Where to put glass

[DS]

I have a customer who is using a linen liner inside of a regular frame. Usually I do this for canvases. This is for a family portrait, not canvas, and she is demanding glass. I’m assuming the glass should be under the linen liner frame. Is this correct??? Thanks!!!

 

[alacrity8]

In general, you don't want glass to touch the art.
This is especially true of photography.
In this case, a liner can be used as a mat, with the glass on top of it, keeping it off the art.

 

[Rick Granick]

Doing that would protect the liner too, as they are prone to accumulating dust and airborne pollution. This would be especially effective with Museum Glass.
Rick

 

[DS]

In general, you don't want glass to touch the art.
This is especially true of photography.
In this case, a liner can be used as a mat, with the glass on top of it, keeping it off the art.

Thanks for the info. Never thought of putting it on top of the linen liner

 

[DS]

Doing that would protect the liner too, as they are prone to accumulating dust and airborne pollution. This would be especially effective with Museum Glass.
Rick

I”ll put the glass on top of the liner. They are using museum glass also. Thanks for your input.
Dan

 

[Eric A]

I agree with the glass on top of the liner.

 

[John Ranes II CPF GCF]

As Rick Granick suggested, above the liner makes the most sense using Museum glass. However I have seen this also placed under the liner (a different more textural appearance) but of course a spacer would be required to hold the glazing above the photographic surface. Same concept, but slightly different overall appearance.

 

[Nikodeumus]

I think another good reason to place the glass over the liner is that most linen liners have a fairly shallow rabbet.

Adding glass, an adequate spacer, the art plus mount, backer, etc, can be difficult to fit inside a liner rabbet without having to add extra material or use other methods to keep the entire package in place.

Putting the glass between the two frames solves this possible issue.

This is an old technique.
I've had several older(maybe antique) frames glazed this way come in to my shop. Mostly people changing the frame.

One down side is that it can be hard to replace broken glass in this method.
Or to clean the inner surface of the glass.

Most of the frames I've had to deal with made this way, the two frames are nailed together, one was glued.
Very difficult to separate/pry apart without damaging one or both frames.
Using screws to attach the frames will make it easy to deal with this method in the future if needed.

 

[Eric A]

I think another good reason to place the glass over the liner is that most linen liners have a fairly shallow rabbet.

Adding glass, an adequate spacer, the art plus mount, backer, etc, can be difficult to fit inside a liner rabbet without having to add extra material or use other methods to keep the entire package in place.

Putting the glass between the two frames solves this possible issue.

This is an old technique.
I've had several older(maybe antique) frames glazed this way come in to my shop. Mostly people changing the frame.

One down side is that it can be hard to replace broken glass in this method.
Or to clean the inner surface of the glass.

Most of the frames I've had to deal with made this way, the two frames are nailed together, one was glued.
Very difficult to separate/pry apart without damaging one or both frames.
Using screws to attach the frames will make it easy to deal with this method in the future if needed.

I usally use offsets and screw them together for this exact reason! I don't want it to be a nightmare for framers down the road.

 

[Prospero]

I favor linen liners with needlework. They give generous spacing and harmonise well.
Unfortunately they seem to have fallen out of favor nowadays and can be hard to find.
Using a card mat with needlework is a bit counter-intuitive to me.

The old technique with prints was to dry/wet mount them to board (no mat). Engravings/Etchings
usually had a wide border, sometime with titles underneath. A gold 'slip' was used under the glass.
I believe this is why they are called slips as they 'slip' between the frame and art. That's my impression anyway....

 

[Prospero]

I usally use offsets and screw them together for this exact reason! I don't want it to be a nightmare for framers down the road.

Yes... I like to make things easily reversible. I do a great many frames with liners and I always pin them
through the rabbet. But I do them so the pin penetrates into frame only about 1/8". They still hold well
with about 20 pins in all but if the liner gets damaged (easily done) it can be prised out quite easily with
minimal damage to the frame.
I've had some in the past in for repair where the liner is firmly glued in. So the whole issue is a write-off.
I've also had ones with great thick nails holding the liner in where I've had to resort to a angle grinder.