Mounting prints to board, how to trim?

[dgberg]

Not sure who is saying mount a smaller print to gator and then trim the gator and print, not necessary at all.
I do these by the hundreds and I mean hundreds. Mount the print with at least a 1/8" print bleed hanging over the edge of the gator.
 Flip over and trim the 1/8" print bleed with a razor. Absolutely perfect edge (after you have done a few.) Takes all of about 30 seconds. No need to retrim that perfectly squared gator edge, ever!

[alain]

Not sure who is saying mount a smaller print to gator and then trim the gator and print, not necessary at all.
I do these by the hundreds and I mean hundreds. Mount the print with at least a 1/8" print bleed hanging over the edge of the gator.
 Flip over and trim the 1/8" print bleed with a razor. Absolutely perfect edge (after you have done a few.) Takes all of about 30 seconds. No need to retrim that perfectly squared gator edge, ever!

Dan

I use the technique with prints on 4mm mdf, but care is needed.  The main risk is that the edge of the prints comes "up" a little bit, cutting happens from the back to the front.   What do you use as material below the print, ? Glass, a cutting mat,...

BTW. With small prints on foamcore (5mm) I do cut from the front, faster and less photo lost.  Which is more important on a 20x30 cm photo than on a 60x90cm photo.

Alain

[dgberg]

I have 1/4" thick cutting mat. Looks almost like a white plexiglass. Purchased from Harbor sales in Maryland.

Yes it must be an extremely flat surface and held tight to that surface. Some papers cut really easy with not too much back curl.
You will always get a very small burl on the print side. My trick is to take my thumbnail and burnish the front edge the entire way around the print.  A nice need trick to roll that curl down. I have never cut myself but paper cuts are awful so care needs to be taken. Also a light very light touch is needed to keep from removing the ink from the face edge.
If it is going in a frame you can skip all this extra work on the edge as the rabbet covers it all.

[alain]

I have 1/4" thick cutting mat. Looks almost like a white plexiglass. Purchased from Harbor sales in Maryland.

Yes it must be an extremely flat surface and held tight to that surface. Some papers cut really easy with not too much back curl.
You will always get a very small burl on the print side. My trick is to take my thumbnail and burnish the front edge the entire way around the print.  A nice need trick to roll that curl down. I have never cut myself but paper cuts are awful so care needs to be taken. Also a light very light touch is needed to keep from removing the ink from the face edge.
If it is going in a frame you can skip all this extra work on the edge as the rabbet covers it all.

Dan

Thanks.  I use a bone folder on the edges, less risk at cutting myself and I don't like touching the front of a print with my hands (even cleaned).  There are ptfe (teflon) coated ones.

My experience is that the knive needs to be super sharp and the blade needs to be replaced almost every print.

I do cut on hardened glass and keep my print laying at an angle so that the maximum pressure is on the edge.  (I have a wooden plank with a soft "print surface friendly" wrapping around it, that i lay below the print on the other edge.)


Alain

[cortlander]

I always print larger and trim with a 60 mm Ofla (Japanese) handheld rotary trimmer. And it is easier to trim off 5 mm than 1 mm.

Brian A

Best advice I have had, Ofla and a sewing mat. That was a few  years ago. Thank you Brian!