Problem Black Suede Mat + Museum Glass=Dust Always Showing

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imb123

imb123

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May 29, 2003
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Brooklyn, New York
Hi all...

Does anyone have any tips/trade secrets/hints when framing a piece w/a black suede mat and museum glass so that those white specks of dust can be eliminated?

It seems that no matter how many times I clean the mat and glass and seal the package up with tape for that dust-free environment, there are always some dust specks showing...

Thanks in advance for your help...

Iris M. Baker, CPF
Pampered Prints, Inc.
Schenectady, NY
 
Clean the fabric

Mist the air over the fitting area with water

Put the piece down in the fitting area

Cut the glass using glass handling gloves

Smack the glass down on the fabric

Remove any large bits if they exist

Tape it off and go with it

Any other process requires Valium
 
And when that doesn't work, walk away. The job is always easier when you come back refreshed.

- advice from an ADHD ENTJ who hasn't got time for trouble
 
Pet hair roller and or air compressor, other alternatives include squinting or dimming the lights.
 
First, and I'm not kidding, get one of those computer keyboard vacuums, or use the round brush furniture attachment on a regular vac.
Vac then mount the fabric, or mount then vac doesn't seem to matter. There are particles that are hiding inside the weave or lack there of of suede.

After that, Randy kind of sums it up. But you will be amazed at how much difference the vac makes.

And if you're using fabric board... you're on your own. :D
 
It helps if you only sell this kind of design to blind people. :)

Awhile back, I fit a papyrus that was floated over black suede. Fortunately, I had designed it with conservation clear, so it wasn't as monstrous as it could have been. Did two with museum this week, but not suede.

Just be glad it's not a pastel with black suede and museum glass. Or would a pastel with white suede and museum be worse? Excuse me while I go flip a coin.
 
The frame gods have this little trick they play on all of us.. If you are working with a white mat then all the dust in the world is black. If You are working with a black mat all the dust in the world is white.

If you are working with Museum glass it is doubly so..but man alive that museum glass is fabulous and it looks like a million bucks. totally worth the hassle to achieve that "wow" factor.
 
If it is not a pastel, try tilting the matted piece slightly face down and tapping the back lightly. Most of the particles hidden in the nap of the fabric will fall out.

Use a lint roller with a light touch. It can make marks on a suede mat which you'll have to remove then start over.

If the glass isn't too big, depends on what the individual can handle, hold it in the palm one hand with the "this side faces art" up. Tilt it at an angle at eye level until you can see every speck of lint. Lightly brush the lint off.

If all else fails, give it the three foot test. Hold the framed piece at arms length to see if a speck is too obvious. ;)

In addition, many suede boards come straight from the factory with tiny off color particles "woven" in.
 
shayla said:
Just be glad it's not a pastel with black suede and museum glass. Or would a pastel with white suede and museum be worse? Excuse me while I go flip a coin.
Click to expand...

Take away the museum glass and that's exactly what a customer asked for. Worst possible case... unfixed pastel, black suede mat, shadowbox fitting. Guaranteed mess no matter what you do. I warned the customer several times, but that's what he wanted. Sometimes your customers diminish your standards for you :)
 
I just did 4 15x60 pieces that are just like this.. to top it off the art pieces are chalk pastel on black suede... one of our best selling artists... a little patience and it is doable.. we do it all the time... black suede mats raised around chalk pastel on black suede with museum glass... use gloves, run tape across the surface of the mat to 'lift' the dust particals off and work steady, cautiously and with a purpose. Again, it's doable as we do it regularly.
 
Not that I'm a fan of either, but personally I'll take Museum & black suede over acrylic and black suede!
 
If valium isn't available, maybe a few big hits on a bottle of Nyquil might do it!:sleep:
 
vacuum up the room/area the night BEFORE & dont cut wood(if you use saw) for at least 1 day before. Then next morn go from the door to the job area(walk slowly)---NO detours!!!--and re-vacuum around your area---then go make coffee(allows some of the bits to land)---THEN see about putting it all together(you're STILL gonna have 'stuff' in the package--have patience). this runs the best chance of getting 'most' of the errant particles out of circulations(and out of the frame)i I have added to this(on occasion) a pedistal fan on LOW & some 10' away to hel push errant bits away from the table---non-conclusive results but it was summer & felt good.
 
I find that a lint roller is good for cleaning fuzzies off the mat in general. Then you can go back with a smaller bit of tape and remove individual cruds. Not exactly sure how a fuzzy and a crud might differ technically, but you
get the idea. :)
 
When you've lost all hope a black magic marker works too. If ya can't beat them, join them ;)
 
get a real powerful vacuum and thn have Tim the tool man tweak it for more power....sucks all that stuff off the mat..probably the suede too.
 
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