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Designs
Ink Publishing Article Archive and Reference Library
Articles
by Chris A. Paschke, CPF GCF
"From
Photos to Canvas to Cash"
May 1991
If you already maintain a heat mounting system, expanding into the use of
laminates is a natural progression for realizing more profit potential from your equipment. Not only are
you able to provide additional services to your customers but also create a
market untapped by you in the past.
Laminating is the process of applying a protective plastic film to the
surface of paper art or photograph using a heat mounting system. "A Clear
View of Glazing", January 1991 correctly refers to film laminates as a
nonreversible alternative to glass, but there are many additional reasons these
films are used by framers. As a glass substitute it is washable, durable,
nonbreakable, lightweight, permanent, won't finger print, and often has UV
protective properties. They come in matte, luster, canvas and linen textures
and as illustrated in this article may be used by innovative framers to
increase profits and expand their framing creativity. Engineers, architects,
preschools, hospitals, city/county/state agencies, as well as assorted federal
agencies often are in search of alternative ways to mount and protect items to
be used for oral presentations, short-term viewings or other temporary needs.
Also consider for a moment the concept of paying off a major equipment
purchase. Obviously the quicker an investment piece of equipment has paid for
itself the quicker additional profits will end up in your pocket. Assume for a
moment you are charging ten dollars to mount a particular poster. If you then
laminate the same item it is generally suggested you charge an additional ten
dollars (or the equivalent of the mounting charge) for the laminating process. A
number of facts come into play at this point.
Technically it is possible to mount and laminate the poster all at one
time, thus saving you the time and equipment use of the second mounting. Since
the basic materials of adhesive, substrate and overhead have been calculated
into the basic mounting price (whether you use a basic united inch price,
suggested dealer price chart or national pricing schedule) by doubling the
mounting charge when laminating only the cost of the film needs to be added
prior to realizing your profit. Simple
mathematics will illustrate the time and cost effectiveness of adding
lamination to your repertoire of services. By using the doubling format of
pricing lamination there is also plenty of room available to discount or
subcontract if you wish. If you then additionally venture into the more
creative aspects of laminating films by incorporating them into mat design,
faux glass etching and transferring photos onto canvas then there is yet more
potential for increased profits and added customer services.
The basics of laminating a mounted photograph must be briefly covered in
order to establish the process differences between paper art lamination and
plastic photo emulsion lamination. Then in the hands-on portion of this article
we will be transferring a pre- laminated photograph onto a self adhesive canvas
(Seal CanvasMount) in preparation for later stretching and framing.
In preparation for laminating a photo, as always predry the substrate and
photograph in an envelope of kraft paper for 10-15 seconds, mount the photo
with an appropriate breathable permanent dry mount tissue designed for use with
a nonbreathable photo such as Seal ColorMount or TechMount TM2. Keep in mind
any glassine or dry mount core tissue that does not breathe (MT5 or TM1)
generally will not allow any trapped air to escape from between the photo and
tissue core and air bubbles may result.
Since both the RC (resin coated) photograph and the laminate (Seal Print
Guard-UV Matte) are plastics the laminate must be perforated to allow the air
to be compressed from between the layers prior to permanent fusion of the laminate
to the photo. Using a special metal perforating tool, allow the weight of the
tool with just a minor amount of pressure to roll across the surface of the laminate so that tiny holes are created
approximately 1/4" apart. Always perforate the laminate on the film side
otherwise the removable paper backing of the laminate may be forced into the
puncture holes leaving white paper residue within the completed photo. Also be
certain to perforate on a pliable surface such as a self-healing mat, foam
board or mat board. Too hard a surface will not allow the teeth of the
perforator to penetrate the laminate enough to create adequate holes for the
air to escape before they seal up in the press.
Although 215-225F is the standard temperature setting required for
laminating paper artwork, with photographs the press should begin at a
temperature of 180F. Place a package of substrate with photo, applied laminate
(with backing paper removed) and sponge foam overlay in an envelope of release
paper into the press, clamp it closed and immediately turn the temperature up
to 225F. As the press temperature slowly climbs to the desired laminating
temperature of 225F the air has adequate time to be compressed from between the
plastics and the tiny perforations can melt back together. Although it may take
from 10-15 minutes to reach the laminating temperature once the press reaches the
225F temperature it will actually only take 3-5 minutes for the laminate to
bond to the photo.
The basic laminating theory when transferring a photo to canvas remains
the same as previously described, however the laminate is perforated and bonded
to the photo before it is mounted. Sandwich the RC photo between the perforated
laminate and its paper backing, layer the sponge foam on top, place it between
release paper sheets and close the press.
Remember to begin with the press at a temperature of 180F and turn it up
to 225F upon closing the press, then be patient for 8-15 minutes. You may check
your press temperatures by watching the thermometer if you are using a 210M-X
or 500T-X, or by waiting until the indicator light goes off on your VacuSeal
press to determine the temperature. Once
you are certain the temperature has reached the required 225F you need only
leave the photo under pressure an additional 3-5 minutes.
If you intend to use this process of laminating photos often it would be
wise to time the entire process and make a note of it for future reference. Then
you only need set a timer for the entire process without having to monitor each
lamination. Remember that "time is money" and if you need to watch
the entire process each time it disallows you from effectively completing
another project while your press works for you.
Only matte or luster finishes should be used for this transfer process
since the texture of the canvas will be picked up through the photo emulsion
upon final mounting. Using pretextured canvas laminate will compete with the
natural canvas texture rather than enhance it and is visually very ineffective.
Seal Print Guard-UV Matte is being used for this demonstration to give a
non-reflective finish.
The laminate should be sized large enough to completely cover the
mounting piece of adhesive backed canvas (Seal CanvasMount), otherwise when the
sponge foam is layered over the surface for final mounting it will adhere to
the exposed adhesive. Note you must consider leaving adequate material to
stretch the canvas onto stretcher bars, 1-1/2 to 2" beyond the edges of the
photo should be sufficient. Thus if working with an 8x10 photo bond it to an
oversized piece of laminate and then trim it down to allow adequate border on
all sides prior to canvas mounting.
After the laminate has been bonded to the photo the final mounting step
may be completed. Cut the CanvasMount to the matching dimensions of the
laminated photo (presized 11x14 used here) and have it ready prior to removing
the photo from the press. Upon removing the photo with laminate from the press
lay it face up on a hard surface such as a glass covered work table. As you peel the laminate from it's backing
paper, (using an X-acto knife, razor blade or finger nail) separate the top
layer of photo emulsion from the RC paper and begin to peel it against itself
in a sharp hairpin turn. Once you have begun to peel continue at a smooth
steady speed and pull as evenly as possible holding the remaining RC paper and
backing paper firmly with your free
hand. On large photos assistance may be needed to keep the tension smooth and
constant. Be extremely careful to separate the very top layer of emulsion only,
because any paper left on the emulsion will reduce the amount of overall texture
achieved. The stripped photo emulsion should be extremely thin and look very
much like a decal.
Once the photo emulsion has been stripped from its RC paper backing
prepare the canvas by folding back the top 1-2" of the release backing
paper to expose the adhesive. Line up the photo laminate from the bottom to
ensure proper alignment since once the two adhesives come in contact with each
other they are securely stuck. Slide your hand up from the bottom to the top
and carefully smooth down the laminate onto the exposed canvas adhesive. Now carefully lift the lower unattached
photo/laminate, remove the remaining protective release paper from the canvas
and smooth the laminate in place. Insert the canvas/photo/laminate unit
complete with sponge foam on top into a release paper envelope and place in a
dry mount press at 180-225F (properly adjusted or shimmed to accommodate the
thinner materials) and set the laminate to the canvas for 3-5 minutes. Upon
completion of the above steps the newly transferred photo may then be stretched
and framed as desired.
These canvas transferred RC photographs are designed to resemble oil
portraits or paintings by pressing the texture of the CanvasMount through the
emulsion for the look and feel of authentic canvas art. A similar process is
readily used within the photographic industry and costs about $50 to have an
8x10 photo transferred to canvas by Olin Mills. It is an extremely high profit
service when offered by framers since the completed process costs approximately
$5 for base materials. Even adding necessary labor costs will give you a
sizeable profit margin and increased use of your equipment. Sounds like a great idea to me.
END
Additional information on
mounting basics is found in The
Mounting and Laminating Handbook, Second Edition, 2002, and The
Mounting And Laminating Handbook, Third Edition, 2008. Creative
Mounting, Wrapping, And Laminating, 2000 has a full
chapter on image transferring and will teach you everything you need to know
about getting the most from your dry mount equipment and materials as an
innovative frame designer. All books are available from Designs Ink Publishing through this website.
For live consultations with
Chris Paschke, CPF GCF call Designs Ink, 661.821.2188. A flat fee of $25 will
be charged for each new technical problem. Unlimited calls or emails are
allowed for each established mounting problem.
Chris A Paschke, CPF GCF
Designs Ink
Designs Ink Publishing
785 Tucker Road, Suite G-183
Tehachapi, CA 93561
661.821.2188