Spraying and Mounting vs. Framing

[soukups]

I see wedding photographers offer prints that are 'sprayed and mounted'. Can someone tell me what this is? Whats the difference if I get it sprayed and mounted then drop it in a frame, or if I just drop it in a frame (without spray and mount). It seems that the spray and mount isn't needed when you get a frame that already has a back and a glass pane. Also, Is the 'spray' an adhesive for the print to stick to the board or is it a protective covering for the photo. Thanks in advance.

[granthagen]

You'd have to contact the photographer to see exactly what he means by "sprayed and mounted." If he's referring to Board-Mounted prints, then likely the pic is directly attached to a thick, composit board -- like Foamcore, medium density fiberboard, or Gatorfoam -- and sprayed with a sealing material like Print Shield. The coating is neccesary because there is no protective glass or thick plastic like a framed print.

Coating (inkjet) prints can protect the image from color shifts and fading beyond what framing behind glass alone can accomplish. The extra length of protection depending on the ink/paper/coating combination. So, it might well be worth it to get coated prints for really special pictures that will be traditionally framed.

Grant