Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: NigelC on July 09, 2012, 07:32:34 am

Title: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: NigelC on July 09, 2012, 07:32:34 am
I've never used rolls but I'm attracted by the flexibility of cutting sheets from a 17" (12 or 15M) roll for my 3800, rather than A2 sheets, anything from square up to 17" x 37.4"

Would you advise cutting them and then leaving to flatten or use straight after cutting? I would prefer the latter because then there is less time for dust to settle. Most of my problems with paper have been head strikes on the edges (more with some papers than others which I relate partly to the paper itself but mostly on storage issues) so that should improve with a roll as the weight of the roll should keep the edges flat - I suppose the curl from being on the roll is the main issue.
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: JimAscher on July 09, 2012, 09:48:02 am
I've never used rolls but I'm attracted by the flexibility of cutting sheets from a 17" (12 or 15M) roll for my 3800, rather than A2 sheets, anything from square up to 17" x 37.4"

Would you advise cutting them and then leaving to flatten or use straight after cutting? I would prefer the latter because then there is less time for dust to settle. Most of my problems with paper have been head strikes on the edges (more with some papers than others which I relate partly to the paper itself but mostly on storage issues) so that should improve with a roll as the weight of the roll should keep the edges flat - I suppose the curl from being on the roll is the main issue.

i have encountered no problems at all with the following (logical?) method I came up with on own:

I cut the sheet from the roll roughly at the dimensions I want to run through the printer, then press it briefly with a moderately warm clothes iron on my wife's ironing board.  (After all, the paper I'm presuming IS cotton.)   
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: Czornyj on July 09, 2012, 10:36:50 am
I'm mounting prints on boards straight after cutting.

If I need straight, unmounted prints, I'm also ironing them just like Jim. I'm also thinking of buying a thermal press...
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: Light Seeker on July 09, 2012, 11:48:18 am
What a novel ideal! I assume you leave the steam option turned off?

Terry.
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: Czornyj on July 09, 2012, 12:16:58 pm
I leave the steam turned off.

If I have larger amount of prints I also "bake" them in the kichen oven.
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: NigelC on July 09, 2012, 02:17:20 pm
I leave the steam turned off.

If I have larger amount of prints I also "bake" them in the kichen oven.

How do you get it to rise?
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: Thomas Krüger on July 09, 2012, 03:52:16 pm
Just push the yeast channel in Photoshop.  ;D
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: Alan Goldhammer on July 10, 2012, 10:43:49 am
I leave the steam turned off.

If I have larger amount of prints I also "bake" them in the kichen oven.
Have you done this with photo black papers (gloss) or just matte papers?  I worry about the coating on the gloss papers being changed from the heat.

Alan
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: JimAscher on July 10, 2012, 11:51:38 am
Have you done this with photo black papers (gloss) or just matte papers?  I worry about the coating on the gloss papers being changed from the heat.

Alan

Alan:  I have not performed any extensive tests at all for my "home" technique.  I use un-coated matte paper (Epson Hot Press Natural) and have attempted use of nothing else. Regards, Jim
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: NigelC on July 10, 2012, 04:14:05 pm
Thanks for the interesting suggestions (and recipes!). As our ironing board is a bit small and the iron a bit mucky, I will concentrate on making a roller to apply some reverse curl.

One question is can you run the curled length through the printer and then "decurl" before mounting? I note that Epson printers designed for rolls, e.g. the 4900, have a vacuum device to assist the papers passage through the printer.
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: John Nollendorfs on July 10, 2012, 04:20:35 pm
You can reverse curl them on an old printer core. Just leave 6-8" of paper taped to the core as a "starter" to reverse curl your paper, and let it sit for a day or two, if you are using photo paper. Experiment with how long you need to let the paper sit, back curled.

Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: Czornyj on July 11, 2012, 04:16:07 pm
Have you done this with photo black papers (gloss) or just matte papers?  I worry about the coating on the gloss papers being changed from the heat.

Alan

I've done this with RC papers, mostly Canon Glacier (a.k.a. HW Satin) 300gsm. It tolerates high temperatures very well, and doesn't really need high temperatures to get uncurled. I left a pile of prints in my car lately, and next day they were perfectly flat, so I think 50-60˚C is far enough.
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: Alan Goldhammer on July 12, 2012, 06:39:28 am
I've done this with RC papers, mostly Canon Glacier (a.k.a. HW Satin) 300gsm. It tolerates high temperatures very well, and doesn't really need high temperatures to get uncurled. I left a pile of prints in my car lately, and next day they were perfectly flat, so I think 50-60˚C is far enough.
Thanks, I'll give this a try as it's cheaper than buying a D-Roller.
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: JimAscher on July 12, 2012, 10:30:15 am
Thanks, I'll give this a try as it's cheaper than buying a D-Roller.

Alan:  It depends on how expensive the car is.  Regards, Jim
Title: Re: Cutting sheets from a roll
Post by: Alan Goldhammer on July 12, 2012, 04:25:26 pm
Alan:  It depends on how expensive the car is.  Regards, Jim
I already have an iron and ironing board!  No additional equipment needed for your approach.