Has anyone used a spray finish?

[MABlizel]

I've just purchased a photo printer and have been very happy with the results. The question that I have is, has anyone used the Krylon Acrylic Clearcoat product to preserve their high gloss photo's? My main storage of photo's is on CD's but I like to give certain photo's to relatives and friends. I understand that this product does protect the photo's from moisture and smudging and does not yellow. Any comments?

[Conk]

I have just recently started using the Krylon spray myself. The spray I have been trying to find is Krylon Protect-it. There is lots available on the internet but could not find it where I live. I was able to find a spray that seems ok called Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating. It says it is moisture resistant and smudge proof. Ideal for photography, charcoal, pencil painted surfaces, etc.
I have sprayed a photo that turned out fine but it was an older inkjet print that had already begun to fade. I still intend to print off two fresh inkjet photos and applying the spray to one to see the results over time.

[defordphoto]

Yes. I have also used a photo-specific product from Sureguard called McDonald PRO-TECTA-COATE. It is a photographic lacquer with UV inhibitor and comes in glass, matte, etc. finishes.

It's pretty nasty stuff and contains Toluene, MEK and an assortment of other nasties, but it will make your photograph waterproof and UV resistant. Goes on pretty easy. 4-5 passes and you're done.

[IndyJeff]

Hey Jim where did you get this MacDonald Pro-Tecta-Coate?

[Longwatcher]

I have not used the Krylon, but have used other spray coatings (lumijet is what I have been using) and they seemed to work fine. In fact when using Canon paper I always spray coat my prints as my experience is the spray keeps them from losing the cyan ink under office light.

[defordphoto]

Hey Jim where did you get this MacDonald Pro-Tecta-Coate?

Bought it at a local pro-photo shop. One thing it does say on it (other than all kinds of warnings about nasty this stuff is) is: FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY BY PROFESSIONAL, TRAINED PERSONNEL. NOT FOR SALE TO OR USE BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
So you might have a time finding someone to sell it to you. The glue sniffers would love this stuff! ;)

[Ballen Photo]

Sorry to come in late on this, but I find this concept highly interesting.
Any more info out there?
.......Bruce

[Conk]

Well, since I had last posted on this topic the photo I sprayed at that time has not faded any more than it already was. I kept one sprayed and one unsprayed side by side on the fridge ever since. The one that was unsprayed had the browns in it fade purplish and the paper yellowed.

[Ballen Photo]

Well, since I had last posted on this topic the photo I sprayed at that time has not faded any more than it already was. I kept one sprayed and one unsprayed side by side on the fridge ever since. The one that was unsprayed had the browns in it fade purplish and the paper yellowed.

Really? The unsprayed one started to fade in four months while being in the fridge?
I'm curious, If you set up for spraying a batch of photos, how much time would be consumed for the entire process start to finish?
Spraying sounds like it could be viable for print archival.
Thanks for the reply,
......Bruce

[Conk]

Well, since I had last posted on this topic the photo I sprayed at that time has not faded any more than it already was. I kept one sprayed and one unsprayed side by side on the fridge ever since. The one that was unsprayed had the browns in it fade purplish and the paper yellowed.

Really? The unsprayed one started to fade in four months while being in the fridge?
I'm curious, If you set up for spraying a batch of photos, how much time would be consumed for the entire process start to finish?
Spraying sounds like it could be viable for print archival.
Thanks for the reply,
......Bruce
Well first off Bruce, I never kept them in the fridge but rather on the fridge. :lol: (Sorry, I knew what you meant)
It doesn't take long to spray them. I had printed of 60-3 fold brochures on kodak 2 sided photo paper (semi-gloss) and it was just a matter of applying a light coat on all of them. I had them all laid out on the garage floor on cardboard. You pretty much just "mist" them and then give them a second coat the same way. If you apply too much it looks like they've been sprayed and may cause the paper to curl. Spraying takes no time at all and it dries in 10 minutes. It's the setup for multiple photos that takes all the time.
I recommend to at least try it. The cost is cheap at 7-10 bucks a can. Just print a couple practice prints.

[Ballen Photo]

Well first off Bruce, I never kept them in the fridge but rather on the fridge. :lol: (Sorry, I knew what you meant)
It doesn't take long to spray them. I had printed of 60-3 fold brochures on kodak 2 sided photo paper (semi-gloss) and it was just a matter of applying a light coat on all of them. I had them all laid out on the garage floor on cardboard. You pretty much just "mist" them and then give them a second coat the same way. If you apply too much it looks like they've been sprayed and may cause the paper to curl. Spraying takes no time at all and it dries in 10 minutes. It's the setup for multiple photos that takes all the time.
I recommend to at least try it. The cost is cheap at 7-10 bucks a can. Just print a couple practice prints.

OOPS! My bad. :shock:
Thanks for the info. :D
-Bruce

[Riseofthephoenix]

It would probably be better to just mount them under some museum glass that has about 97-98% UV blocking power. But all images exposed to light will eventually fade and there really is no solution.

[Penguin_101_1]

So something like this would work? http://www.krylon.com/main/product_template.cfm?levelid=5&sub_levelid=8&produ ctid=1736&content=product_details

[Conk]

So something like this would work? http://www.krylon.com/main/product_template.cfm?levelid=5&sub_levelid=8&produ ctid=1736&content=product_details

I would be more inclined to use this http://www.krylon.com/main/product_template.cfm?levelid=5&sub_levelid=8&produ ctid=1732&content=product_details as it is specially for digital photos.
I could not find it in our local craft store so I settled for http://www.krylon.com/main/product_template.cfm?levelid=5&sub_levelid=8&produ ctid=1818&content=product_details which is also recommended for photos. It doesn't say on the web page but it does on the can.
There are a few different types available that can be used on photos.

[Penguin_101_1]

Thanks!