Flattening prints

DonPiano · Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:05 am

Yeah, one of those ankle socks will work fine. Does make your flat file smell like wheat I can assume.

zefarrett · Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:07 am

wottagunn wrote:Can somebody chime in here and let me know if this is ok. Here's what I do:

-remove from tube and unroll
-lie print face down on a sheet of glassine, which is on some foam core
-after a few days, when the paper is less stubborn, I turn it over and place 4 small relatively light weights on each corner (weights vary on the roll of the print, usually dvd's/books etc)
-when it's flat enough to fit in a flat file drawer, I remove the weights and let it flatten naturally
-once flat, I sandwich the print between glassine sheets and foam core

my only worry with this is trying to get a print that is curled one way can be pretty hard to turn over and flatten face down alone. my recommendation is to lay it down face up with the weight on the corner and then turn it over and repeat after it flattens a bit. but to each their own.

or are you saying that this step is a few days before you even put weights on it? in that case are people sending you pieces rolled print out (how keyes and geddes send their giclees)?

chump · Thu Jan 02, 2014 4:53 am

So I have a few already flattened prints I'll be taking to a con to get autographed. What's the concensus here, roll it back up and tube it, or keep it flat in a top loader or sandwiched between foam cores?

nothingtogein · Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:52 pm

Do you typically go with a foam core that is larger than the print you are flattening or one that is an identical size?

rubberneck · Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:53 pm

nothingtogein wrote:Do you typically go with a foam core that is larger than the print you are flattening or one that is an identical size?

Go with some border to avoid edge damage...

nothingtogein · Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:40 pm

rubberneck wrote:
nothingtogein wrote:Do you typically go with a foam core that is larger than the print you are flattening or one that is an identical size?
Go with some border to avoid edge damage...

Thanks. Think I'll order a set of 30x40s from Bags Unlimited.

DavidaLoca · Thu Jan 30, 2014 11:10 pm

Flattening smaller prints up to 18x24" is not hard... it's prints I have that are in the 36" range that I struggle with. I finally got a portfolio case big enough to hold these prints (I still wish I had a damn flat file), but now my main issue is flattening these bigger prints. I would usually do the reverse roll method (I've become an expert in that without ruining the print) but obviously these are bigger prints and I cannot do it alone and it's much harder to do on these bigger posters. I live alone, have a small apartment but seriously wanna get these bigger prints out of tubes and into the portfolio case to flatten out nicely.

So being someone who is alone, and I don't wanna bother a friend or my girlfriend to help me with my prints, what is the best way to flatten out these prints? Also considering I don't have a lot of room in my apartment to have prints laying around on the floor, has anyone figured an alternate option to flattening bigger prints?

Many thanks!

Cragars · Fri Jan 31, 2014 12:53 pm

Just weight them down for a day at the corners. It'll be flat enough to lower some foamcore down on them to make a sammich. Then slide that thing under the bed or put binder clips all around and prop it up behind some furniture.

Crash607 · Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:30 pm

One thing I've been concerned about lately are prints that have been embossed. In particular, I just picked up "Walt & Jessie Never Never Give Up" by Sixstringer. There's a large embossed logo in the bottom left hand corner, and I'd like it to remain as raised as it currently is. Right now I've got it on a table in between some kraft paper. Above the kraft paper I've added a lot of magazines and books and distributed the weight to the best of my abilities. I only left the embossed logo uncovered in fear that it may become depressed, back evenly with the rest of the print. Anyone have experience with this?

summoner · Tue Feb 11, 2014 10:13 pm

Crash607 wrote:One thing I've been concerned about lately are prints that have been embossed. In particular, I just picked up "Walt & Jessie Never Never Give Up" by Sixstringer. There's a large embossed logo in the bottom left hand corner, and I'd like it to remain as raised as it currently is. Right now I've got it on a table in between some kraft paper. Above the kraft paper I've added a lot of magazines and books and distributed the weight to the best of my abilities. I only left the embossed logo uncovered in fear that it may become depressed, back evenly with the rest of the print. Anyone have experience with this?

Never seen anything happen to an embossing.