Workshop Outline— What You’ll Learn
8:00 – 9:00 - Materials Selection
What should I print on and why? An in-depth look into selecting the correct print media and materials.
• What are the best fine art photo papers and film-based media for acrylic mounts?
• Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and acrylics— what’s the difference, does it matter?
• Surface protection films, and pre-masking— garbage in, garbage out!
• Optically clear adhesives— where should I buy it? Who makes this stuff? Why does it cost so much?
9:00 – 12:00 - Laminating / Processing Your Art and Graphics
Troubleshooting your process with advanced webbing techniques to reduce waste.
• Nip profile and low pressure— why it’s fundamental to the acrylic mounting process
• Best process for webbing your laminator— how to avoid throwing money away
• Sledding verses webbing your laminator— how to make the call and does size matter?
• Laminator process capabilities – how to go from a 3-step to a 2-step workflow
12:00 – 12:45 - Lunch
Provided by Roland DGA
12:45 – 1:45 - Backing Materials and Adhesives
Making your product unique and different and avoiding “me too” products.
• Dibond, Max metal, ABS, acrylic— making the right material choice matters
• Proper adhesives for my backing substrate— white or clear? Rubber or acrylic?
• Step-by-step application— when to apply a 3-steps or 2-step process
2:00 – 3:30 - Edges and Edge Polishing
How to put the finishing touch to your work.
• CNC or hand-held edge routing— what’s the best router bits to use with acrylic
• Sanding— how simple finishes can cut your time in half
• New flame polishing process that combines all materials— David Goetter’s personal process (refined after months of grueling research)
• Diamond edge polishing— is it right for my product construction and facility?
3:30 – 5:00 - Support Frames and Hanging Hardware
Attaching your frame with metal or wood choices.
• Aluminum extrusion profiles— should I be using them?
• VHB verses epoxies— what is it I’m sticking to?
• Understanding surface energy and temperatures— how they impact adhesion
• How to apply and evaluate— why should I know about sheer strength (do the math!)
• Stand-offs and how they are often misused
