Peter L Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Mylars for OA Hi, Sorry if this has been covered before but I wanted to know where you guys buy your mylars for the original art. I have pieces of different sizes, maybe one or two big ones and some smaller ones. A lot of the companies I saw online are for packs of 25 which are too many and too expensive for my needs if I only need a few. Where do you guys go to buy and which thickness style to you get? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malvin Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 I always go to e-gerber, they seem to be significantly cheaper than other places. Ordering is antiquated though, no web ordering and you have to call, and they won't ship for a few weeks ,but its cheap. The quantity thing will be an issue, if you are buying only a few, you will be paying a lot, shipping will be a high fraction of costs relative to the price of the mylar, you really can't get around that. Malvin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter L Posted March 16, 2017 Author Share Posted March 16, 2017 Thanks Malvin. I ordered some from them but I had to custom order the size of the backing board and buy 50 of them. Which thickness do you get typically? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malvin Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 I use a variety of sizes due to a variety of art, but I typically use the 1117R, not sure what thickness that is, I think its 4mil. I also don't typically use acid free backing boards, although I have some, since some art comes in thin paper as we al know Malvin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rune Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 (edited) I fully agree with Malvin - I just got some 1418R snugs from Gerber, had some large pieces, and the snugs are great even for smaller 11" x 17" pieces (they don't seem to move in the Mylar) - it's 4 mil Mylar D (99% anti-UV, although my Mylar-bagged pieces are in my Profolio and never see daylight ;-) http://www.egerber.com/category.asp?CategoryID=450&SubcategoryID=559 Edited March 16, 2017 by Rune Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreatEscape Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 (edited) Years ago, I bought mylars from popular vendors like eGerber and Bill Cole (www.bcemylar.com). Lately, I've been really happy with the quality 4mil mylars (and archival boards) from Blue Line pro (www.bluelinepro.com). They have many sizes and no order minimum (ie, order 4 or 400 mylars). Personally, I like 12.5 x 18.5 size (provides 3/4 inch margin around standard 11x17 board) with archival boards and use adhesive "photo corners" to center art on the board (just like framers do)...displays well plus added protection keeping art from moving around in the mylar. Good luck! Edited March 16, 2017 by GreatEscape SquareChaos 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquareChaos Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 7 hours ago, GreatEscape said: Years ago, I bought mylars from popular vendors like eGerber and Bill Cole (www.bcemylar.com). Lately, I've been really happy with the quality 4mil mylars (and archival boards) from Blue Line pro (www.bluelinepro.com). They have many sizes and no order minimum (ie, order 4 or 400 mylars). Personally, I like 12.5 x 18.5 size (provides 3/4 inch margin around standard 11x17 board) with archival boards and use adhesive "photo corners" to center art on the board (just like framers do)...displays well plus added protection keeping art from moving around in the mylar. Good luck! This is very helpful, thanks. Just to be clear, you're picking up the photo corners elsewhere? I can't find them on blueline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Shoveler Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) 17 hours ago, Bill C said: Does anyone know who has (if anyone?) a mylar that can handle a 22" x 17" DPS? Bags Unlimited has Mylar sized 24" x 18" . Product code is s1824r : https://www.bagsunlimited.com/product/4329/polyester-mylar-sleeve-4mil-no-flap The backings (acid free) for this size are product code kaf401824: https://www.bagsunlimited.com/product/5486/backings-for-artwork-photos-unfolded-mapsnbsp18-x-24-14 This is what I use for my oversized pieces. I get my 12 x 18 sleeves & backing from BU as well. Edited March 17, 2017 by The Shoveler remove top line of the quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeGiant Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 24 minutes ago, The Shoveler said: Bags Unlimited has Mylar sized 24" x 18" . Product code is s1824r : https://www.bagsunlimited.com/product/4329/polyester-mylar-sleeve-4mil-no-flap The backings (acid free) for this size are product code kaf401824: https://www.bagsunlimited.com/product/5486/backings-for-artwork-photos-unfolded-mapsnbsp18-x-24-14 This is what I use for my oversized pieces. I get my 12 x 18 sleeves & backing from BU as well. Great info - thanks. Are there portfolios out there for DPS pieces as well? I have a few and would keep them folded up in regular portfolios. I would love to get them in mylar and in a portfolio where I can see them laid out complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Shoveler Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) 36 minutes ago, JadeGiant said: Are there portfolios out there for DPS pieces as well? I have a few and would keep them folded up in regular portfolios. I would love to get them in mylar and in a portfolio where I can see them laid out complete. That would be a great display option. I just found this 18 x 24 Itoya at Blick's: http://www.dickblick.com/items/15019-9024/ At Amazon, the dimensions for the 18x24 Itoya are given as 19 x 24.5 x 0.9 inches (https://www.amazon.com/ITOYA-Presentation-Portfolio-Photography-Documents/dp/B00009R8XD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489769148&sr=8-1&keywords=itoya+art+portfolio+18+x+24). So it would hopefully fit the 18.5 x 24.5 mylar + board. I might take a chance and order one of these... Anyone out there already use this large Itoya? Edited March 17, 2017 by The Shoveler correct word use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeGiant Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 3 minutes ago, The Shoveler said: That would be a great display option. I just found this 18 x 24 Itoya at Blick's: http://www.dickblick.com/items/15019-9024/ At Amazon, the dimensions for the 18x24 Itoya are given as 19 x 24.5 x 0.9 inches (https://www.amazon.com/ITOYA-Presentation-Portfolio-Photography-Documents/dp/B00009R8XD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489769148&sr=8-1&keywords=itoya+art+portfolio+18+x+24). So there it would hopefully fit the 18.5 x 24.5 mylar + board. I might take a chance and order one of these... Anyone out there already use this large Itoya? Good question. I am interested as well. I would love to learn that there is a portfolio solution that can handle not only the art but a mylar as well. And thanks for the info - heading over to check it out now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodou Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 1 minute ago, JadeGiant said: Good question. I am interested as well. I would love to learn that there is a portfolio solution that can handle not only the art but a mylar as well. And thanks for the info - heading over to check it out now. I have some 18x24" Itoyas, they barely hold that size 'raw', so no I don't think they would work for anything larger or with extra 'fill' like a backer or mylar sleeve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeGiant Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 26 minutes ago, vodou said: I have some 18x24" Itoyas, they barely hold that size 'raw', so no I don't think they would work for anything larger or with extra 'fill' like a backer or mylar sleeve. That was my initial thought as well. I was just happy to hear that Itoya makes portfolios large enough for DPS, fitting mylar in as well would be a great bonus but I can live without it if not possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Shoveler Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 6 minutes ago, JadeGiant said: Good question. I am interested as well. I would love to learn that there is a portfolio solution that can handle not only the art but a mylar as well. And thanks for the info - heading over to check it out now. You're welcome, JadeGiant. Unfortunately, it looks like Voduo has already test driven this portfolio and confirms that it's probably not a good fit, especially if we want to add mylar and boards. My concern is that the 18x24 mylar/board already has a little bit of flex in it, so it is important to handle it carefully and use both hands. I would be concerned that putting this into a portfolio sleeve could interfere with supporting the piece during handling and make it more probable for some bad flexing to happen while turning the pages. For now, I'll continue to keep my oversized Mylared pieces in a cardboard sandwich that is placed in a large plastic polybag sealed all the way across to keep out pests. Currently I'm using a polybag that probably came from the Bags Unlimited order for the 18x24 mylars & boards. I planned to upgrade to a newer polybag, but I've only been able to find that large of a size by going to an industrial storage vendor. I've been delaying this purchase because the vendor only does bulk orders. So, the cost ended up being much more than I wanted to spend to get 1-to-3 bags to use out of the 200 or whatever the total quantity was. Can't remember the exact price quote/quantity and I don't have my link to their site handy at the moment. Anybody have any spare 19x25 ziplocks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCarter27 Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 I use the 18x24 Itoyas for DPS and similar medium-sized poster pieces. But I had Gerber custom cut half-backs to 18x24 to use as backing boards since there is a danger of handling damage with all of the flex. Last, I cut an extra piece of foamcore I had laying around to a larger width. I hang the whole folio on this. This is important if you aren't storing it flat because it eliminates that warp/roll you get from Itoyas that stand on their spine. This is a pretty good system. I have one of these I keep handy for recent acquisitions. I have a few more in storage that I wrapped in garbage bags to keep buggies out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Shoveler Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 3 hours ago, Bill C said: Thanks very much for that info, much appreciated You're welcome! Glad to assist. Big thanks to everyone else who's generously shared their storage ideas. I've learned a lot over the past few years from contributors like Vodou, akaRick, Rune's "Fun with Sun" thread and BCarter27's smooth system described above. And kudos to Peter L for starting this topic...It's always insightful to get an update on storage tips. FWIW: I've never had a need for photo tabs. So far, the art stays snug in the Bags Unlimited Mylars with boards. Here's a summary of my set-up: Because I Mylar & board each piece, I can only put a handful of pages (8-10) in the portfolios I get from Anthony's. If you put too many boards in there, it could over-expand the portfolio and potentially cause some warping or edge roll. I have a relatively small collection, so it isn't a problem to just use a few extra ports. I'd rather gold-plate my storage now and not have to worry about upgrading later...YMMV. I do have one port dedicated for some very low-cost pages + a few prints...there is only one Mylared piece in there. And I keep the ports flat on top of a small bookshelf in a closet with an Eva Dry E-500 high-capacity dehumidifier and an AcuRite 00613 humidity monitor. The dehumidifier needs to be removed once every few months and plugged into a socket to burn-off any collected moisture. This process normally takes about two days...longer than the instructions call for. The device gets plugged in for a day, removed overnight (that sucker gets HOT and I don't want to burn down the house), then plugged in for the next day before going back in the closet. The orange indicator dots turn green as they absorb moisture, but while plugged-in they actually get worse before they get better, so don't panic when they turn black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreatEscape Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 On 3/16/2017 at 7:14 PM, SquareChaos said: This is very helpful, thanks. Just to be clear, you're picking up the photo corners elsewhere? I can't find them on blueline. Photo corners are available on Amazon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquareChaos Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 2 hours ago, GreatEscape said: Photo corners are available on Amazon... I did eventually order them from Amazon, it is just nice to be able to get everything in one location if possible, and I wasn't confident that blueline actually didn't have the photo corners because their site is so primitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman_Fan Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 What mylars do you use to store Twice Up artwork? I have a few 13x20 inch pages, that I’d like to better protect, with acid free bag and board. Any suggestions on where to buy less than five mylars and boards that fit large art? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCarter27 Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 48 minutes ago, Catwoman_Fan said: What mylars do you use to store Twice Up artwork? I have a few 13x20 inch pages, that I’d like to better protect, with acid free bag and board. Any suggestions on where to buy less than five mylars and boards that fit large art? Thanks Bags Unlimited is a good option- https://www.bagsunlimited.com/category/159/newspaper-polyester-mylarsleeves https://www.bagsunlimited.com/product/4071/backings-for-newspapers-wholeflat https://www.bagsunlimited.com/product/4075/backings-for-font-colorredlargefont-newspapers-wholeflat I usually go with E Gerber- http://www.egerber.com/category.asp?CategoryID=450&SubcategoryID=559 I got my backings at E Gerber custom cut to size- http://www.egerber.com/custom.asp But for large art, I either use the 18x24 portfolio method earlier in this thread, or use tissue interleave and an archival gallery box from Light Impressions or Conservation Resources- Get the MicroChamber boxes- http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_2/section2_13.htm SquareChaos and Catwoman_Fan 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
