First bigger project - advice please

VixSA

Grumbler
Joined
Apr 29, 2024
Posts
40
Loc
Cape Town
Business
PictureBox Framing
Hi all,
I have just received my first bigger size job and I have a few things I need to check with all the experts on this forum.

It's a 1070 x 910mm (pretty much 42 x 36 inch) limited edition lino print. Customer does not want a mount around it so I'll be framing up to the edge of the print. Planning to use conservation matt board as a barrier behind the print with a hardwood backing for the frame to give some strength. We'll be using 2mm Artglass (only thickness available here in SA) cut to size by my supplier. I don't want to have the art directly on the glass so I'll have to add a small (4-6mm or so) spacer around the edge to separate things. So here are my questions:

1) We don't have convenient pre-made plastic spacers here in SA, so I'll have to make my own. Is conservation matt board stuck onto normal foam core OK for this? What type of glue can I use to attach both the matt board to the foam core and the spacers to the frame. I'm worried that double sided tape will not survive well over time. Wood glue?
2) Is one piece of conservation mat board as a barrier between the print and hardwood enough?
3) any special tips/tricks for handling and cleaning Artglass to prevent scratches?
4) Is it advisable to attach the top of the print onto the backing board at a couple of points, to avoid the print belling out at the bottom over time?

Anything else I should watch for?
Thanks again for all your help and shared expertise :)
Vickie
 
First off, you are the expert with regards to the mechanics of creating the frame package and not the customer. You have to stand behind what you create to satisfy the client and maintain your reputation.
It is not necessary to adhere the backing board with a support board(you mentioned foam board). The fitting compression will hold everything in place. As for the client not wanting a top mount board over the art, that is a visual choice that you can take into consideration. As for the size of the backing board that will be behind the art, it should be wider all around so that the compression forces do not act upon the edges of the art when you add home made spaces for the necessary air gap between the art and the glass. Since you do not have access to commercial plastic picture framing spacers you might want to go to a local industrial plastic supplier for some acrylic square plastic rods. The rods can be attached to the edges of the glass with either ATG( my first choice) adhesive or with glue. The glass and the spacers become a single sub component to the frame package when fitting the frame.
 
First off, you are the expert with regards to the mechanics of creating the frame package and not the customer. You have to stand behind what you create to satisfy the client and maintain your reputation.
It is not necessary to adhere the backing board with a support board(you mentioned foam board). The fitting compression will hold everything in place. As for the client not wanting a top mount board over the art, that is a visual choice that you can take into consideration. As for the size of the backing board that will be behind the art, it should be wider all around so that the compression forces do not act upon the edges of the art when you add home made spaces for the necessary air gap between the art and the glass. Since you do not have access to commercial plastic picture framing spacers you might want to go to a local industrial plastic supplier for some acrylic square plastic rods. The rods can be attached to the edges of the glass with either ATG( my first choice) adhesive or with glue. The glass and the spacers become a single sub component to the frame package when fitting the frame.
Just did a quick search and can only find round acrylic rods, not square 😞 South Africa is frustratingly limited in specialty items sometimes! I am intending to use mat board stuck onto foam core and cut into thin pieces to make the spacers.

If you make the backing board larger all around than the art (so that the spacers do not push on the edge of the artwork) then how do you attach the art to the backing board? And won't the edges of the art piece be visible? I'm a newbie at all this and still on the learning curve of how best to put everything together.
 
Call an actual industrial plastic distributor vs just an internet check. Square and rectangle acrylic rods are very common.

As for mounting, it depends on the value of the art. For a limited edition print, my first choice is hand torn paper hinges and wheat paste or whatever conservation grade of paste you want to use.
 
ANY pressure on the backing will pinch the art around the edges. This will cause buckling as the art expands and contracts with changes in humidity. Check out the articles on the frametek.com web pages.
 
You can use a hardwood support board*, but to mitigate the wood acids, you might wrap the board in a metalized plastic film (Marvelseal 360). If that is not available, heavy duty aluminum foil will act as a vapor barrier. Splicing can be done using Lineco's Frame Sealing Tape.

I make shims from 4-ply rag board and AF foam centered board quite often. They are cut into appropriate sized strips (the foam board being ever so slightly thinner) and attached to one another using spaced 1" strips of 1/4" ATG, about 4" apart and a thin line of PVA glue in between. The ATG holds the two together while the glue has a chance to set. The strips are cut to length and installed in the frame using the same technique.

On a piece of that size I would consider using acrylic vs. glass. The cost goes up but the liability goes down.

*Other options would be Acid-free foam centered board, or Coroplast (Polyflute panel).
 
You can use a hardwood support board*, but to mitigate the wood acids, you might wrap the board in a metalized plastic film (Marvelseal 360). If that is not available, heavy duty aluminum foil will act as a vapor barrier. Splicing can be done using Lineco's Frame Sealing Tape.

I make shims from 4-ply rag board and AF foam centered board quite often. They are cut into appropriate sized strips (the foam board being ever so slightly thinner) and attached to one another using spaced 1" strips of 1/4" ATG, about 4" apart and a thin line of PVA glue in between. The ATG holds the two together while the glue has a chance to set. The strips are cut to length and installed in the frame using the same technique.

On a piece of that size I would consider using acrylic vs. glass. The cost goes up but the liability goes down.

*Other options would be Acid-free foam centered board, or Coroplast (Polyflute panel).
I looked into acrylic for this job but unfortunately most of the good ones that you guys have overseas are not available here. I only found one that would be suitable for framing and it was prohibitively expensive (and not scratch resistant).
 
Other thing to consider is to not use a backing at all. For big works (we have used up to 2x4m) you can use stretched canvas or other opaque fabric. This will end up much lighter & you can use the strength of the stretcher to affix hangers etc. This means no mat board, no hard board.
If you space the lino print, it will 100% cockle. I would refuse the spacer if someone brought it to me.
 
Thanks everyone for your input. I'm thinking I need to go back to the customer and advise them to put in a top mount board instead of using spacers with no mount board. Will this get rid of the pressure issue around the edge of the art, even if the mount board isn't very wide?
 
A narrow mat is not much better than no mat at all.
I use this method on large posters where a mat would make it too HUGE.....
You have to extend the rabbet so you have about a 30mm width. This can be done with
a slip or you can rout or the rabbet if the moulding permits. The item is then hinged at
the top to a board - with possible a few 'loose' hinges at the sides/bottom.
Now the cunning bit.... Run a strip of linen tape along the slip to lift it up. This prevents
crimping of the edge of the print and allows expansion.

Not easy to explain in words so I've drawn a diagram..

raisedslipmat001.webp
 
A narrow mat is not much better than no mat at all.
I use this method on large posters where a mat would make it too HUGE.....
You have to extend the rabbet so you have about a 30mm width. This can be done with
a slip or you can rout or the rabbet if the moulding permits. The item is then hinged at
the top to a board - with possible a few 'loose' hinges at the sides/bottom.
Now the cunning bit.... Run a strip of linen tape along the slip to lift it up. This prevents
crimping of the edge of the print and allows expansion.

Not easy to explain in words so I've drawn a diagram..

View attachment 49730
What is the minimum mat width that you would recommend when using just a mount? Or does that depend on the size of the piece being framed?
 
* I tend to have a default 3" width which can be more or less depending on the size of the paper.
A small item will expand less and papers all have different properties so it's a judgement call, but if
you have a large thing on watercolor paper I'd say 3" minimum. On such things a small photographs
then narrow mats (1"?) can be fine. Also you have to look at how much of the paper goes under the mat.
The edge of the paper should be well away from the actual frame. (>1"?).
There is the purely aesthetic aspect to consider of course... Generally, having the mat the same width as
the frame is considered bad design but like everything else there are exceptions. 😏
 
Another tip to help avoid the crimping problem is to not put the framing points in tight against the backer material.
This has come up several times in the Grumble. It's how I learned about it, from one of our veteran Grumblers.

-Slip a piece of 2 ply mat, or a credit card, or other thin material under the point gun so the points are ever so slightly raised off the surface of the backer. It will relieve "pinch" points, and allow expansion/contraction to occur with less chance of restriction or "pinch points" where the points are located.
 
Hi, Vicki. With the right frame, a paper artwork can be floated over a backing that almost doesn't show.
We did a big one like this a few years ago. It was about 33 x 51", and they didn't want to see a mat, so I designed a float, with the backing
extending 5/8" past the art on all sides. When put in the frame, this allowed the side spacers to contact the backing, leaving the piece free
to move. The 'right frame' is one that has a rabbet wide enough to allow for this. It would probably work with a 1/2" rabbet, but they chose
a frame with 1/4", so we ripped out the rest with a table saw. T extra space could also be gained by adding a fillet.

If you haven't already, please visit frametek .com and read their articles library. It explains important things about float hinge placement.
 
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