Smoothing out creased cardboard boxes and paper manuals

[SomeGuyWithDSL]

Anyone have suggestions or a link to a guide on safely smoothing out creases and folds in boxes and manuals? I haven't started doing that yet on any of my stuff, and I keep thinking an iron through a t-shirt might work well ... or it might not work at all.

 

Some of the stuff is not easily replaceable, so I want to check before I damage a creased manual or box any further. Thanks!

[+remowilliams]

I've had really good luck using an iron on med-high settings. Depends on the material you're trying it with, some materials just won't work well or will be damaged.

 

I've ironed out tons of manuals and boxes though

 

I use an aluminium plate for the 'board' (so no fabric, carpet, etc patterns get embossed) and two sheets of paper, one on each side of the item being ironed. Also be sure that if you're ironing boxes that have internal structures - that you fold them flat in a way that folds those structures properly flat.

 

Then I usually put the ironed stuff under a few hundred pounds of weight stack and let them sit for a while. Voila! like new!

Edited July 13, 2006 by remowilliams

[video game addict]

Voila! like new!

 

 

Do you have any before & after photos? I'd like to see your work!

[SomeGuyWithDSL]

Voila! like new!

 

Well, the iron, a few sheets of plain white paper and a rather heavy flat-bottomed toolbox worked wonders for my collection of secondhand cardboard-sleeved Nintendo DS pack-in games (and their manuals). Smoother than new, I'd imagine.

 

I didn't think to take any comparison shots, though.

[kevincal]

Jeez, I just give them the ole' "opposite bend" procedure...works fairly well.