Got a Laminator ... not so impressed

CBG

Just got a lamination machine.. not so impressed.  The plastic did not adhere to the front surface enough to ensure deep rich blacks... it does a good enough job for making menus I suppose... but for proper color in the darks it might not cut it.

I will use it for now.. but just a thought/question...

Has anyone ever tried varnishing a photo?  IS there a kind of varnish that would protect it enough so that you could dab and wipe oil paint off of it as you would a laminated photo?  Does or would it look better than a laminated photo??

I'm working from a photo... initially I had placed it behind a glass pane I took out of a picture frame (thought I was clever) but the glare and reflections (even of my own face) make seeing the blacks in the photo impossible.

KingstonFineArt

I spray my prints with Digital Photo Clear Acrylic Sealer. It seals the print and wipes clean . Another approach is clear acetate. Buy the stuff from an art supple store. Just tape it on.

tassieguy

No need for a laminator. I just use bits clear plasic/acetate. I cut pieces about 1" X 4". I put a dab of paint on the plastic, hold it flat against the photo which is flat on my painting so no glare  I don't worry about wiping the plastic clean. When it gets covered with swatches of paint I just toss it and get a new bit. It's easy, cheap and it works.

CBG

@KingstonFineArt

@tassieguy

Thank you for the tips!

Intothevoid

I use a roll of clear plastic used for covering books, sticky on one side and extremely cheap. 
Cut to size, peel the backing off and trim the edges