Malfunctioning hinges!!!HELP!!!!

framinzfun

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Aug 28, 2002
Posts
893
Loc
eastern pa
I got one of those calls that every framer dreads... the hinges on a large Jamie Wyeth print that I framed about a month ago are showing through the print!
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Now, I haven't seen the piece yet, but my mind is spinning after the customer described the problem to me. The print is (as I remember) a pretty large lithograph from the 70's on fairly heavy paper... I would guess it to be like 150 to 200 pound watercolor paper. Anyway, the customer wanted it floated with double thick fabric mats (a real joy in itself), so I decided (much to my dismay) to use Lineco gummed linen hinging tape to float the print. I have used the stuff many times on heavy prints and have never had a problem... but the customer said that it looks like the hinges sort of pressed themselved into the paper... and can be seen from the front... not discolored or anything (thank god) but for some reason the hinge is showing through? How am I going to fix this? Would a short spin in the heat press help, or would it destroy the ink?
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I think since it is an older litho, the ink may be more tolerant of heat (more tolerant than newer inks and giclees and such). I can see if maybe the art was thin and the moisture from the hinge rippled the paper... but this is a heavy print. The customer also mentioned that it hangs in an area with some temperature fluctuations... but I can't see how that would have affected it in the month it's been hanging. It's tough to describe this considering I haven't seen it yet, but I want to be as educated as possible when the customer comes in. I spoke with him for a while today, and he doesn't seem too P.O.'d, and he even thanked me (Thanked me for potentially ruining his art?). In retrospect, gummed hinges were probably not the best choice, what else could I use that would hold the weight? Maybe I should just calm down until I see the damage... BUT I CAN'T!!!!!!!!!!!
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Often, the thinkness of a paper is not a good
indicator of its reactivity to moisture. Print
making papers tend to lack sizing materials,
since their images are made with oil based inks,
and even thicker weight print making papers,
can be quite sensitive to moisture. Linen tapes
are excellent for spining windows to back mats
and for similar applications, but they should not
be used for hinging. Japanese tissue hinges
with starch paste are the only candidates that can
be used safely, for valued works on paper. Hand
drying with desiccated blotter and micro dot
application of paste to the hinges, should eliminate all possibility of the sort of cockling
you seem to be describing.
Only a conservator can safely flatten such a print. Attempting to do this on your own, is likely to make things worse.

Hugh
 
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