10 Tips to make Seamless Paper Backgrounds last longer & 2 DIY fixes for your photo studio backdrops
Seamless paper backgrounds are a staple item
for both amateur and professional photographers. They are versatile, reusable and affordable
and yet I find it surprising how many photographers don’t take care of them and dispose of them
much sooner than needed. In this video, I am going to give you 10 tips
for making your backgrounds last and I am going to show you two awesome DIY projects. One will help you weigh down the bottom of
your background so it doesn’t curl when you unroll it and the other is a super affordable
way to protect and store your backgrounds to keep them from buckling and to extend their
life. Stay tuned! Hey gang! My name is Joe Edelman and my mission is to
help photographers like YOU to develop a solid understanding of the HOWS & WHYS behind great
photography so that you can achieve your goals as a photographer. Seamless paper backgrounds – I purchased my
first one in 1976. And let me tell you for a young 16 year old
photographer – it was the coolest background ever! In case you're wondering – it was a 107”
#20 Black Savage backdrop. To this day more than 40 years later – I still
use Savage Paper Backdrops as my go to brand and choice for studio backgrounds.
Paper backdrops are a popular background solution
because they are available in a huge assortment of colors and with gels and lighting there
is an almost infinite number of possibilities. Another bonus to seamless paper backgrounds
is the price. They are more affordable than equivalent sized
cloth or painted backgrounds. That doesn’t mean you should think of them
as cheap or disposable, in fact just the opposite. Seamless paper backdrops are made to be used
over and over and with proper care and maintenance they can last for years. In case you haven’t already seen them – I
have shared videos in the past about some great DIY Background options for portraits
as well as an awesome DIY Background Holder.
I also have a video explaining why GRAY is
my favorite background color – and that’s not as boring as it sounds. You can find links to these videos in the
description below. While the DIY solutions are great for simple
portraits, nothing beats a seamless paper backdrop for versatility. Also, full disclosure – I mention Savage Brand
Backgrounds because I really have used them for over 40 years. I have tried the cheaper brands and the paper
is thinner and wears much faster not to mention that the colors are not consistent and they
do fade. And to be clear – I am not being paid to say
that. This first thing to consider is what is the
best size for your needs. This is going to depend on the type of photography
you are doing and the amount of space that you have to work in. You wouldn’t just randomly pick a light
modifier before you shoot – you select the modifier that is going to give you the kind
of light you are looking for and hence the best outcome.
Selecting a background should be no different. On the smaller side of things you can get
very thin rolls that are great for tabletop and product photography. These rolls are 26” wide by 36 ft long. 36 feet is a lot of background so if you are
only doing occasional product or tabletop shots, you may want to consider foam board
or poster board or even cloth background options. A great size for shooting portraits is the
53” by 36 ft roll. This is just under 4.5 ft wide and it's great
for shooting kids, headshots and 3/4 length shots. You do have to pay attention when you shoot
three quarter length shots. If you have your subject extend their arms
too far – they will be off the background. Also remember – the farther away from your
subject that you place the background – the smaller it becomes in relationship to your
subject.
So for my money – the 53” width is for headshots
or portraits only. The most common size found in studios is the
107in by 36 ft roll. This gives you a background that is just under
9 feet wide and long enough to roll out and have your subjects stand on it, lay down on
it or even jump on it. It works great for full-body shots and even
small groups. Savage also sells rolls that are 107” x
150 ft. Yes – 150 ft which is a monster roll and
wickedly heavy – but if you do a lot of work with seamless and find yourself replacing
your backgrounds often – this is a viable solution.
Some Savage colors are also available in 86”
x 36 ft and 140” x 105 ft. I prefer to hang my backdrops from the ceiling
in my studio. Remember – my home studio that I showed you
in this video – only has 8 ft ceilings – so it is important to me to get the backdrops
as tight to the ceiling as possible If you have higher ceilings, you can easily mount
the backgrounds on a wall. I've included a link in the description below
the video to my blog article that lists my preferred mounting systems. If you need your set-up to be portable, you
can mount your background on stands and a crossbar. Unless you want to simply destroy you paper
backgrounds and always be fighting with the stands… don’t buy a cheap background stand set. A 107” x 36ft seamless roll weighs 15 lbs.
the 150 ft roll weighs 49 lbs If you are going to use these big rolls on a portable setup
you need to spend a few extra dollars and buy a heavy duty set-up.
Don’t think that using two light stands
and a homemade crossbar is a good idea for the big rolls. The 53” rolls only weigh 6 lbs, so you can
work with a much lighter setup and not run into problems. The DIY PVC stand that I mentioned earlier
works great for the short rolls. These are tips that I have learned the hard
way by damaging backgrounds and I assure you – they are worth the little bit of effort
they require. The ability to roll out a seamless background
and have your subject stand on it is a big part of what makes these backdrops so useful.
This works great on hard, even flooring. If your shooting space is carpeted, you need
to place a hard surface like a piece of plywood or plexiglass between the paper and the carpet
otherwise the paper will pucker and crease – not to mention that the heels of your models
shoes will poke right through the paper if its not on a hard surface. Even if you have a roller system that prevents
the backgrounds from unrolling – A-Clamps are the most important accessory for your
backgrounds. Don’t buy them from a photo supplier – these
are not real photography gear. Get the 6” A-Clamps at Home Depot or Amazon
and if you're smart – make it a habit to attach them to your crossbar – BEFORE you unravel
the seamless. I can’t tell you how many times I have pulled
a seamless down only to realize that I forgot to grab the a-clamps and of course the weight
of the seamless just keeps pulling the roll off the bar.
Then you have to roll it back up – go and
get your A-Clamps and start all over again and by this time you have probably creased
part of the background. Avoid walking on the seamless. Your model can, but you and your assistants
should not! If you want your seamless to last, you can’t
cut corners on this one. When I am setting up my seamless rolls and
need to place light stands or props on the seamless, I always remove my shoes and only
walk on the paper in my socks. If you don’t want to remove you shoes, you
can get removable shoe covers. These covers are disposable, but in most cases
you could use them many times over. You can purchase 50 pairs of them for less
than ten dollars on Amazon. When it comes to my models walking on my paper
backgrounds – I always take a minute and wipe down the soles of their shoes while they are
in the makeup chair and a place a small bathroom throw rug right at the edge of the paper and
ask them to wipe their feet before they step onto the background.
Do be sure to throw the rug in the washer
every so often so that it doesn’t collect dirt and transfer it back to the shoes. This is something you should already have
in your studio but whatever you do – when you roll that seamless out for your model
to stand on it – tape down the edges. When a paper seamless background is rolled
out onto a smooth surface – it slides really easy. If you don’t tape it – you better have some
really good liability insurance because you are placing your model at risk for a fall,
not to mention that Murphy's law pretty much guarantees that your models high heel shoe
will find the edge of the paper and tear it as she walks onto the set. BTW – don’t use duct tape! Gaffers tape has a blended resin and natural
rubber compound that allows you to remove it without leaving all the adhesive on the
paper.
Duct tape is cheaper but it will destroy your
background and leave adhesive residue on your floor. A 4 ft by 8 ft piece of plexiglass or clear
acrylic is a great way to give your floor a reflective quality. The 4×8 sheet is a bit tough to store in smaller
studio spaces – but if you have the space – I highly recommend it. I can’t tell you how many times I have dropped
or damaged a roll because I was in a hurry and trying to handle it by myself.
If you have to work solo – take your time
and don’t rush. Ideally – get some help with hanging, changing
and rolling up your backdrops. They'll last longer and you'll curse much
less. I already told you how to prevent smudges
and dirt on your backdrops but the reality is that it will still happen from time-to-time. White latex free plastic erasers are great
for removing a lot of smudges. These erasers are used for removing graphite
on paper and drafting film and they are very soft and won’t damage the seamless paper. Just don’t rub real hard. Also helpful are simple Swiffer Duster cloths. I always wipe down the part of the seamless
that my model was standing on before I roll it up and store it. When you are ready to cut off some of the
roll because the end is worn beyond use, don’t use scissors, use a straight edge like a box
cutter knife or a heavy-duty arts and crafts knife.
Since the seamless paper is thick and has
a curl – cutting it with scissors will always give you an uneven and random edge. I use two pieces of 1” by 4” by 10 ft
lumber that you can purchase at a hardware store for less than ten dollars each. I place one under the seamless while I use
the second one on top as a straightedge to guide my knife. This method also insures that you won’t
scratch or cut the surface of your studio floor. This tip applies to pretty much everything
photography – cameras, lenses and backgrounds…. if you are a studio photographer it is important
to monitor and control the humidity in your studio space. Humidity is not your friend, it can cause
fungus on your lenses and sensors and it can cause your seamless backgrounds to buckle. You can purchase a simple humidity monitor
for less than ten dollars. The ideal relative humidity is between 40
and 50 percent to prevent fungus. Don’t go too low with your humidity because
you will run the risk of drying out the rubber and lubricants in your lenses.
If you have a hard time with humidity in your
shooting or storage space, be sure to stay tuned for my DIY storage tip. Seamless paper backgrounds will always last
longer if you store them standing up – vertically. If you store them hanging or even laying down,
the cardboard cores will eventually begin to sag in the middle and then the paper buckles
and becomes uneven. When you try to use them they will unroll
like this… Whatever you do – don't just lean them against
the wall either. There are several inexpensive storage solutions
available including a super easy and very effective seamless paper storage clip by Savage. BTW… storing them in the cardboard box that
they were shipped in is not a great plan unless you are in a very low humidity environment. That corrugated cardboard that the box is
made from will absorb moisture and cause more humidity inside the box. I promised you two DIY tips. The first one is a counterweight solution
to stop the bottom of your seamless paper from curling when you hang it.
Savage sells a Background Leader Bar which
retails for $75.00 and comes with a 107” x 36 ft roll of white paper or they also sell
a shorter version that is 4’ 8” and comes with a 53” roll of white seamless. Manfrotto also sells a Background Paper Counterweight
that is two pieces and works on 4 ft or 9 ft rolls – it retails for $32.95 My solution costs only $6.50 at your local
Home Depot. Just purchase a 10 ft by 1 1/4” pvc pipe
and two 1 1/4” end caps. Then cut off 8 inches so that you have a pipe
that is 112” long. This will create a little overhang on each
side of the seamless. Then using a table saw with the blade set
very low – cut a line 109” long. When I made my cuts I wiggled the pipe slightly
so that the opening would be a bit wider that the blade – this makes it easier to insert
the paper.
Then all you need to do is place the end caps
on and your build is complete. You don’t even need to glue the end caps
and if you want to paint it – go for it. To attach the counterweight – you first need
to make sure that you have a clean edge at the end of your seamless. It is important to have the edge straight
and square with the sides otherwise your counterweight will hang crooked and cause the background
to buckle. If you are working with a brand new background
– it already is square. If you are cutting a worn or dirty end off
of an existing seamless, I have a very simple way to do it. Hang the background and make sure you have
it hanging level. If you have ceiling mounts – that is easy. If you are using stand mounts – use a bubble
level to be sure the roll is level. Then unravel the background just past the
point where you wish to add the counterweight.
Take a Sharpie Marker and just run it along
the underside of the roll all the way across. Then go ahead and roll the background out
far enough that your line is on the floor or if you want, you can remove the background
and place it on the floor. Using a sharp blade – cut along the line that
was just drawn with the Sharpie. Fold back about one inch of seamless and press
the fold down tight to make a clean stiff edge. Then simply slide that edge into the groove
that you cut on the PVC pipe. I use a few small pieces of gaffers tape to
keep it in place as I go and then run a strip of gaffers tape the entire length over the
groove where the paper has been inserted. Once you have done that – you are good to
go. Re-hang your background or roll it up and
you have a counterweight that is level and much less expensive than the machined metal
options that are available online. I also promised you an easy DIY Storage tip
for your seamless backgrounds.
If you are going to keep your rolls out in
the open – standing vertically of course – you should have a room with low humidity as I
already mentioned. If you can’t control the humidity and if
you can’t store your rolls vertically you can purchase 4” pipes to store them in. The common recommendation is 4” PVC pipes. I personally think this is a horrible solution.
A 10ft length of 4” PVC pipe will cost you
over $20.00 and that doesn’t include the end caps – not to mention that it weighs just
over 20lbs. A better alternative is to purchase a 10 ft
by 4” length of corrugated drain pipe for $7.21. Purchase two 4” solid snap end caps for
$2.52 each. Then use a simple box cutter knife – cut off
the bell end – it's the bigger end. I measure my pipe to 109” and cut. Slide your seamless roll into the plastic
bag that it came with and then slide everything into the pipe. Add the snap caps on both ends and you have
a durable airtight storage tube that only cost you $12.25 Now you can stack the rolls
or stand them up and you have a protected and humidity free environment for your seamless. Btw. – this solution weighs just 3lbs. So there you have it gang – 10 important and
helpful tips to make your seamless paper backgrounds last and two DIY projects to save you money
in the process. I hope you found this useful.
Please hit that thumbs up and subscribe so
that you don’t miss any videos and until next time go pick up that camera and shoot
something because your BEST shot – it’s your NEXT shot, so keep learning, keep thinking,
keep shooting. Adios!.
