Lamination is a perfect technique for adding years to the life of your custom photo frames. It is paramount to protect your prized works from the destructive properties of harmful U.V. and everyday atmospheric pollutants such as cleaning solution vapors, tobacco smoke, ozone and hydrocarbons, just to name a few. At Romana Photo Framing in Chandigarh, we use only Cold Pressure Sensitive Laminates – so your artworks are not subjected to unnecessary heat. And we offer several options for pH neutral substrates as well. Please feel free to contact our photo framing specialists with questions.
Glossy, Crystal, Luster and Velvet
We offer several different laminate surfaces similar to the prints’ surfaces. Any laminate surface can be used on any of the print surfaces. The laminated print will take on the characteristics of its final surface. In other words, the prints will certainly look identical if you consider laminating both a glossy and a semi-matte print with a glossy lamination. There is no difference between the two print surfaces if they share the same laminate.
Glossy
Glossy laminates for a family photo frame have a high sheen and reflect ambient light to the viewer much like a mirror, or a panel of uncoated glass. This is less than ideal if the print is to be hung on a wall directly across from a bright source of light such as a window. The reflection can obscure the viewers’ ability to see the photo below the lamination. If the print is to be illuminated from above by spot-lights etc., or by ambient room illumination, then glossy may be a viable option. Glossy tends to be of a higher contrast than semi-matte or matte and gives the illusion of a higher level of detail in the print. This higher contrast provides the image with more “snap” and punchier color. This surface shows fingerprints, dust and water-spots easily.
Luster
Luster is a softer looking surface for glass photo frames that reduces the likelihood of distracting reflections. This surface also has a reduced contrast over the gloss material and therefore has less visual snap, and lower color saturation (punch). This should not necessarily be viewed as a negative factor. Some images, such as portraits and moody scenes can benefit from the qualities of a matt surface. Because matt surfaces have a lower sheen, they are less likely to show fingerprints and surface dust.
Velvet
Velvet surfaces are the least reflective. They have a soft and slightly pebbly texture, allowing for maximum light “break-up” at the surface. This type of surface may be ideal is difficult environments where the photo frame hangs directly across from large windows or bright sources of light. This material hides scratches extremely well. Remember, the five mil vinyl material is extremely long-lasting. Because of the fragile nature of photographic emulsions, our experts for photo framing in sector 34 Chandigarh strongly recommend that any photographic print used for display be laminated or placed behind glass.
Have a question?
Make sure you approach our photo frame shop – Romana Photo Frames where our team of photo framing specialists will be ready to help you!
