Face Mounting

[David Luttmann]

I normally let the pros handle framing and the like for my prints, but I have been experimenting recently cutting my own mattes and at doing some basic framing. I have recently been looking at the face mounting process to either Plexi or glass. I’ve seen plenty mentioned on different adhesives like Optimount Ultra being safe for Ultrachrome/K3 etc, but I can’t seem to find any resources on doing this whole process yourself as opposed to having commercial services do it for you…..could be my bad Google skills though.

Anyone have or seen any resources on how to tackle this yourself.

Thanks in advance

[Gordon Moat]

You need a fairly serious (expensive) laminator to get consistent results. Even then, I would expect some errors in mounting damaging prints. I suppose you could do it yourself, but I don't know that you would save much money in the long run . . . and it actually might cost you more.

Check out a magazine and website called The Big Picture. That will have information on large laminators, wide printers, and other finishing equipment. You might also want to contact Pixel 2 Editions, who are a small company that do lots of face mount. I have been to their facility, and they have what I would consider a nice set-up; I don't recall what laminator they are using.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

[David Luttmann]

Thanks Gordon. I had no idea that it would be so involved. I guess I will just let someone else handle the working after I've made the print.

All the best.

[Martin Miller]

Handling large prints by yourself is difficult at best, but here is what I have done for prints up to 40x50". Cut 1/8" plex and Sintra (expanded PVC) to size and trim print to same dimensions. Vacuum plex and Sintra thoroughly and wipe with an antistatic brush (Kinetronics). Lay the print face up on the Sintra. On an adjacent table remove the plex paper backing from the side to be in contact with the print using a long thick dowel and rolling the backing onto the dowel slowly. Do one more swipe on this exposed plex face with the antistatic brush. Now lower the plex onto the print. Clamp the resulting sandwich at intervals along the perimeter usinf rubber tipped spring clamps and remove the paper backing from the outer face of the plex. At this point I cover the exposed outer face of the plex with 1/8" foam sheet (the pink antistatic stuff) and put flat weights on top. (For weights I use 3/4x24x24" MDF boards that I have attached handles to on one side.) This gets most of the air out from the sandwich. Now I seal all edges with archival Mylar tape (University Products) leaving only about 1/16" showing at front edge. The tape will be covered by the frame rabbet. This provides a pretty good dust, bug, and pollution seal and gives enough rigidity to the sandwich to handle (with gloves) and drop into the frame rabbet.

I would not do this to a silver gelatin print because of the hydroscopic nature of the emulsion. However, I have recovered RC inkjet prints undamaged from such a sandwich after a year with no problems. This method may actually be a fairly archival and non-destructive method of mounting, unlike true face mounting where the print face becomes the outer acrylic surface and therefore quite vulnerable to damage. Thus far I have used only Epson RC papers and the RC surface may actually help with the process due to its static charge. I have not yet tested the technique with some of the new baryta-coated inkjet papers, but I don't anticipate any problems. Of course, the static of the RC print and plex leads to some frustration in removing dust whereas in face mounting the dust simply melds into the adhesive.

A first-class professional face-mount with custom-made, splined-corner hardwood framing for a 40x50" print can cost upwards of $1000 (e.g., Laumont Photographic in nyc). If you are mounting a solo show of, say, 10 images, you had better have deep pockets. So for now I make my own frames from scratch and use the above mounting technique, however, it is frankly not fun and I will gladly turn the process over to someone else as soon as that is possible. The final product looks pretty good, though not as good as face-mounting. Also, thermal expansion/contraction of the plex is greater than that of the print and in extreme cases can produce some perceptible waves in the print, but this is reversible. So apart from the onerous labor, this method should, on balance, be preferred by archivists and it can be done by one person without special equipment but with patience and practice.

[David Luttmann]

Thank Martin. I may give it a go.

[ChadLanc]

general graphics here in SF can do it also