Review Problems with print mounting - advice sought

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Rob
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Hi... I'm having great problems with print mounting, i.e. mounting a print onto photo mounting board for camera club competitions. The problem is neatness.... I have been using a spray can adhesive which is very difficult to control at the edges and (particularly) the corners of the print. Only last night I spoiled an 18x12 colour print and photoboard which, let's face it, is a complete waste of time and money let alone the effect it has on my blood pressure!!

I really don't know where to go from here... Back in the darkroom days I used to use mounting tissue in a heat press which always gave a perfect result but that's not practical with inkjet prints. Are there any alternatives to this? What do you guys use? Someone once mentioned double sided tape but I'm not sure if that was a serious suggestion. Grateful for any help/advice as I've got a few to mount up.

Rob
 
When I was presenting images for my A level, I tried (and epically failed) to use foamboard. It was a huge mess...

So I ended up with a tried and tested method, actually cutting the mount to size. It's helped me fit lots of photos into unusual sized frames. I've also entered local competitions with the image just mounted inside a 1" frame. I actually prefer having the "border". I did do a tutorial on here a long time ago (search-fu is failing), but the more recent version is on my website here. If you got many different size (cropped) prints, you can also mount them all at the same size which looks good for presentation.

If you're looking for gluey solutions though, I can't help. Sorry :(
 
Hi Ian. Thanks for this, but it is indeed a situation where I have to somehow fix a print onto a larger board and it's the difficulty in getting a clean result that's the problem. I was thinking along the lines of cutting an aperture in a larger board and then mounting the print from the reverse, but I'm not confident in getting those nice, sharp bevel cuts that you achieve on your website.

Rob
 
I really don't know where to go from here... Back in the darkroom days I used to use mounting tissue in a heat press which always gave a perfect result but that's not practical with inkjet prints. Are there any alternatives to this? What do you guys use?

Why is it not practical ?, we use a heated vacucum press large enough to take 66" x 44" prints, and its used everyday on inkjet prints.
 
Why is it not practical ?, we use a heated vacucum press large enough to take 66" x 44" prints, and its used everyday on inkjet prints.

Ah... Didn't explain myself too well.... I wasn't even considering pro equipment When I said 'not practical' I should have said 'not available at home for my inkjet prints'. The press I used to use didn't belong just to me - it was shared and has long gone. A heated vaccuum press of any size (let alone a pro unit like the one you describe) would be way out of my budget and I wouldn't have any room to keep it anyway. Somebody suggested using a Pritt Stick - I don't know if they were being entirely serious but I will get one tomorrow and try it out on a small print on a board cutoff.

Rob
 
Hi Rob,

Sorry misunderstood your post.
One option for you is to use Pre Sticky Board, its a mountboard with a sticky mounting adhesive on it and a release paper on to of that, they are used on cold laminating rollers, but can be used with a manual rubber roller. Here is a link to Lionpic's offerings.

http://www.lionpic.co.uk/product-search?search=pre sticky&f=Product_Type:Cold_Sticky_Boards

The roller something like this

http://www.lionpic.co.uk/product/Rubber-Roller-8----200mm,8440,0.aspx

They work very well and are not messy.

Hope this helps

Mark
 
I use the cutout system useing the Logan Team system model 424.

Their website is

www.logangraphic.com

It is cut from the back of the card and at 45º. You need to have a space below the card so that the blade will be able to go through the board. If it catches the board the blade may break and damage your mounting board. I have used this system for a few years now without any problems.

Trevor
 
Definitely use a purpose made cutter. I bought a Longridge system about five years ago and it really is easy to achieve great results.

http://longridge.co.uk

I can see why some judges get hot under the collar about poorly finished/cut mounts.

I usually tape the print to the mount board and adjust to fit the aperture from the rear, before adding a backing board. It really does improve the professionalism of the finished product.

Laminating etc I leave to professional labs.
 
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Hi

If your club competitions will accept matted and backed mounted images then consider the following, especially as the finished print can be framed to best effect for longer term display :)

FWIW it is worth I "T" hinge attach my print to the mount and then use an ATG applicator (ATG is Adhesive Tape Gun) to adhere the mount to the backing board.

As it is easier to watch than explain I looked for uTube videos that would help show the method................the two videos I found below show methods that are ever so slightly different to the way I do it but the principal is the same.

On this first one it show IMO nicely the way I use to ensure that the backing board is aligned to the mount and on the second one is the position of the T hinge I use i.e. on the mount not the backing board as shown in the first one but as mentioned I use a slightly different method to ensure more accurate measured alignment and not just by eye as shown in the video.



Materials wise I buy pre cut mounts and backing boards and found Picture Lizard a good source of also of the likes of the ATG applicator. Yet to find budget frames apart from 'the Swedish shed' ;)

HTH :)

PS Like some others I also remember dry mounting prints in the dark room days..............but for me in a home workshop situation I like the T hinge method as the print is protected and will not wrinkle or show the effects of moisture content changes.

PPS Mods I had not realised that posting the links would embed them rather than just 'link', hopefully AOK???
 
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Excellent Tutorial Box, really well presented. Many thanks for that. I will certainly be doing that from now on.
 
Excellent Tutorial Box, really well presented. Many thanks for that. I will certainly be doing that from now on.

You're welcome and I am glad you have found it useful. As I said these are what I found on uTube so it is common question and easily sorted out :)
 
I've used a double-sided tape dispenser fro 3M successfully, these days I find the self- adhesive boards the most convenient, at least for Club mounts.
 
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