That Art Wolfe likes them, that's good.
According to their website Art used their standard facemounts using FujiFlex (same process as Peter Lik). "LUMACHROME Prints are a greatly improved print compared to the Fuji Flex creations we made for Art Wolfe in the Natural Wonders Gallery in NYC and Las Vegas.” To me that’s a really unusual case of “name dropping”, as Art apparently found the standard ones to his liking. Perhaps the new process was created after they did this work for Art so they were just trying to message that despite how great those prints looked the new process is even better.
I know a fair amount about the face mounting process. I was just trying to get to the bottom of their printer and what type of film or paper they are using.
Curious if it is something special or the old fashion lip service. The video shows a transparency but all the large pieces coming out of their studio seem to have a dibond or sintra back which would destroy any advantage of a transparency print.
If you watch the slide show it says the backer is “white RC paper base”. No clue what that is, maybe they have a source for uncoated paper that is to makephoto or inkjet papers (or maybe they just process some photo paper without printing anything on it). The process is puzzling to me, as it would involve laminating not once but twice. I assume printed ink side is laminated to this surface, which would make it possible to use silicone to seal it to the acrylic. when using silicone on inkjet I’ve heard you have to seal the ink with some type of laminate.
They're using silicone.
Just curious how you know that. as I mentioned that might explain why they print a transparency the way they do, but this process really hasn’t been used in the U.S. like it has in other places like Europe.
I have seen their prints, and other than it being a inkjet process so perhaps better gamut and detail in the printing process, the overall look isn’t any different to me than other well done face mounted prints. I think the bonding to the acrylic is the secret to the depth and clarity associated with face mounting. I’ve mounted the same image from an Epson printer on Epson Semi matte paper and on Fuji Flex, and side by side the only differences are those that would expect in gamut and detail. As far as richness and saturation, they look pretty much identical.