paper considerations

The linoleum block reduction had me burnishing a whole set of prepared sheets. Forty sheets alone for the large lino block. Fifteen sheets for the small lino block. Storage was going to be an immediate issue for me.
Where did one dry them? Where did one lay them? I was used to shelving finished painted canvases. What did one do with PAPER ???

A clothes line was installed by me across my work space. See next photos. I needed the lines to be up high since I am a tall fellow. My studio was in my house and the work space was shared by others in my household. So, the placement of the lines was particular.

The water soluble ink took a full day to dry before it could be stored. Sheets that stayed up longer than a day would begin to curl. What to do?

I conferred with print exchange friends and found out that the storage of paper works took several forms. Doug Osa said the main objective was to keep the sheets FLAT and DRY. One could make a hinged folder out of acid-free mat board. Large manila envelopes were good for small editions. Bricks on the floor with cut plywood shelves set on top of them would work, he said. That would keep the sheets away from the moisture found on floors. 

Nick in Seattle: “I store prints in boxes and after having accumulated 30 or so I start with a new box and yes I stack them.” 
Rigel Stuhmiller used the cardboard packaging that her paper orders came in. 
Douglas Dammerall: “I keep them in portfolios on edge. Space is a premium in my small condo. My studio is my dining room. Flat is best but I don't have the space. Some is under my bed and flat. Some are in portfolios placed on edge behind my headboard.”  
 
Sherrie York of Colorado said flat files were heavy to move but were worth it.  "Ah, storage! The never-ending bane of the artist's existence, eh? What to do with all the detritus of artmaking... I'm really fortunate in terms of storing prints because I inherited a couple of old metal flat files years ago. They are wretched beasts to move, but great for storing paper and prints. I've got smaller pieces in archival boxes on bookshelves. I did recently buy a couple of larger archival boxes and you're right... I just keep stacking them up. (And my closet is full of boxes of used lino blocks, the next storage headache.) Storage is one motivation for keeping edition sizes low!"
Kjelshus Collins wrote: " Flat files are the way to go with WOPs (works on paper).  Be it boxes or drawers, they need to be FLAT and ARCHIVAL SAFE.  And of course studios get crazy sometimes, but that's the ideal. I have boxes and flat files.”
Doug Osa said he has five flat files he found at a salvage center. They were a mere $100 compared to the $600 brand new. One could look for them at a home improvement center. They were heavy, It took two people to move them.
Carol Ann Fitzgerald of Pennsylvania wrote: "I wrap them in tissue paper (acid free) and store them in my plan drawers. I bought them on Ebay for a reasonable price second-hand. I have two sets of plan drawers stacked on top of each other in the corner of my studio (3rd bedroom). They hold about A1 size paper etc. I don't have a huge collection of prints though. I also store paper and other materials in these drawers as well."

Keep the work DRY advised Stuhmiller: "I usually store my prints stacked in a drawer, a plastic box, or on a shelf, either as-is or else cello wrapped with backing (if I expect to sell them soon).  I have so many boxes it's not even funny... they're stacked in a spare room.  After a somewhat disastrous roof leak I invested in some plastic tubs with tight fitting lids, and now store some of my prints in those." 
Elizabeth Burton wrote: "It is summer here, and has been really hot and sticky (humid). I live in Queensland, which once again had enormous amounts of rain. I have two sets of plan drawers, stacked one on top of the other, they are great for papers.  You can store them flat, but has air circulating so they don't get musty. However, as I said my studio is air conditioned which helps a lot.

According to Archival Methods, archival was a non-technical term that described a material or product as being permanent, durable, or chemically stable, and that it was more suitable for preservation purposes. The phrase was not quantifiable though. There were no standards which exist that describe how long an archival or archival material would last. (courtesy of Archival Methods, http://www.archivalmethods.com/index.cfm?ip=latestnews%2Ecfm, accessed Mar 27, 2012).  Museum storage boxes were acid free and archival, which meant the contents would not discolor over time. Glassine, acid-free tissue paper, and acetate were also helpful. 

Mark Evans wrote, "Currently I am storing my prints between cut sheets of glassine in whatever boxes I have around. Since the paper and the glassine is pretty thin, I can store plenty in a shallow box. I guess over time I'll have to come up with a marking/inventory system to identify which are where, but since I don't have too many yet, no problem. And If I had boxes I'd just stack them up. Often there are piles of prints here and  there... my own sense of (dis)organization."
Dammerall added: "Glassine interleaves will prevent uncured ink from sticking to prints. That would be a concern with oil based ink more than with water-based."
Martha Knox of Pennsylvania wrote: " My prints usually live in the bottom drawers of a large plan draw cabinet. I store my prints by keeping them in portfolios with each print separated by a sheet of acetate. I buy the acetate in large rolls."
Jean-Marc Couffin in Marseilles: "I do store my etchings either in portfolios or in regular cardboard boxes (which is acid I think) so I cover the inside with paper or glassine so that there is no contact and then I put either glassine or paper (acid free) between every prints as ink even dried do transfer a bit between prints if you move your boxes often. I use to order some storage boxes from joopstoop in France."

When I ordered my masa paper from the New York Central Art Paper Supply (http://www.nycentralartsupply.com/), I picked up a 17 x 22 x 1.5 inch Lineco museum storage box for $30, a 8.5 x 11 inch pad of fifty glassine sheets for $3.50 and a 17 x 22 inch pad of fifty glassine sheets for $11. (double click on images below)
 

glassine pad

flat storage box (above and below)

(ABOVE) An example of the buckling on a dried print.

For curled sheets I have found that gently rolling the sheet off the table edge worked for me. Click video.

Two photos of my work table. I appreciated having that space to work in.
For a few hours I could enjoy mixing ink and burnishing lino blocks. Where there was will--there was a way!!

(conversation based on emails Thursday, Feb 16, 2012)
Doug Osa @ Lenexa, Kansas
http://www.americanlegacygallery.com/artistPage.php?aid=80&cid=7
Nick in Seattle
Rigel Stuhmiller@ http://www.rigelstuhmiller.com/
Jean-Marc Couffin @ Marseilles, France http://www.jmcouffin.com/
Douglas Dammerall @ Bainbridge Island 
Elizabeth Burton @ http://www.elizabethburton.com.au/
Mark Evans @ http://papawheelie.wordpress.com/category/printing/%20"
Carol Ann Fitzgerald @ www.carolann.com.au
Martha Knox @ http://marthaknox.squarespace.com/student-work/
Sherrie York @ Colorado http://www.sherrieyork.com/