There's a recent thread about this subject ..... https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...son-rc-print-drying-rack.202346/#post-2732241
Getting Fiber Based Paper Flat
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I use white watercoler tape (wet water paper sealing tape) and that’s the only way in my view apart from an expensive press. You can buy it in an art supply shop.
I squeegee the print face up on a glass plate; plastic or acryl plates won’t work because they can’t hold the tape. Wet the tape on a wet cloth and attach the tape on all 4 sides and dry it slowly. You need a breadth of about 3-4mm tape over the printpaper.
If you dry it fast, in the sun, or with a hairdryer, it sometimes lets loose or the tape breaks. After drying it 24-36 hours I cut it loose from the glassplate with a stanley knife. The remaining tape on the glass can be washed away easily. I have the tape in two sizes, 1 and 2 inch, and I use them for resp. small or large prints (the shrinking of the paper during drying puts a lot of force on the paper).
This method leaves my prints always flat, other methods show curling after a certain amount of time and pressing it under a heavy book won’t help. Some people find this a lot of ado, but who said that analogue photography is effortless? A flat paper without waves and curls makes a big difference for the quality of the image.
I squeegee the print face up on a glass plate; plastic or acryl plates won’t work because they can’t hold the tape. Wet the tape on a wet cloth and attach the tape on all 4 sides and dry it slowly. You need a breadth of about 3-4mm tape over the printpaper.
If you dry it fast, in the sun, or with a hairdryer, it sometimes lets loose or the tape breaks. After drying it 24-36 hours I cut it loose from the glassplate with a stanley knife. The remaining tape on the glass can be washed away easily. I have the tape in two sizes, 1 and 2 inch, and I use them for resp. small or large prints (the shrinking of the paper during drying puts a lot of force on the paper).
This method leaves my prints always flat, other methods show curling after a certain amount of time and pressing it under a heavy book won’t help. Some people find this a lot of ado, but who said that analogue photography is effortless? A flat paper without waves and curls makes a big difference for the quality of the image.
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Hung on a line back to back.
After blotting off all surface water I place the prints face down in a stack of blotter paper and do not open until dry. A week depending on weather. Opening the stack early, more curls.
30-40 seconds in a 210F drymount press then cool under weighted pad.
Drymount presses can be found for not much money if you are persistent.
30-40 seconds in a 210F drymount press then cool under weighted pad.
Drymount presses can be found for not much money if you are persistent.
This method is used for wet painting, watercolour, acrylic, etc, but you might want to double check that your choice of gummed tape isn't adding acid to the paper.
Old, watercolourist used this method and I have too, however, to avoid confusion about the cutting the print free includes the margins of the FB paper and not removing the remaining tape from the print by way of moisture, in a water spray, sponge or wet cloth.
Actually, the best way to get fiber paper flat is to use RC paper instead. Oh, wait, I think I just lit a fuse...
Dale
No. I'm sure a lot of us have 500 sheet boxes of RC we never use or were given to us; might as well getting some use of them as FB papers weights.
I use what they call aquarel tape in my country (white) for 20 years now, which are originally used by watercolorists indeed, and have never seen any effects on the FB papers. I leave the remaining tape on the FB-paper as it is and stick to the original paper size because it matches the size of my passepartouts
Exactly, just matte over the tape.
When I want FB prints that are perfectly flat, I do the same thing as it's reliable, simple and quick if you only have to do a few prints at a time. Perfectly flat prints every time!
Also works on carbon transfer prints e.g.
White or brown, it's the same tape, with the word 'artist's' added on.
Brown paper tape is also known as kraft tape, butcher's tape, packing tape, etc.
Unless the gummed tapes.are labeled by a trustworthy watercolour manufacturer, as "acid free", "archival paper and glue', it's almost certain it's just promoted as for artists.
I've been taping down good, of ght and medium watercolour papers for three decades or more and have experience with both brown and white tapes and I have never seen either labeled "acid free", even though my 'studio' has always contained many international materials and kit which I've spent countless hours in magazines and web sites reading and rereading everything i can, so i can discern the quality and qualities of a product and compare each and everything I'm interested in knowing about.
Remember, a few dozen years does not prove out the true effects of these things, on paper, etc, because paper photographic prints, should be able to handle 100 years on fiber based b&w papers.
IMO.
Brown paper tape is also known as kraft tape, butcher's tape, packing tape, etc.
Unless the gummed tapes.are labeled by a trustworthy watercolour manufacturer, as "acid free", "archival paper and glue', it's almost certain it's just promoted as for artists.
I've been taping down good, of ght and medium watercolour papers for three decades or more and have experience with both brown and white tapes and I have never seen either labeled "acid free", even though my 'studio' has always contained many international materials and kit which I've spent countless hours in magazines and web sites reading and rereading everything i can, so i can discern the quality and qualities of a product and compare each and everything I'm interested in knowing about.
Remember, a few dozen years does not prove out the true effects of these things, on paper, etc, because paper photographic prints, should be able to handle 100 years on fiber based b&w papers.
IMO.
For those who are truly concerned about print longevity (I'm not as an amateur photographer), please talk to a conservationist with expertise specifically in the area of silver gelatin prints. These people are out there and in my experience they're absolutely thrilled and very helpful if a photographer actually asks them what (not) to do in processing and storing their prints.
They will point you towards information about gummed tape and specifically which tapes to use or avoid, or at least what to look for in an 'archival' tape. A wide selection of acid-free gummed tapes are for sale and clearly labeled as such for those who are concerned about the issue.
The fact that gummed tape is a commonly used article in the conservation world, not in the least because it can easily be removed, suggests that the concerns about the material aren't fundamental.
They will point you towards information about gummed tape and specifically which tapes to use or avoid, or at least what to look for in an 'archival' tape. A wide selection of acid-free gummed tapes are for sale and clearly labeled as such for those who are concerned about the issue.
The fact that gummed tape is a commonly used article in the conservation world, not in the least because it can easily be removed, suggests that the concerns about the material aren't fundamental.
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I'd be interested in on knowing what some of those acid free tapes are, beyond Linco's acid free linen tape and their likewise, narrow paper tape, both of which I use for making framing 100% rag matts plus acid free mounting my art and photographs.
Yes, I've seen several brands, including Linco.
I'll have to speak to other artists to get their thoughts on this, but for now, you've set me straight.
Cheers
And definitely, if you can, reach out to someone working in the field of photo conservation, preferably also in your general area, as they might be able to help you with specific materials that they deem fit for use. Alternatively, consider reaching out to the people at the George Eastman house.
At least one of my artist friends is a conservator, she's in South America at the moment, and, I usually check with the Mint Museum here, in Charlotte when I need info on anything art or archival, especially on paper.
Cheers
I was looking at Instagram reels and came across this one where someone was restoring an old concert poster.
I wonder how they are sticking that backing paper down and whether this would work on fibre prints.
I wonder how they are sticking that backing paper down and whether this would work on fibre prints.
The principle may work, but FB paper is typically double weight, which is several times thicker than poster paper. I think poster paper is generally around 80-90gsm, while FB paper is around 220-250gsm. Moreover, poster paper doesn't have a gelatin layer that'll contract during drying. So the approach would have to be modified to accommodate the far larger forces that develop in FB paper as it dries.
Actually, the best way to get fiber paper flat is to use RC paper instead. Oh, wait, I think I just lit a fuse...
Dale
RC isn't even a close 2nd...... kind of like instant coffee...
after manyyears of experimenting with cold an warm methods,I've settled on drying the squeezeed prints in the dry mount press sandwiched between two sheets of matboard.
I dry the prints on a screen, face up. Then in the dry-mount press for 2 minutes at 175º, immediately followed by 5 minutes under a heavy steel plate, face down. Prints are stacked and placed under a pile of big, heavy books overnight. It is the best method I have found to date. Be sure to wipe any dust off the prints, front and back, before putting them in the press or the surface will be pitted.
+1 found that out the hard way.
I work pretty much exactly the same way, except i let the prints cool under a sheet of plate glass.... then either they get mounted, go in a box or in the 'work print' pile.
I totally see your point. Yes, we are dealing with heavier material with vastly different finishes on either side.
I'm curious to understand what the glue is they used and whether it would be archival. Someone suggested it was simply wall paper glue, but no one from the company responded.
I think the thing is they glued the whole poster to the backing paper and then peeled the whole backing paper off. It feels like there is enough surface area at least to get a good hold. I've done the taped edges before with success, but I don't like then creating a print that is slight an odd size.
This, though, seems like it has enough promise to at least experiment with.
Purists may grimace when I say the last time I had to flatten a curled FB based print, I let it dry naturally until it was almost touch dry and then with an ordinary domestic iron on the cool setting I ironed it flat with the image face down on a piece of cotton sheet underneath.
Believe me it does work and I must have done dozens of prints this way with no damage what so ever. To test for the optimum temperature if you flick water on the faceplate it must not spit back but just pool and dry off with a little whisp of steam. If it is too hot, the emulsion could lift off and discolour over a matter of a few days (Especially if it is inadequately washed.)
Believe me it does work and I must have done dozens of prints this way with no damage what so ever. To test for the optimum temperature if you flick water on the faceplate it must not spit back but just pool and dry off with a little whisp of steam. If it is too hot, the emulsion could lift off and discolour over a matter of a few days (Especially if it is inadequately washed.)
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