Acrylic mounted inkjet prints

[Luca Ragogna]

Can anyone point me to a tutorial on how to face-mount prints on acrylic? I've attached a picture of what I'm looking to do. Also any recommendations as to adhesives would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[bill t.]

Search "facemount" on youtube.com for some examples of the process.  There are also several threads on these forums.

Bottom line...very difficult to do and with a relatively low success rate due to problems with dust and lots of other things.  The life expectancy of facemounted prints is probably rather low due to mechanical and chemical considerations.  Also, the acrylic becomes not a protective glazing buy rather a highly scratch-prone surface of the print.  One ill-advised cleaning attempt by the temporary maid and it's all over.

But while the magic is happening you do get a print that in most cases will exhibit unusual depth and richness, but alas it's a kind of deal with Devil.

[Luca Ragogna]

Thanks!

I checked out some of those videos. It looks like a PITA but I think I might try it anyways.

[bill t.]

If you can get it to work it's actually one of the fastest production methods out there.  Very few steps compared to say drymounting, matting, etc on traditional framed pieces.  It used to command a premium price, but I think it's gradually lost most of its initial jazzy appeal.  I've heard people say things like "it's so 80's!"

But be sure to grub as much info as you can get.  For instance in my limited experience you need to have at least 3 or 4 inches of leader and a couple inches of tail on the print and adhesive transfer sheet.  The leader lets the adhesive and print sort of work things out together before getting to the image, you will often find wrinkles and bubbles in that area.

And of course be very careful about what you promise for longevity!  A friend put up a 100% surface mount show a couple years ago and found the hot gallery spots were causing bubbles everywhere and delamination around the edges.  Ooh.  It was his first (and last) surface mount experience.  Surface mount is for the here and now, not the distant and tomorrow.

[dgberg]

"Bumblejax " has the best Youtube video. You need a cold roll laminator and  Optimount Ultra face mount adhesive.(Or other manufacturers equivilent.) Plus a very clean and static free working area.
We cover the entire process in our workshop and I still must admit about a 50% failure rate on large ones. (Small ones are not so bad.) When I get it to 25% or less I may  start selling them. Until then its demonstrate only.

[bill t.]

My friend was using the Drytac stuff.  The big mistake there was that the acrylic was wiped down with Novus plastic polish before mounting.  Novus cuts static down to nothing, it great stuff for ordinary framing.  But even though the sheets had been buffed with a dry cloth to the point where it seemed like none of the polish remained, there was apparently enough invisible residue to undermine the bond.  Basically, it's like there's only one true and narrow path through the facemounting process, and deviations are severely punished.

[Robcat]

What are you planning with these? If you're doing one or two for yourself or friends, just have somebody do it for you and pay up. By the time you get the supplies and go through enough materials to get even acceptable results you'll have spent as much if not more. If you're looking to market them, I'd still have a couple done commercially and see what your sales success is compared to standard mounting/framing. If buyers are swarming over facemounts of prints you were having trouble selling, then go ahead and tackle the learning curve. Also, you may not even like how your images work with these. I thought I might go with the facemounts but did a test with the same image on facemount, canvas and paper and decided I didn't care for it with my work, even though I find it effective for some (other people's) images.
Rob P

[artbot]

one trick that helps make the unwanted lint more visible is to mount small halogen par lamps (spots) low and beaming directly across the substrate (from the right or left side).  also, i have a halogen mounted above the roller at the top nip inside the laminator.  that is a good place to spot lint heading into the nip.  the tiniest piece of lint or speck of dust will be illuminated.   

[theBike45]

 Many have reported success rates above 95% for facemounting, making claims of extreme difficulty out of line.
There is also little danger of scratching a facemounted photo hanging on a wall. Certainly no one would want a
40 X 70 mounted under glass.
Facemounted photos have been around long enough to make nonsense of any concerns that the technique is "shortlived."
At any rate, what's being facemounted is a PHOTO, not an irreplaceable work of art and considering how totally superior
a facemounted photo displays compared to framed photos, anyone worrying about long term effects has missed the
purpose of mounting such works for display.

[theBike45]

Apparently "It's so 80's" is actually a compliment, since no other method of displaying photos
has had any impact since facemounting came around, which was well AFTER the 1980's.
Photos with frames are passe and have only existed because of the lack of any good
display technology before facemounting. Frames ALWAYS detract from a photo, any photo,
since there is no natural connection between the two objects. One might  say that
frames are so 1950's. So Eisenhower. Facemounting is easy, as long as you follow a few
basic precautions.

[Django]

To get a clean looking edge, have the Acrylic cut to size with a table saw. We've tried the score and snap method and it leaves a rough edge.

[LenR]

Hi Luca,

What kind of laminator do you have?

When you order your plex have your supplier "Flame" the edges.

Good luck!

Len

[Luca Ragogna]

I don't have one... yet. I've found a supplier that can do it for me until I get one.

[RFPhotography]

Apparently "It's so 80's" is actually a compliment, since no other method of displaying photos
has had any impact since facemounting came around, which was well AFTER the 1980's.
Photos with frames are passe and have only existed because of the lack of any good
display technology before facemounting. Frames ALWAYS detract from a photo, any photo,
since there is no natural connection between the two objects. One might  say that
frames are so 1950's. So Eisenhower. Facemounting is easy, as long as you follow a few
basic precautions.

Care to elaborate?  Got a tutorial on your process?  Do you do it for others?  Prices?  Website for process/pricing/shipping information?

[framah]

Apparently "It's so 80's" is actually a compliment, since no other method of displaying photos
has had any impact since facemounting came around, which was well AFTER the 1980's.
Photos with frames are passe and have only existed because of the lack of any good
display technology before facemounting. Frames ALWAYS detract from a photo, any photo,
since there is no natural connection between the two objects. One might  say that
frames are so 1950's. So Eisenhower. Facemounting is easy, as long as you follow a few
basic precautions.

That is  the biggest load of Mule muffins I have ever read!!

To say that anything ALWAYS  does something, which leaves no room for any other possibilities, is to show that your are wrong right off the bat. Frames have been and still are the main means for displaying ANY type of art... and if done right... complete the image. Apparently, you haven't had anyone do it right for you, or you have been doing it yourself all along which would explain why it  ALWAYS detracts from your photos.

[Wayne Fox]

Apparently "It's so 80's" is actually a compliment, since no other method of displaying photos
has had any impact since facemounting came around, which was well AFTER the 1980's.

Actually face mounting has been around since the late 60's but didn't come into popularity until the modernistic looks of the disco era in the 80's.  And like many "trends" it has enjoyed a recent revival in fine art, but has been used extensively in other applications for a very long time.

Of course, face mounting doesn't always mean no frame, many photographers face mount the image just to seal it against the glass/acrylic/lexan. Displaying without framing certainly doesn't fit every decor and I think framing still offers the most flexibility to make sure a piece fits the decor of the location it's being displayed in.  To me a correctly framed piece isolates the work from the rest of the room in a way that is complimentary to both the image and the decor of the location.

another example of "no frame" is the recent trend in gallery wraps which I personally feel look unfinished and most of the time are undersized for the space they occupy.  A gallery wrap should be 10" to 12" larger than if you were displaying a framed piece in the same location, and many forget to account for that.  (of course, that's just my opinion, there is no right or wrong on any of this).