Small Presentation Boxes

[bob carnie]

I am looking for resources , links - suggestions on making or purchasing small custom boxes for small photographic prints 8x10 inch to Locket size.
I feel that in my world of photography I seem to be going back to what I would consider the beginnings of photography .. Think small boxes that hold photographs
that would sit on a ledge in someones house.

I now make permanent colour and bw prints and I am being asked more and more to make small prints.
With these new C&S (spelling) machines I am thinking that we can produce almost anything on a table top with a good design and good natural materials

219486. This is a very simple example of where I am going with this, I do not intend to produce Daguerreotypes but rather current images but placed in hand made (with digital illustrator and wood carving machines) presentations . I think the day of the big colour print will never leave us, this is certain but I feel the small cherished photographs will have a place again.

thoughts , comments

Bob

[Drew Wiley]

You're still going to have to think of the archival aspects of the materials themselves; informed customers will demand it. And anything wood is a pretty dicey in that respect. Not as simple as you might initially think. How much time and staff can you dedicate to that kind of thing anyway, especially the learning curve? An automated carving machine will just get you to Stage 1 of a splintery mess, and certainly not a custom "handmade" look. That takes real attention to detail. You'd need quite a few machines. Gosh, where do I start? It might be a lot smarter to partner with a specialty cabinet shop that already has the equipment and skills, and most importantly, the availability various specific cuts of wood and how they actually behave.

[bob carnie]

You're still going to have to think of the archival aspects of the materials themselves; informed customers will demand it. And anything wood is a pretty dicey in that respect. Not as simple as you might initially think. How much time and staff can you dedicate to that kind of thing anyway, especially the learning curve? An automated carving machine will just get you to Stage 1 of a splintery mess, and certainly not a custom "handmade" look. That takes real attention to detail. Gosh, where do I start? It might be a lot smarter to partner with a specialty cabinet shop that already has the equipment and skills, and most importantly, the availability various specific cuts of wood and how they actually behave.

I have an independent woodworker with the equipment as well independent illustrators to provide the designs, but I do hear you regarding the wood , but when making I will consider how the image is presented within the package much like I do for framing.

[Drew Wiley]

Oh, that's good. I thought about making my own custom portfolio cases, and even have the right equipment and skills. Wouldn't save any money, but could do something a lot more special. The problem is the time commitment. I don't need any more half-done projects. Still have a lot of house remodeling to finish.

But one word to remember: formaldehyde. It's common in a lot of glued composite materials, and really bad for all kinds of photo media. Another bad word: turpenes in relation to natural wood. You already no doubt know about wood acids and the necessity of sealing them off.

[Sal Santamaura]

...I now make permanent colour...prints...What color print process do you use that can be considered "permanent?"

[bob carnie]

What color print process do you use that can be considered "permanent?"

Tri colour gum over palladium

[Tin Can]

How about these guys

https://www.archivalmethods.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4eaJBhDMARIsANhrQABfrEDfjFemsNiun0F6Cs2Q30QqKSr5HnTXfXFseym4a7Ocke1ZdZAaAvkcEALw_wcB

[Drew Wiley]

Yeah, whatever the pigments, formaldehyde is a cross-linker known to cause havoc with gelatin, perhaps gum arabic too (it's less studied). Likely to be found in nearly all laminated wood substitutes, at least those tightly compressed enough to be machinable. I've used a lot of that kind of thing for cabinet work, including in the darkroom, but fully outgassed, well sealed, and never in long-term contact with film or prints.