How to make unique postcards?

[Lachlan Young]

While wandering around the local post office I found a pack of plain postcards with the relevant parts printed on the back but without any image on the front. This got me thinking...why not produce a 10x15cm print on FB paper and then dry mount it onto the front of one of these postcards? If this is feasible then it could be an easy way to produce some truly unique postcards - I don't know how much of a worry archival stability is to experienced 'postcardists' and all suggestions will be most welcome.

Lachlan

P.S. I wonder if it would be possible to use some kind of cold mounting method to do the same trick with Cibachromes...

 

[c6h6o3]

I tried this doing this for the Postcard Exchange. Not all of the cards made it with pictures attached. I ended up dry mounting all my pictures to note cards which are protected in the mail by envelopes.

 

[pandino]

Lachlan,
I've seen a local photographer do this before with digital prints, but you're going to have some problems with paper curl.

Whenever you glue and two papers together, they will expand/contract differently based on the length,calender and primary (machine) direction of the paper fibers.

In other words, your print/postcard will wrinkle and/or curl with changes in temp and humidity.

It's possible to reduce the effect by: 1) finding a substrate of a similar bond and hygroscopic tendency and 2) orienting the substrate's machine direction 45º to the machine direction of your printing paper before mounting. Obviously the optimal substrate would depend on the printing paper that you're using.

Try it out and let us know how those cards work! Alternatively, you could have a rubber stamp made and just stamp the text and graphics on the back of heavyweight FB.

 

[Dave Wooten]

some b and w images look really nice printed with a copy machine on good paper...you can experiment and develope and print the image with that in mind.

 

[matt miller]

I dry mounted single weight FB prints (azo) to 2 ply mat board for a postcard exchange. I made my own markings on the back to make it an "official" postcard. As far as I know they all made it intact.

 

[removed account4]

hi there

you can experiment with other ways of afixing the image to the card too.
there are various pastes and glues that bond paper to paper.
pva ( polyvinylacetate ) works wonders with paper to paper. you can mix it with wheatpaste too and it will works too.

when you paste paper to paper you need to put heavy weight on top of it -- books, bricks, cast iron skillet, ( or if you happen to have a book press / nipping press THAT is great! ) ..

good luck!
john

 

[dphill]

Lachlan,
Try this site. I was looking for the same as you when the availablity of Ilford Post card paper was in doubt.

http://www.photopostos.com/pages/consumer.html

I don't know if the product is available in your country, but check it out.

Dan

 

[Lachlan Young]

I dry mounted single weight FB prints (azo) to 2 ply mat board for a postcard exchange. I made my own markings on the back to make it an "official" postcard. As far as I know they all made it intact.

This sounds like a very good idea - I will try it as soon as I can get access to a dry mounting press...

Thanks,

Lachlan

 

[noseoil]

Ilford is still making postcard stock, works for me. J&C's museum weight FB paper will stand up pretty well on its own (320g/m). tim

 

[FrankB]

Ilford is still making postcard stock, works for me.

Likewise.

By the time it's had a stamp stuck to it, been postmarked (presumably not with a ph-neutral ink), been abused by a number of over-stressed postal workers and lobbed halfway around the world having its surface rubbed by whatever else is sharing its mailbag, I think archivability is probably going to be the least of its problems!

I'm not claiming RC is as good as FB by any means, but for this application it's probably good enough for my humble needs.

 

[Charles Webb]

Hello,
I was really just passing by, and not really to much interested it the title of the thread. After reading a couple of posts I was "hooked" I learned a bunch from everyones posted information. Just wanted to say thank you for the good information!


Charlie......................................