Digital Prints

into the tray and then pass your print manually under the roller and pull it out the other
side. Cost is about $40 in materials, and of course the labor is your own. It can be constructed
up to any size; the one shown is intended for 24-inch wide prints coming from
an Epson 7600 printer. All materials are easily available at most hardware suppliers.
Film Laminates
Film lamination is growing in popularity with photographers and artists who are producing
digital output. As a frequent gallery goer and an observer of the scene, I have
noticed more and more high-end galleries showing laminated photo exhibits. Joel
Meyerowitz exhibits and sells laminated inkjet prints mounted on Sintra material or
Plexiglas. Judith Turner, a New York architectural photographer, had an exhibition of her
Times Square prints that were mounted on aluminum with no framing and no glass, just
laminated with a luster finish.
Dr. Ray Work is a strong advocate for film lamination of inkjet prints. “Lamination provides
extraordinary advantages,” he explains. “In addition to protection from humidity
and pollution, it eliminates the differential gloss frequently experienced with pigmented
inks, allows different choices in surface finish, increases the color density, and improves
the distinctness of the image. Lamination also improves the lightfastness and provides both
physical surface durability and waterfastness. All in all, it’s a good idea.”
Lamination Equipment and Materials: Depending on whether you are considering hot
(with heat) or cold (with adhesives) lamination, you need to pay attention to the composition
of the laminate material itself. According to Dr. Work, some films are made of PVC
Chapter 9 ■ Finishing and Displaying Your Prints 291
Figure 9.4 Bill Waterson’s prototype of
a liquid coating machine. The print is
drawn under a roller and over a
squeegee, which is really just an
ordinary door sweep from the hardware
store cut to size and then bolted in
place using wing nuts for easy removal.
Total cost of materials: about $40, or
$65 with a stainless steel roller (shown).
Courtesy of Bill Waterson
waterson@ainet.com