Crinkly interleaves in inkjet albums

[guy]

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I have a recurring problem with the albums into which I put my digital prints. I'm using the kind that you self-assemble on binder posts and which have glassine interleaves between the pages "to protect your prints". Although you can print directly on the album pages, I'm not, because I prefer the look I get from printing on inkjet paper and then sticking the images in. (I realise that I could stick them in ordinary albums rather than more-expensive inkjet-printable ones, but so far I haven't found an ordinary album which is (a) nice but also ( self-assemblable, and I need the self-assembly element in order to insert sets of photos further down the line.) I've used albums from StoneHinge and Hahnemule.

 

The problem is that my glassine interleaves go all crinkly.

 

The crinkliness extends to the exact size and shape of the underlying print, so it seems pretty obvious that it's some residual moisture in the inkjet print that's causing this. Thing is, I've left the prints to dry for ages – up to 10 days in one case – and the crinkliness still results every time. I just don't have the patience to wait more than 10 days before I stick my images in. Possibly it's the glue, but I only glue around the edges of the prints, whereas the crinkliness is all over the area of the print.

 

Now, the stupid thing is, I don't even like glassine interleaves all that much. But I'm worried about that "to protect your prints" bit. I know that traditional prints can (and do) stick to each other if they're pressed up against each other in an album for a long time. But what about inkjet prints?

 

My two questions are:

 

1) Does anyone know how to stop the crinkliness in the first place (if indeed it's happening to anyone else!)?

 

2) Can I safely do away with the interleaves altogether and just let the prints press up against each other?

 

If it's relevant, the prints are made on an Epson R2400 printer, using Epson's own premium semigloss paper.

[andybarton]

I have moved this to the "Customer" section, as it is neither M8, nor Digital specific. You are therefore going to reach a wider audience with your query.

It sounds like some sort of chemical reaction is going on between the interleaf and the print, casuing the crinkliness. If you don't use the crinkle, would the print be facing the rear of the previous page, or would you be having print facing print?

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[guy]

Fair enough on the non-M8, Andy, but an inkjet print is always digital!

 

And the prints would be facing each other.

[Jamie Roberts]

Yeah, the problem is the ink sits on the surface of the image with an inkjet...

 

So the simple solution is to spray a fixative (like non-toxic Premiere Art Print Shield) on the print. Not only will this create a protective layer on the print, it will also increase UV protection for the print. It will also decrease gloss differential for most non-matte papers, because you're adding a coated layer.

 

I'd use the stuff meant for inkjet photos, but you can easily also use almost any fine art spray lacquer or varnish--just be careful to do it with ventilation and a mask (preferably outside).

[guy]

It will also decrease gloss differential for most non-matte papers, because you're adding a coated layer.

 

This is a great idea, Jamie. I could certainly do that.

 

When you say it will "decrease gloss differential", does that mean it will make my (semigloss) prints glossier, or matter? I'd be keen not to have them go any glossier.

 

Finally, any opinion on just leaving the interleaves out? Or is that a recipe for long-term disaster?

[bobtodrick]

Jamie...does the fixative you mention have any negative side effects?

The only fixitive my supplier carries is the Gepe...and it seems to impart a definite objectionable color cast (on the green side) to my prints.

[Jamie Roberts]

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@ Guy--

 

I honestly wouldn't bind / self-bind any inkjet print that hadn't been sprayed for protection. With the ink sitting right there on the print, it's only a matter of time before it gets scuffed, scratched, or otherwise lifted off the surface. If you leave the interleaves out without spraying, you're asking for trouble, IMO.

 

The Premier Art stuff is made to a finish specification. If you get the semi-gloss, that's what the finish will look like. If you get matte, it'll look matte. IOW, it probably won't make your print more glossy than it already is. But you know how if you look at an Epson print sideways in the light, and the ink you put on the paper is close to paper white (or is paper white), then you get a difference in sheen with the coloured areas? That's called gloss differential. If you spray your prints--that goes away, regardless of what inket you use (on the 4000, this was my only way of producing acceptible glossy prints).

 

@ Bob--

 

The Premier Art stuff is meant for photographs, and is completely light neutral in my experience. It actually cuts down on metamerism and gloss differential by letting the light pass through a clear coat before it hits the inks.

 

One good thing about Print Shield is that it's also less toxic than some other sprays--it's water-based, too. It also will not yellow over a very long time and is recommended by Epson for museum and archival applications where prints are mounted in direct light.

 

I know a lot of other varnishes have their own colours. This one doesn't seem to have a cast...

 

EDIT: I should add too that while a spray improves the look and handling of inkjet prints, and I do a lot of printing myself, for something that's likely to be handled a lot I don't like inkjet technology. All of my photo albums, for instance, are printed on a Durst Lambda, which prints on a typical RC-style paper with a wet process not unlike traditional photography.

 

The surface of these is much tougher than an inkjet (though of course they're not indestructible or anything!).

[guy]

Thanks, Jamie, that's really helpful. "Gloss differential" turns out to be the one thing that still bugs me about my prints, now that I've successfully done away with metamerism (sp?)!

 

I'll track down some fixative spray.