Alternatives to Gatorfoam?

[mearussi]

Those panels from Jerry's look like a very accessible and reasonably priced source of a Dibond like product.  Please post again once they come and you have had a chance to assess their quality.

I wonder if anybody would suggest a method of gluing photos printed on paper to aluminum that doesn't require a heated laminator or a vacuum table?

Don't know how well it would work for aluminum but it works for me on acrylic:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/46514-REG/Scotch_56816_Mounting_Adhesive_Roll.html

[stockjock]

Don't know how well it would work for aluminum but it works for me on acrylic:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/46514-REG/Scotch_56816_Mounting_Adhesive_Roll.html

That Scotch Adhesive only comes in 16 and 24" rolls and the 24" roll is more than twice the cost of the 16" roll.  Don't you need to have a slightly larger piece of the adhesive versus the panel?  I would want to make 24x30" mounted prints

[mearussi]

That Scotch Adhesive only comes in 16 and 24" rolls and the 24" roll is more than twice the cost of the 16" roll.  Don't you need to have a slightly larger piece of the adhesive versus the panel?  I would want to make 24x30" mounted prints

No, just either carefully align the adhesive 24" sheet or use two 16" sheets side by side and then trim. The glue sheet is very thin.

[Paul Roark]

Those panels from Jerry's look like a very accessible and reasonably priced source of a Dibond like product.  Please post again once they come and you have had a chance to assess their quality.
...

The Jerry's aluminum composite panel arrived and is not flat.  The 30 by 40 inch piece is convex (or concave on the other side) to the extend of about 1/2 inch.  I have not used Dibond, but this degree of warp is beyond what I consider acceptable.  I'll be talking to Jerry's today about a return.

See  http://www.jerrysartarama.com/alumacomp-archival-aluminum-painting-and-mounting-panels?gclid=Cj0KCQjwi97NBRD1ARIsAPXVWWA04KTGuw2eeKRcmw1m7tdtmeAX6E_xHHFsOaIkz0udfVlFENgPCXwaAu7mEALw_wcB for the Jerry's product. 

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

[mearussi]

The Jerry's aluminum composite panel arrived and is not flat.  The 30 by 40 inch piece is convex (or concave on the other side) to the extend of about 1/2 inch.  I have not used Dibond, but this degree of warp is beyond what I consider acceptable.  I'll be talking to Jerry's today about a return.

See  http://www.jerrysartarama.com/alumacomp-archival-aluminum-painting-and-mounting-panels?gclid=Cj0KCQjwi97NBRD1ARIsAPXVWWA04KTGuw2eeKRcmw1m7tdtmeAX6E_xHHFsOaIkz0udfVlFENgPCXwaAu7mEALw_wcB for the Jerry's product. 

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

It is interesting that they are advertised as never warping. But in reality 4mm is pretty thin and can easily be bent. Maybe that's why all the metal prints I've seen have a full four sided frame glued to their back only slightly smaller than the aluminum sheet size, I always assumed to ensure perfect flatness. The thinner something is the more likely it is to warp. Even the acrylic panels I use have to be a minimum of 1/4" thick at the size you're wanting to make sure they're ridged enough to stay flat.

[Ray R]

I have found that larger sheets of aluminium panels will bend if propped up against a wall rather than being stored flat - as I only have a 17" printer, that is the maximum width- but I have had sheets up to 40" long. The frame on the back does help to keep them flat. I only use 2 strips for the frame running lengthways as I don't think the 17" width needs any support.

[Ernst Dinkla]

The Jerry's aluminum composite panel arrived and is not flat.  The 30 by 40 inch piece is convex (or concave on the other side) to the extend of about 1/2 inch.  I have not used Dibond, but this degree of warp is beyond what I consider acceptable.  I'll be talking to Jerry's today about a return.

See  http://www.jerrysartarama.com/alumacomp-archival-aluminum-painting-and-mounting-panels?gclid=Cj0KCQjwi97NBRD1ARIsAPXVWWA04KTGuw2eeKRcmw1m7tdtmeAX6E_xHHFsOaIkz0udfVlFENgPCXwaAu7mEALw_wcB for the Jerry's product. 

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

 

Paul,

Edges cut or sawed?  If they trim the sheets on a Keencut etc for the customer then there is good chance it gets a warp. Sawed that risk should be minimal. Storing it vertical, portrait or landscape,  is not recommended but a 12mm curve difference is a lot for a 4mm sheet. The 40¨ more likely is taken from the width of commercial sheets.

These days I buy the 122 x 244 cm 2mm sheets and store them flat. The 4mm versions I ordered before were sawed and always flat. I could get them with one adhesive side too.

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

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