glass directly on a poster?

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MultiLayered

Grumbler in Training
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Mar 16, 2021
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Palm Desert, CA
Business
Ferguson Frame and Gallery
I'm framing a 1960's San Francisco poster, it's been rolled along time and really wants to curl. Can't (won't) dry mount it for it's archival value. Was going to use spacers between the poster and museum glass. However, getting lots of rolling of the poster. Can the glass be directly set on the poster, or is this a bad idea? Any suggestions? Thanks!
 
Not only a bad idea but an absolutely terrible idea, you would be much better off dry mounting it and that too is a bad idea. My very 1st recommendation would be to bring it to a paper conservator who has a humidifier and is trained to do this type of work. But, there is always a but, you can do a direct contact overlay with acrylic, or reverse rolling it for a few hours/days, or find someone with a heat press for dry mounting, mist the back a the poster lightly with distilled water and putting it in the press between 2 sheets of natural colored rag mat and heating it to about 150 to 160 degrees with a dwell time of about 5 to 10 minutes. Take it out and put in under weight between the rag mats overnight. The misting with heat should help release the fibers, the rag mats should soak up most of the moisture and the weight overnight will let it dry nicely.
 
Even putting acrylic right on top of it might cause different (abrasive) problems, depending on the quality of poster/ink used

I would recommend a conservator.

If customer is not open to that, I would mat it,( float mat is needed) use paper hinges and tell customer it will not be perfectly flat.

Do no harm. Do not raise expectations. Do not make it your problem.
 
Is the paper thin or thick? Is it like a slick generic poster, one of those vintage advertising ones (often already mounted on linen), or a silkscreen?
 
Joe B said:
Not only a bad idea but an absolutely terrible idea, you would be much better off dry mounting it and that too is a bad idea. My very 1st recommendation would be to bring it to a paper conservator who has a humidifier and is trained to do this type of work. But, there is always a but, you can do a direct contact overlay with acrylic, or reverse rolling it for a few hours/days, or find someone with a heat press for dry mounting, mist the back a the poster lightly with distilled water and putting it in the press between 2 sheets of natural colored rag mat and heating it to about 150 to 160 degrees with a dwell time of about 5 to 10 minutes. Take it out and put in under weight between the rag mats overnight. The misting with heat should help release the fibers, the rag mats should soak up most of the moisture and the weight overnight will let it dry nicely.
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Framing God you are :) He's a vintage guy with many posters. He wants to preserve them but not the expense of a conservator. I'll reverse roll it tonight and pursue the dry mount route. That sounds like a solid and reasonable path. Thank you.
 
Shayla said:
Is the paper thin or thick? Is it like a slick generic poster, one of those vintage advertising ones (often already mounted on linen), or a silkscreen?
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Paper is thick. The ink is mat. Small run, Big Brother and the Holding Company is one, #2 is Country Joe and the Fish. Both are beautifully psychedelic.
 
How long has it been rolled up and how long is the customer willing to wait?
I'm working on one that was rolled for only 8 months, but the flattening, passively, could take just as long.
 
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wpfay said:
How long has it been rolled up and how long is the customer willing to wait?
I'm working on one that was rolled for only 8 moths, but the flattening, passively, could take just as long.
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Only 8 Moths, well that's a relief.
: P
 
MultiLayered said:
... He wants to preserve them but not the expense of a conservator.
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Customers often say, "Just do what you can". Be careful about attempting risky treatments. Reverse rolling might work or, if you have difficulty, it might just create more waves in the paper. If your treatment worsens the problems, you become responsible, but it's a good idea to not let the customer's problem become your problem. Consultation with a conservator is the best recommendation.

Acrylic in direct contact may be OK if the surface is smooth and the ink is stable. The slight abrasion of normal expansion/contraction cycles can be minimized by keeping the framed poster in a constantly-controlled display environment. But of course, changing locations, storage, and transport conditions are largely uncontrolled.

If you're thinking of an acrylic DCO mount, be sure to use a layer or two of polyester batting under the poster to maintain consistent pressure against the inside of the acrylic. Otherwise, wrinkles will develop.

In some cases, a Platform Mount might be suitable. That is a non-adhesive, full-length edge support using a window mat with 1/4" overlap on the poster's edges, and you can use a generous spacer under the glass. If retaining all edges would keep it flat, then maybe that's a good mounting option. It's likely that the center section would show some waves or wrinkles - at least - but maybe the customer would be OK with that, since it is the natural character of the aged paper.
 
I would reverse roll it for a week or so with one of those 6 inch cardboard tubes that backing paper used to come in (held to the tube with kraft paper). If it were mine and the paper was NOT flimsy and NOT brittle, I would mount it with Bainbridge Restore. That might be a good option for your customer.
 
Hey Everyone, thank you for all of your help. The final product turned out great because of you all.
 

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Cool! Is that a Wes Wilson?
 
MultiLayered said:
I'm framing a 1960's San Francisco poster, it's been rolled along time and really wants to curl. Can't (won't) dry mount it for it's archival value. Was going to use spacers between the poster and museum glass. However, getting lots of rolling of the poster. Can the glass be directly set on the poster, or is this a bad idea? Any suggestions? Thanks!
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I see that you're in Palm Desert. I'm in Tempe, AZ. I use the heat to my advantage. Reverse roll it in a tube and put it in your garage for a couple of days. The heat isn't enough to do any damage, but it'll help to flatten that curl.
 
MultiLayered said:
I'm framing a 1960's San Francisco poster, it's been rolled along time and really wants to curl. Can't (won't) dry mount it for it's archival value. Was going to use spacers between the poster and museum glass. However, getting lots of rolling of the poster. Can the glass be directly set on the poster, or is this a bad idea? Any suggestions? Thanks!
Click to expand...
I'd be careful putting it up against the glass or acrylic. Vintage stuff is, well...vintage. Most times it won't be perfect, but you don't want to cause damage to the piece. I have to agree with Joe B. Try to flatten it for a day or two, roll it the other way, or both.
 
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