Self adhesive mounting problem

[Not your average framer]

Hi all,

A customer has brought in several small framed low value open edition prints which have cockled and he wants them flattened, so I opened the back of one of them to see whats what and found they are stuck onto self adhesive board, but have cockled in places and bubbled away from the self adhesive boards. They won't press back to flat with pressure alone. The paper is a extremely thin, quite shiney and smooth clay coated paper.

I don't fancy trying to get the prints off the boards, although I have done so before where the prints are on heavier weight paper. My current plan is to give it a go in the heated press, which has worked before. The big concern being if it does work, how long will it stay stuck?

As an added counter measure if it works I will follow up by heat sealing them, which I hope will to some degree help to restain any further tendancy to cocklel. The customer knows it's a long shot, but is happy for me to give it a try. Any comments or better ideas please?

[prospero]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.... The problem with this type of thing is if you try to flatten a bump or wave that is still firmly bonded around it's perimeter, the surface area of the bump is slghtly bigger than the area you are trying to press it back into. Result - halfmoon crease. Even if you managed to remove the print completely, you still have the same problem, but you may be able to relax it somehow. Either way it's a PITA job.

If they is as you say, low-value prints the way to flatten them is to soak them for 10mins and lay them on a heavy board and gumstrip around the edges. Leave them overnight to dry and they should pull flat. That's if the inks don't run.
I find them best way to seperate things like this from a sticky board is to apply heat from the back with a heat gun and gradually peel them off.

[framemaker]

Are the prints still available from the publisher? the cost of replacing an open edition print maybe less than the time and work involved in trying to sort these ones out.

[Not your average framer]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.... The problem with this type of thing is if you try to flatten a bump or wave that is still firmly bonded around it's perimeter, the surface area of the bump is slghtly bigger than the area you are trying to press it back into. Result - halfmoon crease. Even if you managed to remove the print completely, you still have the same problem, but you may be able to relax it somehow. Either way it's a PITA job.

Hi Peter,

I'm reasonably happy that the cockling is slight enough to go down flat, without creasing. So I am hoping that whatever remains of the self adhesive material will melt and bond everything back together. Pretty desperate tactic, but I reckon worth a go at the customers own risk.

If they is as you say, low-value prints the way to flatten them is to soak them for 10mins and lay them on a heavy board and gumstrip around the edges. Leave them overnight to dry and they should pull flat. That's if the inks don't run.
I find them best way to seperate things like this from a sticky board is to apply heat from the back with a heat gun and gradually peel them off.

This paper is seriously thin, so I'm not at all keen on trying to strip it off, with the heat gun. If push comes to shove, I might heat seal it and strip the face of the print by peeling the heatseal film as though I was going to canvas mount it and then dry mount it onto white board. If I do that it will be my last resort and I will tell the customer how risky it is first. I never liked the canvas mounting bit, I can do it, but on something a few years old the risk factor must increase.

[Not your average framer]

Are the prints still available from the publisher? the cost of replacing an open edition print maybe less than the time and work involved in trying to sort these ones out.

Hi Framemaker,

They are long out of print, and look like the sort of prints which contract framing outfits used to turn out during the 60's and 70's. I suppose could I suggest that the customer that I could frame some colour photocopies if he supplied the copies. The quality would not be much different in this case.

[CanvasChris]

As an added safety measure before commencing work ...just in case... scan them in if you have the facility. You will get a better reproduction that way when printed rather than a straight photocopy.

Best of luck

[Not your average framer]

Hi Chris,

I agree with what you are saying, but I'd rather my customers know that I always respect copyright issues. So that one is down to them, as I won't do it.

[CanvasChris]

I agree... meant to say let 'them'...