Proper method to roll prints

[jgbowerman]

I'm interested in general feedback regarding methods used to roll prints. I am specifically interested in the direction one rolls prints when printing with paper rolls... sideways, with the roll curvature, against the roll curvature and whatnot.

Thanks!

Greg

[Colorwave]

I always roll prints for customers the way they come off of the roll in the first place, image side out with acid free interleaving tissue against the image side.  I just find that it is more forgiving and that I'm less likely of damaging the print that way, unless I'm trying to flatten the print for packaging in a sleeve, when I occasionally roll prints up the opposite way in a large roll of heavy paper as my version of the d-roller.

[artobest]

Agreed. I too roll prints image outwards. Same is true of paintings - it's counter-intuitive to some, which is why so many stolen paintings are irretrievably damaged from being rolled face inwards.

[narikin]

which interleave tissue are you using? thanks.

[neile]

I use Apollo tissue from LightImpressionsDirect.com. But be warned: they'll happily take your order even though they won't have the tissue in stock, won't tell you in advance, won't send you an e-mail that it's backordered, and then you'll wait weeks wondering where the heck your order is.

I wish there were another option for buying the stuff in a wide range of pre-cut sizes

Neil

[jgbowerman]

I use Apollo tissue from LightImpressionsDirect.com. But be warned: they'll happily take your order even though they won't have the tissue in stock, won't tell you in advance, won't send you an e-mail that it's backordered, and then you'll wait weeks wondering where the heck your order is.

I wish there were another option for buying the stuff in a wide range of pre-cut sizes

Neil

Thanks for the feedback to everybody.

For interleaving tissue, I'm using buffered paper from archivalmethods.com. I have not ordered from them but a couple or three times, and I don't recall any problems as go customer service issues.

A link to their interleaving tissue: http://www.archivalmethods.com/Product.cfm?categoryid=7&Productid=109

Greg

[Nill Toulme]

Does all of this mean that rolling the print the other way in order to flatten it is likely to damage the surface?  E.g., with a D-roller?  I've always rolled against the existing curl for shipping, on the theory that it would pop out flatter for the customer that way, and I've never had any complaints.  But then I use exclusively luster surface paper (which I imagine is less fragile than fine art papers), and I don't roll it very tightly.

Nill

[Sven W]

I always roll prints for customers the way they come off of the roll in the first place, image side out with acid free interleaving tissue against the image side.  I just find that it is more forgiving and that I'm less likely of damaging the print that way, unless I'm trying to flatten the print for packaging in a sleeve, when I occasionally roll prints up the opposite way in a large roll of heavy paper as my version of the d-roller.

Same here. Rolled image side out with interleaving tissue. I usually ship in the same tubes which the rolls arrive. Esp. Epsons
are very sturdy. The only problem is that I have more prints to ship, than empty tubes
I've asked around by my distributors, were I can by new, unused tubes. But no one could answer were they are manufactured.
The common round tubes, are to tight.

If a customer want the prints flat, I use a D-Roller (print protected by a tissue) and ship between very stiff three-layer board.
/Sven

[Nill Toulme]

...The common round tubes, are to tight.
...

I like these in the 24x3" (for 17" wide stock):

http://www.uline.com/bl_3658/Triangle-Tubes

Nill

[Wayne Fox]

Does all of this mean that rolling the print the other way in order to flatten it is likely to damage the surface?  E.g., with a D-roller? 
Nill

There has been some discussion regarding reverse rolling inkjet papers causing microscopic cracks in the inkjet receptor coating. I'm not sure what the repercussions of that might be as far as longevity, and haven't seen any definitive discussion as to whether it is enough to justify concern.  It would seem logical the tighter you reverse roll it the more likely it will occur and the more damage will be done.

[Nill Toulme]

OK.  But I imagine you can probably also do some damage by rolling too tight even with the image side out ... no?

Nill

[Ernst Dinkla]

OK.  But I imagine you can probably also do some damage by rolling too tight even with the image side out ... no?

Nill

With thin papers, say 100-150 grams, I will use a small core 2" to decurl. I would never use that for thicker art papers etc with their thicker inkjet coating. In that case I would use a 3" core or a 5" one and let time do its work. Another factor is humidity. If one has a shop in the desert and humidity stays below 40% most of the time it would be wise to be more stringent. I ship my prints reversed curled on a core usually 3" sometimes 5". the last are specially made by a carton tube manufacturer. There are no complaints.

The analogy to an old painting cut from its frame is far fetched in my opinion.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[jgbowerman]

There has been some discussion regarding reverse rolling inkjet papers causing microscopic cracks in the inkjet receptor coating. I'm not sure what the repercussions of that might be as far as longevity, and haven't seen any definitive discussion as to whether it is enough to justify concern.  It would seem logical the tighter you reverse roll it the more likely it will occur and the more damage will be done.

For 30x20 inch prints and smaller, I have been using the D-Roller: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/d-roller.shtml

I ship prints without mats flat between stiff cardboard. When I outsourced printing, the prints would ship to me rolled, and I had trouble unrolling them without causing a small crease or dimple (it did not help that they were rolled somewhat tightly). Using the D-Roller, I have had excellent results as far as my eye can see (there is a bit of a learning curve with the ideal technique). I'm printing on 300 to 315-weight paper the majority of the time, and I find around 20 seconds does the job well enough. Any slight memory curl that returns is easy enough to work with and archival mounting proceeds without difficulty, the window mat serves adequately to finish the flattening. Unless I print on cut sheets, I don't know of a more effective way to flatten my prints. I have heard of people weighting prints under a flat board for a period of time, and I have not tried this myself choosing to go with the quicker D-Rolling technique.

For prints larger than 30x20, shipping flat becomes less and less practical, and therefore the incentive to start this thread.