Best Photo Safe Tape for Framing

[jmac22]

Trying to determine the best tape for attaching photos to mat for a frame. Looking for a non permanent option so I can remove the photo if need be. Mostly sized 8x10 or 11x14, not a fan of the mounting corners all suggestions welcome.

 

[wpfay]

Hi, and Welcome tot he G.
Best practice has the mat hinged to the mount, creating a "book", and the item being framed attached to the mount rather than the mat. Passive mounts are preferred because you make no attachment directly to the item, and corner mounts are but one example.
If these are ink-jet photo prints, the mounting technique is pretty much the same as any other paper-borne art. For full conservation and reversibility, Japanese paper hinges with inorganic starch pastes are the current go-to.
Pressure sensitive tapes are generally discouraged as they are not truly reversible and the adhesives used tend to degrade over time, but there are some that pass the PAT (Photo Activity Test). Neschen's Filmoplast P 90 is one of them. There are others. These would only be used on older photographs printed in a traditional manner when none of the passive techniques work..
There are other options, but initially you should be concerned with the value of the piece you are working with, and the ease of replacement. If those are not an issue, all options are on the table.

 

[Joe B]

Trying to determine the best tape for attaching photos to mat for a frame. Looking for a non permanent option so I can remove the photo if need be. Mostly sized 8x10 or 11x14, not a fan of the mounting corners all suggestions welcome.

Why attach at all? Use a platform mount and that way the photo is held in place by the mat without any attachments. Search the archives for Platform Mount by Jim Miller. There are a couple of ways to do a platform mount but Jim has a diagram that works well. Personally, I do not like to do any type of hinging to photos but I know some people do with good luck.

 

[jmac22]

The Photos are autographed prints. Its possible I would not ever take them out of the frame but just wanted to see what my options were if I did.

 

[wpfay]

For collectibles, you would want to use the best quality materials available and provide a safe environment for the photos to live. Joe's mention of the platform mount system is probably one of the safest and least technical.
The autographs themselves are probably the biggest concern and some of the technology used in the past 50 years isn't very stable and will fade fairly quickly under any conditions. UV is the most discussed light that can cause fading and oxidation, but all light sources will break down autographs made with laundry markers, like Sharpies. Collectors are sometimes choosing to have good ink-jet copies made for display, and then having the originals stored in archival containers to avoid light fading. This is no panacea, since Sharpies will fade in the dark as well.

 

[wvframer]

I would make sure that the images are not touching the glazing in the current frames.

I have a customer who collects sports collectibles to display in his bar. He kept saying that he didn't want copies to hang and that it was always dark so they wouldn't fade. (yeah right).

I took one that I liked and copied and framed it to match. When he came to pick it up, I put them both on the counter and asked him to pick the original. He picked the copy. Since then, we have been framing copies and storing the originals. This pleases everybody. When he retires, his collection, now hundreds of pieces, will be going to the university special collections department until such time as the athletic department can have a hall of fame.

But Sharpies have created some major disappointments.

 

[Jim Miller]

Looks like I'm late to this thread, but if you're using a mat, try the Platform Mount instead of hinging with tape. This full-length edge support involves only a thickness of matboard under the window mat and no adhesive touches the item. The mount is easily reversible & replaceable. In fact, framers sell document frames with platform mounts to do-it-yourselfers, so they can install their documents on the kitchen table. Here are a couple of drawings to explain how it works...