How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

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FifeFramer
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How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

Post by FifeFramer »

I have a collection of Japanese prints to float mount and frame and wondered if Methyl Cellulose or possibly Wheat / Rice starch adhesive would be suitable to attach these to mountboard?
The paper is very thin and translucent so using any kind of tape is out of the question.
Not sure if it is rice paper but does contain very fine fibres.
There are areas of exposed paper but I thought some sort of paste could be applied behind the printed areas.
Can anyone offer any advice on this matter please?
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prospero
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Re: How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

Post by prospero »

I would be very wary about applying any sort of adhesive to them. Encapsulation with Mylar film is one option, but
you are stuck with a highly shiny surface. Another is Direct Contact Overlay which involves placing a sheet of clear acrylic
on top. You need to maintain a small amount of pressure to the back to keep everything flat and the piece needs to be on a
non-slip background. Suede mountboard or lightly padded velvety fabric. Anything to give a bit a grip.
You can use a (spaced) piece of glass on top.
Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
Jamesnkr

Re: How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

Post by Jamesnkr »

Would a platform mount work? Do you need to show the edges of the prints?
Not your average framer
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Re: How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

Post by Not your average framer »

It's not true that you can't apply hinges to the reverse of translucent paper, but you have to be smart about how you do it. First of all, you will need to be very careful about the colour of your hinging paper and the colour of the mountboard behind your prints. If you can lay a sample of your hinging paper on top of the mountboard, it needs to disappear against the colour of the mountboard.

Any difference will be seen through the translucent print, don't think that's near enough and it will do, it does not work like that! And I would not recommend using the so called hedgehog method either, hiding the cut lines around the fall out piece of mountboard after you've stuck it back in does not always work. It is better to cut small slits only just wide enough for the hinges and cut the bevel on these slits in the direction which allows the hinge to hide the bottom edge of the slit.

Also you will need to dry the area where the hinges are attached to the rear of the print with blotting paper and something flat with some weight on top of it, to prevent and cockling of the paper due to the wet adhesive (wheat starch paste).

If you customer will allow this, then use a deep box frame and a mount and spacer to set the print back from any overhead light. This helps avoid shadows cause by light from above which can sometimes give the game away by catching the top edges of the japanese tissue paper hinges.
Mark Lacey

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Not your average framer
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Re: How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

Post by Not your average framer »

Normally, float mounting means showing the whole of the artwork, including all edges and that the artwork is in front of the mountboard, not behind it. I admit that it would be nice to find some kind of easy way around this, but I don't think that there is any way of doing this and still float mounting this.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
FifeFramer
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Re: How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

Post by FifeFramer »

Yes, I am very wary about applying adhesive to this type of paper, even in very small amounts. The idea of placing them onto suede mountboard could be a good option. Why would you recommend using acrylic glass over regular glass and what thickness would you suggest? I guess 3mm has far less flex than 2mm.
FifeFramer
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Re: How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

Post by FifeFramer »

Jamesnkr wrote:Would a platform mount work? Do you need to show the edges of the prints?
Not sure what a 'platform' mount is to be honest! Can you explain please? The edges do need to be visible on these.
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prospero
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Re: How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

Post by prospero »

Acrylic has different thermal properties to glass. It's considered safe to have acrylic in contact with the
artwork whereas glass can be subject to condensation in the right conditions.

I would put a mount on top of the acrylic and glass on top of that. Glass touching the acrylic will form weird
optical patterns.
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FifeFramer
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Re: How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

Post by FifeFramer »

Not your average framer wrote:It's not true that you can't apply hinges to the reverse of translucent paper, but you have to be smart about how you do it. First of all, you will need to be very careful about the colour of your hinging paper and the colour of the mountboard behind your prints. If you can lay a sample of your hinging paper on top of the mountboard, it needs to disappear against the colour of the mountboard.

Any difference will be seen through the translucent print, don't think that's near enough and it will do, it does not work like that! And I would not recommend using the so called hedgehog method either, hiding the cut lines around the fall out piece of mountboard after you've stuck it back in does not always work. It is better to cut small slits only just wide enough for the hinges and cut the bevel on these slits in the direction which allows the hinge to hide the bottom edge of the slit.

Also you will need to dry the area where the hinges are attached to the rear of the print with blotting paper and something flat with some weight on top of it, to prevent and cockling of the paper due to the wet adhesive (wheat starch paste).

If you customer will allow this, then use a deep box frame and a mount and spacer to set the print back from any overhead light. This helps avoid shadows cause by light from above which can sometimes give the game away by catching the top edges of the japanese tissue paper hinges.
I have located an article by Chris A. Paschke entitled 'Hinges and Floated Artwork'. There's some detailed advice here on this type of mounting. The real difficulty is that the client has asked for the edges of the paper to be visible and the paper really is completely see through unless backed against a very similar colour.
Jamesnkr

Re: How to float Japanese prints on translucent paper

Post by Jamesnkr »

In which case your client has asked you to do the impossible.

Search for a description on how to do a platform mount on here - Roboframer (sadly missed) is the author.
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