Gettin' that paper nice and flat

[fousty]

Printed a poster this past weekend and has some issues with registration, nothing too severe but I want to be able to control it, I believe some of problem had to do with the paper not flat on my table.

I've read numerous posts here about vacuum tables and spray adhesive, but haven't found another alternative? Is there one?

My longterm goal is to have a vacuum table and I've read that spray adhesive can get messy...but I plan on giving it a try if there isn't another option. What's the best spray adhesive out there? (If there is one...)

[Graphic D.]

Spray adhesive on the back of posters sucks. It sucks to print like that too, it gets all over your shit and makes you use profanity.
I reccomend going premium, downloading the DIY plans, and then proceeding to build yourself a vac table. I built my 24x36 for $15 bucks and three dumpster diving sessions behind lowes.

I even scored a foot pedal for my shop vac by schmoozing at Harbor Freight. If my noob ass can do it so can you!

[fousty]

Definitely want to do a vac table like I said but I'm really looking for an alternative if there is one. I'm not sure what the vac table plans look like but my table I'm on now is absolutely perfect... it's a 1930's drafting table, its beautiful.

[jayryan]

the vac table is for registration purposes, not for flattening. the spray adhesive should be repositionable, and you won't have any problems with it. the warpy paper is probably due to using stock that's not thick enough.

$0.02

[fousty]

I'm using 100# stock so it's definitely thick enough. What's a good spray adhesive?

[Lojack]

My mother is absolutely perfect, beautiful really but they won't let me marry her.

[fousty]

My mother is absolutely perfect, beautiful really but they won't let me marry her.

Gross.

[Lojack]

Weird really, like caring more about your table than your prints.

[eyepeace]

So if I'm reading this right you didn't use anything to hold down the paper? That's sure to give more than registration problems.

Andy's plans for the vac table work like a dream. I just built mine last month and I can't believe how much easier I just made things for myself.

That said, Spray mount definitely sucks compared to a vac table but it works fine as long as you're careful not to get it everywhere else.
A little of that 3M stuff goes a long way. After you have your paper placed give it a good smoothing over. Respray the table every 10-20 prints or so.

If you were using spray mount, I bet your registration problems have more to do with the paper adjusting to the air after printing.
So make sure you pre-rack.

[eyepeace]

Oh and as for flattening the paper, there are threads on here about that... do a search, it's in there.