Mounting Tissue

Carol · Jul 14, 2005

I am planning to buy some mounting tissue from interstate, but am not sure which to order. The choices are Marshalls Galarie Mount or Seal MT. Three of the Seal Mt ads say Non Archival and the rest don't specify.

Could somebody explain what the differences in tissues are?

Any help appreciated.

Bob Carnie · Jul 14, 2005

Hi Carol
I use seal mt tissue for different reasons.
Seal Colour Mount- this is a very durable and easy to use material, it is non removable and good for rc and colour work.( since the mount will last longer than a colour photograph I do not worry about so called archival rating with this tissue.

Seal Archival - this is a removable tissue and a bit harder to work with and you can use it at a lower temp.( I have had a problem using this tissue with inkjet prints* changed the colour of the print 8hrs afterwards* ) it is also not as agressive as colour mount.(with fibre prints I use a large border under the mat so that the corners coming up do not become a problem) I have never tried to make this mount reversable as Seal Claims.

these two mount materials are to be used with heat. There are also many cold mount methods to use but you do need a small laminator machine to do this.

hope this helps

Nige · Jul 15, 2005

I have never bought any new, I got some Seal MT-something from eBay and on the pkt says it's suitable for fibre papers, I gather there must be a different version for RC. I also got a roll about 1m wide with the press which seems to work with RC ok, but not fibre (I've had prints bubble and lift, but when swapping to the Seal they stuck fine). Vanbars sell something but it's terribly expensive... I had a pkt in my hand one day and when I went to buy it I asked "how much is this" and after they picked me up off the floor, I said I didn't need it!

I'd be interested to know your source and how much.

noseoil · Jul 15, 2005

How hot do you run the color mount? My first attempt at this process was with the setting I use for for fiber base paper and tissue (old Kodak shellac). Needless to say, the lamination was "complete" and permanent. What a mess. Glad it was "only" an 11 x 14 print, oy. tim

P.S. Only thing worse looking was the time I tried to dry an RC B&W print in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Carol · Jul 15, 2005

Thank you Bob and Nige for the help. Vanbar had a new brand in called Bienfang. The salesman says it's for B&W fibre prints and it's to be applied with heat (my iron). 8x10 costs about a dollar a sheet. I figured I am going to need it as I've recently started using fibre paper and can't imagine how you get a fb print dead flat to frame it. I've got plenty of time to learn to use it as I haven't got a print worth framing yet.
BTW Nige did you know that Vanbar has all their products and monthly specials on line now.

Thanks again for the advice.

Monophoto · Jul 15, 2005

Carol -

Bienfang is an old, well respected brand of art and office supplies.

A buck a sheet sounds a little expensive, however. I have been using the Arista brand tissue from Freestyle - 8x10 is $16.99 for 100 sheets, or 17cents/sheet.

There has been a lot of discussion about using mounting tissue with a hand iron. Even Ansel Adams mentions that in one of his books. My experience with that was very unhappy - I couldn't get the heat to be even enough to avoid bubbles between the print and th emount. Eventually, I found a used dry mount press (a 12x15" Technal, $75) that I am still using, 20 years later.

Nige · Jul 15, 2005

I tried finding it on Vanbars on-line shop but couldn't. Maybe we need to organise a group buy from the US... Would need to get enough to warrant the postage (which seems to be very high considering... I went to order some of the J&C film and the postage mean I need to buy a lot to make it a small portion of the purchase).

I do have a press but they are not cheap yet around here. I paid $400 (AUD) and I've seen some advertised a bit cheaper but because they are so heavy, you need to be able to go and pick them up. I have used a houslhold iron and for up to 8x10 it can work. It is good to flattent the prints in the 1st place, but I agree that a Fb print needs to be maounted for display... I hate wavy prints!

ron mcelroy · Jul 16, 2005

Carol said:
Thank you Bob and Nige for the help. Vanbar had a new brand in called Bienfang. The salesman says it's for B&W fibre prints and it's to be applied with heat (my iron). 8x10 costs about a dollar a sheet. I figured I am going to need it as I've recently started using fibre paper and can't imagine how you get a fb print dead flat to frame it. I've got plenty of time to learn to use it as I haven't got a print worth framing yet.
BTW Nige did you know that Vanbar has all their products and monthly specials on line now.

Thanks again for the advice.

Carol
Bienfang is a division of Hunts corp. Hunts is the same company that bought Seal recently and dropped MT-5 tissue. The tissue marketed under Beinfang is probably Seal drymount tissue.

User Removed · Jul 16, 2005

noseoil said:
How hot do you run the color mount? My first attempt at this process was with the setting I use for for fiber base paper and tissue (old Kodak shellac). Needless to say, the lamination was "complete" and permanent. What a mess. Glad it was "only" an 11 x 14 print, oy. tim

P.S. Only thing worse looking was the time I tried to dry an RC B&W print in the microwave for 30 seconds.

I remeber seeing an old Ansel Adams video where he is microwaving his prints. HAHAHA!

I have tried that Arista tissue, and do not recommend it. It is VERY "gummy" and gooey. It is also VERY thick, compaired to other tissues.

Peter Schrager · Jul 16, 2005

Colormount

Noseoil-mounting colormount straight from M. Smith: "200 degrees@30 seconds with AZO. Stay away from Buffermount-it won't work for me. If one does some checking around they might still find some MT-5 around. New stuff is about twice the price since Bienfang took over seal.
Best, Peter

Carol · Jul 17, 2005

Thanks for the advice Monophoto. The problem where I live is I just don't have access to supplies. I rang the main photo places in our Capital City and couldn't get any brand. One place used to carry some from Kodak, but they had to order such a large amount that they gave up buying it. Way to go Kodak! I will give it a go with the iron on a prac. print (I have plenty of those).

Sorry Nige I didn't explain myself fully. Bienfang is not on the Vanbar website as they've just started getting it in. I don't know one from the other so it's pot luck whether it's any good. I also ordered some Tetenal ArtMus Mat paper which I know nothing about.

Peter and Ron I think perhaps you are both right about the Bienfang really being Seal MT5. On checking my product list Bienfang sells for $25.30 which is exactly the price that Seal Mt5 used to be. So I guess that's what I'm really getting. I guess they didn't put the price up because it was already dear here.

MikeS · Aug 14, 2005

Hi All.

I just got a Seal dry mounting press, I think it's a model 150, but I don't know, there's absolutely no marking with model number on it. It's roughly 15" x 18", and looks similiar to the one in the picture below (I took this pic from an ebay listing, mine is similar, but doesn't have the switch, the power cord comes right out of the center where the heat control is). Anyone have any idea what model it really is? And how old it might be?

Along with the press I got 2 partial boxes of 16x20 dry mounting tissue, one is MT5, and the other is Fotoflat which it says is removable. Is one easier to use than the other? Does dry mounting tissue go bad?

I've never mounted a print before, does anyone have any pointers to a good (preferably online) tutorial on the subject? Thanks!

-Mike

Peter Schrager · Aug 14, 2005

mounting

Mike-mounting is not difficult at all. You need an iron to lightly touch the mounting paper to the mat.
1. Place the tissue on the back of the print
2. From the center out make four lines going to each side of the print -gently press the iron doing these lines. This will give you the intial contact with the print.
3. Trim the print; preferably in a rototrim type cutter. You now have a print that is
trimmed to the proper size with the mounting paper attached
4. I have a jig that I bought from Zone-VI to do the attaching of the print to the mat. You could make one very easily. It is essentially a wood board that has
a raised strip attached to the lower part of the board. From the center out it has ruler markings. You place your matboard in the middle and line it up so it matches the same ruler markings on each side. There is a seperate piece that is a T-type bar. Now place the print where you want it to be on the matboard and lay the T-bar across the lower part of the print to make sure it is level
5.While holding the print firmly against the board lightly touch the 4 corners of the tissue to the board wit the iron
6. You should pick up a sable brush to gently brush away debris and dust after and before each operation.
7. Now the package is ready for the drymount press
8. And this is where I wish I had a digital camera to put up some pix for you because it isn't hard at all. Pm me if you need more info
Best, Peter

ann · Aug 14, 2005

some time ago, a young man posted a video that he had made dry mounting with an iron, i thought i had booked marked it for just this type of occasion; but can't seem to find it right now. Hopefully, someone else has done the same thing but can put their "mouse" right on the bookmark.

Carol · Aug 14, 2005

Dead Link Removed

I think this is the link that Ann is referring to. It is Christopher Colley's demo. I found it very useful.

hortense · Aug 15, 2005

I use Bienfang Color Mount. My time in my mounting press is 3-minutes at 220 degree F. I went to these settings to insure that the print adheres well. To test, after the weighted print is cooled for about 1/2-minute, I take the mounting board a give a quick sharp bend with the print on the outside away from the bend to see if it holds.

Louis Nargi · Aug 15, 2005

noseoil said:
How hot do you run the color mount? My first attempt at this process was with the setting I use for for fiber base paper and tissue (old Kodak shellac). Needless to say, the lamination was "complete" and permanent. What a mess. Glad it was "only" an 11 x 14 print, oy. tim

P.S. Only thing worse looking was the time I tried to dry an RC B&W print in the microwave for 30 seconds.

I'v been useing Seal coler mount tissue for years, AA started useing it because it needed less heat and it was archivel In my press, whitch is a sael I mount my prints at around 185 degrees for 3 min. works every time.

Shane Knight · Aug 15, 2005

For mounting Fiber prints in a heat press, I exclusivly use Bienfang (same as Seal) Fusion 4000. If you have the option, I highly reccomend it. You can get nice and clean Salon mounted edges easily with Fusion 4000.

Good Luck

Shane Knight

hortense · Aug 15, 2005

MikeS said:
Hi All.

I just got a Seal dry mounting press .. Anyone have any idea what model it really is? And how old it might be? -Mike

It appears to be a "Seal Commercial 200 Drymounting and Laminating Press". I bought mine USED 25-years ago.

hortense · Aug 15, 2005

peters said:
Dry-mounting is not difficult at all. ...

Try Barnbaum's The Art of Photography, pp. 142 -144.

MikeS · Aug 15, 2005

hortense said:
It appears to be a "Seal Commercial 200 Drymounting and Laminating Press". I bought mine USED 25-years ago.

Well, as I said, that was a picture that was similar. Here's a picture of my actual mounting press (as well as the tacking iron that came with it, and the Elwood enlarger I want to sell).

I think I understand the basics of dry mounting now, so I guess all I have to do is get some mount board, and try and mount a few photographs now! As I understand it, MT5 has been discontinued, as well as the fotoflat, would I be better off buying some new mounting tissue, and saving these for when I know what I'm doing? Or should I just use what I got until it's gone?

-Mike

Mounting Tissue

Carol

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Nige

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Nige

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