The Framers Forum

hey all, i got an original artwork its a photo manually exposed print but made with a manual technique anyway the size is 180 cm x 100 cm , one of a kind and very very expensive. the client wants to conservatively frame it. The client doesnt want to mount it on Dibond or Conservation board, he wants to frame it with the least risk possible, maybe a normal frame.
But what i am afraid of is to have wrinkles and waves specially that this size we cannot include a windowed matt board. Does anyone have a solution for me please i need to take this job its important.
i wish anyone can help.thanks!

Is this print the original art or is there a negative?
Is this a digital print or done with wet chemistry?
Does this person expect it to be covered with a glazing material (glass or acrylic)?
Where will this piece be displayed?

Prints that size are almost always mounted on a substrate to keep them flat. Other than for decorative display prints have a glazing covering. Most conservation mounting is either with 8 ply board or aluminum laminated over a core of synthetic material.

Why are clients requests counter-intuitive to what they actually ask us to do?
they want us to use conservation techniques and not to use accepted methods of conservation framing

Hi, this is to answer your questions.
The print is an original art that has no negatives, the artist actually slept on the paper and exposed it to light its just like a huge pinhole camera.
There is no negatives and nothing that can bring it back in case any damage occurred.
I will scan the whole original on a cruse scanner that we have just in case, but the artist insist on framing the original.
also the artist wants museum glass or acrylic , the artwork will be displayed in a gallery.
I am trying to convince the artist to mount is on aluminum but she doesnt want to apply double adhesive on all the artwork.
The issue remains without flattening it on a certain board how can i avoid the curling and waving of a 250 grs ilford paper
thks again

Trap it between acrylic sheets?

I am about to make 3 frames (16 inch square so a good deal smaller than yours) where I will be sandwiching the art on paper between 2 3mm sheets of UC acrylic. Even though they will be sandwiched I don't think I can guarantee the art won’t move so I intend to use a very small amount of clear DS tape on the rear of the item to tack it in place, hopefully this will stop it moving. I’m planning on using some archival gummed paper on the reverse of the print to fix the DS tape to, so at least then the item will be protected and in theory the gummed tape is removable.

I always let the customer decide these things. If they tell us not to flatten it, that's the end of the story. We don't then seek ways to flatten it.

If the Ilford paper is their polyester based paper it can be static mounted to the verso side of acrylic then backed with Dibond or a second sheet of acrylic for strength. No adhesives are needed. Static electricity will hold it in place for an edge to edge presentation (I.E. no border).

I think the best you can do is hinge it in the conventional manner and use a window mount. If you can't get board big enough, or not able to cut that size, then using sections of wide, thinnish wood with a bevel on one edge is one way. You have to paint it of course and isolate the back from the artwork with some sort of barrier. Also make sure you slightly space the glazing from the painted surface or you get strange visual effects.

No guarantee that the thing will keep flat. But that really isn't your problem frankly. You can only do the best with what's presented to you. Framers are not magicians.

@Jfeig i think this is a great idea but how long will the static charge last if the image was stuck between the two acrylics and then frames?
UC acrylcs? UC stands for what?
Thanks all!

That's a typo, I'm still getting used to this iPad. It should be 'UV' i.e. ultra violet protective.

GeoSpectrum wrote:That's a typo, I'm still getting used to this iPad. It should be 'UV' i.e. ultra violet protective.

Lol ok thx

Alan do you know a website that posts a video about the technique of the acrylic mounting?

Thanks

I like it, I will be using this method.

JFeig,
Good idea, its like working with mylar film on smaller items.
Mitreman