What finish do I need?

[Acoustics4me]

Hi, All. I just joined this forum, but by the looks of it, it seems to be geared towards the professional (I was asked for my business name at the registration process).

However, no one better to ask a question on framing from!

I have an idea for a wall in my house. I love photography and have many special photos I'd like to use to make one large picture collage. I don't want to use glass but am wanting to mount them adhesively on a board and paint something over the top of the photo for protection and so I can dust and clean it without damaging it. I'd really LOVE to have a matt finish. Am I asking the impossible?

Thanks

[David McCormack]

Hi and welcome

If your photos are all digital files why not produce a digital montage using something like photoshop and then take it to a professional printer for printing (if too big for your own printer) and matt laminating.

Even if some of your photos are from film you could scan them.

I guess you could, if you preferred, stick down all your photos to create your montage and then have it matt laminated at your local framers? But I think the photoshop method will be easier to laminate.

[prospero]

David's idea is the elegant solution. Even with the basic editing tools you can jiggle the images about - resize - schew them at an angle. Even add shadows for a 3D effect if they are overlapping.

Doing it with 'real' photos would be a bit more complicated. If you are going for the informal 'notice board' look then some photos would overlap and each one would have to be stuck down separately or you are going to get bumps after it is laminated.

btw. Forget spraymount adhesives. Each photo would have heat activated drymount film premounted to the back. This is slightly tacky when cold so you could then arrange them to your liking and then stick the whole lot to a solid board. The protective laminate could be applied at the same time. So unless you have a big heat press that's two trips to the framer's.

[chris62]

Something like this which I have put in my gallery window

[David McCormack]

I really like studying a montage like this, so interesting Are you in there somewhere chris62? Is it a single print ie a digital montage?

[chris62]

Some are slides that I have scanned some are photos that were scanned, I am the one with the pipe !

[chris62]

Sorrry, yes printed on canvas

[Acoustics4me]

Some are slides that I have scanned some are photos that were scanned, I am the one with the pipe !

That was sneaky, Chris! Took me ages to find you with your pipe!...lol.

Ok, so, I probably didn't explain my needs well enough. The thing is that I saw this amazing set of photos on the wall of this house on a design programme. There were about 12 very large photos (I don't want to go very large with mine, which are, by the way, all digital), and each print looked as if it was block mounted, and each block was separated by a wooden frame....ugh, this is really hard to explain. Let me go online and see if I can find a link to something similar. Ok, I couldn't really find anything, so I did a quick mock up in Corel PSP (attached). Remember, there was no glass involved. I'd love to do this at home some way without having to pay for a better, but more expensive, professional job. Making the facing timber surround wouldn't be an issue. It's just knowing how to mount the photos behind it. Each photo, as you can see, is separate from the other. Any more ideas?

[IFGL]

that style of picture usually involves the photo being mounted onto foam board, or similar substrate, then over lamented either with a jet mounter or heat press, liquid or spray lamentation can also be used., the frames can be made by cutting your molding on it's side, not particularly easy to get to look right.
it would be nice to support your local framer, you will miss them when they are gone.

[Acoustics4me]

that style of picture usually involves the photo being mounted onto foam board, or similar substrate, then over lamented either with a jet mounter or heat press, liquid or spray lamentation can also be used., the frames can be made by cutting your molding on it's side, not particularly easy to get to look right.
it would be nice to support your local framer, you will miss them when they are gone.

Thanks for the info. I shall look into the foam board. You're right, it would be great to support my local framer - if I could afford it! I don't know what prices are like there, but they are very expensive here (NZ). The last time I paid to get something framed was 18 years ago. It was a cross stitch that I had already sewn onto backing board, the frame was a basic mitred frame about 2.5 feet by 2 feet and it cost me $110.00 bucks! That sort of motivated me to look for ways to do things a little cheaper.

[prospero]

What's that in GB £££s? Sounds a good deal me.

More power to your elbow for having a go yourself. The problem is that you can soon spend more than that getting the materials. You always have to buy more than you need and (cough) if you don't get it right first go you end up buying another lot.

Making the frames is fine if you have basic woodworking skills. Mounting photos is something that isn't quite as simple as it appears.

[Acoustics4me]

What's that in GB £££s? Sounds a good deal me. P

Hey'a. I did the inflation and currency conversion, and it would be equivalent to £85 today. That's a lot for a poor Kiwi (with a strong Scots ancestry - need I say more ).

Thanks everyone for your help. I plan to use your info to help me make a final choice.

Cheers, Me.