Wavy epson 9800 prints

[Jack Flesher]

Keith: My test image is a compilation of several types of images including skin-tones and B&W as well as hue, saturation and tonal gradients. If there was a difference to be seen, I am confident I would have seen it. I suspect it might be likely that your source's particular profiles were better suited to 2880 output on his machine than they were to 1440...

As for grabbing opposite corners of the print, a 36" x 54" print is about 65" on the diagonal... I can probably make that with my arms, but it's still a goodly reach

[Keith S. Walklet]

Jack, Well then, I'll bite my tongue on the 1440/2880 quality difference until I see it myself.

And while I envision a Charlie Chaplinesque short film opportunity of you dancing around trying to pick up your print, the trick, in the end, is to just grasp one corner and move towards the diagonally opposite one. If done carefully, the paper will "roll" with you. When you can reach the second corner, grasp it and lift the print. I then carry the print to my work table, let the sagging portion just touch the work surface, and then release both corners silmultaneously so that that they spread across the table. I trim out the print with a hand-held rotary cutter (OLFA RTY-3/DX http://www.store.yahoo.com/olfablades/9655.html) without lifting it. I just spin it in place on my work table, which has a work surface made from a 4 x 8 sheet of SINTRA high density foam ($30 wholesale). The SINTRA works beautifully with the rotary cutter, though is a little soft for use with an X-Acto or straight razor blade.

Since I have my oversize prints dry mounted, I roll them up to take to the lab. This is done with craft paper and an old 44" Epson paper tube. One end of the craft paper is attached to the tube with tape. I unroll and spread the craft paper out on the work table and then slide the print onto the craft paper. The print gets rolled up around the tube as I roll up the craft paper.

Before I dry-mounted the big ones, my workflow was slightly different. After trimming out the print, I'd slide the pre-cut mount-board under it, attach the window mat to the board, position and secure the print. That way, I only actually picked up the unsupported print itself once (taking it from the printer to the work table.)

[Jack Flesher]

Great tips Keith, especially the Sintra -- I never thought of using that as my table surface!

[QT Luong]

I avoid lifting the print altogether by having it slide onto a 40x60 piece of foamcore board. The method that Keith describes for taking to the lab is how I ship bare prints.

[Keith S. Walklet]

>I avoid lifting the print altogether by having it slide onto a 40x60 piece of foamcore board<

The best solution. In my next studio, I hope to have room to do the same.

[JohnnyV]

QT,

Try an experiment.

Print two images.

Let one print lay out for a couple days bare and the other use your sandwich technique.

See if the bare one develops waves.

My guess is the bare one will be flat. Also my guess you'll need to let the print dry a day or two before sandwiching for outgassing, as I would think the print coming out of the Epson is too wet and needs to breath a little before suffocation.