Plastic material used to protect paintings - What is it called?

[troyveluz]

Whenever I get paintings that are coming from Asia, there is always a thin plastic sheet on top that I peel off.
What is it called and do you know any suppliers? Is that better that using glassine paper to use for protecting canvas giclees?


Thanks in advance,
Troy

 

[Jeff Rodier]

Saran wrap, Sam's Club

 

[troyveluz]

Saran wrap, Sam's Club

Jeff,
Do those come in 48" wide?

Regards,
Troy

 

[Jeff Rodier]

You can buy stretch wrap from Uline in wide rolls. Are you using it on rolled canvas or stretched. For loose canvas Shrink film would be the way to go because it would be easier to handle. You can buy shrink film as flat rolled rather than center folded and just pull it out and cut.

 

[wpfay]

We use glassine mainly because it won't stick to the surface of the giclee. If the art is going to be shipped, it can encounter enviromental fluctuations that might cause shrink film to contract. What the Chinese use to ship their production art isn't necessarily a good benchmark. It will be the cheapest though.

 

[Rick Granick]

As Wally said, cheapest is not necessarily best. We have occasionally had trouble fully removing that thin plastic from the painting. It is often wrapped before the painting has fully dried. You can still smell the solvents when the wrap is removed.
:kaffeetrinker_2: Rick

 

[gadgetgal]

Dartak. it's available at archival suppliers in rolls. it is light, flexible and doesn't stick to the paint or canvas. Great stuff. Museums and conservation facilities use it all the time for wrapping works of art.
hope that helps.

Sue Davis
Master Framers
St. Paul, MN

 

[Rob Markoff]

I would be wary of wrapping inkjets on canvas that have been top coated with "plastic" wrap of any kind unless one knows what kind of plastic it is and what is in the topcoating. Just as certain adhesive tapes will bond to a plastic bag and be impossible to remove -

I have seen "mottling" and other surface changes from the plastic, plastic sticking to the surface of the print, etc. This can occur with acrylic paintings as well.

 

[Framing:]

Dartek :smiley:

http://www.universityproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=240&primary=1&parentId=&navTree[]=240

 

[Twin2]

I have seen "mottling" and other surface changes from the plastic, plastic sticking to the surface of the print, etc. This can occur with acrylic paintings as well.

I've seen this too, Rob. A customer brought me a couple small paintings last year that she had purchased in Greece and they had a saran wrap like plastic covering on the paintings. When I took off the plastic, you could see the faint lines/creases left from the wrinkles of the plastic.