Laminator, dry mounting question

[whitbyframer]

Hi all. I've never really understood the purpose of laminating, vacuum presses, dry mounting, etc so have always ignored the equipment. What's the advantage of them and do I need one?

[prospero]

Dry mounting is a one-way process, so is not appropriate or desirable for items of value. Basically, if you can't replace it,
don't dry mount it.

But for things such as large posters and such like they are very useful. People like things flat and a dry mounted item should
stay flat. But do not let customers bully you into dry mounting a print of any import. It will destroy it's value. Collectors like
things 'mint' and and anything you do to it which is irreversible counts as 'mutilation'.

Many framers function merrily along for years without having a press. It depends on the type of thing you typically get to frame.

[Not your average framer]

I find dry mounting a very useful part of producing really classy presentation, particularly with photographs. Customers tend to turn up with photos that they want framed, when asked if they want matt, lustre, or gloss prints they generally choose gloss and gloss prints do not look great behind normal float glass. The light reflects off the photo then off the inside of the gass and you get a double image, which looks bad and any slight ripples in the photo stand out very badly. Dry mounting enables me to flatten the photo and lose the optical problems of viewing a photo which is not flat behind normal glass. I much prefer to heat seal the front of gloss, or lustre photos with a matt heat seal film to kill any surface reflections caused by the photo.

Dry mounting is also useful for flattening creases in paper items, where items do not have any significant value. I also repair scuffed colour prints on old adverts from magazine covers and then heat seal with matt heat seal film over the finished job of ensure that areas where I have touched scuff marks are uniformly matt with the rest of he advert. Lots of old adverts get framed to put in bath rooms and toilets. Many customers like appropriate images and related humerous itens framed for displaying in the toilet.

Itis a fact that customers struggle to find amusing, or appropriate items to frame for the toilet, but that does not mean that there is not a market for such items. I keep my eyes open for such things in old magazine and publications as they sell very well. I used to own and run a second hand bookshop, which sold vintage adverts and memorabilia. I still do a little bit of this from time to time, as it is still worthwhile to do a bit of this. Not only am I "not your average framer", but my shop is "Not your average framing shop". I like to do some slightly unusual things for sale, as many customers are looking for the quirky and the unusual.

[Justintime]

If you give Steve Goodall a call at Wessex Oldham branch, he runs a free 1 day course at Hotpress headquarters in Bristol. He teaches how to use both Hotpress vacuum presses and Jet mount cold roller presses. Each one has its uses and limitations.
I use my Hotpress to mount and laminate low value prints, posters, maps etc. The matt laminate I use has a 99%UV filter and means that pieces can be close framed without mount or glass. It's often a cost saving exercise and customers are always pleasantly surprised with the quality of the result. It also produces a very light piece of work, which can be beneficial.
I have also used the press to mount work onto bevelled foamboard for floating and flattening cockled artwork by warming and pressing between sheets of mountboard.
Like all processes, there are risks attached and I always inform the customer of the risks and confirm that the piece is replaceable. I have only had to replace two pieces, so far...
Both processes require a very clean work environment.
With hindsight, it has added to the services that I'm able to offer (previously it cost a lot in time and money to have a signage company do my mounting for me), but after 3 years I may not have used it enough to warrant the space it and its materials take up. Its been a process of testing my market.
As gadgets go, I love it!

[Not your average framer]

I have various old prints, which I have picked up over the years. Some of them have needed a little bit of freshening up and getting them to nicely lay flat. These often get flattened in my dry mounting press and then come out looking pristine, plus nice and flat.

[whitbyframer]

Thanks for all of your feedback so far . I'm in the process of buying a CMC and am concerned about space in the workshop so I'll maybe leave it a while longer as I've never been asked for it, I just wondered if it was something that might generate some extra income.

[prospero]

For the most part, having a press will not be a big cash-cow unless you use it often. If you have one and
a job requires drymounting then it's indispensable. It's a bit like an oval mountcutter in that respect.

[Steve N]

great for mountsing and heatsealing onto MDF for blockmounting, low value items, posters of Rothko etc, paint the edge of the MDF, look great

[Not your average framer]

I used to use my dry mounting press a lot more at one time, but in more recent years I have used it far less. It's not a big money maker.