How Big Can A Direct Contact Overlay Go?

Shayla

WOW Framer
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Posts
35,793
Loc
Washington State
I read in a thread that a 27 x 40" print is too big for a direct contact overlay (DCO),
as the acrylic might abrade the surface of the art, over time. Since acrylic expands
and contracts with temp changes, and the larger the piece, the greater the shift,
this makes sense. But, is this size really too big for one?

I've only done a handful of them, so for you who are more familiar, what size
would you feel safe going up to? Thanks.
 
I recently did a 31x41 I felt good about. However, it was on very thick rag paper that could have easily stood up by itself with little support. Material certainly makes a big difference in answering that question. Perhaps the cylinder test is a good standby? If the art can stand without slumping if rolled into a C shape it is a good candidate to forgo mounting and do DCO. Otherwise mitigating action must be taken such as mounting or added pressure, etc. Value may also be a deciding factor. The large poster we framed had more sentimental than monetary value and had already sustained some damage, so potential microabrasions weren't exactly going to deter us from taking the easiest approach. Even if it waved slightly under the acrylic... well you should have seen it before! It was the one we cooked in the drymount press to iron out the folds from getting crushed while rolled. At the end of the day though, it looked perfectly flat and smooth
 
I DCOed a couple Walter Inglis Anderson linocut prints he did on unprinted wallpaper. The frames were about 80" tall, but being on wallpaper, less than 20" wide.
I chose that method because of the condition of the pieces and the budget of the owner. They were valuable enough to warrant conserving, but it wasn't an economic option. They were done in the 40s and had been stored rolled for most of that time.
The choice to use DCO has to be dependent on the item in consideration, and its condition and value. Using appropriate rigid backing and thicker acrylic the limit would be pretty large I would think.
 
Back
Top