The Dry Mounting Process - More Details
Pre-Drying
Prior to mounting, it is wise to pre-dry the artwork and the foam
board individually between Kraft paper to reduce moisture.
Place each item in the press for 15-30 seconds to achieve this. |
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Tacking
Tack the art in place with a tacking iron. A tacking
iron applies heat to a small area, melting some of the
adhesive so the components don't shift
when you place them in the dry mount press. Place a
small square of release paper over the spot where the
tacking iron will touch the art. Tack only
at one corner, not at all four corners and not in the
middle.
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Pressing
Place the substrate, tissue and artwork into the press.
It's best to place a sheet of release paper over the artwork to keep the
press clean. Close the press.
Correct pressure is determined by placing the assembled
materials inside the press and closing, but not locking the
press. Allow for the appropriate dwell
time. Recommended dwell times and temperatures are
provided with the tissues.
Cooling
Remove the artwork from the press. For adhesives
that bond while cooling, cool under weight immediately.
Use 1/4" thick plate glass to provide uniform pressure while
cooling.
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Some Helpful Insights About Dry Mounting
There are two types of dry mount presses. Traditional
mechanical presses use a leveraged clamping action to
apply pressure with a platen to the artwork and substrate. The
platen is heated and is controlled by a thermostat. The
instructions above refer to the operation of a mechanical press.
Vacuum presses use the weight of air pressure to apply
uniform pressure to artwork and substrate. Hot/cold vacuum presses
also provide heat to melt the adhesive prior to vacuuming.
Typically, vacuum presses are more expensive than
mechanical presses.
Yes, you can mount materials larger than the press.
The Press Dimensions refer to the depth and width of the press.
For example, a press that is 15"x18" refers to a press that is 15"
deep (from front to back) and 18" across. With a 15"x18" press
you can mount artwork up to 30" on one dimension because
you can mount one side of the artwork and then turn the artwork 180°
and mount the other side.
Release Boards are highly recommended when mounting
materials that are larger than the press. They prevent platen
lines which can be a problem when using only release paper on
materials that are larger than the press.
There are two types of adhesives. Dry mount
tissues
are thin sheets of paper coated with adhesive that bond during
heating. Dry mount films are solid sheets of
adhesive that melt when heated and solidify and bond during cooling.
Working with dry mount films requires the extra step of cooling
under weight, but dry mount films hold out the promise (somewhat
dubious) of being removable by heating up the artwork until the
adhesive melts again, whereupon it can be removed from the back of
the artwork by scraping.
Proper dry mounting also involves the use of
Kraft paper,
release paper, a
tacking iron and, frequently, a
release board. You can purchase each of these
items separately at Framing4Yourself.com or you can purchase them
together, for a reduced price, in the
Dry Mounting Accessory Package.
Dry Mount Presses
Dry Mounting Tissues & Supplies
Dry Mounting Basics
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