MOUNTING & LAMINATING

 

Mounting & laminating provide the best protection for your final print.

MOUNTING

There are a variety of substrates to choose from when it comes to mounting board selections.

Below is a list of possible mounting substrates:

1-Foam Core Board

There is foam core board, called the weightless board. Its made of polystyrene foam, and gas a smooth clay-coated surface. It comes in a variety of thickness starting at 3/16” on up through to 2″. This mounting board or substrate is best used if placed in a protective frame or otherwise you may consider using it for a one-time use.  Typically found in white, these mounting boards come in variety of colors. It is readily available to the public, and you can generally find it in most office supply or big box businesses. Print service providers of large format printing will stock it for in-house work.

2-Gatorfoam Board

Gatorfoam is a composite sandwich made of extruded polystyrene foam board bonded between two sheets of wood-fiber veneer. It is significantly more hardy than regular foam core board. It is scratch and dent resistent. Gatorfoam board comes in 3/16” and 1/2” and wider, typically in the following colors: white, natural (light brown color), and black. This mounting board or substrate is heavier weight than foam core, but lighter than Sintra or Di-bond. Gatorfoam  does not warp and has often been used as being hung directly to the wall with special hangers and a protective laminate. Fabric edge tape is then used to finish out the edges.

3-Sintra Board

Sintra board is considered a lightweight mounting board and is rigid made of closed-cell PVC foam board. It comes in thicknesses of 1/4” and 1/2” and is available in multiple colors, but the typical graphics producer keeps white and black in stock. This mounting board can stand up to the heat and moisture; making it suitable for the outdoors. This durable board does not scratch nor dent. It can be mounted to the wall with special hangers, and is commonly used for the stand up cut-outs for its strength and durability.

4-Dibond Board

Dibond is an archival aluminum mount board, comprised of a composite sandwich of two pre-painted (white) aluminum sheets bonded to a solid polystyrene core. It has maximum stability and has the smoothest surface suitable for digital printing as well as mounting. It will not bow or warp, and is superior for outdoor signage. It can be routed for curved forms when requested. It is often used for signage, but sometime for cladding a building or performing as insulation.

5- Acrylic, Glass, and Anodized Aluminum are all suitable substrate for mounting.

The print is often mounted first and then laminated, but sometime the reverse can happen Sometimes lamination can be performed in tandem with mounting services by applying an adhesive backing to the backside of the print in preparation for mounting.

LAMINATING

There are hot roll and cold roll lamination services to choose from.

Lamination is a clear protective layer applied to the surface of a print, with the characteristics of protection and texture enhancer. Laminating provides protection against surface damage from moisture, a percentage of light fading, and nicks. It can also modify the surface characteristics to reduce glare or even increase perceived sharpness, clarity, and color saturation.

1- Hot laminating require heated rollers in order to activate the adhesive between the print surface and the laminate layer. Typically this is the less costly of the two. Hot lamination full adheres to any lightjet photographic print, and is a permanent laminate. Its main purpose is to protect the surface of the print and to impose a texture to the print surface to achieve a prescribed “look” to the image.The types of heat-sensitive laminate ranges from ‘high gloss’ down to ‘matte’ in order, as follows:

High Gloss – a photo clear glossy appearance which can contribute to enhancing the apparent contrast of a print. The texture is akin to glass. Disadvantages might be uncontrolled glare and a susceptibility to surface scratches.

Luster – is comparable to a semi-gloss appearance. It is smooth in texture and considered as a good compromise.

Diamond – a medium textured laminate which is more forgiving than the above two.  Its best feature is it is scratch-resistant.

Textured – a more robust textured laminate. The texture itself is coarser or larger than ‘diamond’ and it helps to control unwanted glare.

Matte – this finish is completely non-gloss and eliminates glare or light reflection. The surface can also be described as a no-shine finish. As you might imagine, the disadvantage is that it may reduce the apparent contrast and sharpness of the print.

2- Cold laminating uses the “pressure-sensitive” method, and requires no heat. The even pressure of the rollers creates the bond between the print surface and the laminate adhesive. It is wise to laminate all digital prints to protect the surface, and to protect the paper from tears. One can ‘encapsulate’ a single print with a top and bottom layer of laminate with 1/4” lip,  keeping all moisture out. Typically cold laminates are composed of the highest grade materials (and are more costly), incorporating more robust UV inhibitors than the hot or heat-activated laminates. Cold laminates are suitable over inkjet prints, long life cast vinyl are often used to protect exterior display. Because of robust inhibitors, the suns’ rays will not impact the adhesive with cold mount and the print below will be better protected against fading. Vinyl displays over aluminum sign blank, floor graphics that are turned into door mats or trade show floor advertising graphics, or indoor wall graphics made of vinyl all use the cold laminates. It is also used for “back mount” photo paper or film prints, such as duratrans, to the back side of a piece of plexiglass. (You’ve often seen backlit graphics in airports and retail areas. This is one method is for a paper or film print.) Custom laser cut letters made of vinyl over acrylic should also be protected with cold lamination. The cold laminates we use are duramount and polycarbonate, which is a very strong material. Cold laminate comes in the same surfaces as listed above for the hot laminates.

 

For any further questions on mounting & laminating, please contact us below or call 1.800.829.4562