The Framers Forum

Fruitini wrote: Mon 13 Oct, 2025 1:41 pm Give Kool tack a try - activates at 60-65° which much reduces this effect on cheap prints

JKX wrote: Mon 13 Oct, 2025 2:28 pm Why stick them down at all? There's many alternative methods which cost practically nothing.

JKX wrote: Mon 13 Oct, 2025 3:11 pm 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.

Justintime wrote: Tue 14 Oct, 2025 5:15 am 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.

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

Steve Goodall wrote: Tue 14 Oct, 2025 2:02 pm 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 wrote: Mon 13 Oct, 2025 1:11 pm 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?!

Steve Goodall wrote: Tue 14 Oct, 2025 9:44 pm 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 wrote: Tue 14 Oct, 2025 10:27 pm 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 wrote: Wed 15 Oct, 2025 1:15 pm 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.