Dry mounting matt photo prints in Hotpress?

[South Holland Frames]

Hi folks,

I started framing again after a break of 15 years - now a retirement project doing stuff from home just for myself, family and friends.

One of the second hand machines I purchased is a Hotpress, having previously owned one back in the day when I had my business. I have used it recently to mount posters and large commercially available prints to boards which it has done perfectly.

A friend has asked me to frame her recent wedding photos. I ordered nice black and white matt prints from Snapfish which were printed beautifully at very reasonable cost.

I put these, with dry mount tissue onto foamcore using silicone release sheet on the top, into the Hotpress but they came out of it in high gloss! Friend won't mind a bit, but I think they'd look better in matt.

Should I not use a heat press? I've searched on here and elsewhere for answers without success. Any advice please?!

[Fruitini]

Give Kool tack a try - activates at 60-65° which much reduces this effect on cheap prints

[JKX]

Why stick them down at all? There's many alternative methods which cost practically nothing and won’t alter them at all!

[South Holland Frames]

Give Kool tack a try - activates at 60-65° which much reduces this effect on cheap prints

Thanks for the quick reply - I'll check that out.

[South Holland Frames]

Why stick them down at all? There's many alternative methods which cost practically nothing.

Hi, thanks for the quick reply. She wants them stuck down because other photos she had before from other places went wavy. As I have the Hotpress I thought I'd use it. Can try other methods as the 12x8 prints are relatively cheap. I'm doing them with double mounts and I'm giving them as a present so I want them to look nice!

[JKX]

Well maybe the other places used bad techniques.

Anyway if that’s what the customer wants and the photos can be reproduced it’s no big deal.

Second question, why foam board? It can compress and it’s just unnecessary bulk inside the frame, mount board should be fine.

[prospero]

You could heatseal them with a matt film.

[Justintime]

Apparently Holland has an average annual humidity of 80%, in part due to 26% of its land mass being below sea level.
Perhaps this could explain the wavy prints.

[Steve Goodall]

Quick question... Are they completely gloss? Or... Are they only glossy in the black areas and still maat in the white areas???

[South Holland Frames]

Well maybe the other places used bad techniques.

Anyway if that’s what the customer wants and the photos can be reproduced it’s no big deal.

Second question, why foam board? It can compress and it’s just unnecessary bulk inside the frame, mount board should be fine.

I used it as I already had a stock of foamcore board and it is nice and smooth. In the past, years ago, I Hotpressed onto mountboard but not quite as smooth. MDF was actually better. She chose a tall black moulding so the bulk of the "sandwich" wasn't an issue.

[South Holland Frames]

Apparently Holland has an average annual humidity of 80%, in part due to 26% of its land mass being below sea level.
Perhaps this could explain the wavy prints.

Ha! I am actually in South Holland in Lincolnshire. But the same terrain as across the North Sea! We are below sea level here too!

But your comment still applies as my "customer" friend lives on the west coast of Ireland. Very wet there, and that's probably why her pictures wave!

[vintage frames]

friend lives on the west coast of Ireland. Very wet there

Yes, it can be a bit damp.
I spent some time in a remote cottage there.
We had rain water guttering all around the inside of the room.

[South Holland Frames]

Quick question... Are they completely gloss? Or... Are they only glossy in the black areas and still maat in the white areas???

Steve, great to hear from you and thanks for responding.

I had the pleasure of attending one of your courses in Northampton ... could it really be 22 years ago?!! I had just purchased my Hotpress and your tuition was excellent. I benefitted from 15 good years of use after that. Then I sold my framing shop with all the equipment and retired.

But I have now got a secondhand model ... and I still have your manual and handouts! And my garage is my new framing workshop. Back framing again, and loving it! Strange how it never leaves you!

In answer to your question, the prints came out of the press glossy all over.

Thanks again, and best regards. Vivian.

[Steve Goodall]

WOW!!! Would you be surprised if I remembered you too?? Republic of Ireland / photography as well as framing / bought your press from Scopas / better half - Kathleen...

[bang]

Hi folks,

I started framing again after a break of 15 years - now a retirement project doing stuff from home just for myself, family and friends.

One of the second hand machines I purchased is a Hotpress, having previously owned one back in the day when I had my business. I have used it recently to mount posters and large commercially available prints to boards which it has done perfectly.

A friend has asked me to frame her recent wedding photos. I ordered nice black and white matt prints from Snapfish which were printed beautifully at very reasonable cost.

I put these, with dry mount tissue onto foamcore using silicone release sheet on the top, into the Hotpress but they came out of it in high gloss! Friend won't mind a bit, but I think they'd look better in matt.

Should I not use a heat press? I've searched on here and elsewhere for answers without success. Any advice please?!

Some heat set inks get reactivated in the heat press, then take on the gloss of the release film as they set against it.

[South Holland Frames]

WOW!!! Would you be surprised if I remembered you too?? Republic of Ireland / photography as well as framing / bought your press from Scopas / better half - Kathleen...

Yes, Steve. 100% correct! Great to chat with you again. Vivian.

[South Holland Frames]

Some heat set inks get reactivated in the heat press, then take on the gloss of the release film as they set against it.

Yes, I think that is what has happened.

I seem to remember Hotpressing matt prints up until around 15 years ago without them turning to gloss. So more modern emulsions or printing methods probably react differently.

It's not an issue for my customer friend. But I was just interested in why it happened, and also to flag it up as a bit of a warning to other framers.

[bang]

Yes, I think that is what has happened.

I seem to remember Hotpressing matt prints up until around 15 years ago without them turning to gloss. So more modern emulsions or printing methods probably react differently.

It's not an issue for my customer friend. But I was just interested in why it happened, and also to flag it up as a bit of a warning to other framers.

I work alongside a printer, and I've never had it happen when laminating his giclee prints. However, it always happens when I laminate the digital or laser prints he does.

I've thought about experimenting, using tissue between the silicone release and the print... Or some other surface less likely to stick. But I've not had the time to footer with it.