How to Flatten Eco Print Papers

Back in the early 1990’s, I worked in a photo lab. The kind that processed camera film and made paper photo prints.

I learned the best way to handle wet camera film is to hang it from one corner on a “clothesline” and let it drip until it was dry. This method made sure the film didn’t get creased as it dried.

We dried the paper prints in a conveyer-type dryer.

These days I’m printing with steam, plants materials, and paper through eco printing. The prints that come out of my steamer are not dripping but are soaked through. The printed papers will dry with big waves if they dry on their own with no guidance.

I don’t have a conveyer dryer, so I take them out of the steamer and hang them up like I used to do in the photo lab on a string I’ve strung along the wall in my garage. I use binder clips to hold the papers. Clothespins work fine too. I protect the corner of the paper with a small piece of paper under the clip so I don’t get rust marks. I let the papers hang until they are almost dry. They feel cool, not wet.

When they are almost dry, I take the eco prints down and stack about 5 or 6 papers together. I’ve not had any problems with bleeding or with papers sticking together.

I put a dry piece of absorbent paper like clean newsprint (not a newspaper but the blank newsprint paper) on the top and bottom of the stack. If I don’t have any of that, I’ll use white Viva paper towels. Viva doesn’t have an embossed pattern.

I put them in my handmade flower press.

And tighten the wingnuts as tight as I can. Then I let it sit overnight.

The next day, I take out the papers and shuffle them, then put them back in the press. Shuffling them helps distribute the dampness so the papers can dry evenly.

I will check and shuffle them until they’re dry. It might take several days, or less if the weather is dry. I get excited about opening the press and finding flat eco printed papers. Just like opening a gift!

Why not just use heavy books?

Yep, that’s a good idea, too.

I like the flower press because it takes up less room and it’s not as heavy to use. I tend to forget the papers are in the book pile. I don’t put them inside the books. The wet papers will warp the pages. I put them between books with the newsprint or paper towels.

I’ve also read about using a dry mount press to dry and flatten them, but I haven’t invested in one of those, yet.

What about ironing the papers dry?

I like the theory of pressing damp papers with the iron until dry, but I think the heat and pressure of the moving iron stretches parts of the paper creating more wavy paper. I prefer to let them dry evenly under the consistent pressure of the flower press.

What if the papers are already dry and wavy?

Easy fix. Lightly spritz clean water on the back of the papers, stack them like I described them earlier, and put them in the flower press. They will dry as “flat as a flitter” as my mother would say.

Now my eco prints are ready for their debut as greeting cards.

Group of eco-print greeting cards

I would love to hear from you about the way you flatten your papers. Please leave a comment below.