Dry mount tissue - reversible vs. non-reversible

[Marco Buonocore]

I was wondering what people's thoughts were on reversible drymount tissue (like Buffermount, Artsafe 200 and Kool Tack), vs the unreversible tissue (like Colormount or Trimount)?

My main concern is that the tissue is ph neutral, with reversibility not being a huge concern. Am I okay to go with a normal tissue? Is there anything I'm missing here? I'd appreciate your input!

Thanks.

 

[tkamiya]

I use non-removable type. Colormount to be exact. I use a quality mount board and they go into a frame immediately. Personally, I have no need to remove them.

This, of course, is for my personal archive/display. I don't have any need to remove them, so it is not an issue for me. I don't know what your uses are....

 

[Bob Carnie]

Marco- I am playing with reversable tissue for my tri colour experiment. I would only do this for artists who feel they do not want the aluminum mount. This is a hot application tissue and I have used it in experiment and it does work but quite finicky if you do not have exact temp control on you press as you mount it at a lower temp and remove the paper at a hotter temp, also putting the tissue down is a pia.... For my personal work
I will use a ph nuetral tissue that is non reversable , you can touch base with Luigi at Drytac and he can recommend the proper tissue.

I am using the face mount cold material which is rolled on, I think you are looking for a hot mount application. The face mount tissue is extremely expensive, but easy to use if you have the right gear.
Bob

 

[gzinsel]

well, IMO, there are/is a lot of mis-representation and misinformation on archival "ness" of dry mount tissue(s). I use to do framing for an art gallery, many times pieces that were framed 10-15 years ago would come back for new matting and framing, Many of them FB prints that were dry mounted. Many of those tissues were turning brown already and effecting/deteriorating the FB print paper. In Many cases it was sad. Many of them we sent out to a conservator. All I can say is buyer beware! There are a lot of claims that manufactures make about there "quality" that time will show is silly nonsense. I suggest any print worth its time in printing, should be mounted with archival photo corners, with a 100% rag backer, with a 100% rag mat board. Any high quality print should never have any adhesive touch it. Just because other people do, doesn't mean you have to! Do not use linen tape to mount, while it is known that it is acid free, it still leaves a glue stain ( brownish color) on the back, which for many collectors is undesirable.

 

[Marco Buonocore]

Thanks for the input guys. It's always interesting to see what materials other photographers are using.

95% of the time I do as gzinsel says, and use photo corners and an overmat. For the most part I'm very happy with that system. There are instances where I'd like to dry mount, particularly with larger work or for a specific exhibition. Using something like Colormount or Trimount would save a lot on costs. Truthfully, I didn't realize it was ph neutral till recently. I'll do as you say, Bob, and get in touch with Luigi. He's been very helpful in the past.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I've found low-temp mounting tissues to be unreliable. There are also instances where buffering is not in fact a good thing. Like many photographer beforehand, I've standardized on Colormount for all my fiber-based black and white prints. Drymounting actually protects the
back of the print to some degree from contaminants, allows safe handling, and obviously contributes to presentation by keeping the print
flat. Certain alternative media like platimum prints on watercolor papers might look more natural presented deckle-edged, simply hinged;
but there is zero evidence of proper drymounting on an appropriate mounting board diminishing the value of a conventional silver print.
If it's good enough for the museums and auction houses selling vintage prints by famous pioneers of our media, do you really need to worry
about a debate long long over? Just learn to do it right, that's all.

 

[Marco Buonocore]

Thanks Drew, I appreciate your insight. I think you're correct in saying "learn to do it right". Maybe you could outline your dry mounting protocol, I'm sure I (and others) would find it very useful.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I'll try to explain later (just spent 3hrs in a dentist chair), but there are good one line tutorials on drymounting on professional picture framing
forums. Seal also did (and perhaps still does) offer an excellent little handbook about their own tissues. My personal method has a handful of
tweaks that make it a little faster and more reliable for photographic prints per se. But buy the best press you can afford, and if used, test
the thermostat - there are published mfg explanations for how to do this too. Make sure the platen is clean and unscratched, and the foam
backer in good shape too.

 

[Rafal Lukawiecki]

I use Colormount (Seal/Bienfang/Expression/now D&K), and pretty happy with it. A few years ago I used to use Unimount at it was trouble, unless you used a vacuum press. John Sexton also uses Colormount and, in general, it is the tissue that had been in continuous use for the longest span of time that is still available. Late-stage Ansel Adams prints used it too, still show great, 40 years later.

 

[Bob Carnie]

I saw a complete series of Ansel Adams prints in Rochester hanging in the second most frequented destination when one visited Rochester.. It was a frame material, book supplyer and super cool to visit. They had a nice gallery set up there too..

This series of images the prints were trimmed borderless, mounted on rag board and the over mat was cut 1/4 - 3/8 all around for signature... Very nice presentation... problem was the prints were chipping peeling at the edges...

From this day onward I always added a generous bleed/border for any silver gelatin print... In Canada during winter months it is extremely dry and when pressing out prints/mounting prints there is always possible issues of crimping the edges of a print there fore a generous border is always helpful. Sometimes it adds $$$ to a clients order due to larger paper wastage.

I too use Colormount and have no hesitation on its archivability.....

I use Colormount (Seal/Bienfang/Expression/now D&K), and pretty happy with it. A few years ago I used to use Unimount at it was trouble, unless you used a vacuum press. John Sexton also uses Colormount and, in general, it is the tissue that had been in continuous use for the longest span of time that is still available. Late-stage Ansel Adams prints used it too, still show great, 40 years later.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Bob - the unknown at this point in history is if the quality of Colormount has been compromised now that the manufacture has been "outsourced" to China after Bienfang sold off the Seal brand to someone else. I sure hope not; I just bought quite a pile of Colormount.
But understanding the implications of humidity and temp in relation to the differential expansion/contraction of the substrate versus print
media is the key to the long-term reliability of any drymount operation. Besides the correct amount of pre-drying of each half, I always
fully mount the tissue to the print itself BEFORE trimming the image (using release tissue on the back), then after permanent mounting to
the museum board, will always leave a distinct reveal between the print itself and the overmat window (for actual framing - I don't cut
overmats until the print needs to be framed for display). If the sharp corner of an overmat touches the print itself, there can actually be
cuts and burnishes to the image, due to expansion/contraction of the overmat over time. Of course, you know all this; but I'm stating it
for the general readership of this thread. Other than the first few months of drymounting experience decades ago, I've never had a failure
(blister, edge or corner lifting, etc) with Colormount ever. It's important to learn the proper "dwell" timing, that is, the correct time/temp
combination for the given thickness of the sandwich in the press, and then to quickly transfer it under a flat weight until cool. I use a big
sheet of thick plate glass.