Hinging tape for the masses?

[jim_p]

I sometimes have customers (especially artists) who want to do their own hinging and fitting. What kind of tape can I recommend to them that is readily available at a place like Michael's or the like? There are no "real" art supply stores out here in the suburbs... gotta go into Boston for that.

 

[preservator]

"Hinging" and "tape" are terms that should not be conjoined. Tape comes on a roll from a factory. It is a commercially produced material that may have unidentified ingredients. Its adhesive will be pressure-sensitive, which is completely unacceptable, or water-activated, which means that liquid water has been added at the last minute and it may remain on the surface of the adhesive, where it will wick into the paper of the hinged item, first, doing damage before the adhesive has arrived. If clients want to secure works, without proper hinging, water-activated paper tapes that can be found at Lineco and Larson-Juhl, which are activated with a minimum of moisture are probably their safest bet.

Hugh

 

[Jeff Rodier]

Suggest that they use the Lineco corner pockets. These are available from the BB kraft stores and completely non invasive. The only adhaesive is on the back which adheres to your backing board. You could buy boxes of each size and sell them in small quantities since they are stuck to release sheets in quantities 2-8 per sheet depending on size.

 

[artfolio]

Amen. I use Lineco's paper tape and Japanese tissue. A lick and a stick and the job is done with minimal moisture, fully reversible and genuine conservation grade. Best of all for artists, a roll will probably last them as long as they are in business.

I have seen atrwork come in hinged in all sorts of wierd and wonderful ways usinf all sorts of materials including common sellotape, duct tape and double-sided tape but the worst was from a very pretentious female art dealer.

She always insisted on "acid-free" matts for her temporary display matts but, one day, when he sold a piece with the matt and brought it in for framing I saw that she had slathered the artwork in with gaffer tape all the way around.

 

[framah]

I had one come in that was hinged with bandaids. I think that beats gaffers tape for the weirdest.

 

[Dave]

...A lick and a stick ... genuine conservation grade.
...

Please tell me this is just an expression and should not be taken literally.

 

[RParrish]

If it's over matted corner pockets or photo corners are the way to go, easy and cheap and they can even make thier own with some barrier paper and linen tape.

I would buy yourself a big roll of linen tape and chop off a dozen or so yards and reroll them up and sell for a couple of bucks each.

 

[jim_p]

"Hinging" and "tape" are terms that should not be conjoined.

So are we going to get into one of those "degrees of preservation" threads again? Do we need another term like "evergreen slug"?

 

[Verdaccio]

I had a very old piece come in that was hinged with S&H Green Stamps! Anyone remember those?

 

[Bob Doyle]

S&H! Sweet! They used to be used as bribes Couldn't give people money but companies could give you reams of the stamps....

Jim, Hugh knows a lot about preservation and conservation methods the info and input he gives is valuable, and shouldn't be discounted.

Maybe you should have posed your question differently, maybe something like "what would be better and easier to undo than the masking tape my artists currently use?" I agree with you that artists are unlikely to boil rice starch to hinge their artwork... and that corner pockets are not really going to be adequate for mounting their prints that are "reproduced using the latest in Laser Xerographic printing technology" (a blurb on the back of a recent print )

Tell them ATG across the back is out! Taping the whole perimeter is another no-no. that t-hinges are better. If they then use painter tape or other tapes the "damage" will be limited to a smaller area Not "ideal" but definitely better than the SOP of most craft fair artists.

 

[jim_p]

Jim, Hugh knows a lot about preservation and conservation methods the info and input he gives is valuable, and shouldn't be discounted.

Oh, I have no doubt that he really knows what he's talking about and I have much respect for that knowledge. It's just that (and I could be wrong about this) I caught a whiff of the attitude that nothing less than the best is acceptable. If I don't use lovingly-cooked rice starch and handmade Japanese paper then I may as well hinge it with duct tape for all the damage it will do to the art.

Maybe you should have posed your question differently, maybe something like "what would be better and easier to undo than the masking tape my artists currently use?"

Point taken. I guess the way I phrased the question gave a hint as to my own work practices. For 90% of my framing jobs I use one of three Lineco gummed (wet-n-stick) tapes for hinging: Japanese paper, regular paper, or linen. Do I have to turn in my CPF for admitting this? I will break out the Japanese paper and (in my case) wheat starch for a special occasion such as a particularly valuable and/or delicate piece. So I guess I was asking "How can I advise my artist clients on how to acheive the same quality of work at home?"

I do like the idea of making up a few mini-rolls of tape to sell to these artists, though...

 

[HangingAroundHoover]

Please tell me this is just an expression and should not be taken literally.

I bet they tested their saliva for ph level and have no bacteria in their mouth

 

[evartpat]

I deal with artists on a daily basis...good luck getting them to use cooked paste and hinges. Even corner pockets can be a challenge. I am not saying don't try to encourage and educate them...but there are times that we have to come down off our "Ivory Towers" and provide them with the "lesser" choice that they want.

Not everybody can buy the luxury car on the lot...some can only afford the used economy car. It would be like if they can't buy the Porsche Carrera, then you can't have anything else, even if you need the Hyundai.

Not everybody wants "top of the line"...

We sell the lineco products, corner pockets..and we also sell the "dreaded Artist Tape", for the artists to purchase for their own use. But we cater to all levels here. I do draw the line at masking tape and duct tape however.

 

[Jim Miller]

...If clients want to secure works, without proper hinging, water-activated paper tapes that can be found at Lineco and Larson-Juhl, which are activated with a minimum of moisture are probably their safest bet.

This seems to be a reasonable suggestion for less-than-preservation hinge mounting.

So are we going to get into one of those "degrees of preservation" threads again?

Weren't you looking for suggestions that fall somewhere between the worst and the best mounting techniques for your DIY customers? Weren't you asking "degrees of preservation"?

Edge supports are among the best and easiest mounting alternatives. Anyone can glue or tape strips of paper to a mounting board and fold them over the edges of paper artworks. The only caveats are that they should fit loosely enough to allow normal expansion/contraction, and be narrow enough to hide under the window mat.

On the low end, for the artist who can't afford to actually buy art materials, some common household materials would work OK, but protective value would be lacking. Any thin, decent quality paper would do, held in place by Elmer's glue or Scotch Magic Tape.

On the high end, better quality materials would provide very good protective value. Readily available at moderate cost from any art supplier, acrylic medium could be used to attach lignin-free alpha cellulose tissue paper to te mounting board.

Using basically the same edge support technique, there are lots of material choices in between the best and the worst, but all of them would avoid putting any adhesive on the art, and all of them would be more supportive than corner pockets. Making edge supports might be cheaper than buying corner pockets, too, if those pennies of cost difference really matter.

 

[artfolio]

Hmm!! My "lick and stick" method seems to have attracted the ire of some traditionalists. According to my dentist saliva is actually alkaline so if the licky-sticky adhesive is neutral, as Lineco claims, I am merely adding an alkaline buffer and probably improving the preservation aspects of the job. Also, while I may occasionally misplace my de-ionised distilled water and paintbrush I can usually find my tongue.

 

[GPoe]

Most of the fine artists I know use Linco Corner Mounts. Some just use acid free pressure sensitive tape. Both are available at the BB stores - probably the best selection will be in the scrapbooking section.

 

[Jim Miller]

Corner pockets may be OK for quick mounting of decorative paper items that have no long term value, but corner pockets would not be recommended for preservation mounting, due to three potentially-serious drawbacks:

1. They require the paper to stand on its bottom corners. All of the art's weight is supported by the bottom two pockets. That's OK if the sheet is rigid enough to support its own vertical weight, but a thin, supple sheet could sag in the middle. Telltale symptom: small ripples or wrinkles at 45 degree angles near the bottom corners.

2. Corner pockets require careful placement, and that is a one-shot opportunity. Any attempt to reposition them would weaken the adhesive, so if a corner pocket is accidentally placed too tightly or too loosely, it should be removed and discarded, and another one used in the second attempt. More often, a framer in a hurry would just leave too-loose or too-tight corners alone, which could result in the art paper shifting in loose mounts or cockling from restricted expansion later.

3. Corner pockets use pressure sensitive adhesives, and since framers often buy corner pockets on price, most of them are made as cheaply as possible. Everyone wants Mylar or good quality paper corners, but who asks about the adhesive?

Regardless of quality, all pressure sensitive adhesives rely on pressure to activate the bond. But once installed, the adhesive is under the art. How to burnish? Some framers just don't bother with that. So stress of gravity, expansion/contraction cycles, or impact can make a corner pocket come loose.

Even if the framer does manage to burnish and activate the bond, stresses still could force the adhesive to fail. When that happens, the adhesive usually sticks well to the fibrous board and releases from the slippery plastic corner pocket. When the art slips down over the adhesive stuck to the board, it can re-stick directly to the back of the art paper, perhaps creating a serious problem for removal. Yes, I have seen it happen several times, as have others who have taken in framed paper items for repair of failed mounts.

 

[Wanta B.Framer]

Wow! Thanks for that Jim Miller. Again, it is all more complicated than it seems. In your experience, how do mounting strips fair? Yes, they are pressure sensitive, but they're much stickier and cover a much larger surface area. I'm sure slipping/shifting occurs, but have you seen the bond fail?



Linen tape. That's what I hear artists ask for and then they INSIST that it is their best option. It is, however, better than framer's II and far better than masking tape or spray mount. So I usually oblige.

 

[Jim Miller]

In your experience, how do mounting strips fair? Yes, they are pressure sensitive, but they're much stickier and cover a much larger surface area. I'm sure slipping/shifting occurs, but have you seen the bond fail?

Full length edge supports generally provide better support than corner pockets. Yes, I have seen all sorts of pressure sensitive adhesive bonds fail. Often the failure has little to do with the adhesive, but may be due to poor installation or failure to activate the bond.

Yes, the larger adhesive areas are better, but again, pressure sensitive adhesive would be in close proximity to the art. Mounting strips are fast and easy to install properly, but still require careful placement to allow expansion/contraction cycles. In addition to decorative, low-value framing, I often use them for moderate preservation, where some compromises are appropriate.

You can save money and make better edge supports out of alpha cellulose tissue paper, and use water-based (such as starch)/water-borne (such as acrylic emulsion) adhesives or gummed linen tape to attach them to the mounting board. Properly installed and without pressure sensitive adhesives, edge supports can be suitable for the best preservation at the consumer level, where some durability is expected. Hugh Phibbs teaches all about edge supports in his classes, and details are shown in his Preservation Supplements in Picture Framing Magazine.

Linen tape. That's what I hear artists ask for and then they INSIST that it is their best option. It is, however, better than framer's II and far better than masking tape or spray mount.

True, linen tape hinges are better than pressure sensitive tape hinges, and far better for preservation than masking tape or any overall adhesive mount. In any case, you can educate your customers about edge supports, helping them make better mounts and save money in the process.

Hand-torn Japanese paper hinges and freshly-cooked starch paste make the best hinge mounts, and the material cost is actually among the lowest of all choices, but they take more time to install properly. On the other hand, a moderate level of preservation does not necessarily cost more in terms of material cost or labor.

The best advice I can suggest is to learn and practice as many techniques as possible, and fully understand the truth and consequences of them all. That way, no matter what level of preservation is appropriate, you can be prepared.

 

[artfolio]

Hmm!! As regards linen tape, yes, it would be reasonably pure but what about its strength and thickness?

I was brought up to believe that the hinging material should always be lighter and weaker than the artwork paper so that in case of a fall or other violent encounter the tape would tear rather than the artwork.

There is also the matter of heavier supporting material embossing and showing through the face of the artwork. This is particularly troublesome in the case of floating where the hinges are necessarily within the visible area of the artwork.

As regards pressure sensitive tapes I believe Neschen P90 is the best of a bad bunch but I have seen it fail under humid conditions. In particular, it does not work well with porous papers like watercolour paper. I only use it on small items like 6 x 4 photos printed on resin coated paper or other light paper artwork. In all cases it is essential to burnish it down well with the back of a spoon or something similar.

 

[Jim Miller]

Hmm!! As regards linen tape, yes, it would be reasonably pure but what about its strength and thickness?...

You are correct; linen tape is almost always stronger than the paper it may be asked to support, and its thickness can deboss the art. Also, moisture content of the gum adhesive on it may be difficult to control, especially on thin paper.

I hope my earlier comment was not misunderstood. Again, gummed linen tape is better for hinging than masking tape or pressure sensitive tape, and it's OK within the frame package, in terms of its chemistry. It's not a bad choice for quick mounting of items that have no long term value. But for all of the reasons you mentioned, and more, linen tape would not be the best-preservation choice for direct-contact hinging.