Dry mount pressed prints and wrinkles

[chris kleihege]

Hi gang,
Perhaps someone can solve one of those little mysteries I’ve never figured out myself. Why do I sometimes get wrinkles on the edges of my dry mount pressed prints, and why do I sometimes not? And for the first time it just popped in my head, if I have a print with wrinkles, can I re-wet the paper and press it again and eliminate the wrinkles?
Thanks,
Chris

[Bob Salomon]

Hi gang,
Perhaps someone can solve one of those little mysteries I’ve never figured out myself. Why do I sometimes get wrinkles on the edges of my dry mount pressed prints, and why do I sometimes not? And for the first time it just popped in my head, if I have a print with wrinkles, can I re-wet the paper and press it again and eliminate the wrinkles?
Thanks,
Chris

If you are using a Seal or similar dry mount press the proper procedure is to heat the board, tissue and print in the press, remove it and put a heavy weight on the sandwich till it cools.
If you are using a hardbed press like an Ademco then the sandwich is properly mounted when it comes out of the press.
If you are using a mounting tissue that allows you to reheat and remove the print, yes it can be easily removed. Otherwise it can’t be.

[Pieter]

I have had the same problem mostly when using the press to flatten prints. I have yet to see it on dry mounting. I did some experimenting and found the prints have less or no wrinkling of the edges when I put them in long side parallel to the handle, rather than perpendicular. My press has seen quite a bit of use before it came to me from a college photo darkroom, so it could be uneven heating or pressure that causes the problem.

[chris kleihege]

My mistake and to clarify, I am not dry mounting the prints. I simply put them in the Seal Dry Mount Press. Sorry, I will try to be more clear next time.

[Fred L]

When flattening prints in my Seal, I put the print between two sheets of acid free boards, then heat. Try to stick around 200°F for a minute or so. Haven't noticed any waviness along the edges.

[Richard Wasserman]

I had this problem and traced it to a lack of humidity when drying prints in the winter. Running a humidifier so the prints dried more slowly cured the wrinkled edges. About 1 minute at 200 Degrees in a press and then a few minutes to cool under a weight flattened them nicely.

[Ulophot]

My darkroom humidity lunges in the winter; in summer, I have to dehumidify. I get winter edge wrinkles, too, especially 8x10 and 11x14 (my largest), and yes, it is from their drying faster than the inner area or the print. I dampen a clean cloth with distilled water and use it to lightly dampen the back of the print's affected edge areas, often spreading inwards from the edge an inch or a bit more. Fifteen seconds or so in a warm press before flattening, or simply pressed under heavy flattener, does the trick.

[xkaes]

Chris,
You need to be specific about what you are using and what you are doing?
What exactly are you trying to attach to what with what?
At this point we are guessing -- and probably wrongly.

[Pieter]

Chris,
You need to be specific about what you are using and what you are doing?
What exactly are you trying to attach to what with what?
At this point we are guessing -- and probably wrongly.

I believe he is just flattening the prints, not attaching them to anything.

[chris kleihege]

Hi Xkaes and all,
I’m sorry as I didn’t add all info that may be relevant. I do not have a problem with 8x10 prints but with 16x20 and 20x24. I am using a Seal Dry Mount Press with 2 acid free boards, one on top of the print and the other on the bottom. The temperature on the press is set to 250 degrees because a teacher decades ago told me that was correct, no other reason. I am in Chicago and the relative humidity today is 40%, about normal for this time of year. I simply place the print in the press, wait a minute, and take it out. The problem is not with the edges being a bit wavy but with a few sharply defined wrinkles. And the wrinkles are not in each print, but are immediately apparent when removing “a problem print” from the press. That is all the info I can think of. And thank you to everyone weighing in. I greatly appreciate it.
Chris