Yesterday my daughter asked why I didn't do something useful with my time. She suggested I go down to the Senior Center and hang out with the guys.


I did this and when I got home last night I told her that I had
joined a Parachute Club.

She said, "Are you nuts? You're 70 years old and you're going
to start jumping out of airplanes?"

I proudly showed her that I even got a membership card She said to me, "Good grief, where are your glasses! This is a membership to a Prostitute Club, not a Parachute Club!"


I'm in trouble again, and I don't know what to do... I signed up for five jumps a week.

Sarge69

While there is truth in this statement there is some debate about NEVER dry mounting photographs, even if one plans on selling the work afterwards. It's just not that simple; dry mounting does not automatically destroy the value of photographic art. There are a number of other considerations that factor in.

The first factor, as one might expect, is the original value of the art. Work by artists with established reputations and demand, valued limited editions, or works with recognized historical value are better off not permanently mounted. In these cases the value can also be diminished by failing to use a number of additional conservation framing techniques as well.

Some galleries will insist on full conservation framing which includes not dry mounting the image, but this is not always the case. I have experience with some gallery owners who are more concerned that there is no cockling (rippling) than if the image is pressed or not. The final look of the presentation is considered to be of more importance.

The end clientele also makes a difference. While some collectors may balk at pressed pieces, my experience is that most patrons of art festivals, including many "high end" shows, are much less concerned with the pros or cons of mounting technique than they are concerned with does the image, size, frame fit their home decor. I know many other festival artists who sell their work in the high three and low four figures who dry mount their larger pieces and it doesn't seem to hurt their sales at all. honestly, if I were buying an image I'd be much more concerned about the glass used to frame the piece (was UV glass used or not) than with its being dry pressed or not!

One solution to the debate is to use reversible mounting materials. There are a number of good quality dry mount materials (Artcare Restore, Kool Tack, Speedmount) which are acid free board, use archival adhesives, mount with minimum heat and dwell times, AND are reversible at a later date.

If you get the better cutting tool it comes with a tack at the rear of the tool. You push this into the mat to anchor the tool while you are inserting the blade into the mat. These are a bit more expensive like 40 - 45.00, the lesser priced models without this feature around 25.00. Saving just a couple of mats from being over cut will make up the difference in cost. The initial insertion of the blade into the mat is often the way over cuts occur because the tool "rocks" back a little as the blade is inserted into the mat. You can also over cut a mat by going past the point you've marked off, but with care this is easier to control than what I described earlier.