Pano Prints: Storing, De-Rolling, and Shipping

[drralph]

I have been shooting panos for a few years, but only now am acquiring a printer capable of printing them at substantial size.  I am at a loss to decide how to store such prints.  As much as I would love a large, custom print case so I could store them flat, I am space challenged.  I am considering storing them rolled, and am wondering if this will create terminal curling issues.  I could potentially find a spot for flat storage if it were possible to do this vertically, particularly if the box is light and portable.

I am interested in the experience of the group on the best way to ship a pano print to a client.

I will also be using roll paper for the first time.  I have seen the pricy de-rollers like the D&K, and wonder if something like that is worth the investment.  D&K De-Roller  Could I do just as well making something out of a mailing tube, or core of a paper roll? 

[howardm]

I've heard of a number of people using some 3-4" diameter PVC pipe and a shower curtain.

When I bought sheet pano paper from RedRiver, it came in a shortened 12" (?) diameter Sonotube (the kind you get at Lowe's for pouring concrete) w/ plastic endcaps.

[BobDavid]

I have a a 50" Bienfang De-Roller. I'll sell it for $50 plus shipping. It works really well on cotton rag paper, though it isn't good for alpha cellulose paper. I use a dry mount press for flattening prints.

[DeanChriss]

For rolled storage the bigger the diameter of the tube the better off you'll be regarding curl. The Sonotube suggested by howardm sounds like a great idea. You could store quite a few prints in one, but I'd put interleaving paper between them to avoid scratches, and accessing the innermost ones would be a bit of a chore.

As for de-rolling, I'd wait to see how bad the curl is before investing in or making anything. Some papers are far less of a problem than others, and some printers are better than than others when it comes to paper curl too. Paper curl of Ilford GFS prints made from rolls on my previous printer (Epson 7900) were very hard to deal with, and de-rolling often resulted in a "wave" created by the leading edge of the paper. Now with an Epson P7000 the different ink relaxes the paper and has eliminated the need for de-rolling (which I'm very happy about). Years ago a friend with one of the older Canon printers that did not have a straight paper path had fewer problems with curl because the printer straightened out the paper a little when it was fed through.

[PeterAit]

My approach to panos has been to present them as triptychs or other multiple print assemblages. So for example a 24 x 90 inch pano would be printed and mounted as three 24 x 30 inch prints and then hung appropriately. This can be a very effective presentation method visually and lets you deal with reasonably sized prints.

[dgberg]

We specialize in Pano printing and mounting but 99% are mounted on canvas.
Canvas eliminates all your storage problems. Roll it up and put it in a tube. Pull it out a year from now and mount it.
We ship canvas panos in a tube and have the clients take it to their local framer for mounting.
It can get very expensive shipping oversized mounted prints.
Being in the mounting and framing business we would prefer to mount and frame everything but it is just not cost effective to ship.
Our local clientele orders mounted and framed work.
Printing paper I would wait until you have an order before printing.
Try some canvas. It sells! Really well!

[drralph]

Try some canvas. It sells! Really well!

I'm intrigued, Dan.  What type of canvas do you recommend, and what type of varnish?

[dgberg]

In the past I have used Breathing Colors Lyve and Chromatta White.
Too many shipping issues. (Takes a week to get.)
I buy all my canvas from Lexjet and am printing on Sunset Reserve Bright.
A very good cotton blend and priced pretty decent at $1.09 a sq. ft.
To the Boston area it is either 1 or 2 days ground UPS from the Delaware warehouse.
I still use Breathing Colors Glamor II and most times mix 80% gloss with 20% matte for a nice satin finish.
It can be rolled or sprayed. If you do any amount of this at all you may want to set up a spray area and get a good HVLP setup.

[Paul Roark]

We specialize in Pano printing and mounting but 99% are mounted on canvas.
Canvas eliminates all your storage problems. Roll it up and put it in a tube. ...
We ship canvas panos in a tube and have the clients take it to their local framer for mounting.
It can get very expensive shipping oversized mounted prints.
...

I'm looking at the same issues.  What I'll be doing is have some mounted for display in a show but ship only rolled canvas.

However, unlike Dan, I'm an individual photographer, and I don't think my volume or space justifies a spray booth.  I'm not convinced rollers can reliably do a good job on large prints.  So, when needed (like matte canvas displayed without glazing), the water-based spraying will be outsourced.  For my show, I'll use a glossy canvas and mount to a solid backing, then use a frame.  For that I can use Print Shield solvent based spray, which is too brittle to roll and ship, or even stretch.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com