Looking for help. I have approximately 20 A3 prints that I have mounted on eco friendly foamboard using 3M photo adhesive. After a while the board tends to curl slightly detracting from there original appearance and requiring re-printing and re mounting. Open to any ideas to overcome this and possibly save some money as foamboard is quite expensive
Maybe mount a sheet of photo paper on the back as well?
Scrap print or something.
Never had any long term success with foamboard to be fair apart from in a controlled environment which extended the ultimate usefulness a bit longer. That might have just been down to the type and make but the two issues in general have been distortion and discolouration/mild yellowing but took a few years. I suppose it depends what you consider as lifespan. Another option is to use clear acrylic poster mounts similar to those used in office/estate agent environment though would probably be in the order of £30 each, maybe you could find something budget friendly. Another option would to price out two sheets of acrylic making yourself a frameless mount by connecting them with mini strong magnets.....just an idea.
I use Slip in Photo mounts/strut mounts.
Have not really had issues with them but I stack them when not in use and they remain flat,
The A3 versions the prints sometimes slip and need to be re-positioned but I've not glued anything in place as the slip in verions let you swap out the photos.
Have not bought any in a while but used to get them from an online store in Ireland
https://www.strandframing.com/collections/slip-in-photo-mounts
I'm currently searching for a good method of displaying lots of A3 prints.
At the moment for most of my A4 prints I store them in plastick pocket ring books that I can flip like a book,
But would love something like those old Poster Displays you would see in Music stores where you can flip them on a display rack.
Something along the lines of one of these would be great:
https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/rotary-tower-information-display-floor-stand-21946875173.html
~B
Gothic Image said
Is the adhesive arguing with the foamboard, perhaps?
Both materials (foamcore and paper) behave differently enough in different environmental conditions that paper stuck to foamcore is unlikely to stay in a static relationship.
For example, if either were very new when they were stuck together, or it was a particularly warm or particularly cold day. And that's before you get into the foamcore subtly changing shape under some tension or becoming microscopically less or more flexible due to outgassing, or e.g. the impact of more moisture or carbon dioxide -- hygroscopic ageing.
I suspect the only way to resolve this is to fix it into a wooden frame, that will ensure that the foamcore settles flat.
Why do you like foamboard?
Lots of mount board around, and if you matte it in the old-fashioned way it should be durable.
I spent 40 years in the professional mounting and display industry. Foamboard was used extensively about 30 years ago but then everyone moved of to pvc based products, then started using aluminium composite. The latest materials for museum mounting are sustainable wood pulp based board.
The only way to keep a foamboard panel flat is to mount a ‘balancer’ on the back, or use a product called Kapa Mount which stays flat at smaller sixes. Its grey centred and requires a really sharp blade.
