#1 Recently it was suggested to me by someone at a gallery that I consider mounting some very large digital mosaic photos "on aluminum." The size of these images falls well outside the bounds of typical 32"x40" matte board and glass. This one in particular is 30"x45". But I have another one that I am working on that I feel comfortable printing to 30"x75", and have a local lab that can handle it.
I've been able to find some online discussions about mounting cibachromes on aluminum. But, I can't find anywhere that discusses a source for materials. Certainly I would need to find someplace local... shipping a 40"x85" piece of aluminum is not going to be possible. In fact I really need to consider if it is transportable at all, particularly w/ a photo on mounted on it.
Does anyone know of where to start? I mean am I talking about body shops here? Where the heck do you source large, perfectly flat, thin pieces of aluminum?
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#2 How do you laminate such a beast? I know that it wouldn't be archival. But I've submitted work to a local art show for the summer. It would be pretty cool to hang a monstrous piece for display. The print isn't going to cost that much in the grand scheme of things. Not sure about the aluminum, but after mounting it, how do you protect something this size from the elements?
Thanks for responding to the off the wall stuff here.
Christian, I have a 39 x100 cm panorama mountd on aluminium. It was mounted on comercial product that is self adhesive. I can't remembe it's comercial name, but can ask. But I'm from Europe, so it might be different in North America.
Thanks all,
this is intresting,I have a 2ftX14ft panorama to do, I built the frame but the non glare glass is almost 700 bucks, so this may be another solution
Thanks
Dave
I have seen several people frame up very long pan images by using a window frame set up.
That means the frame has window stiles going up between seperate image panels so as to look like it would look if viewed out a window. Then a pan frame, of say 100 inches, could have 4 stiles between the 5 panels so each image only has to be about 20 inches wide set into each section.
You don't get that great pano look, but you do get a great window effect. Depending on which you need.
If you do use a one-piece sheet of metal have you given any thought to how much that is going to weigh and how you are going to hang that weight?
Christian: without experience or a guide, I wouldnt jump into this on my own. Why not pay a lab that does this stuff regularly for the first one and then pick their brain on the process and materials? There are some good reprographic labs in Irvine and surrounding areas that should certainly be able to help. This is stuff they do regularly for hotels, corporate, et al. Good luck, and let us know what you do.
+ Are you in Orange county Ca? There is one very good lab that does huge images in Fountain Valley called MPS. (If they are still there. ) I used to use them all the time. Top quality industrial work.
If you are interested let me know and I can give you directions.
Hi Christian. You will probably have the best luck getting plate aluminum through a welding shop. I'm in a seaport where it's used for fabricating boats and equpment for boats, and the stuff is everywhere. It comes in about any thickness you can imagine and in pieces ranging from 4x12 feet down to as little as you want them to cut.
A bigger question might be the surface you want on the aluminum. As it comes, sheet aluminum is pretty dull, plus it's often scratched here and there, along with black or blue ink writing or lines. It polishes easily with the right tools and experience, giving it a burnished look, swirls, whatever you want.
I'd talk to a lab about adhesives for mounting. There should be some pretty standard products, even if mounting large photos takes skill and experience. If this isn't to be displayed outdoors, I doubt it would be difficult to come up with several suitable adhesives.
Chris - why are you thinking metal anyway, even if it is light alum?
You said nothing about how and what you are using it for.
I could see using alum and a coated print if it is for outdoors, but not anything inside anywhere, so what's the reason for thinking metal? In fact I have never heard of anyone using that even for outdoor uses.
Most use a sheet of tempered masonite to mount on and just foan core if for inside.
To me, unlesss this has some very special reason to be blast proof, I'd just go with the standard ways of mounting a large print.
A sheet of metal thick enough that will not warp from heat and its own weight is going to cost you a fortune, and still won't be that much better than what is normally used. Most prints even twice the size of what you are talking about do not use a metal back, so why would you need it for this, and especially when it will be in a frame that you don't even see what it's on?
As for aluminum plate, it's comparatively cheap and 1/8" doesn't weigh all that much in the sizes he's talking, compared to dense masonite. And even as thin as 1/8", heat and warpage aren't issues for outdoor use, much less in stable temps of a gallery.
This would not be "framed" per se. I would presume to mount it w/ perhaps a 5-10" border around the egdes of the frame as a matted type look to it. I would intend to actually show the finished aluminum surface on the outer edges as presentation of the image.
There's another group up in Foothill Ranch that I have worked with before that does a lot for the movie industry, I'll probably give them a call too.
It says ONLY that is were he got the "SUGGESTION"
which does not mean that is what he planned to use it for.
I go to plenty of places to get ideas for other kinds of projects.
A couple of other concerns to discuss with the gallery and your source of aluminum: No matter how they cut it to your size, sharp edges and even burrs will be left behind. The edges should be "dressed" to the gallery's specs to avoid snags and cuts during handling and hanging. The dressing should be done BEFORE the surface is prepped to your specs, in order to cover overruns from grinding or whatever.
Also ask the gallery about features for hanging the work. I'd me more concerned about correct adhesives to attach the hanging hardware than for mounting the photo, if that's the route they want to follow. They may ask that the fixtures be welded on, and that too should be done by the metal shop and before the surface is prepped, in order to avoid yet another possible source of scratches during handling.
Hey Paul, what is your deal? Do you get a special pleasure out of arguing with people online? I see you in these scenarios with alarming frequency....
Posted by Richard Wong on March 1, 2006 at 9:43 PM
Aww cmon let's play nice, guys. I think the idea behind looking for creative uses to display his work was to stand out and NOT be like everyone else. Sounds like a cool idea though I wouldn't want to be the one lugging those things around. Let us know when the show is and I'll go check it out.
Richard is correct... this is more about creative presentation than anything else. Not sure why, but I think it would be a pretty cool look. But I need to understand the logistics of moving, and (as pointed out) mounting something like this.
Anyway... I won't know for a month or so if I even need to go down this path.
Quick note Christian: Be sure to lay the plate flat as you move it if you use something as thin as 1/8", especially if it's for a long, narrow treatment like a pano. There's a certain amount of flex in aluminum, but once you pass the flex point it will crimp permanently. It's something else to talk to the gallery about, but for panos anyway, you might think more in terms of 5/32 or perhaps even 3/16 plate, though each jump adds more weight.
On the creative side, I worked on a multimedia installation with an artist who wanted the sheen of aluminum in her sculpture, but also some color. Anodizing was prohibitively expensive, but she worked out a very reasonable price with a car painting shop. They put clear finish on some of her pieces and transparent colors on others. The results were breathtaking, though I don't know how well that concept would translate when using aluminum for photos, as you describe.
A local group that I've worked with before is recommending printing from a Vutek... apparently it can print directly onto vinyl, or any rigid substrate including glass or sheet aluminum.
Looks like they offer fascinating possibilities Christian. Thanks for the link. It would be interesting to compare the end results of printing on alternative media with what you could achieve with the same image on paper. Opens all sort of creative doors.
Discussion
17 repliesI've been able to find some online discussions about mounting cibachromes on aluminum. But, I can't find anywhere that discusses a source for materials. Certainly I would need to find someplace local... shipping a 40"x85" piece of aluminum is not going to be possible. In fact I really need to consider if it is transportable at all, particularly w/ a photo on mounted on it.
Does anyone know of where to start? I mean am I talking about body shops here? Where the heck do you source large, perfectly flat, thin pieces of aluminum?
---
#2 How do you laminate such a beast? I know that it wouldn't be archival. But I've submitted work to a local art show for the summer. It would be pretty cool to hang a monstrous piece for display. The print isn't going to cost that much in the grand scheme of things. Not sure about the aluminum, but after mounting it, how do you protect something this size from the elements?
Thanks for responding to the off the wall stuff here.
Marko
this is intresting,I have a 2ftX14ft panorama to do, I built the frame but the non glare glass is almost 700 bucks, so this may be another solution
Thanks
Dave
That means the frame has window stiles going up between seperate image panels so as to look like it would look if viewed out a window. Then a pan frame, of say 100 inches, could have 4 stiles between the 5 panels so each image only has to be about 20 inches wide set into each section.
You don't get that great pano look, but you do get a great window effect. Depending on which you need.
If you do use a one-piece sheet of metal have you given any thought to how much that is going to weigh and how you are going to hang that weight?
If you are interested let me know and I can give you directions.
A bigger question might be the surface you want on the aluminum. As it comes, sheet aluminum is pretty dull, plus it's often scratched here and there, along with black or blue ink writing or lines. It polishes easily with the right tools and experience, giving it a burnished look, swirls, whatever you want.
I'd talk to a lab about adhesives for mounting. There should be some pretty standard products, even if mounting large photos takes skill and experience. If this isn't to be displayed outdoors, I doubt it would be difficult to come up with several suitable adhesives.
You said nothing about how and what you are using it for.
I could see using alum and a coated print if it is for outdoors, but not anything inside anywhere, so what's the reason for thinking metal? In fact I have never heard of anyone using that even for outdoor uses.
Most use a sheet of tempered masonite to mount on and just foan core if for inside.
To me, unlesss this has some very special reason to be blast proof, I'd just go with the standard ways of mounting a large print.
A sheet of metal thick enough that will not warp from heat and its own weight is going to cost you a fortune, and still won't be that much better than what is normally used. Most prints even twice the size of what you are talking about do not use a metal back, so why would you need it for this, and especially when it will be in a frame that you don't even see what it's on?
As for aluminum plate, it's comparatively cheap and 1/8" doesn't weigh all that much in the sizes he's talking, compared to dense masonite. And even as thin as 1/8", heat and warpage aren't issues for outdoor use, much less in stable temps of a gallery.
There's another group up in Foothill Ranch that I have worked with before that does a lot for the movie industry, I'll probably give them a call too.
It says ONLY that is were he got the "SUGGESTION"
which does not mean that is what he planned to use it for.
I go to plenty of places to get ideas for other kinds of projects.
A couple of other concerns to discuss with the gallery and your source of aluminum: No matter how they cut it to your size, sharp edges and even burrs will be left behind. The edges should be "dressed" to the gallery's specs to avoid snags and cuts during handling and hanging. The dressing should be done BEFORE the surface is prepped to your specs, in order to cover overruns from grinding or whatever.
Also ask the gallery about features for hanging the work. I'd me more concerned about correct adhesives to attach the hanging hardware than for mounting the photo, if that's the route they want to follow. They may ask that the fixtures be welded on, and that too should be done by the metal shop and before the surface is prepped, in order to avoid yet another possible source of scratches during handling.
Anyway... I won't know for a month or so if I even need to go down this path.
On the creative side, I worked on a multimedia installation with an artist who wanted the sheen of aluminum in her sculpture, but also some color. Anodizing was prohibitively expensive, but she worked out a very reasonable price with a car painting shop. They put clear finish on some of her pieces and transparent colors on others. The results were breathtaking, though I don't know how well that concept would translate when using aluminum for photos, as you describe.
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