Help mounting glossy prints.

**riooso** · 16-Jun-2007, 10:48

I really need help mounting glossy prints like Endura Metal and Fuji Super Glossy prints. I have used simple ways to mount prints for myself but people are asking for prints now. I am flattered but at the same time it is a hassle. I am testing different methods for mounting 16X20 images with a 2" border. I know this has been done to death but here goes. I had a glossy print dry mounted on foam core and it came out well but there is a slight dimpling effect. I would suspect that under glass it would all but disappear. I had it done by a local shop and I am sure it is the best that they can do because they were very proud of it. If I have WCI print and mount will I still have that same problem? If not, why? Do they sand the board before mounting? Gator board has about the same finish so is it possible to mount on something extremely smooth? I know that I can corner mount and because of the border the image will retain the original size. I like this also because when I print the border I can make it a particular color to bring out what I want and mat a 1/4" outward with a standard mat. It looks very good if the proper color and density is chosen. Is there a good book to get on mounting?

Thanks for the help,
Richard

**photographs42** · 16-Jun-2007, 13:19

I don’t know anything at all about those papers but dry mounting on foam core is a bad idea. It is too soft and any undue pressure will dent or dimple it. However you mount, you should use a 4 ply archival mat board behind the print.
Jerome

**Doug Dolde** · 27-Feb-2009, 10:44

Dry mounting isn't really necessary for a 16x20 on thick papers. Just use linen tape T hinges but be sure to put them where the mat will cover the part of the hinge that's on the back of the print. They can show thru otherwise.

I've found it very hard to dry mount super gloss without getting an orange peel effect. And that was on Gatorboard, very smooth. If anything use archival matboard to mount to; Gatorboard is hard but isn't archival.

**bob carnie** · 27-Feb-2009, 12:10

Cold Mounting to Dibond seems to be the smoothest I have seen, getting rid of the orange peel effect has always been problematic in the past.
We have switched over to Dibond for critical work and have been very happy with the result.

**caleb** · 27-Feb-2009, 12:40

I have had great success with both of those papers. I drymount on aluminum in my vacuum press with colormount or mt5. I have recently been playing with the dibond material and it works really well also.

**Drew Wiley** · 27-Feb-2009, 13:13

The smoothest foam-type board available is called Ultraboard. Gator needs light sanding in order to get adhesion. Do not use museum board like you do for b&w prints,
and do not drymount or use spray adhesives. You need a high-pressure roller system
and a correct adhesive film. Expect to spend some bucks. Or you could order board
precoated from someone like Oregon Lamination. A slip sheet of silicone paper (like you use for drymounting) is useful. It's like rolling out Formica. For plastic-based prints
you could try static mounting, but this won't work in damp weather. RC prints won't static mount. Save your bum prints to experiment with. Expect to encounter a lot of
bad information (including a few uninformed statements already on this thread).
Dibond is great for big display prints but pricey. Just remember that getting a good
smooth finish at the outset doesn't always solve the problem - adhesives can fail over
time. There are a lot of tricks to it.