Finishing - Mount & Laminating Specifications
Forest City Image Centre's mounting, laminating and custom graphics services provide cost
effective, high quality finishing solutions using proven methods and materials
Standard mounting substrates are:
Foamcore - A cost-effective, lightweight mounting surface available in 3/16" thick.
Foamcore has its limitations, namely, it is easily dented and may warp in larger formats. We suggest that you
consider Edge Cap for Foamcore prints that need extra durability.
Mightycore – similar to foamcore but stronger and less prone to warping
on larger prints.
Sintra - an excellent, fire resistant PVC foam material which will not fade,
discolour or turn brittle. Sintra is dent-resistant and perfect for both indoor and outdoor applications.
Styrene – a thin plastic material ideal for signage that can be affixed
to any flat or curved surface with Velcro or Grommets.
Gatorboard – Available in 3/16", 1/2" and 1" thickness
in Black or White. It is a lightweight rigid material excellent for larger photographs up to 4' x 8' size and
is lighter than plywood.
Masonite - a heavy, tempered hardboard that is perfect for mounting larger
photographs. At 1/8" thickness, it is substantially heavier than other mounting materials.
Crezon Board - A 1/2" treated Plywood material perfect for outdoor displays
available up to 4'x8' .
Edge Cap - a plastic edge that protects Foamcore, mightycore or gatorboard
edges. It gives these mounting materials a finished look ideal for presentation and longevity.
If durability is critical for your business, lamination is the answer. Forest City Image
Centre offers a variety of laminates that protect photographic and ink-jet prints both for consumers and professionals.
We are constantly testing new products to ensure proper laminate adherence. For volume orders, businesses or
schools sometimes need large volumes of paper documents laminated for protection (i.e. restaurant menus, school
signs, and sales binders). For these high volume customers, Forest City Image Centre offers a standard 3-mil
encapsulation lamination with significant volume discounts for large orders of 25 to 1000+ pieces.
Standard lamination materials and methods are:
Glossy encapsulation – available in 3 mil or 5 mil thickness for businesses,
educators and consumers
Lustre encapsulation – similar to the above but with a matte lustre
finish (3 mil only) UV Inhibited
Single-Sided Cold – useful for prints that require only one side to
be UV and moisture protected
Lexan – extremely durable, non-glare, scratch-proof laminate for commercial
applications
Floor Graphic – extremely strong non-slip material used as a unique
advertising tool.
Plaque, Float or EdgeCap mounted prints are ready to hang complete with beveled and coloured
edges. Plaque mounted prints are 3/8” thick and lie flush with the wall. Float mounted prints lie 2” away
from the wall and appear to “float”. EdgeCap prints have black or white edging around them for
protection. Standard sized plaques from 4”x6” to 11”x14” are done in-house. For commercial
applications, we offer custom sizes up to 48” x 96”. Call for a quote.
Trimming your prints for a professional look
After prints are mounted to the board of your choice, we carefully trim the print and board
together for a nice, clean edge. You may specify for us to leave a white border, or trim to the edge of the
image (or color). Our standard practice is to trim to the edge of the image.
Boards come in many sizes. We often try to help you choose board and poster size configurations
to help maximize your budget. There are many cases where a 1/2" decrease in width or height can save you
money on both the prints and the mounting costs. Usually this makes no difference in your intended appearance,
unless the print needs to be an exact size for framing purposes. Please consult a sales representative for
the best combination for you and your budget. We are always thinking to help our customers! |
