Help Hinging Photographs w/mats and linen tape

[PaulBennett]

My plan:
1) Photograph, mats, glass, frame, all face down in place.
2) Shallow saucer of warm water.
3) Cut several strips of Gummed Linen Hinging Tape (Lineco) and using tweezers place a 2" strip into the water.
4) With a pencil, make light marks on the back of the bottom mat rear surface 1/4" away from the opening, roughly aligned with the photos desired location. Photographs are full bleed 13" x 19", and bottom mat opening is 12.5" x 18.5".
5) Place photo onto the mat aligning as best possible with those marks.
6) After 1 minute of being in the water, remove a 2" piece of tape from water placing it onto the photograph, gummed surface to photo and mat using tweezers. Repeat 4 times - 2 at top and 2 at bottom. Place tape roughly 1/4" onto the rear of the photograph, remainder extending onto bottom mat with gummed surface down.
7) Place a 3" piece of tape onto the aforementioned tape with gummed surface down making a 'T' shape.
8) Daub with washcloth to adsorb excess water and press tape down lightly.

Questions -
1) Time factors are unknown...how long to leave in water?
- Minimum time to get glue to work properly
- Maximum time allowed in water avoid unforeseen problems
- How long to dry before handling?
- Should first piece be allowed to dry before applying top tape of 'T'?
2) I question the 'T' concept and think I must have something wrong, as most of the glued area is on the mat and very little on the photograph.

Please confirm if this is correct or what I could do better. The Lineco box simply says "Moisten thoroughly - allow to get sticky" Doesn't say to spritz or immerse, and they've been unable to give me additional information.

I do have foam mounting board to go at the rear over this, but my internet search advice has been not to apply tape to photograph front image surface and that taping to the mounting board makes placement with respect to mat extremely difficult.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[PaulSF]

First, don't use the linen hinging tape. It's not appropriate for hinging artwork, despite it's name. You should use strips of mulberry paper and rice starch paste, all available from Lineco, and easy to do. If not that, use Lineco's hayaku hinging paper.

Second, don't hinge to the back of your window mat. Hinge to a mounting board (alphacellulose or cotton rag matboard is fine). You can use that linen hinging tape to "book" the window mat to the mounting board, using a few small strips along the long side.

Third, you don't need to soak any of those hinging strips in water that long. Just brush a little water where you need it -- less is better.

 

[CAframer]

1. Welcome to The Grumble!
2. Your plan is too complicated, and not what you want to be doing!
3. If you want appropriate guidance your situation needs to be put in context:
   1. Is this a one off project for yourself?
   2. Are you a photographer who wants to start framing?
      1. Amateur?
      2. Professional?
   3. Are you interested in a framing career?
   4. Or are you just interested from a purely academic perspective?
   5. What kind of photographs?
   6. What size of photographs?
   7. Are they easily reproduceable or valuable collectibles?
4. The appropriate method will vary according to the above and other factors:
   1. For example if this is a one-off scenario stuffing a Kinko print into a readymade for Aunt Phoebe's Christmas present you might be advised to go one route.
   2. If it's an authentic Bill Brandt silver print, or an Ilfochrome Classic you'd be pointed in a different direction!!!!!
5. There are numerous publications available, as well as training classes, but again first put your scenario in context.

 

[matt medium]

That IS pretty elaborate for the task at hand.

I don't know what part of the country you're in with the minimal info in your profile but why not just drop by a local frame shop and ask? Catch them in a good mood and i'm sure they'd help with your project. I would.

 

[Jeff Rodier]

Welcome to the Grumble.

Obviously you are new to this. The appropriate method for your level of experience would be as follows:

1. First of all I am assuming you are not working with any photos of real value, if so don't.

2. I hope these are your own photos since you shold not try to learn this on somebody elses art without actual supervision.

3. Do not use gummed tape as you will cause harm.

4. Purchase some Filmoplast P90 and lay the photo face down with the top edge of the photo at the edge of your foam core.

5. Use 2 1 1/2" strips of P90 and place them a little more than 1/4 of the way over from each edge of the photo half on the photo and half off the photo. Burnish the Filmoplast to the photo using a burnishing bone (also available from Filmoplast).

6. Turn the photo face up and position in the center of the board using a ruler to center them.

7. Lay 2" strips across the top of the tape which is now adhesive side up so it makes a T with the adhesive sticking to the foam core. Burnish this to the foam core with the burnishing bone.

8. You only need the 2 hinges.

9. Now adhere your mat to the backing.

10. Clean the glass and frame the piece.

This is not the most appropriate way to frame everything but it will serve your purpose without running much risk of irrepairable damage. Be sure to burnish the Filmoplast on each surface or it will live up to its nickname of "Flimsyplast" and release eventually.

Also please fill out your profile if you would like to get the best possible help.

 

[PaulBennett]

If you want appropriate guidance your situation needs to be put in context:

1. Is this a one off project for yourself or are you a photographer who wants to start framing?
2. Amateur?
3. Professional?

Sorry for skipping the profile, I never use them, hence undervalue their worth to others. And really sorry I didn't know the existance of this forum earlier. Getting advice from store clerks hasn't worked. And I don't want to show my face at the frame shop who recently quote me $185 each and has serviced me well in the past, asking detailed questions about how they ply their trade, for obvious reasons.

My generic category in photography circles is 'rich amateur'. Not that I have any money but tend to over spend on the best equipment available. Always the deep end. I have many, many of hobbies, some last and some don't but I get obsessive about each in turn. For me that's how life is to be lived, not watching but doing.

I've spend many hundreds on photolab and frame services over the years but am losing my sight etc and wish to hurry up the process of documenting my existance on the planet. I acquired a 13" x 19" printer, just received my first AmericanFrame.com order of frames, mats, mounting boards, and picked up UV glass and linen tape locally yesterday. Last night I learned the brown paper on the back of the finished frame is called dust cover paper. So, the learning curve is steep. And you have already helped with information about the linen cloth. Glad I didn't buy the $32 size but linen cloth is all the art store had. By the time I'm done, I'll perhaps have printed and framed 100 or so quite valuable images for personal use, all mine from experiencing the scene to putting it on the wall. No variety of presentation, all basic metal frames, all single or double matting, with bottom mat color chosen for the picture, all 13"x 19" or 13" x 17" prints. A few special ones in wood frames. The 8.5" x 11" photographs will be in presentation binders.

You have been so helpful with suggestions for which I'm truely thankful. Now off to find a source of Filmoplast P90 and mulberry paper. And spend an educational evening perusing earlier 'Grumbles'.

Question for Jeff who wrote:

3. Do not use gummed tape as you will cause harm.

What is 'gummed tape' and what is the harm which occurs?

 

[Jeff Rodier]

Question for Jeff who wrote

What is 'gummed tape' and what is the harm which occurs?

The tape that you refer to is a gummed adhesive which becomes wet then dries. The moisture causes cockling (puckering) on the paper if not careful and experienced. This linen tape requires professional removal to return the photo to its original condition which is the purpose of conservation framing.

I spent the first 2 years in this industry working for a very high end conservator. We undid a lot of this type of work performed by framers that practiced conservation. At your level of experience there is no reason to use anything other than Filmoplast. Filmoplast will do no harm and can be removed at a fraction of the cost of linen tape. The basic removal is done by simply dampening the tape (almost no moisture) waiting a couple of seconds and it lifts right off. There is very minor residue left behind but nowhere near he amount of adhesive left behind from linen tape.

The least invasive way to mount these would be to use the Lineco full view mounting corners which places no adhesive in contact with your photos. There are a million ways to do what you want to do and the method you are discussing is the most dangerous are far as conservation is concerned.

 

[Shayla]

Hi Paul,

These guys are giving great advice. Another good thing to do is to check out the Frametek website. They have good hinging diagrams and helpful tips on materials and techniques.

 

[Jim Miller]

The advice so far is all good, but I didn't notice anyone suggesting that you should not place hinges on any edge other than the top edge. That is, hang the art paper's top edge from the mounting board, like a curtan behind the mat.

The problem with hinging more than one side is that it would inhibit normal expansion & contraction cycles, and that would cause wrinkles, puckers, cockling, or other sheet deformations.

Instead of applying any kind of adhesive to the art paper, you could make folded edge supports and place them all around the perimeter of the paper. It's OK to have them all the way around, since they would be loose enough (just loose enough) to freely allow normal expansion/contraction.

To make the strips, use a good quality lignin-free, very thin paper -- archival tissue or Japanese hinging paper would be good. I suggest using strips about 1-1/4" wide x length of each side. Fold the strips length-wise so that 1/8" or 1/4" would overlap the face of the art paper. (Hint: Trim the width after folding, to get the narrow overlap right). Place the strips on the art paper's edges (one at a time works best, as they tend to fall off) and then glue the wider part (now at the back of the art paper) to your mounting board. No glue touches the art paper.

There is more to proper framing than meets the eye. You're dealing with dissimilar materials in a closed-up environment, and they do not always play nicely together. With photos and digital images, chemistry is an issue, so be sure to use chemically-stable materials in the framing. Sometimes it's better to pay a professional to do the mounting than to risk damaging the art over time.

 

[PaulBennett]

Thanks so much for all the great advice. Number one is finished.

Only question to resolve now is - I hinged the bottom mat to the mounding board with the linen tape. To the mounting board I 'T' hinged the photograph at the top using gummed paper tape (only other tape available within 50 miles and it does work better than linen). Moistened both lightly using a 'Q' tip.

Prior to hinging the bottom mat to the mounting board, the 1/4" border between top and bottom mat centered easily in the frame. Now with 3 piece hinged sandwich which doesn't include the top mat, tapping and shaking doesn't resolve the centering problem. Perhaps I'm the only one who will notice that one side is 1/16" wider than the other.

But it's done. Thanks to all of you. Much appreciated. Enjoy Christmas.

 

[Jim Miller]

...you should not place hinges on any edge other than the top edge...The problem with hinging more than one side is that it would inhibit normal expansion & contraction cycles...

This needs to be corrected.

The comment was in response to PaulBennett's original post, where he mentioned applying tight hinges on the top and bottom, which would be incorrect.

However, placing a few loose hinges on the lower sides or bottom edge, with plenty of expansion/contraction allowance, is a good practice, especially on large, heavy papers. These "anti-flap" hinges keep the art from moving laterally and ripping the top hinges, if the frame were turned on its side. They would also limit travel of the bottom edge toward the glazing, due to static attraction when standard acrylic is used.

The key difference is that these hinges should never be tight enough to inhibit the normal expansion/contraction cycles of the sheet.

 

[osgood]

My generic category in photography circles is 'rich amateur'. Not that I have any money but tend to over spend on the best equipment available.

There seems to be a philosophy, that is common to many photographers down here too. Willing to spend uncountabajillion money on photography equipment, and boast about it, but unwilling to spend a reasonably small amount on having their work professionally framed and enhanced!

One day I hope to be able to understand that!