Mounting photos on Aluminum Dibond w/ WhiteWall

What is aluminum Dibond, and what options are available for using it to mount photos? In this video, I unpack a collection of Aluminum Dibond samples from WhiteWall, discuss various finishes and paper types, pros and cons of ultraHD, compare acrylic and non-acrylic options, and showcase a recent print I created using it.

Disclaimer: WhiteWall has not paid for or sponsored this video, nor have they had any involvement in its creation.

📦 MENTIONS

WhiteWall sample packs

Screen to print: my image workflow

Photographing the town Los Angeles destroyed

New Mexico landscape video

📕 CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro
1:38 What is Aluminum Dibond
2:58 Glossy acrylic
3:27 Matte acrylic
4:06 ultraHD prints
6:15 Fine art pigment
7:36 ultraHD metallic
8:08 Acrylic thickness
10:05 Black and white
11:49 Mounting without acrylic
13:13 Mounting without varnish
14:06 Big matte acrylic print
16:44 Test prints

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🎤 GEAR USED FOR THIS VIDEO (AND MOST OTHERS)

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LEGAL DISCLOSURE
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[richardyoung]

Very helpful information. WW should “thank you” for the great endorsement. I have ordered test prints from them.

[yukonica]

The Dibond reference caught my attention. I am all about learning more and improving my printing technique so thank you for this video.
The test sample part is good information. Many 'print' videos go: 'here's the shot, this is the edit, here is the print'. With little explanation regarding the impact of paper selection.. etc.
My solution has been to learn to print my own images on a Canon Pro-1000. Mostly I stick to A3+.
For your audience: Dibond is a great/cost effective backing that is very easy to work with.
A 4x8 (ft) sheet of Dibond costs $50 Cdn. From that I cut 4 (17x22), 6 (16x20), 4 (11x14), 5 (8x10) plates. That's a lot of options for the price.
I've tried a variety of adhesives but find 3M Photo adhesive at about $30 a tin works best. A print on ANSI-C (17x22) averages 6 bucks for the paper and ink. Once a print is bonded to the aluminum I spray the image with an acrylic sealant. Total cost for the product is around $20. I hand deliver the gifts so shipping is free.
Would love to see a video demonstrating the process.

[reesmarkham]

Thanks for the great info 👍
You are a real asset to the art community.

[HDEFMAN]

That was an interesting video. I started out thinking Dibond was the same thing as printing directly onto metal sheets, but now I can see it is different. The city that I live in has some street art paintings hung on the walls of various buildings in the city centre and these seem to be two thin sheets of metal sandwiched between a layer of what looks like black resin. The paintings are printed directly onto the top metal sheet without the final acrylic layer. Great images by the way, and super envious of your camera gear.

[michaelbierbaum-zx]

Thanks or sharing Todd, very helpful information, nice images too.

[macimages]

Thanks Todd, another great video. I’m going to have to look into the printing company.

[desclarkphotos]

Todd, really appreciate all your videos. Just to say (and I’m writing from the Netherlands, Europe) that I had many great results from Whitewall - until I didn’t. Then unfortunately it all went south. Like many big companies, their customer service can’t handle quality issues - and as a result I’ve long given up on them. Like I said, they’re great until… This doesn’t reflect on your video or experience but just to add some balance on their quality control

[stevef]

Todd... my test prints were good... but now im stuck, as Whitewall dont do Fine Art prints under Acrylic Glass. I have no idea why they dont do this. Their pigment print is some random paper that they havent told me what it is.
Im left now having to use Fuji DPII paper and put that under Matt Glass. The only alternative is to have fine art paper as I want not under any glass at all as I want a floater frame. Otherwise im stuck with a traditional format of a print mounted using passe part out.
I presume you went with the Fuji DPII gloss paper under matt glass? There is no texture at all to that paper correct?

[stevef]

im waiting for x2 40x30" test prints from them also.. one colour one black and white. I wont have them frame it, though i would love a float like you have had but that is silly money. Mind you not as silly as what ive been quoted for from 2 framers in London, one very well known lab.. £800 just for the frame!!
My camera is the fuji 50sii.. but because they are focused stacked images, i can go bigger than 1:1 without loss of quality.

[steveh]

I am a little concerned about the plastic, how stable is it, will it off-gas over time, crack and crumble?

[reesmarkham]

Are you printing on silver halide paper or injection?