It happened: your large Prints from Nations Photo Lab arrived and you’re ready to hang them! In order to keep your precious memories and standout photographs safe from damage in transport, we ship them rolled in triangular tubes.
So, what’s the safest way to flatten your rolled Prints? Check out these tips:
1. Before you start unrolling, stop and make sure your hands and the surface area you’re working on are clean. Any grit or dirt on your fingertips can bruise the Print, plus any oils on your skin can leave unwanted marks.
2. When handling your Print, only touch the edges – keep your fingers away from the main part of the image!
If you have it, place a piece of smooth paper on your working area that’s bigger than your Print. (If you don’t have a piece of paper, that’s okay! It’s just an extra layer of protection.)
3. At Nations Photo Lab, we use smaller scraps of photo paper to wrap your Prints, so there’s no fear of tearing the print when you undo the tape. You’re free to tear – or even cut open – that tape and start unrolling.
4. Carefully place the Print image-side down on your smooth paper or clean workspace and begin to unroll. You want to be gentle so you don’t accidentally crease your Print.
5. When your Print is fully face down, take some smooth, flat, heavy objects (i.e. books) and place on the ends and even the middle of your Print. Let it sit overnight!
6. Once it’s been 24 hours, check your Print. If it’s still not laying flat, put your heavy objects back on it for a couple more hours.
And that’s it! Your Print is now ready for hanging or framing.
A note: you can also gently flatten your Print by rolling it in the opposite direction of which it’s curled over a heavy duty cardboard tube. Don’t have a tube? The books method will work just fine, although it needs a bit longer time for flattening.