Matboard as dust cover

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RoboFramer

RoboFramer

PFG, Picture Framing God
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I recently used a piece of black core matboard, bevelled and chamfered, as a dust cover on a smallish frame.

We, in the UK don't use dustcovers, well, I don't know of anyone anyway. But I really liked the look of this.

DSCN2089.jpg


I know I could replicate the look with paper, but, apart from the extravagance, does anyone see a problem with using matboard?

Bowing in humid conditions and being too strong and possibly therefore threatening the frame mitres?

Not designed for exterior (of frame) use - the sheets or 'plys' separating at the edges?

The reason I did this BTW is that I wanted to maximise the frame rebate, and the artwork on it's 4ply mount made it perfectly flush.

No room to drop a backing in so had to cover the whole frame back, needed something thicker than paper, for protection, but not so thick as to be visible.
 
I do this all the time - often for the same reason you did, but sometimes just have a "nicer" look. When a customer is spending $400 or more on a single framed piece, I like them to "feel" as though they got something more than just "paper" for their money. True, most will never even look at the back, but for those who will, or for those who will "feel" the strength of the matboard backing, they just might feel that they got a little someting "better" for their hard-earned money. Some have really appreciated the "extra" work that I have done.

No, I have not had any problems with doing this - so far....
 
Ditto what Robert said for me. One possible issue I can think of, though, might be the black pigment of the slightly protruding board rubbing off on a customer's white wall during the hanging of the picture. Just a thought. Nice sticker group on the back, BTW.
:kaffeetrinker_2: Rick
P.S. How did you attach the matboard to the frame's back edge? Hopefully there is some glue (PVA or similar) involved, because ATG alone will give out eventually and the board may buckle.
 
I've used this on occasion.
How did you attach the 4-ply dust jacket to the back of the frame?
Is the wire attached to the dust jacket or to the frame?

I have a couple rather large pieces on which I am going to use the same technology. How it is attached to the frame seems critical. I may be screwing a sheet of Masonite to the back for the support I need. (28"x53" and 28 1/2" x 60" with a narrow frame...and no room for a strainer).

Regardless, it looks good John.
 
That sure would be a sturdy backing for sure.

Why doesn't anybody use a dust cover? Thats interesting for sure.

Carry on.
 
Jay - they use tape over there - you must have taken a few apart - it is really strong waterbased paper tape - wish we had some over here - maybe made by Lineco - wouldn't that be nice?????
 
I'm a bit resistant to change. Now that you mention it, I have taken some apart. I guess its functional, but looks unfinished.
 
Regards the black rubbing off on the wall - this is alphamat artcare (overkill) - and I don't know how it is in the States, but over here all the black solid cores, if stored against other colors, would leave nasty marks.

These boards always came packed face-to-face and/or back-to-back - sometimes they would come packed wrong - back-to-face - and the whole pack (of 5) would be useless - Nielsen must have had so many returns/complaints that they have sorted it - these black cores now seem to be a very VERY dark green - and do not rub off against lighter surfaces.

The back is attached with a continuous zig-zag bead of PVA, plus a few hits of ATG tape to hold it in place while the PVA goes off.

The screws on the 'D' rings go through the backing and in to the frame - which is only 15x12" (glass size)

Here is the front - lack of shadow does not give the 'for real' effect - that inner frame (LJ Ferossa pewter - big brother is the outer) is almost touching the (museum) glass - (it's on a 'plinth') and the shot was taken with glass in, with a flash.

DSCN2087.jpg
 
Yup, our English brethren do things a little differently. Instead of a dust cover, they prefer to use wide gummed paper tape, often called "lick-sticky." The reasoning is that a paper dust cover will eventually tear or get ripped and not be effective. I can see the logic in this. And they seem to have a (not entirely unfounded) distrust of self-adhesive tapes, preferring the longer-term hold a water-based adhesive gives.

Americans prefer dust covers and many of us find the lick-sticky to be unsightly or unfinished. I suppose the issue of tearing dust cover could be avoided with a strong material such as Tyvek. Of course you're talking higher cost. And the issue of adhesive permanence can be taken care of by using glue rather than something like ATG.

Something tells me you'd have a hard time convincing our English friends of the benefits of Tyvek.

John's mount board dust cover does look quite nice and is very puncture-resistant. I've done it a few times. On every job? No. But of course everything has a time and place.
 
I sometimes do this also, especially on shadow boxes, but generally use Letramax 100 solid black board which is a much denser board. I usually adhere the board dustcover both with PVA glue and brass brads.

Sometimes I'll do a board dustcover on oil paintings instead of using polyflute on the back of the canvas.

It does give both a beautiful finished look and provide greater protection than paper.
 
It seems to me that matboard would be vulnerable to warping from humidity in an inflexible way. Isn't that one of the reasons for glazing matted pieces? Paper will be affected by humidity, too, but will not create an inflexible bulge.
 
FramerDave said:
Something tells me you'd have a hard time convincing our English friends of the benefits of Tyvek.
Click to expand...

Not easy to find here - no framing supplier sells it - I have found it but not in black yet. It would surely be cheaper than artcare matboard.

Dustcovers is something that was always done here - but not for a long long time - I don't know why the trend moved to brown backing and brown sealing tape.

I was happy with the look of this at one time, but since moving to foamboard as a backing, I don't particularly like the look of the brown tape against it - and now I've seen this - I hate it - and the shape of the points showing through the tape too.

Once I decide what my default dustcover is going to be I'll make the change - but for now a few jobs will be getting this treatment.
 
BTW, nice framing design on that photo, John. I like the frame-within-a-matted-frame look.
:cool:
P.S. I love the word "plinth".
 
It is worth remebering that four-ply board that is glued to wooden strainers will warp, since the board expands across its grain as it takes up moisture and the wood will not accommodate that growth. This might also affect mat board that is glued to frames.


Hugh
 
preservator said:
...four-ply board that is glued to wooden strainers will warp, since the board expands across its grain as it takes up moisture and the wood will not accommodate that growth. This might also affect mat board that is glued to frames.
Hugh
Click to expand...

I guess polyflute would be a better choice than 4-ply, as backing board, since it is non-hygroscopic. Yes?

And when installing the board, use something like offset clips or mending plates, which would allow slight expansion/contraction of the board, instead of directly gluing, screwing, or stapling it. Yes?
 
Jim is right on both counts. Polypropylene fluted board is a good candidate for a backing board, since it is less likely to warp and more resistant to the passage of gaseous pollution than paper board would be. It is also wise to pin that material into the frame, rather than to glue it, which allow backing board and frame to respond to changes in relative humidity, separately. The question of what makes an aesthetically and physically successful dust cover is complex and worthy of further consideration.



Hugh
 
preservator said:
The question of what makes an aesthetically and physically successful dust cover is complex and worthy of further consideration.
Click to expand...

Well I'd like to know what fits that bill and until then I think I'll stick with the 'Brit' method - looks unfinished - in fact it can look pretty awful with the tape a different color to the backing board.

But it functions and once it's on the wall, who cares what it looks like.
 
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