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Articles by Chris A. Paschke, CPF GCF CMG
"Resurfacing Laminated Mats"
February 2009
These
days, framers need to offer new and inventive design ideas just to maintain
their market share. Creativity and framing alternatives are often what sets one
framer apart from the next. Since the onset of the CMC, any custom framer can
offer a Kobe corner or octagon-cut window mat, but not every frame shop offers
dry mounting and laminating.
Laminating and
Roller Laminators
Vinyl
heat activated (HA) laminates, as used in the framing industry, were developed
as a protective film coating to be applied to the surface of paper images or
photographs by a mechanical or hot vacuum press. Surface laminating is a
permanent alternative to glass that is durable, nonbreakable, nonpermeable,
washable, lightweight, and fingerprint and UV resistant. With a minimal
investment in a roll of laminate and a sheet of sponge overlay, any heat press
can be converted to a laminator. Though basic laminating is a must in today's
market for all heat press owners, creative laminating applications are an
altogether different venue.
Most
pouch laminators, roller machines, and roller presses today are not designed
for creative laminating. The Roller Press, ProSeal, AMS, and other closed units
used in framing are modified roller laminators (RLs) that have been designed
for fine mounting and laminating. Though most other models have pressure
adjustment settings and forward/reverse adjustable speeds, their preset heat
controls minimize creative applications and limit them to simple encapsulation.
So mechanical and hot vacuums reign supreme for creative applications.
Laminated Mat Board
Surface
laminates were never developed to be cheaper than glass, merely as a glazing
alternative. They may often be the best alternative to using glass in a child's
room, hospital, restaurant, or public facility. And using laminates on mat
board is also creative.
Mats
may be surface laminated with any vinyl film finish (matte, satin-matte, luster
film, or gloss) or texture (canvas, linen, sand, et al.) and used in a
glass-free frame. Common applications include art/mat units and laminated
window mats. Embossing, resurfacing, and retexturing are also innovative ideas
often popular with customers. Additional decorative laminate uses include
contemporary panel designs, faux glass etching, mirror design, and leather
look.
Laminated Art/Mat
Unit
In
display situations where glazing is undesirable, a laminated mat may be the
right choice. Bonding a laminate over a mounted, matted print seals the art and
creates a protected, lightweight image with a window mat that is ready for
framing. In Photo 1, a sheet of
perforated luster laminate was placed over the window mat and ATG taped to the
mounted substrate. It was covered with a piece of 1/2" sponge overlay and
placed in a press (Photo 2). This
process works best over a single 4-ply window mat. The softened film will
contour and bond into the sunken window, but it will never create crisp angular
edges at the bottom of the bevel, creating small curved corners (Photo 3).
Embossed Laminates
Since
vinyls are pliable when heated and easily conform to a given shape, films can
be mounted over shallow items to trap them into position once they are mounted (Photo 4). This is called embossing,
and it used a colored mat to coordinate with the art as the background. Two
layers of 1/4" overlay foam or one sheet of 1/2" are best for
embossing. A thicker sponge helps create a more even pressure surrounding the
3-D object without leaving tunnels of unbonded film along the object edges.
Since laminates require heat of 180°F to 225°F to bond, embossing needs to be
limited to items that tolerate the required bonding temperatures.
Wet,
moist, or untreated natural materials can produce condensation under mounted
films and should be avoided. If natural flowers, leaves, or grasses are used,
they need to be dried with silica gel or glycerin prior to laminating. Once
laminated, the already-sized board is cut into the desired window mat shape,
then attached or book hinged to the mounted/ laminated print. The actual bevel
in this technique won't be coated with film. This is different from creating an
art/mat unit. In this case, the embossed window mat is laminated independently
from the mounted print. This allows different laminate finishes to be chosen
and multiple mat windows to be used (Photo
10).
Resurfacing and Retexturing
Prints
Commercial
laminates are purchased with specific finishes and textures provided by
manufacturers. For proper application, a piece of sponge foam overlay is
required to create the desired finish. There are three reasons for using foam:
1)
To extend required bonding time, allowing for greater air compression
2)
To aid in the elimination of trapped air from under and around the laminate to
the outer edges
3)
To provide a more even pressure to all the highs and lows of the laminate.
Sponges
are available in 1/4" and 1/2", and either thickness may be used on
any brand of film. When vinyl film is heated and softened, it picks up the
pattern of the sponge overlay. In turn, films also take on the texture or
impression of any newly introduced pattern, which is called resurfacing. This
allows films to be altered after bonding to remove some of the sponge pattern,
to increase gloss, or to change a texture.
The
process is simple.
1) Apply laminate to manufacturer
specs using a sponge
2) Place a project back in the press
with the gloss side of an nonperforated release liner against the face of the
laminate using no sponge
3) Mount a second time at the same
time and temperature (Photo 5).
To
retexture, first mount the film using a sponge overlay on the mounted image at
185°F to 220°F for 5 to 10 minutes. Then place a tightly wrinkled and flattened
nonperforated release liner, smooth side down, against the face of the
mounted/laminated print (Photo 6).
Remount with no sponge in the same temperature press for another 5 to 10
minutes. Nonperforated release liner—or Drytac single sided release paper—is
required to keep the dot pattern from a perforated laminate from transferring
to the image as part of the new texture (Photo
7).
Resurfacing and Retexturing
Window Mats
Besides
laminating prints, this refinishing process is also applicable to mat boards,
allowing a framed image to remain unglazed yet durable and unique. The steps
are the same in refinishing a mat as for refinishing a mounted print:
1)
Laminate with a sponge
2)
Re-laminate with a crinkle liner and no sponge
3)
Cut the window mat.
Closely
examine the surface of selected mats for board pattern and mottled colors.
Since some colored papers are not as solid as they initially appear, laminates
may show mottled coloring (Photo 8).
When retexturing a laminate on a hard mat board surface, the resulting crinkles
may turn out differently from a print mounted on soft foam board (Photo 9). These tighter, harder-edged
crinkles may also be achieved using a crushed and flattened sheet of aluminum
foil.
Since
a sponge has already done its job during first mounting, the second mounting is
only to retexture the softened laminate surface. If sponge foam were used the
second time, it would contour to the highs and lows of the crinkled release
liner, cushioning the unevenness and creating much less texture. Try different
combinations—with and without sponge foam—to find the technique and process you
like the most. The larger the mat, the longer the time it may require for
bonding. These are only raw materials and will not be damaged by excessive time
under heat. The large mats in the sample were completed in a 40"x60"
VacuSeal hot vacuum using a release board top and paper bottom. The board helps
compress the wrinkles.
Fish Sampler
The
completed sample is a 24"x36" print that was mounted and laminated to
foam center board (Photo 10:
courtesy of Elmer's/ Bienfang). The top purple mat was both resurfaced and
retextured using a matte laminate. The laminate release liner was then wadded
into a tight little ball to wrinkle it, then opened flat and placed on top of
the mounted film using no sponge. The middle teal mat was laminated and
resurfaced with a matte laminate and smooth liner, and the bottom blue mat was
mounted and then resurfaced with gloss laminate and a smooth liner.
You
can also cut unused fallouts into corner samples, use them for framed gallery
art, or save them for future projects. Using laminate and 4-ply board scraps,
for example, you can create 8"x10" crinkle laminated windows or
embossed mats for quick sales. They also are perfect for photo frames. The
bottom line is that laminates on mat board can generate additional profits
while offering many creative opportunities.
END
Photo
details
Photo
1: The left image was mounted first to 4-ply board with the right to foam board.
Window mats were cut and aligned using ATG tape, then matte and luster
laminates were applied respectively.
Photo
2: A sheet of perforated luster laminate from Drytac is placed over the window
mat, which has been ATG taped to the substrate. It is then covered with a clean
piece of overlay sponge foam and placed in a press.
Photo
3: Curved corners and transition at the bottom edge of the bevel is the nature
of laminates. The gloss reflection in the photo has been maximized to
illustrate this curve, but it is barely noticeable once it is framed.
Photo
4: The mat detail shows a matte laminate over a mounted print (inside the oval)
with a luster laminate over a sprig of glycerin-treated baby's breath. The oval
was cut after the mat was laminated.
Photo
5: The right side of the image shows the traditional pattern of a sponge
overlay of a gloss laminate designed by Drytac. The left side was first
laminated, then retextured using a crinkled release liner.
Photo
6: The mounted print was placed back into a press for a second bonding, this
time with no sponge.
Photo
7: In the middle of the reflection, notice the set of four perfectly spaced
dots from a pre-perforated commercial laminate. Use only nonperforated liners.
Photo
8: The resurfaced smoother laminate has enhanced the mottled coloring of the
mat surface that appeared blended prior to laminating. The lumpier mat board
surface is also accented by laminating.
Photo
9: This corner mat detail clearly illustrates the retexturing of the matte film
on the top purple mat. This may be done with either a laminate release liner or
aluminum foil. There is a 3/16" foam spacer between the top and second
mats. The middle teal mat has also been laminated with matte film. The bottom
blue mat has been resurfaced to a smooth gloss by removing the sponge texture.
Photo
10: This 24"x36" print was mounted and laminated to 3/16"
Bienfang foam board with ColorMount tissue then matted with three laminated
window mats to preclude the use of glass. Framed "Mosaic Fish" image
shown courtesy of Bienfang.
For
more articles on encaustic, design or mounting search your desired topic under Articles
by Subject.
If you already know the specific title then search
under Articles by Title.
Additional
information on shipping boxes is found in my book
Creative
Mounting, Wrapping, And Laminating, 2000.
The
two most recent mounting books are
The
Mounting and Laminating Handbook, Second Edition, 2002, and
The
Mounting And Laminating Handbook, Third Edition, 2008.
All
books are available from Designs Ink Publishing through this website.
Chris
A Paschke, CPF GCF
Designs
Ink
Designs
Ink Publishing
785
Tucker Road, Suite G-183
Tehachapi,
CA 93561
661.821.2188
info@designsinkart.com