Advice on Framing Cotton Canvas Prints for Professional Framers

With the permission of Drytac we reproduce the following advice on framing cotton canvas prints. We suggest that you give a copy of this article to your professional framer.

We now use Artscreen in place of glass. It has many advantages including in transit and is claimed to be move UV light resistant.

Hot Mounting & Over-Laminating Hot Press

Hot Press

Hot Glass Vacuum Press

Unimount DMT75 Classic Premium Dry Mount Tissue

We source our own premier quality Lion DMT from a leading manufacturer, ideal for canvas bonding.

Mounting Film was Flobond

Carrier free 'unsupported' heat activated pH neutral thermoplastic mounting adhesive, with an activation temperature between 79°C and 93°C. Remove by heating and peeling with a hot air gun. It is virtually identical to 'Fusion 4000', Flobond and 'A-Mount'.

13mm thick, best for canvas bonding and heat sealing in flat bed presses.
6mm thick, best for normal work in vacuum presses, where its lower volume before laminating over will not slow down the cycle time.

The Hot Glass Press is ideal for all hot dry mounting heat seal over-laminating and canvas bonding in your workshop.

Foam Blankets

Foam is used in heated presses for two reasons: The majority of boards are made up of pulp, and has tiny hills across the surface. The pressure of a hard plate may shine the peaks. Foam laid over helps even out the pressure and minimise this effect.

Secondly, it presses the laminating film down into the weave of the canvas to give the canvas texture look. Foam can also leave its own texture impression in Gloss and Satin films.

About DRYTAC

You've may have spotted that the Drytac brand has been moved aside and replaced with Hot Press. If you look carefully, you'll see that the logo now says 'Hot Press by Drytac'

A little bit of background will help explain the change. Around 20 years ago, Hot Press was created as a brand name by Lion for their own range of heat seal equipment and materials for picture framers. Martin Harrold and Wiktor Chichlowski of Lion invented and patented the Hot Glass Press, which has now become the word standard for heated vacuum presses. Around 15 years ago, Hot Press became a separate company and gained new owners. It is fair to say that from then on it had a somewhat chequered history until recently, when it was acquired by Drytac Corporation.

Drytac was founded about 25 years ago in Canada by Richard Kelly, who still controls it. It is now based in USA. It has slowly but surely grown to be a major manufacturer and supplier of cold and hot mounting and laminating films and materials. Over several years, Drytac have established their own highly sophisticated and environmentally conscious film coating & converting plant in Bristol, UK.

From 2005, Drytac have decided to focus their 'wide format' business in the display and exhibition markets under the Drytac brand. Their extensive range of high quality dry mounting tissue and heat seal over-laminating films for picture framers will be marketed under the Hot Press brand. Cold mounting and overlaminating materials will also be available under the Hot Press brand.

Lion are naturally delighted to see the wheel turning full circle and we look forward to continuing to work with our friends at Drytac. We know that for some time, Hot Press materials have actually been made by Drytac. We are confident that quality will continue to be of the very highest standard and availability will be good. We are pleased to have the Hot Press name and products back in the Lion catalogue. There may be a little bit of confusion on product box labelling during the changeover but we shall do our best to minimise this.

Our sales team have a product name comparison listing sheet - they will be pleased to send you a copy.

Folders with samples of any of the Hot Press materials are available from Lion.

The Hot Glass Press is a great addition to any framing workshop. The unique HGP can:

  • Dry Mount onto card, MDF, foam centre board and fomex
  • Over-Laminate
  • Canvas bond photos, posters and prints
  • Texturise the surface of any mounted item
  • Block and plaque mount

The HGP is unique in its ability to handle a wide range of materials, of varying thicknesses - even at the same time. You can use mountboard, hardboard, MDF, foam centred board, aluminium, even glass, as substrates to mount onto. You can mount photos, posters prints, fabrics, canvas and almost anything else (but do take care in case the heat might affect some colour ranges of ink).

The 'Hot Glass Press' offers many benefits to the user:

  • an under-surface which is completely flat and smooth
  • errors such as mis-alignment and fold back are easily spotted and corrected
  • stray adhesive can readily be seen and cleaned off the under-surface
  • even and controllable heat
  • full and easy adjustment of the hinges and latches

The critical flexible pressure blanket is bonded into a removeable sub-frame. It has a special textured surface to spread the vacuum. The quiet vacuum pump supplied with the press is fast acting and reliable.

For maximum productivity in your workshop, try to allow a preparation area to one side at least as large as the press itself. Creating a wall rack for the rolls of tissue and film will also be helpful.

A Hot Glass Press is available for demonstration in Birmingham and at Lion South.

HOT PRESS Hot Press training is available at Lion.

Product Liability. Drytac, Hot Press and Lion will replace any material supplied which is found to be faulty. They accept no further liability.

Tel: +44 (0)121 773 1230 LION Picture Framing Supplies Ltd. Fax: +44 (0)121 771 2540