Now that I've got an idea of matting and framing here's my next questions.
I've noticed that a few of my recent prints have fine scratches on them. I'm not sure where in the printing process this happened (before, during or after) but it makes me wonder about coating my finished prints.
I know there are a few products out there - what do people here use (if they use anything)?
Is this something that everyone encounters or could there be a mistake in my workflow (carelessness, etc) that I need to look out for? Would most of you reject these prints as defective?
I'm currently printing almost exclusively on Ilford Gold Fiber Silk through an Epson 3800. (Platen gap set to wide for the GFS).
Posted by Nat Coalson on September 18, 2009 at 11:06 AM
I always coat my prints with Premier Art Print Shield. And I recommend you do too!
The scratches are either a result of the manufacturing process (happens often and can't be helped) or caused by something coming into contact with the print either before or after printing.
If you use a drafting brush to remove dust prior to printing, this can scratch some very sensitive coatings (PhotoRag for example). A drafting brush doesn't harm Gold Fibre Silk. Some paper coatings are much more sensitive than others.
If the scratch happened after printing, usually the ink will be removed and you'll see a white streak.
More often, the scratches were there to begin with. You can carefully inspect each sheet or section of the roll prior to printing, but this is less than efficient.
I always carefully inspect each print when it comes out. If there are scratches that really detract from the print I will re-do it, but most of the time the scratches are a non-issue as nobody will ever notice them.
Print Shield does help to reduce the appearance of scratches but won't necessarily eliminate them altogether.
There are a couple of other very similar sprays; Print Guard and Hahnemuhle sprays are essentially the same lacquer-based formula.
Make sure not to breathe the stuff!!
Posted by Jesse Speer on September 18, 2009 at 12:47 PM
If print shield doesn't get rid of the scratches, I'd probably reject them - for sales anyway. If you can only see the scratches by holding the print at a certain angle, they probably won't be noticed by others (though those types are usually eliminated by print shield).
Use cotton gloves, and a large measure of anal retentiveness as your paper goes from box to plastic bag, mat, frame, etc. Print boxes, interleaving paper, etc. will help.
Posted by Chris Rice on September 18, 2009 at 3:15 PM
As Jesse said, cotton gloves are a great way to reduce skin oils too -- furthermore always wash your hands when working with matboard - the white rag / cotton stuff picks up dirt, lead from pencils, etc real easy and doesn't always come off with a pencil eraser.
Discussion
4 repliesNow that I've got an idea of matting and framing here's my next questions.
I've noticed that a few of my recent prints have fine scratches on them. I'm not sure where in the printing process this happened (before, during or after) but it makes me wonder about coating my finished prints.
I know there are a few products out there - what do people here use (if they use anything)?
Is this something that everyone encounters or could there be a mistake in my workflow (carelessness, etc) that I need to look out for? Would most of you reject these prints as defective?
I'm currently printing almost exclusively on Ilford Gold Fiber Silk through an Epson 3800. (Platen gap set to wide for the GFS).
The scratches are either a result of the manufacturing process (happens often and can't be helped) or caused by something coming into contact with the print either before or after printing.
If you use a drafting brush to remove dust prior to printing, this can scratch some very sensitive coatings (PhotoRag for example). A drafting brush doesn't harm Gold Fibre Silk. Some paper coatings are much more sensitive than others.
If the scratch happened after printing, usually the ink will be removed and you'll see a white streak.
More often, the scratches were there to begin with. You can carefully inspect each sheet or section of the roll prior to printing, but this is less than efficient.
I always carefully inspect each print when it comes out. If there are scratches that really detract from the print I will re-do it, but most of the time the scratches are a non-issue as nobody will ever notice them.
Print Shield does help to reduce the appearance of scratches but won't necessarily eliminate them altogether.
There are a couple of other very similar sprays; Print Guard and Hahnemuhle sprays are essentially the same lacquer-based formula.
Make sure not to breathe the stuff!!
Use cotton gloves, and a large measure of anal retentiveness as your paper goes from box to plastic bag, mat, frame, etc. Print boxes, interleaving paper, etc. will help.