Help: Finish for frames in direct print contact?

[shutterworks]

Okay, this is likely off topic a bit, but I'm hoping some of you have direct experience or information with mounting after printing.

I make custom frames for some of my prints. In certain instances, I'd like to display without matting or glass, so the print will be in direct contact with the frame. An example is a 16" high by 72" long panorama mounted to gatorboard... don't want the mat distracting, nor the weight or distraction of glass or plexi.

These are wood frames, often made from exotic hardwoods like curly or bird's eye maple, paduk, walnut. Yes, the wood is fully seasoned and dried to an internal moisture of 18% or less.

I don't want to put the print in the frame in direct contact with unfinished wood as wood is naturally acidic.

Does anyone have experience, or know the right family of finish(s) to use? Choices are wide open with a couple of requirements... non-yellowing, mat or semi-gloss, won't hide the wood, and preferably water based. Application can be brush or spray. I've tried talking to manufacturers, but they don't seem to have direct answers about ph, if it prevents wood transfer to print (barrier level), etc.

Essentially, I want to seal and finish the wood and protect the print where in contact.

Thanks for the help!

I print on archival paper (eg, Ilford Gold Fibre, Epson Luster, etc) using K3 inks. I don't coat the print with anything.

[Ken]

Okay, this is likely off topic a bit, but I'm hoping some of you have direct experience or information with mounting after printing.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I don't have exactly the experience you described but...

Like many photographers, I greatly dislike glass in a frame. A few years ago, there was a lot of discussion here and on other forums about how to protect inkjet prints from UV and abrasion, if you go glassless. The product that came out as the winner among all the varieties we tried is called Hydrocoat Polyshield. As the name implies, it's a water-based polymer, and it has UV shielding, and can take quite a bit of punishment after it has dried. It's made for wood, but it's so inert that it won't harm inkjet prints. It's available in gloss, satin and matte, and can be applied with a brush or spray. My guess is that if it doesn't harm a print with direct application, it's probably good for your purpose, too. I got it from [a href=\"http://www.hoodfinishing.com/hydrocote.htm]hoodfinishing.com[/url]

Hood Finishing Products, Inc
61 Berry St
Somerset NJ  08873-3506
Ph.  732-828-7850

[peteh]

Okay, this is likely off topic a bit, but I'm hoping some of you have direct experience or information with mounting after printing.

I make custom frames for some of my prints. In certain instances, I'd like to display without matting or glass, so the print will be in direct contact with the frame. An example is a 16" high by 72" long panorama mounted to gatorboard... don't want the mat distracting, nor the weight or distraction of glass or plexi.

These are wood frames, often made from exotic hardwoods like curly or bird's eye maple, paduk, walnut. Yes, the wood is fully seasoned and dried to an internal moisture of 18% or less.

I don't want to put the print in the frame in direct contact with unfinished wood as wood is naturally acidic.

Does anyone have experience, or know the right family of finish(s) to use? Choices are wide open with a couple of requirements... non-yellowing, mat or semi-gloss, won't hide the wood, and preferably water based. Application can be brush or spray. I've tried talking to manufacturers, but they don't seem to have direct answers about ph, if it prevents wood transfer to print (barrier level), etc.

Essentially, I want to seal and finish the wood and protect the print where in contact.

Thanks for the help!

I print on archival paper (eg, Ilford Gold Fibre, Epson Luster, etc) using K3 inks. I don't coat the print with anything.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=183611\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Your wood should be no greater than 6-8 % moisture content and use shellac like bullseye , clear shellac from Zinnser or make your own shellac from super blonde shellac flakes and good alcohol  to cut it with, like 2 lb. cut or 1 1/2 lb, cut
denatured of course!

[peteh]

Your wood should be no greater than 6-8 % moisture content and use shellac like bullseye , clear shellac from Zinnser or make your own shellac from super blonde shellac flakes and good alcohol  to cut it with, like 2 lb. cut or 1 1/2 lb, cut
denatured of course!
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Here's the lin to zinsser shellac to use
[a href=\"http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=72]http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=72[/url]
SEAL COAT !

[shutterworks]

Ken,

Thanks and I used the Hydrocoat products a while back for some furniture, but didn't think of them for this. I'll give the MN distributor a call to see what they think and will test it out. I'll also ask if it can be applied over other stains or dyes and if it dries completely. I'd like to ensure that it won't stick to the print after being in contact for a time.

Funny thing about this question is that as I've asked custom framing shops, finishers, and others, they look at me like they've never been asked this question.

Any other suggestions?

[shutterworks]

Your wood should be no greater than 6-8 % moisture content and use shellac like bullseye , clear shellac from Zinnser or make your own shellac from super blonde shellac flakes and good alcohol  to cut it with, like 2 lb. cut or 1 1/2 lb, cut
denatured of course!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=183655\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Peteh,

Thanks, and it sounds like you've used Shellac and know what you are talking about!

Ideally 6-8% is the the target but here in Minnesota our humidity drives this up a bit, as measured by moisture meter, but you are right. I've had issues with warping/twisting on large thin frames as I ship these around the states.

I thought about Shellac and wondered as it's a natural byproduct of insects, what the ph is. Do you know?? I also am curious about how Shellac reacts to UV over time. How many coats would you think are enough to fully seal the wood?

Super blonde is a good idea. Liquid shellac, before being concentrated, may be passed thru a series of activated charcoal filters and decolorized  to remove the natural dye. The number of filtering stages thru which the liquid shellac is passed will determine the final color.  Decolonization results in de-waxed (good thing for contact with prints) Super Blonde, Blonde, and Amber grades.

For the curious minded, Shellac is an incredibly versatile finish with a history that can be traced back about 3,000 years to ancient China and India where the natural dye was extracted for dying silk and leather. It was also used as a cosmetic and as a "glue" for setting jewels and repairing pottery. It was not until the mid-16th century that it began to be used as a finish; and not until the mid-19th century that it was in widespread use as a clear finish.

Shellac is a natural resin produced by the secretions of the tiny Lac insect (Laccifer lacca).  Large swarms of this insect, a native of India and Thailand, spend their entire 6-month life cycle on the limbs of small trees that are locally known as "lac trees".  At the end of each cycle, natives gather millions of lac encrusted twigs from the trees.  This "sticklac" is then brought into local processing centers where the lac is scraped from the twigs and either processed locally by hand, or is bagged as "seedlac" or "grainlac" and exported for further processing.

[Dward]

Okay, this is likely off topic a bit, but I'm hoping some of you have direct experience or information with mounting after printing.

I make custom frames for some of my prints. In certain instances, I'd like to display without matting or glass, so the print will be in direct contact with the frame. An example is a 16" high by 72" long panorama mounted to gatorboard... don't want the mat distracting, nor the weight or distraction of glass or plexi.

These are wood frames, often made from exotic hardwoods like curly or bird's eye maple, paduk, walnut. Yes, the wood is fully seasoned and dried to an internal moisture of 18% or less.

I don't want to put the print in the frame in direct contact with unfinished wood as wood is naturally acidic.



One solution is to use Frame Sealing tape, made by Lineco (#L387-0151).  It's an aluminum tape made expressly for sealing frame rabbets to isolate the frame from the art.    Another solution is to use Space Maker from Arlo Inc. (1-800-332-2756).  These are plastic strips with adhesive on one side (the frame side) designed to hold the art away from direct contact with the wood frame.

David V. Ward, Ph. D.
www.dvward.com
David V. Ward Fine Art Photography

[shutterworks]

One solution is to use Frame Sealing tape, made by Lineco (#L387-0151).  It's an aluminum tape made expressly for sealing frame rabbets to isolate the frame from the art.    Another solution is to use Space Maker from Arlo Inc. (1-800-332-2756).  These are plastic strips with adhesive on one side (the frame side) designed to hold the art away from direct contact with the wood frame.

David V. Ward, Ph. D.
www.dvward.com
David V. Ward Fine Art Photography
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=183713\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

David - that's a great suggestion. I'll look into the products you mentioned for isolating the print from the frame. Way cool, and thanks!

What a great group... thanks everyone. I'll report back shortly with an image...

Rick