You should avoid storing photographic products in
cardboard boxes. To prevent damage, never store
photographic negatives and prints in storerooms,
quonset huts, bilges and so on, where they may be
subject to adverse conditions, such as direct sunlight,
UV radiation, water, dampness, high humidity, and high
temperatures. Videocassettes, audio tapes, and floppy
disks must never come in to contact with a magnetic
field. A good general rule is to store file images in
climatic conditions under which you would be
comfortable.
PRINT MOUNTING
For exhibition and display, prints are mounted or
matted on a stiff board. The difference between
mounting and matting is the way in which a print is
attached to the board. When a print is mounted, it is stuck
on the face of a mounting board. When a print is matted,
it is attached to the back of the board and the image is
placed behind a cut opening. When matted, a print is
often taped into place, thus the matt can be temporary.
Generally, prints that are framed are matted. In both
cases, the board enhances the picture by providing a
broad border as well as protecting the edges against
damage.
When you are preparing a print for exhibition or
display, your goal should always be to show the print to
best advantage. Simplicity is the best strategy. Elaborate
artwork or fancy lettering can often detract from the
photograph.
Generally, prints for display purposes are mounted
or matted on special card stock to make them stand out
from their surroundings. Card stock used for mounting
photographic prints should be free of acid or sulfur that
can deteriorate the print quality. Card stock is available
in various sizes, colors, textures, and weights. There are
no hard-and-fast rules for mounting prints, but the card
stock should compliment the print. The mount should
be large enough to balance and support the picture, and
the texture and color should compliment the overall
tone.
The way the print is placed on the mounting board
is important. Prints mounted at odd angles or in a corner
of the mount unbalance the photograph. The bottom
border on most mounts is the widest border of all.
Normally, prints are mounted so the top and side border
of the mount are equal. To provide balance, you should
ensure the bottom border is 25 to 35 percent wider than
the top and side borders. There are two types of
adhesives for mounting prints: wet and dry.
Wet Method
Liquid adhesives, such as rubber cement and
spray-on adhesives, can be used to mount prints. These
two adhesives are easy and clean to use. After they dry,
the excess adhesive can be removed easily by rubbing
it lightly. The drawback to using rubber cement and
spray-on adhesives is that they are not permanent. In
time the print may loosen and peel off the mount. Rubber
cement is an ideal adhesive for temporary mounts used
in displays or for copying. Gum arabic, glue, or paste
should be avoided whenever possible. These adhesives
are known to stain the print or smear out from around
the edges of the print. This causes smudges on the
mounting board.
Dry Method
A dry print-mounting method that uses a pressure-
sensitive adhesive is in common use in the Navy.
Pressure-sensitive adhesives come in a variety of sizes
in both rolls and sheets. These adhesives form a
permanent bond and are easy to use for resin-coated
papers. To use these materials, you simply apply the
print to the sticky surface of the mounting material. You
then peel off the protective backing and apply it to a
mounting board. If the print is not aligned correctly, you
can remove the print and reapply it. Once the print is
correctly in place, you must apply pressure to the print
and mounting board. Normally, this is done by running
the print and mounting board through a specially
designed roller assembly. This assembly applies
pressure to the materials being mounted. The
pressure-sensitive adhesive material contains tiny beads
of adhesive. The pressure breaks these beads and
releases the adhesive. Once pressure is applied to the
materials being mounted, a permanent bond is formed.
A dry-mount press can also be used to mount
photographic prints. With a dry-mounting press, heat is
used to fuse a mounting tissue between the print and the
mounting surface.
A dry-mount press is designed to provide uniform
pressure and heat. Even pressure is an important aspect
of good, dry mounting. Adequate pressure helps squeeze
out air from between the adhesive, print, and mounting
board. You should operate the dry-mount press at the
temperature recommended by the manufacturer of the
mounting tissue. It is better to use a slightly lower
temperature to mount prints than a temperature that is
too high. Excessive temperatures may cause damage to
the print. When temperatures are too high for RC papers,
the resin coating blisters or bubbles.
14-12

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