Mounting photos without bubbles?

[gll]

I have been using the 3m spray on the board and then the picture, then a sheet of wax paper over the print I use a squeegee to smooth out the print, then about a month or so I notice bubbles under the prints? I have a showing next year and I need to get this issue figured out. any help would be appreciated.
thanks
Gary

[MrBeta]

I've always used the mounting paper that's pressed on with an iron.
Dry Mount Tissue

Just "iron on." Looks great and doesn't bubble.

[mmuhlenkamp]

I've used rubber cement with any graphic design pieces I've mounted, never had issues with bubbles showing up later.

[Phototx]

This company makes stabilized foam core boards similar to Gatorfoam with a commercial grade pressure sensitve backing. The board has a plastic laminate on both sides of the foam that make it very rigid and warp free. I have some 16x20's hanging on my wall mounted over 20 years ago that are still perfect with no bubbles. You have to mail order and buy in quanity but they are very cheap. I bought 20 - 16x24" for a $5.15 each about a month ago. You have to buy a small quantity to over come the shipping charge. The have many other products in many sizes but the Codafoam and Gatorfoam are the only ones I would use.

There is a trick to using this product but once you learn it you can mount a print in 60 seconds.

1/4" CodaFoam
Qty - Size - Price
1-19 8x10 $1.37ea
1-19 11x14 $ 2.71ea
1-19 16x20 $5.58ea

Main web site.
Coda Home Page - Finishing Products for the Imaging Industry

Coda Foam stabilized board.
CodaFoam 1/4"

Glen
www.phototx.net

[hhscr]

In the framing field they use a vacuum press to adhere the print to the backer board after the application of the adhesive.

Check with a local framing shop and see what they would charge to mount the prints for you or if they would vacuum press them for you. You would have to press them pretty soon after the adhesive is applied before it dries.

[studiocygnet]

Current archival standards are to not mount the photo, but use corners or, what I use are Archival See-Thru Mounting Strips. That way the paper can breath and absorb humidity over the years, without having to worry about the backing absorbing at a different rate, or any chemistry in the surrounding materials changing the colors in the photo.

[JMM]

Codafoam 1/4" rigid pressure sensitive mount boards - 03-13-2010, 05:48 PM

I wanted to order a few of these to try them out but there is a $75 minimum. The site shows using a machine to mount the photos. Can you hand mount? Is it easy to get them on straight? If off while mounting, can you take off if you have just started or are they permanently stuck once you begin? I did not see anywhere that they are archival.

[Phototx]

Originally Posted by JMM

I wanted to order a few of these to try them out but there is a $75 minimum. The site shows using a machine to mount the photos. Can you hand mount? Is it easy to get them on straight? If off while mounting, can you take off if you have just started or are they permanently stuck once you begin? I did not see anywhere that they are archival.

I have hand mounted probably a 100 over the years and never made a mistake. I have never used a press and dont consider it to be necessary. Sorry, I dont know if they are archival or not but I have some that have been mounted for about 20 years. The mounting adhesive is permanent and you will not be able to remove the print or reuse the board. These boards are really rigid, both sides have a plastic stabilization layer. One is dry, the other has the adhesive and paper peel back surface.

Mounting method.
Using a 16x20 as an example I lay the board on a table adhesive side up. I pull up about 1 inch all the way across the 20" side and fold it over creasing it back on itself creating a fold point with the paper laying back on itself. This leaves about 1 of the adhesive exposed across the 20". Then I lay my 16x20 on the paper backing with the edge laying on the double fold. The folded paper height keeps the print from touching the adhesive while I slide it into position. With cotton gloves on I line it up perfectly and press the center down and then work to the left and right corners of the 20" side. Now that the print is perfectly aligned and tacked down across 1/2" I slowly start pulling back the backing paper under the print while moving the gloved hand back and forth across the print pressing it to the backing always working from the center out. The cotton glove is the only thing that touches the face of the print.

It takes longer to type these instructions than it does to actually mount one. If you dont do it right at the start the print is done for. If you do make a mistake and havent peeled back the paper all of the way you could use a metal straight edge and cut the board to smaller sizes. I cut the 16x20/24's into whatever size I need all the time rather than trying to order all of the sizes.

Glen
www.phototx.net

[JMM]

Thanks for all of that. I will give it a try.