Epson 9900 - large print handling, flaking, scratches, spraying? Hot press paper

[heatherrasmussen]

New here, but have spent many hours reading the forum. Glad to finally be a registered member.

I am making very large prints and am running into some handling problems.
(Epson 9900, Epson Hot Press bright white, Imageprint

Unfortunately, these prints are 40x60", and 30x80", and are mostly portraits on a solid black background. LOTS of black.
These prints will get mounted to dibond and framed behind UV plex.

1. Flaking/Post spraying - I vacuum and mop the print room, I clean the printer with air, then wipe down with baby wipes, then vacuum. I am wiping down and blowing air on the paper roll before printing, but it is impossible to do this on the entire surface of a 80" long print beforehand. Can I wipe and use the can of air during the printing process? I have heard that having these prints professionally sprayed with sealant before mounting & framing can help prevent flaking years later. Is this true?
Should I turn off the printer cutter and cut by hand?

2. Scratches - The 9900 does not have a roll attachment!! thus the prints glide face down onto that silk/plastic catcher. The plastic pieces that are like ribbon leave scratches! This happens to both our Matte & Luster surface prints. I have tried having the large prints flow forward, so the print comes out face up. Then the print goes directly on the floor, but has to be hand moved, and watched so it does not get stuck or bend. I tried having them slide out face up on foam core, but it immediately picks up dust down there. Does anyone have a better solution?

3. Handling - After the print can sit and de-gass overnight, I flip onto vellum and roll into a tube. Is vellum the best for this with the surface Hot Press paper? I am trying to avoid as much paper dust as possible.

Thanks so much,
Heather

[Randy Carone]

I would recommend cutting off-line to be certain that the matte cotton paper cut doesn't create additional debris that could find its way to the unprinted paper surface of subsequent prints.

I'm sure you have researched the face mounting but I have discussed this process with several customers who perform this service and they will only mount gloss paper to plexi to insure a perfect bond to the plexi. Once the paper is mounted, the plexi is what dictates the gloss level. Since you are using the Bright White version, you may not notice a white point difference between the cotton paper and a fiber based gloss. Just a thought. The gloss will also be easier to handle, will resist scratches much better, will cause no dust when cut and will bond to the plexi to yield a perfect bond when mounted.

[heatherrasmussen]

Thanks Randy - I've been talking to Jim over at shadesofpaper as well. I appreciate the help.
Unfortunately face-mounting is not an option with these particular photographs.

Really what it comes down to is if we should spend the $ for them to be professionally spray sealed before framed, as the concern is that the prints may flake years down the road. Some may go into museum collections, and the possibility of that happening is frightening. But we love the paper and the way the images look, so thats why I'm trying to find a solution.

Do you think trying to get in touch directly with Epson would be of any help?

[a.lorge]

Hi,

It sounds like your pre-printing routine may be doing more harm then good.  Between vacuuming and "cleaning the printer with air" I imagine you are kicking up a lot of dust.  The dust is then landing on the paper before it travels through the platen.  Probably obvious but: a piece of dust between ink and paper will prevent the ink from being properly absorbed/adhered to the paper's coating.  Once the piece of dust "flakes" off, the result will be an unprinted white spot in the paper.

Possible solution:  I've hyped this product (drytac dust removal system) on this forum on a few occasions, but i swear by it.  I'd describe it as a mutant lint roller that doesn't leave any surface residue.  In my opinion: using this roller to remove dust from paper before it travels through the printer is much more effective than trying to clean the paper with compressed air.  It's also very useful for removing dust after the paper is printed.  It's expensive, but worth the price.  I've been using the same roller for about 5 years and it's still going strong.

[OSP]

What about this remark on the DRS page?

Polymer roller is not compatible with Epson photo chemistry.

[Wayne Fox]

What about this remark on the DRS page?

Polymer roller is not compatible with Epson photo chemistry.

Odd statement.  Not sure what in the world they mean by that.

I use one of these to clean the back of prints before mounting, and the front of photo prints, but not sure it's a good idea for the surface of inkjet prints.

[a.lorge]

What about this remark on the DRS page?

Polymer roller is not compatible with Epson photo chemistry.

Sorry, didn't notice that.  I use Canon and HP printers so I really can't attest to how the roller functions with Epson "chemistry".