"Floating" newsprint drawing

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Cliff Wilson

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A customer brought in a pencil drawing on what I believe is newsprint. It is very thin. It is cut in an irregular shape and she would like to see the edges mounted to a colored (Artique Yellow) mat. I can hinge it, although I have no doubt the edges and corners will curl. Also, it is thin enough that I suspect any hinges will show through the paper.

It is a still life drawn by her son in high school. Not bad for the level of training he has. She says, "It's personal, not valuable."

I have considered spraying with Super-77, but it is so thin I am afraid the moisture will
buckle and distort it.

Any ideas?

Thanks, Cliff
 
If you use white Japanese hinges with wheat starch or Nori paste, it should be invisible behind even the lightest paper. There is no assurance it will lay flat, though.

If you want to permanently mount it, and if you have a heat or combination press and some Fusion 4000, you can mount an irregularly-shaped paper. (If you have all those things and want to try it, let us know, and I - or someone - will explain how.)

There is probably some risk of 77 Spray soaking through the paper and making a mess - especially if the spray pattern is not real even.
 
Thanks, Ron, I don't know yet whether I want to permanently mount it, but I am leaning that way.

I have a Vacuseal 4468 and some Fusion adhesive. I have always mounted on a little "bigger" board, then cut to size. This piece is kind-of like an irregular spider web. I am not sure I can cut an exact mounting board. If I cut slightly smaller, I thought 1) the smaller, "not exact" board would show through and 2) it might/would move in the press even with a careful z-tacking.

Re: hinges; I have had two pieces (very thin paper) in the last six months give me tide marks on the surface when applying Nori paste and hinges. I try to let them dry to "just tacky," but still have had those problems. Makes me very gun shy with the thin papers. Would "micro-dot" application help and if so when can I read about it?

Thanks,
Cliff
 
Hi Cliff,

What about mylar?


best
 
Hmmmm ... I've used a mylar float a number of times. Didn't even think of it for this?? The only problem might be that I did not show that option to the customer and she was pretty excited about the bright yellow background. Mylar might dull it slightly. But, I think I will see how that looks. Might solve the problem. Thanks.

Still interested in instruction on the Fusion mount though!
 
Actually,

Why not mount the piece with mylar on a rev-bevel mat, using a color behind the art that doesn't show through, and mount that to the final mat??

best
 
You could try the 3M ProSpray and a dark rag mat cut to the shape needed. Then hinge the the mounted piece the way you normally do. The ProSpray works very well on newspaper print, even when you get it too heavy and it soaks through, it dries easily in the vacuum press and does not stain like other adhesives.
 
If the drawing is on newsprint, it is likely to
discolor rapidly in UV light, so glazing with
a UV filter in it is a must. If Japanese tissue
and starch hinges are to be used with thin papers,
the paste must have very little water left in
it before it is applied to the art. If the paste
is liquid enough that it will run when applied
to a blotter, it can be left on the blotter until
enough of the water wicks into the blotter so
that the remaining paste will hold its shape.
If the paste is being brushed onto the hinge,
it should be left there until is is no longer
glossy, before being applied to the work. With
light weight paper, the hinge should be rapidly
but gently blotted dry with blotter that has
been dried out (another use for the dry mount press). One can put a piece of adhesive Velcro,
(the loop side) on a strip of acrylic sheet
and pick up paste that has been dried to the
same consistance as before and has been spread
across a clean sheet of glass (another piece
of glass can serve as the spreader). The hinge
is then pressed onto the glue charged Velcro
and is rapidly applied to the back of the art.
It is then blotted as described before.
Both methods of hinging require extensive practice
before being used on anything of value. More information on this topic can be found in the
preservation supplement section of the Picture
Framing Magazine web site.

Hugh
 
Cliff, whatever did you do? I would you do it the same next time?

:confused:
 
Hi Cliff,

I put the piece in one of those Lineco L-velopes (mylar) and mounted that on a canary yellow mat, then had a black mat with a rectangular opening. Black frame. The irregular shape was centered on the rectangular opening. static or just pressure from the mylar is keeping it in place. I tried to shake it loose and it stays put.

The customer hasn't picked it up yet, but I am confident they will be happy with the result. Others who have looked at it made positive cooing noises.

I might have opted for a different color scheme, but that's what the customer wanted.

Cliff
 
Cliff:

The static holding the art paper in place within the mylar envelope might not always be there. When humidity permeates the frame package in summer, static charge is reduced.

In the traditional encapsulation mount (also a Mylar thing), a pinching action between the clear film sheets helps to retain the art's position. Maybe you have that benefit in your mount, as well?

The art might never slip, but if I were you, I'd explain to the customer how the mount works, and invite her back if it ever slips.
 
Thanks Jim,

Yes, My mount has the "pinching" action. The art is kind of "spider web shaped" (actually, it's a watering can with ivy leaves around it and the paper was cut in convex arcs around the drawing.) and the points are within about 1/4 to 3/8 of the edge of the top mat, so I think it will be ok. (It's as much as 4" - 5" away from the opening at some points, so there is considerable yellow mat showing.)

But, I will explain everything to the customer as you said.

Thanks,
Cliff
 
Jim, Cliff, Cliff, Jim,

What is this, "pinching action between the clear film sheets"?

Is it visible to the customer? How is it done? When you float an object how do you hide this "pinching" stuff?

:confused:
 
It's pretty straight forward Cliff.

Take two sheets of mylar. Put the art between them. Cut a top mat with an opening larger than the art. Either 1) mount that "grouping" to a solid back mat or 2) put another mat with opening next to the "back mylar" and put that package against a solid back mat. The art will be "pinched" because it is thicker than the two mylar pieces against each other which occurs where the top mat touches whatever is behind the back mylar sheet.

The solid back mat will show through the mylar for design effect. In 1) the art "looks like it is resting" on the solid back mat. In 2) it floats off of the solid back mat however far you want it to.

I like the look of 2), but the rabbet depth has to be considered.

One concern is, if the art is too far away from the edge of the top mat, the "squeezing" of the mylar to create the "pinching" will be too gradual and the art may slide down with gravity. Hence my comments about distance from inside mat opening.

hope that helped,
Cliff

[ 10-17-2003, 06:00 PM: Message edited by: Cliff Wilson ]
 
Good description, Cliff Wilson.

Another way to understand the "pinching action":

Take two small pieces of clear film (maybe 2"-3" square) and hold them together, pinched between two fingers. Now, slip a slightly larger piece of paper between the pieces of clear film, up to about 1/4" away from where your fingers are pinching. Notice that when you let go of the paper, it stays there, pinched between the pieces of clear film.

In a traditional encapsulation mount, I recommend placing strips of 3M #889 double sided tape within 1/4" of the art paper's edges, and no closer than 1/8" away. That makes a strong pinching action, to keep the art paper in place, but still allows enough space to cover the tape lines and show the art paper's edges with a window mat. And there's no chance of the art paper touching the double-sided tape.

I'll bet that's clear as mud. If so, there should be more in the archives. Better yet, take the class.
 
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