A few months ago there was an article in MR about using photos from digital cameras to make backdrops. I have the pictures to use but what I need to know is, what is the best media to print them on, how do I get rid of the shine from printing them and what is the best way to adhere them to my backdrop ??
There is matte photo paper, there are as many opinions on attaching as there are pictures in the world, I have found spray adhesive applied to wall and picture back works well for me. Place it well because once stuck its heck to move.[banghead]
Rubber cement will give you a bit of working time to get it positioned right. It can also be removed after it’s dry. The trick is to lay it on very thin as the glue tends to be thick in nature. I found that one of those big foot wide wallpaper tools helps. I forget what their called right now, but its the thing that looks like a big giant putty knife that you use to get the air bubbles out. Matter of fact, you could even use the wallpaper glue, but that is a little more perminant then the rubber cement.
I have printed all my back drop pictures using my color office laser printer. The paper I used is 24lb good quality laser paper. Many of my backdrop images are a lot bigger than the standard paper sizes available for the printer, so I have been using a program called “big picture” that I purchased a few months ago very cheap on e-bay. This allows a large image to be blown up and then distributed accross several sheets. The sheets have overlap and allow you to piece them together to form a larger image. I then trim out the images with a sharp hobby knife. I use 3M spray adhesive. You have to be very careful with placement as there is very little time to move the image. Here are a couple of examples.
The “shine” on the prints may be eliminated either through the use of matte printing paper or by the use of a matte photo spray, available at larger camera stores, for use on existing glossy prints.
CNJ831
For my layout in the planning stage I want a realistic sky background with fluffy white clouds and azure sky. On such a day I went up on my roof and using a tripod I rotated the camera twice aound 360 degrees overlapping slightly. Using Panorama software I can then stitch them together in a continuous background. I will print it on my HP Laser Jet Professional that can handle 12 x 19 inch paper on matte paper. Probably will use 3M Spray adhesive, the permanent kind.
One thing to keep in mind is that most inkjet ink is not color fast. This means it will run in the presence of moisture and it will fade dramatically within a couple years.
I have some inkjet photos I printed out 2 years ago and they look just plain awful today. Badly faded and completely color-shifted into the magenta.
If you are going to use inkjet images for backdrops, then you need to get colorfast ink. Some printers may not have such ink available.
A safer approach is to get actual photos made, since they should hold their color without fading or color shifting – and thus have a much longer life.
I’ve used photos for background structures printrd on matt photo paper from the fast-photo store, they worked out well. But it was easier for me to paint 25 feet of backdrop and much less costly.
I agree with you 100% on the inkjet inks. But I must point out that photographs will color shift with time as well. This is especially so if the room where they are displayed is lit with flourescent lights or any other UV producing lighting. My experience is that they tend to go more orange with time.