature are you using? Are the prints really dry before pressing them? And what helps a lot: before pressing, cut away at least 1cm around the edges. After pressing, put them under weight (a large box of photo paper serves well) while cooling down.

[jp]

I get slight ripples along at least one edge of many of my 11x14 prints flattened in a dry mount press. Not sure if the temperature is too high or somehow the pressure is uneven. It's a press that has seen a bit of use, I bought it second-hand from someone who acquired it for a local university photo department.

204098

Are you using two clean dry matboards to sandwich the print atop the pad?

[Pieter]

Uneven pressure might well be the cause. Or temperature too low? What temperature are you using? Are the prints really dry before pressing them? And what helps a lot: before pressing, cut away at least 1cm around the edges. After pressing, put them under weight (a large box of photo paper serves well) while cooling down.

I replaced the pad when I got the press, and I am using at least 4 sheets of mat board in the press, 2 clean ones (that I wipe down before every session) one on either side of the print. I can't seem to make the pressure adjustment that is described in the manual, so I think something is awry with that and giving me uneven pressure. I have replaced and calibrated the thermostat so I know it is certainly not too cool, I have it set hotter than what I believe is normal to flatten prints. After the press, I put the prints under a sheet of acrylic and pile on some half-dozen heavy books (large photobooks, of course) and leave them overnight.

[jtomasella]

I suppose that if the color or shade doesn't matter to you, then that's fine. But if you get a few years into this hobby and have prints on several shades of white and off-white mounting board, the point my LF friend was making is you might wish you didn't have such variety (which made sense to me). He also steered me away from my thinking about possibly using gray or black board. There are various, subtly different off-white shades offered by the various mat board makers for a reason, as each may (probably?) communicate something (again subtly) about you and your prints. Archival Methods offers an item for only a few dollars that is a selection of samples of all the colors/shades they sell, so you can make your own decision.
It would matter if the print is smaller than the board but I would think that would look funny. Then again I've never seen one mounted. Most prints I've seen are in a frame behind mat board.

[Drew Wiley]

The whole name of the game is to how to balance things to work together, esthetically. How you do that is integral to your personal taste and sense of composition, and not set by any book of rules. Does it somehow enhance the print itself, or detract from it? That is the key question, yet one containing many potential variables and personal choices.

[Duolab123]

I use a Pako Drum dryer, dry emulsion against the belt. You need to keep the belt clean (Pakor still sells them). Still I dry mount to a good board to keep flat. In the prehistoric era, drum dried prints were dunked in print flattening solution (various glycols) this would keep the paper base moist and prevent the gelatin side from curling up.
Pre prehistoric non curl film had gelatin on both sides to keep flat.

I remember when RC paper came out it was not great. Everything Ilford makes today is IMHO the best ever made, and that includes Forte Polywarmtone, absolutely beautiful but, dry down density change was enormous, and the voodoo split toning that made it so fun, was like soloing in a F-104 Starfighter, unforgiving!

The latest Ilford RC paper is amazing, the last Ilford MGIV is amazing. I use a Ilford Ilfospeed drier that just let's the gelatin flow out a bit, like baking a paint finish. The gloss is better than old ferrotype on fiber.

My reccomendation, before you go through all the washing, and drying and flattening, and mounting. Look for a used RC drier, but until then get yourself some of Ilford's new RC paper, some selenium toner, some demineralized water and a couple drops of Edwal LFN for your final rinse and a Paterson drying rack to let your marvelous Ilford NEW RC paper dry. Or just get a old dish rack.

Print borderless, buy precut mats, and tape your print to the back of the cut mat with Scotch brand magic tape.

And enjoy life. Ilford FP4 Plus would be a nice pairing. :rolleyes:

[jp]

I replaced the pad when I got the press, and I am using at least 4 sheets of mat board in the press, 2 clean ones (that I wipe down before every session) one on either side of the print. I can't seem to make the pressure adjustment that is described in the manual, so I think something is awry with that and giving me uneven pressure. I have replaced and calibrated the thermostat so I know it is certainly not too cool, I have it set hotter than what I believe is normal to flatten prints. After the press, I put the prints under a sheet of acrylic and pile on some half-dozen heavy books (large photobooks, of course) and leave them overnight.

If you have not, try drying the mat boards a couple of times, as if you were drying prints, before drying your prints.