An alternative method to get FB paper dry and flat without dry mount press

I wrote this already in the "Getting Fiber Based Paper Flat" thread but I think that not many people will find it there on page 14. So here it is again...

Alternative method to get FB paper dry and flat without dry mount press

This method I learned about 20 years ago from my photography teacher J.Janus...If you dont need the high gloss, then a way of getting FB paper photos dry and absolutely flat without a press is sticking them on a glass pane: You put the still wet sheet of FB paper on the glass pane (a strong and stable one), so that you can see the picture. Then you carefully clean the surface from water drops, a little bit but not too much with a soft sponge.

All the the edges of your photo you fasten with a special adhesive tape on the pane. This tape is made of paper and is for instance used to fasten water colour papers on a board. Therefore the tape should be available in shops for artistry equipment. This tape is not self-adhesive. You have to wetting it a bit with water (use the sponge again) on the adhesive side. The tape should stick with it´s one half on the photo´s edges and with the other half on the glass pane. It has to overlap in the corners of the photo so that the photo is completely surrounded by the tape.

If this is done you have to wait a few hours until the photo is totally dry. Then you can carefully cut it along the edges from the glass pane with a cutter. When using this drying method you have to make the picture a litltle bit smaller than the FB paper. It is because a part of the adhesive tape stays unremovable sticking on the border of your photo paper and you have to cut it away in the final step.

I used this method many times primary for large formats about 16 x 20 inch and larger (for the smaller sizes drying with a mounting press is easier and faster) and it works very well. In the drying process the paper shrinks and therefore becomes flat out of itself. With the single weight papers it can happen that they burst during the drying, so check it before starting with this method and a lot of photos of the thin paper type. The double weight or thicker FB paper never made any problems.

Anyone who understood? Further questions?

Andreas

This method works well and has been covered on APUG before. Still, never hurts to repeat good ideas.

I used to do this with my high school mechanical drawing board instead of glass. The board was made from bass wood. Time frame was late 1960`s.

I now have a Burke and James print dryes which was the forerunner of the 1980`s Salthill design. Corregated cardboard and blotters and a fan was the princi[ple.

All three are the best you can do, ie perfect.

I put it on my 28" wide drum dryer. It works well with no curling.

What about mounting? I'm wary of the archival properties of most of the spray adhesives used to mount prints to board but read that you can kill two birds (flatten, mount) with one stone with this process:
- coat some thin masonite or similar thinly with 50% solution of PVA glue (Aquadhere or similar white glue)
- allow glue to dry completely
- slap a wet FB print (straight from the wash) onto the dry glue surface
- allow the water from the print to reactivate the glue, which will be drawn into the fibres as the water evaporates,
- shrinkage of the print pulls it tight onto the board, permanently fixed unless you want to soak it off.

My concern though is that there are versions of PVA where the plasticiser can evaporate over time (glue becomes brittle), some have antifungal agents while some don't, etc. And how do you know? I believe bookbinding glue is the "right" stuff (correct plasticizer, anti-fungal, etc) but I have no idea where to buy it. Has anyone here tried the PVA method of mounting? I'm particularly interested if you did it at least a couple of decades ago and so can provide some anecdata on longevity.

The subject of archival print mounting and display has filled volumes. Dry-mounting has a proven track record of at least 50 years. There may be more archival methods, but nothing that keeps a print as flat or allows for a non-overlapping window overmat.

book binding glue:
http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/Methyl-Cellulose-Glue/2903.015/47007101.html

Are you aware of Google?

A49 said:

You put the still wet sheet of FB paper on the glass pane (a strong and stable one), so that you can see the picture. Then you carefully clean the surface from water drops, a little bit but not too much with a soft sponge.

Click to expand...

By this I gather you mean the emulsion side (image) is up and the paper side is against the glass?

Moopheus said:

By this I gather you mean the emulsion side (image) is up and the paper side is against the glass?

Click to expand...

Yes, you got me right.

Andreas

As an alternative, have your local DYI store cut sheets of 3 mm perspex (acrylic plastic) into - for instance 30x40 cm pieces. Use the perspex instead of the glass pane described above. Pros: don't break, like the glass panes. If you drill a hole in a corner of each perspex sheet, you can hang them to dry (with the paper attached). They are easy to clean of glue residue, and you can of course use as many as you need.

Kvistgaard said:

... If you drill a hole in a corner of each perspex sheet, you can hang them to dry (with the paper attached). They are easy to clean of glue residue, and you can of course use as many as you need.

Click to expand...

Uhhh - that's a BIG nono!!
in my experience NEVER hang these to dry (or leave the glass in a vertical position).

At least not within one hour of flat drying!
there are a big risk, that some glue then will ooze down behind the paper and thereby effectively glue the paper to the glass/plastic...

I use this method all the time, and teach my students to do it this way.
Upside: it is a good method, that gives a very beautiful surface.
Downside: takes time...

PS: again in my experience: be careful not to over-wet the tape - only use a damp cloth, and only wet the side with the glue on... this minimizes the risk of gluing the paper to the surface....

RalphLambrecht said:

The subject of archival print mounting and display has filled volumes. Dry-mounting has a proven track record of at least 50 years. There may be more archival methods, but nothing that keeps a print as flat or allows for a non-overlapping window overmat.

book binding glue:
http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/Methyl-Cellulose-Glue/2903.015/47007101.html

Are you aware of Google?

Click to expand...

Why yes. Are you aware I'm in Australia, which limits the shopping a bit? I've been cruising secondhand photo markets (and eBay) for about 3 years now and not seen a single secondhand drymount press (US sales don't count), let alone availability of tissue for it.

The methyl cellulose looks good, I might have to experiment mixing a little E-6 final wash with it for the antifungal properties. I've spoken to a couple of supply places and they really don't know jack about what they have for sale.

Here's what works for me, though some may know better. I dry FB prints on a screen.

Here's what works for me, though some may know better. I dry FB prints on a screen. When just dry, I place them on a sheet of glass, face down, and press with another sheet of glass (must go past the edges of paper). On top of that I add weight, in the form of books, etc...
After a couple of days, when completely dr, they are flat. Then stored in archival plastic sleeves under weight of all other prints. Always flat enough to mount with corners.
Please someone let me know if this is in any way damaging...

Get a cheap cloths iron from Walmart and put a sheet of thin mat on top of the print and iron until it's flat, then weight it down. Got a small print, dry mount it with an iron.