Digital BW, The Print

Hi Steve,

> Tom had suggested that they be mounted on something sturdier eg
> gatorfoam or dibond - materials that I am not familiar with.  The materials
> I had noted (eg card, foam, foamex, aluminium, MDF) came from the service
> listing of my digital lab (I have to wait til Monday to speak with them).

Dibond is a relatively expensive aluminum product - very archival.  Gatorfoam 
is a couple of very hard rigid surfaces with foam inbetween - probably 
relatively archival.

> Wouldn't a print on RC paper be to wobbly to simply affix
> to museum board at the four corners?  

I find that 12x15 prints lie quite flat with hinge mounting and overmats.  
However, some 20x25s exhibit quite a bit of waviness when hinge mounted - 
not at first, but after hanging for awhile.  Drymounting eliminates this and the 
print is very flat - Drymounting is not a preferred archival museum mounting 
method, which is why I have been hinge mounting up til now.  However, as I 
go to larger prints (32x40) drymounting (or cold press mounting) becomes 
necessary.   

> Tom had mentioned that he had a friend who successfully sells large 
Lightjet
> prints dry mounted, waxed and displayed without glass.   I was
> interested to know whether Tom's friend placed any form of matting in front
> of the print.

My friend doesn't use any matting.  His cold press mounted prints on 
gatorfoam are put directly in float frames so that a very small gap (1/8 inch or 
so) occurs between the edge of the print and the side of the frame.  This 
method is similar to the way framed paintings on stretcher bars are often 
displayed.  I am about to have few large prints done this way.  For now I will 
have the mounting and trimming and frame building done by others, but will 
do the frame assemby myself.  
 
Tom Andrews
http://www.wildlandart.com