Print Orders + How To Float Mount Photos
April 16th, 2010One of the most rewarding experiences in photography comes from receiving a print order. Here are some recent gems that came in this week. Take a look at the bottom of this post to learn how to hang a frameless photo on a wall without looking like a complete cheapskate.
click to enlarge
The mailman brings goodness.
Who gets what?
10″ X 15″ of Ion Banner goes to a lucky guy in New Jersey, mounted on 3mm sintra.
New Jersey is also getting a 10″ X 15″ piece of San Onofre, CA, mounted on 3mm sintra.
10″ X 15″ of Peter Mel is heading to Maine, mounted on 3mm sintra.
Prints for Habilitat in Oahu
Two 12″ X 18″ prints are being sent to Kaneohe, Hawaii for the 10th Annual Habilitat Luau & Art Benefit. Each year I donate work to Habilitat which is a long term residential drug addiction treatment center on the island of Oahu. This year I asked one of the residents of the program to select an image from my website to be included in the benefit. He excitedly choose this image below of Zach Wormhoudt charging down the face of a wave at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, CA. This year’s luau will be on May 22nd at Windward Community College. Visit here for more info.
12″ X 18″ of Zach Wormhoudt is going to an art auction in Oahu, mounted on 1/2″ gatorboard.
Habilitat Art Auction in Oahu also gets a 12″ X 18″ print of Capitola, CA, mounted on 1/2″ gatorboard.
Frameless Presentation
A traditional way to hang photography is to mount the prints to a hinged 8-ply window mat board under UV glass with a custom frame. This offers the best protection but it is exceptionally expensive. I have been getting photos dry mounted to Sintra (a 3mm thick material similar to plexiglass) and gatorboard (similar to foam core but much stronger due to the wood pulp fibers). Dry mounting allows artwork to lay completely flat when framed under glass and is almost always required for pieces 11X14 and larger. It also allows you to experiment with frameless presentations that does not include clothespins, binder clips, or thumb tacks. Your work does not deserve such injustice.
This 10″ X 15″ of Mavericks printed on metallic paper stays here, mounted on 3mm sintra and “floated” off the wall.
How To Go Frameless:
If done correctly frameless photography can look as nice as a framed piece and offer similar protection. You need to do (4) things.
1) Dry mount the photo to a substrate that will not flex. Materials can include: artboard, masonite, metal, plexiglass, and gatorboard, Foam core will not work as it will warp over time. There is also a law of physics that states as soon as you mount a photo to foam core you will drop the photo and dent the corners. Don’t do it!
2) Have the artwork UV coated. This also protects the print from moisture, dust, and the color will not self destruct under normal viewing conditions. UV coatings can be either: clear, luster, gloss, or high gloss. These are extremely thin protective sheets that are completely invisible. Friends don’t let other friends emboss textured coatings like linen or canvas onto their photos. Keep it classy and go clear.
3) Place a self-adhesive hanger on the back of the mounting material. These are very strong due to the large surface area, but for larger pieces go with (2) adhesive hangers and a piece of wire.
4) “Float” the mounting material away from the wall. Many framers and labs mount a smaller piece of 1/2 gatorboard behind the dry mounted photo. The easiest solution is to use these thick self-adhesive rubber bumpers found at Home Depot. Place one at each corner of the print about 4 inches toward the center to hide their appearance.
Place the bumpers 4″ from the outside edge so they are less visible.
Additional info and resources:
Unless you don’t mind doing the whole thing over again in a few years because the color has shifted, don’t skip the UV coating in order to save a few dollars. Most labs and some framers can do this for you. The biggest concern for archival properties is from the heat and adhesives used in the dry mounting process. Shop around and ask questions, or do it yourself. To save a few steps take a look at the self-adhesive boards in a variety of thicknesses and materials at www.artsupply.com. A few recommended online print services that offer color controlled printing (ICC profiles), dry mounting, and UV coating are:
Get your work outside of the computer and make some prints!
