Fiber Dryer Press (No dry mount press)

Jessestr · Mar 21, 2016

I'm almost set up in my new darkroom, but I'm still learning the tricks for drying fiber prints (and then mount them, in a flat way).

I aquired a dryer press like the photo below, to dry my prints flat. Works, but the edges / borders of the picture start to wrinkle/ripple. Like a wave. Any idea how to solve this? I cannot choose temperature. I tried drying them wet, tried flattening them while they were dry already. All start to ripple, but only on the long side.

Neal · Mar 21, 2016

Dear Jessestr,

You are now at the stage where experimenting with your dryer is appropriate. None of these dryers have nice proper controls so you will have to adjust as you go. My guess is that you need to raise the temperature a little at a time until you get where you need to go. In the meantime, you can improve the flatness of the print by putting it back in the dryer on a low setting for a while.

Good luck,

Neal Wydra

Rick A · Mar 21, 2016

I set mine to medium, let it warm up, place photos in, then turn it off and leave it alone for a few days. Fiber prints still tend to wrinkle around the edges a bit, but flatten out once I have them mounted.

Jessestr · Mar 21, 2016

Rick A said:
I set mine to medium, let it warm up, place photos in, then turn it off and leave it alone for a few days. Fiber prints still tend to wrinkle around the edges a bit, but flatten out once I have them mounted.

How do you mount them? I'm planning to use photo corners.

Neal said:
Dear Jessestr,

You are now at the stage where experimenting with your dryer is appropriate. None of these dryers have nice proper controls so you will have to adjust as you go. My guess is that you need to raise the temperature a little at a time until you get where you need to go. In the meantime, you can improve the flatness of the print by putting it back in the dryer on a low setting for a while.

Good luck,

Neal Wydra

I wish I could change temperature, but as said, there is not temperature knob or anything..

bdial · Mar 21, 2016

The classic mounting method is "dry mounting", which uses a heat set adhesive to bond the print. You can do it with a household iron, but a dry mounting press is the preferable way.
The good thing about dry mounting is that it make for the nicest presentation, the print is perfectly flat, and is protected to some degree by the mat. The downside is that it's permanent, so if the mount is damaged or possibly not archival, remounting the print is very difficult. And, dry mount presses are expensive and large.
Photo corners along with a window mat work well, but can cause the print to buckle a little if the corners are too tight on the edges. The good thing is that it's easily removable if need be.

As for your problem with wavy edges, if your dryer doesn't have heat settings, try warming it without the prints, then unplugging it when you put the prints on and let them dry cold. Pressing the prints after they are dry under a stack of books or other weights will help with the final flattening.

Celepe · Mar 21, 2016

You should also be careful not to over wash your prints. This could be another reason for the edges of the prints to be as shown on your picture

Bob Carnie · Mar 21, 2016

Raise the humidity in the drying room over 40% that may help.

ipm · Mar 21, 2016

I used to dry my prints for exhibition and get really crispy flat prints by sitting the wet print on to a flat piece of glass, tape around the edges with brown gum tape, when the print dries it's extremely flat, if you're in a rush you can put a fan drier in front of the print or if you have a drying cupboard even better.

MartinP · Mar 21, 2016

Trimming off about three millimeters from each side can relax the paper and help the sheet lie flat. Alternatively, look carefully at the power-rating required and find an adjustable supply of some sort (Variac, or a modern power-transistor based system) to lower the voltage used by the machine, if you feel it is too hot.

Jessestr · Mar 21, 2016

ipm said:
I used to dry my prints for exhibition and get really crispy flat prints by sitting the wet print on to a flat piece of glass, tape around the edges with brown gum tape, when the print dries it's extremely flat, if you're in a rush you can put a fan drier in front of the print or if you have a drying cupboard even better.

Is the tape removable of the paper or does it stay on? I've seen this before, looks quite nice.

Doc W · Mar 22, 2016

These questions are perennial. In my opinion, the only flat FB print is one that has been dry-mounted!

Neal · Mar 22, 2016

As Bdial noted, some experimentation with sequence might help. Start warm and allow to cool. Start cool and allow it to warm. You might even try changing the temperature of the last wash just before putting it on the dryer plate.

Neal Wydra

paul ron · Mar 22, 2016

get a rehostat if you want to regulate the temp.

wavy sides is common for single weight papers. besides, once you are ready to dry mount, youll flatten them when you pre heat them in the press.

also see if you can adjust the tension of the material? perhaps when it gets damp it slackens.

my drum dryer was doing that, its old. i adjusted the tension by moving the metal rod slightly back n all is fine.

just one more point... drain the prints really well before putting them in.

Chadinko · Mar 22, 2016

This is great information. I've got one of those dryers and use it all the time for RC paper but never fiber.

Jessestr · Mar 22, 2016

Chadinko said:
This is great information. I've got one of those dryers and use it all the time for RC paper but never fiber.

Impossible. Your RC paper would melt in these machines.

Rick A · Mar 22, 2016

Chadinko said:
This is great information. I've got one of those dryers and use it all the time for RC paper but never fiber.

I hope you don't heat them up for RC paper, it melts the plastic coating and ruins the plates on the dryer. Not my personal experience, but saw it happen at the university I was giving a course at, dumbarse student didn't listen to one thing he was told. RC paper dries just fine in open air, either hanging, or on screens.

Patrick Robert James · Mar 22, 2016

Get a sheet of watercolor paper from the art store near you (the heavier the better) and put that between the canvas and the print. It will slow down and even out the drying, as well as keep your canvas clean. When you have all your prints dry, put them in a stack facing up into a hot dryer then turn off the heat. A couple hours later (or when they have cooled) your prints will be flat. If that doesn't do it, a couple days under a really heavy weight will.

I store prints in overstuffed boxes in stacks. The prints are always under pressure that way and stay flat. Just a tip.

Hope that helps you.

Chadinko · Mar 22, 2016

Jessestr said:
Impossible. Your RC paper would melt in these machines.

You say impossible. Nothing's impossible. I use it all the time. Just set it to 1 and place the print on top of it, and by the time I am done making the next print, it's dry enough to place in a hanging folder. The difference between this and one of those pizza over dryers is this toasts only on one side and doesn't blow. Heat's heat. Maybe it's that when I started using it, I didn't know any different. But I've never melted a print in it.

Rick A said:
I hope you don't heat them up for RC paper, it melts the plastic coating and ruins the plates on the dryer. Not my personal experience, but saw it happen at the university I was giving a course at, dumbarse student didn't listen to one thing he was told. RC paper dries just fine in open air, either hanging, or on screens.

I don't have space to be drying a bunch of prints in the open air, on screens, or to hang them. So I turn this thing on and use it.

Rick A · Mar 22, 2016

A microwave oven works even faster for RC print drying. Or a blow dryer set on high.

paul ron · Mar 22, 2016

Patrick Robert James said:
Get a sheet of watercolor paper from the art store near you (the heavier the better) and put that between the canvas and the print. It will slow down and even out the drying, as well as keep your canvas clean. When you have all your prints dry, put them in a stack facing up into a hot dryer then turn off the heat. A couple hours later (or when they have cooled) your prints will be flat. If that doesn't do it, a couple days under a really heavy weight will.

I store prints in overstuffed boxes in stacks. The prints are always under pressure that way and stay flat. Just a tip.

Hope that helps you.

thats a great idea to increase. the cloths tension plus give more even drying.

watercolor paper is rag and comes in acid free.

just be carefull the emulsion doesnt stick to the paper

Sim2 · Mar 22, 2016

Patrick Robert James said:
Get a sheet of watercolor paper from the art store near you (the heavier the better) and put that between the canvas and the print. It will slow down and even out the drying, as well as keep your canvas clean.

Hi there, at the moment I can't remember where I found out about this but a "hot pressed" watercolour paper is the ideal type - presumably because it is resistant to changes caused by additional heat (?). I use this in my dryer, partly as it protects the print from fluff on the apron and the print doesn't stick to the paper. No guarantees for other users though!
Hope you get yours working well, wrinkly prints are a pain!

ShannonG · Mar 24, 2016

I use one of those as well,,,What works for me is,set to medium and let it warm up.squeegee the print front and back,put in dryer until the emulation sets up (not soft)about 97% dry. Then press between 2 form core boards with wait on top for a few days or so(depending on humidity) then dry mount onto your backing board,I use a seal dry mount press. Just experiment and have fun,you will get it.

Jim Jones · Mar 24, 2016

Patrick Robert James said:
. . . I store prints in overstuffed boxes in stacks. The prints are always under pressure that way and stay flat. Just a tip.

Hope that helps you.

When doing this, placing the prints alternately face up and face down demands less pressure on the prints.

Jessestr · Mar 25, 2016

I bought 200 meters (650 ft) of brown gummed tape, works like a dream. My prints are even flatter then my RC prints. Really great and cheap solution

Fiber Dryer Press (No dry mount press)

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency