You  should  avoid  storing  photographic  products  in cardboard boxes. To prevent damage, never store photographic  negatives  and  prints  in  storerooms, quonset huts, bilges and so on, where they may be subject to adverse conditions, such as direct sunlight, UV radiation, water, dampness, high humidity, and high temperatures.  Videocassettes,  audio  tapes,  and  floppy disks must never come in to contact with a magnetic field. A good general rule is to store file images in climatic  conditions  under  which  you  would  be comfortable. PRINT MOUNTING For exhibition and display, prints are mounted or matted  on  a  stiff  board.  The  difference  between mounting and matting is the way in which a print is attached to the board. When a print is mounted, it is stuck on the face of a mounting board. When a print is matted, it is attached to the back of the board and the image is placed behind a cut opening. When matted, a print is often taped into place, thus the matt can be temporary. Generally, prints that are framed are matted. In both cases, the board enhances the picture by providing a broad border as well as protecting the edges against damage. When you are preparing a print for exhibition or display, your goal should always be to show the print to best advantage. Simplicity is the best strategy. Elaborate artwork or fancy lettering can often detract from the photograph. Generally, prints for display purposes are mounted or matted on special card stock to make them stand out from their surroundings. Card stock used for mounting photographic prints should be free of acid or sulfur that can  deteriorate  the  print  quality.  Card  stock  is  available in various sizes, colors, textures, and weights. There are no hard-and-fast rules for mounting prints, but the card stock should compliment the print. The mount should be large enough to balance and support the picture, and the texture and color should compliment the overall tone. The way the print is placed on the mounting board is important. Prints mounted at odd angles or in a corner of the mount unbalance the photograph. The bottom border on most mounts is the widest border of all. Normally, prints are mounted so the top and side border of the mount are equal. To provide balance, you should ensure the bottom border is 25 to 35 percent wider than the  top  and  side  borders.  There  are  two  types  of adhesives for mounting prints: wet and dry. Wet  Method Liquid  adhesives,  such  as  rubber  cement  and spray-on  adhesives,  can  be  used  to  mount  prints.  These two adhesives are easy and clean to use. After they dry, the excess adhesive can be removed easily by rubbing it lightly. The drawback to using rubber cement and spray-on adhesives is that they are not permanent. In time the print may loosen and peel off the mount. Rubber cement is an ideal adhesive for temporary mounts used in displays or for copying. Gum arabic, glue, or paste should be avoided whenever possible. These adhesives are known to stain the print or smear out from around the edges of the print. This causes smudges on the mounting  board. Dry  Method A dry print-mounting method that uses a pressure- sensitive adhesive is in common use in the Navy. Pressure-sensitive adhesives come in a variety of sizes in  both  rolls  and  sheets.  These  adhesives  form  a permanent bond and are easy to use for resin-coated papers. To use these materials, you simply apply the print to the sticky surface of the mounting material. You then peel off the protective backing and apply it to a mounting board. If the print is not aligned correctly, you can remove the print and reapply it. Once the print is correctly in place, you must apply pressure to the print and mounting board. Normally, this is done by running the print and mounting board through a specially designed  roller  assembly.  This  assembly  applies pressure   to   the   materials   being   mounted.   The pressure-sensitive  adhesive  material  contains  tiny  beads of adhesive. The pressure breaks these beads and releases the adhesive. Once pressure is applied to the materials  being  mounted,  a  permanent  bond  is  formed. A dry-mount press can also be used to mount photographic prints. With a dry-mounting press, heat is used to fuse a mounting tissue between the print and the mounting  surface. A dry-mount press is designed to provide uniform pressure  and  heat.  Even  pressure  is  an  important  aspect of good, dry mounting. Adequate pressure helps squeeze out  air  from  between  the  adhesive,  print,  and  mounting board. You should operate the dry-mount press at the temperature recommended by the manufacturer of the mounting tissue. It is better to use a slightly lower temperature to mount prints than a temperature that is too  high.  Excessive  temperatures  may  cause  damage  to the print. When temperatures are too high for RC papers, the  resin  coating  blisters  or  bubbles. 14-12