Mounting Options

[Paul Ozzello]

Hi all,

What is the best way of mounting fine art inkjet prints (printed on Epson Hot Press Natural) ? I realize mounting isn't considered archival but I'm looking for something pseudo-archival that will last the life of the buyer

I've come across various types of mounting boards: aluminum, dibond, gatorboard, foam-cor, sintra etc. and as many adhesive types: cold vs hot vs wet vs dry ! The dibond and aluminum panels seem best, what adhesive works best with them?

I have an old Seal heat press with a 20 some inch platen, could I use it with one of the dry mounting adhesive tissues like I did in the old days with fiber prints a museum board ? I'm mounting 42" prints so I would have to do it in sections, can it be done without leaving marks ?

Finally I want to hand varnish/roll them with Glamour II matte, is this a good substitute for glass ?

[Graham Clark]

Hi all,

What is the best way of mounting fine art inkjet prints (printed on Epson Hot Press Natural) ? I realize mounting isn't considered archival but I'm looking for something pseudo-archival that will last the life of the buyer

I've come across various types of mounting boards: aluminum, dibond, gatorboard, foam-cor, sintra etc. and as many adhesive types: cold vs hot vs wet vs dry ! The dibond and aluminum panels seem best, what adhesive works best with them?

I have an old Seal heat press with a 20 some inch platen, could I use it with one of the dry mounting adhesive tissues like I did in the old days with fiber prints a museum board ? I'm mounting 42" prints so I would have to do it in sections, can it be done without leaving marks ?

Finally I want to hand varnish/roll them with Glamour II matte, is this a good substitute for glass ?

Hey Paul!

Are you looking for an archival or non-archival method of displaying?

Graham

[Paul Ozzello]

Hey Paul!

Are you looking for an archival or non-archival method of displaying?

Graham

Hi Graham ! As 'archival' as possible without mounting in a hinge. I'm making prints for an upcoming show this summer but I also sell them. Until now I sell unframed and recommend hinging and matted behind glass but I'd rather have a more 'modern' presentation without glass and perfectly flat.

[hugowolf]

I have recently been trying V-hinge mounting to Gator with a thin wooden black frame. No mat and no gazing. Experiments with using the same technique with foam board worked ok, but sometimes the foam board would warp a little and the prints would bulge.

The problem is the small rabbet/rebate, which is only 1/8” or a 1/4”. Dry mounting certainly gets around the problem, but then the technique isn’t museum archival as far as the print goes.

I am really starting to think of the print dry-mounted to an archival board as being archival. With monotypes, you are talking about one off prints. And in the case or mezzotints and monoprints, perhaps a couple of dozen prints before the plate wears out. With a digital image printing, not so much.

So the ‘original’ becomes the print and board, rather than just the print. Does this make it less of an artwork?

Brian A

[bill t.]

V-hinge mounting to Gator will leave the print open of formaldehyde outgassing from the bare Gator.  Ironically, gluing the print to the Gator probably offers more protection, since the dried glue will not support very much chemical action, and also provides a barrier against the formaldehyde fumes.

I now have many examples of all kinds of mounting techniques out in the field for many years (and in some cases decades), and I can say with confidence that the most durable pieces are coated canvas glued to Gator and in a few cases Masonite.  I think humidity and airborne crud like human respiration by products and various household aerosols are very substantial threats to print longevity, and if you can isolate your print front and back from that stuff, you may be doing yourself a favor.  I'm no archival expert, but I am a pretty good objective observer and that's what I'm seeing.

Edit...matte varnish will make your print look like crap.  Start testing with pure gloss, then ever so delicately add small amounts of matte to that until you like what you see.  Matte varnish brings up you maxD to grey, and pulls down your highlights.

[Graham Clark]

I've been experimenting with various methods of mounting in galleries throughout San Francisco, and so far these are the top 4 sellers in order:

1. 8x8 Lustre mounted to Styrene $50 (all proceeds donated), best-sellers are of SF and Yosemite
2. 8x8 Plexi mounted metallic editions of 75 for $150
3. 16x24 plexi mounted metallic editions of 50 for $697
4. 24x36 plexi mounted metallic editions of 25 for $2200

Canvas, aluminum, traditional framing and other methods don't seem to be working so well. The SF-based prospect however is looking for something with lower cost and a more modern look.

I'm also in a co-op gallery with 20 mixed artists so I'm seeing consistency even there, even with different mediums behind the mounting options.

[bill t.]

I personally will not consider selling a product that does not have at least enough durability to withstand the ordinary threats found around the house.  Chief among them is Windex, the enemy of all inkjet prints.  A tiny drop wafting across the room can put a bleached white spot in just about any unprotected print, in about 1 second.  For some real fun, spritz a bare print with Windex!  It's an ethical thing, I feel compelled to protect my customers from themselves, and I also like to avoid bad word of mouth.  You can tell somebody 10 times not to use cleaning agents but then they will, or the maid will, or somebody in the family will.  An unprotected piece of art on the wall has very little chance of surviving more than a few years.   Just a moist finger-poke or a gentle wipe with a paper towel or rag can kill it.  And it will piss them off, long after they forgot what you said, or even if they remember.

I stopped doing editions early in my revived photo career.  Glad I did!  I lost a couple of popular and impossible to reproduce images to editions of of 100.  Otherwise I probably could have earned a lot more on each.  Subsequently, I have several open editions in the coupla-thousand copy range with plenty of sales potential remaining.  Editions don't make a damned bit of difference to 99% of my clients.  "If I was editioning this piece, I would have to charge $5,000 instead of $950."  That's all it takes.  And don't forget that open edition prints of Maxfield Parrish's "Daybreak" were in something like 20% of American households during the 20's, which beats even Andy Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans" and Da Vinci's "Last Supper."  The Holy Trinity of American Taste.  I'm just over 2,000 for 220,000 on one particular image here in Albuquerque, that's not even 1% and points up the importance of maintaining multiple venues reaching different segments of the population, and also the non-trivial potential of marketing local interest images.

A 20-person co-op?  That's gotta be tough, co-ops are like being caught in the middle of a civil war.  Galleries are so much easier.

[Graham Clark]

I personally will not consider selling a product that does not have at least enough durability to withstand the ordinary threats found around the house.  Chief among them is Windex, the enemy of all inkjet prints.  A tiny drop wafting across the room can put a bleached white spot in just about any unprotected print, in about 1 second.  For some real fun, spritz a bare print with Windex!  It's an ethical thing, I feel compelled to protect my customers from themselves, and I also like to avoid bad word of mouth.  You can tell somebody 10 times not to use cleaning agents but then they will, or the maid will, or somebody in the family will.  An unprotected piece of art on the wall has very little chance of surviving more than a few years.   Just a moist finger-poke or a gentle wipe with a paper towel or rag can kill it.  And it will piss them off, long after they forgot what you said, or even if they remember.

I stopped doing editions early in my revived photo career.  Glad I did!  I lost a couple of popular and impossible to reproduce images to editions of of 100.  Otherwise I probably could have earned a lot more on each.  Subsequently, I have several open editions in the coupla-thousand copy range with plenty of sales potential remaining.  Editions don't make a damned bit of difference to 99% of my clients.  "If I was editioning this piece, I would have to charge $5,000 instead of $950."  That's all it takes.  And don't forget that open edition prints of Maxfield Parrish's "Daybreak" were in something like 20% of American households during the 20's, which beats even Andy Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans" and Da Vinci's "Last Supper."  The Holy Trinity of American Taste.  I'm just over 2,000 for 220,000 on one particular image here in Albuquerque, that's not even 1% and points up the importance of maintaining multiple venues reaching different segments of the population, and also the non-trivial potential of marketing local interest images.

A 20-person co-op?  That's gotta be tough, co-ops are like being caught in the middle of a civil war.  Galleries are so much easier.

Hey Bill,

- Just to ensure it's crystal clear, I have no emotional attachment to the methods above - they're selling highest in that order. In other words it's a direct response from the market.

- I agree, some co-op's can be a bit hectic. Photographers (and artists generally) are generally not well-versed in the business (and marketing) side of their medium, so in a way it makes sense why an environment full of these kinds is a bit like herding cats.

- In my opinion co-op's are a great place to A/B test mounting methods. I'm in three currently (City Art SF, Steamboat Artists Gallery, Steamboat CO and Venue, Seattle) and it's interesting to see what's trending in very different areas of the country. Often times I'm seeing a similar trend which is often contrary to what I would expect.

[bill t.]

I think you may be seeing a direct response to price, more than format.  I have experimented with small, $170 versions of a few pieces that work well small.  They get snapped up in a few days.  But they're a PITA and do not offer a very good return on time invested unless I use gang-printing and hard-core production techniques, which is not how I want to live.  I think it's important not to establish a low-cost reputation early in one's career, which is easier said than done when cash flow is so vital.

[Graham Clark]

I think you may be seeing a direct response to price, more than format.  I have experimented with small, $170 versions of a few pieces that work well small.  They get snapped up in a few days.  But they're a PITA and do not offer a very good return on time invested unless I use gang-printing and hard-core production techniques, which is not how I want to live.  I think it's important not to establish a low-cost reputation early in one's career, which is easier said than done when cash flow is so vital.

In my tests, and from what I see plexi is currently the preferred medium for high quality prints. Again, I'm emotionally disconnected from this. It's just numbers.

Price is always a driver, and selling at high prices without editions is a very unusual tactic indeed.

[Gary Damaskos]

Hi all,

What is the best way of mounting fine art inkjet prints (printed on Epson Hot Press Natural) ? I realize mounting isn't considered archival but I'm looking for something pseudo-archival that will last the life of the buyer

I've come across various types of mounting boards: aluminum, dibond, gatorboard, foam-cor, sintra etc. and as many adhesive types: cold vs hot vs wet vs dry ! The dibond and aluminum panels seem best, what adhesive works best with them?

I have an old Seal heat press with a 20 some inch platen, could I use it with one of the dry mounting adhesive tissues like I did in the old days with fiber prints a museum board ? I'm mounting 42" prints so I would have to do it in sections, can it be done without leaving marks ?

Finally I want to hand varnish/roll them with Glamour II matte, is this a good substitute for glass ?

I have been mounting on Standouts from CodaMount and for matte paper spraying a protective coat, often Kyrlon Kamar. For gloss paper using Standouts and print has a gloss polyester overlam also from Codamount that is very durable. And I personally love the presentation, durability and ease of hanging. I have had some of my own around me for years and they are very stable (as in still look brand new). Good luck though. It is true, popular or not, I am one that does not like photos on canvas at all. 

[dgberg]

Gary,
I use a good bit of overlaminates here and have some of Seals polyester gloss but do not use it much. Stuff is really tough to put on and just one speck of dust and it is done.
It has gotten about 75% better since I have added humidity,air purification and static control throughout the shop. All of this done for our facemounting operation.
We have facemounted for several years for workshops but have never perfected it for sales. We are just about ready for prime time.

On the canvas comment I would never try to convert you but our customers sure love it.
I think our canvas prints and mounts run about 75% of total sales.
It may not be your favorite media but if your customers were given the option I am sure they would buy.

[Paul2660]

Methods I have used in the past:

1.  Heat press with Beinfang Rag mount.  This is 100% archival mount and with a matte paper makes a beautiful presentation.  You can mount this easily to 3/16 foam core.  Note, I use Black acid free foam core at times depending on the client.  Rag mount is very easy to work with and I have yet to see any release over time or bubbling.

2.  Hinge mount, with a D-curled matte print, you may be able to get an excellent hinge mount.  In my environment I don't do this except on smaller prints as in Arkansas the humidity can create curl overtime.  The mat you use will help hold the print down. 

3.  Float mount.  you can gain a bit of separation from the others out there.  Offers you the ability to deckle the edges or leave them hard.  I love the look as it pulls the print up off the base and if you float the mat (8 ply works best) then the effect can really give your work a great appearance.   Floating takes more time to learn but I feel it pays off in the long run.

Paul Caldwell

[Gary Damaskos]

Gary,
I use a good bit of overlaminates here and have some of Seals polyester gloss but do not use it much. Stuff is really tough to put on and just one speck of dust and it is done.
It has gotten about 75% better since I have added humidity,air purification and static control throughout the shop. All of this done for our facemounting operation.
We have facemounted for several years for workshops but have never perfected it for sales. We are just about ready for prime time.

On the canvas comment I would never try to convert you but our customers sure love it.
I think our canvas prints and mounts run about 75% of total sales.
It may not be your favorite media but if your customers were given the option I am sure they would buy.

Thanks for sharing Dan. The cold press overlam and I do OK with dust and stuff, don't really get to fancy to avoid problems. Of course I can't claim 100% no dust no issues either. Regarding canvas - having spent part of my life participating in the American craft movement 70s-90s (which kinda of suffered a major stroke upon the passing of NAFTA), there is the constant balancing act between doing this art-craft for love or money. Currently me and some of my "artist/craftsmen" friends are leaning towards do it for love, support it with other sources of income if necessary, but do what we love / our vision. So I am not recommending anyone change, I understand the public likes canvas. Everyone decides what is right for themselves to do and we all know printing is expensive equipment and learning wise. I actually like being more unique as long as it has "integrity". Sometimes such a path leads to break throughs and establishment of new trends. Fun discussion...

[JeanMichel]

In film and paper days I always dry-mounted my prints. My earliest student-days prints date from the late 60's and look all fine some 50 hears later, and that is in normal storage. Prints on display in homes of buyers are also as god today as when purchased. Mind you, those prints are b&w prints made on fibre-based papers and selenium-toned.  Dry-mounting my early digital prints did not work well for me so I started to mount with linen hinging tape, I also tried japanese hinging tissue, but for my larger prints I now use mounting strips from Lineco. A 'no going back' decision has been my choice of ArtGlass for the glazing, somewhat pricey -- but still half the price of Museum Glass -- but given the choice, people always choose that option.

Jean-Michel

[Paul Ozzello]

Edit...matte varnish will make your print look like crap.  Start testing with pure gloss, then ever so delicately add small amounts of matte to that until you like what you see.  Matte varnish brings up you maxD to grey, and pulls down your highlights.

Thanks for pointing that out, I just changed my order with Breathing Color to include a pint of gloss !

[Paul Ozzello]

In my tests, and from what I see plexi is currently the preferred medium for high quality prints. Again, I'm emotionally disconnected from this. It's just numbers.

Price is always a driver, and selling at high prices without editions is a very unusual tactic indeed.

Plexi can be really nice for color but kills a rag fine art black and white print.

[Paul Ozzello]

Gary,
I use a good bit of overlaminates here and have some of Seals polyester gloss but do not use it much. Stuff is really tough to put on and just one speck of dust and it is done.
It has gotten about 75% better since I have added humidity,air purification and static control throughout the shop. All of this done for our facemounting operation.
We have facemounted for several years for workshops but have never perfected it for sales. We are just about ready for prime time.

On the canvas comment I would never try to convert you but our customers sure love it.
I think our canvas prints and mounts run about 75% of total sales.
It may not be your favorite media but if your customers were given the option I am sure they would buy.

Hi Dan,

Have you done much varnishing with Timeless/Glamour II on rag type papers ? I ordered the Glamour II and the foam roller based on some of your comments on another thread

I recently saw some of Michael Eastman's work in a Chelsea gallery and his finishing technique is exquisite - I wanted to try something similar.

Eastman says of this work, “I have always been a printmaker and this new body of work culminates a lengthy exploration into creating prints that take advantage of several centuries of photography, printmaking and painting processes. By applying multiple coats of the oil glaze formulas of Rembrandt and then painting multiple lacquer finishes on the digital prints made on watercolor paper, the resultant prints are rich in ways that I have always strived to produce.”

Any idea of the actual process ?

Paul

[Paul Ozzello]

Methods I have used in the past:

1.  Heat press with Beinfang Rag mount.  This is 100% archival mount and with a matte paper makes a beautiful presentation.  You can mount this easily to 3/16 foam core.  Note, I use Black acid free foam core at times depending on the client.  Rag mount is very easy to work with and I have yet to see any release over time or bubbling.

2.  Hinge mount, with a D-curled matte print, you may be able to get an excellent hinge mount.  In my environment I don't do this except on smaller prints as in Arkansas the humidity can create curl overtime.  The mat you use will help hold the print down. 

3.  Float mount.  you can gain a bit of separation from the others out there.  Offers you the ability to deckle the edges or leave them hard.  I love the look as it pulls the print up off the base and if you float the mat (8 ply works best) then the effect can really give your work a great appearance.   Floating takes more time to learn but I feel it pays off in the long run.

Paul Caldwell

Hi Paul, thanks for the suggestions.

1. My Heat press is only 20" and I want to mount 42" x 42", can I do it in sections without leaving marks ?

2. I want to avoid hinging...

3. That's what I'm trying to achieve but with the addition of a surrounding wooden frame.

[Paul2660]

Paul,

I don't think you can mount with a press without marks on the larger prints.  The platen of the press will leave a line.  

On the float mounts, I will float the print, float the mat, leaving about 1/2" of space between the edge of the print and mat.  This will all easily go into a frame with around 1/2 rabbet.  Here is more on the rabbet.

http://www.pictureframes.com/html/rabbet.html

I use several different wood frames for to enhance the overall effect of the float.

I also attached a shot showing a 30 x 40 framed print of a float I recently did.  Mat is 8 ply and print is floated on a 1 ply rag.


Paul