Float mounting a photograph

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+Rafe+
Posts: 165
Joined: Wed 26 Apr, 2017 4:33 pm
Location: SE London
Organisation: Photographer/Framer
Interests: Theatre, film, the arts, a bit of this, a bit of that

Float mounting a photograph

Post by +Rafe+ »

Hi all, Happy New Year!

It’s been a while since I last posted but I have been busy framing and I have been continuingly reading old/new posts.
As a newbie I’m still cutting my teeth but actually very happy with the frames I have produced so far with all the ‘left-hand fence’ tweaks, upgrading from hand cutting glass to the brilliant Keencut 5000 and the fun of hand finishing.

I should say thank you for the many posts I have learnt so much from and I’m also grateful for various bits of kit I have bought from some of you.

I have a couple of questions I hope I can get a steer on?

I want to float mount a photograph which is printed on C-Type matt paper, the photograph is 440x335mm. I am then framing this in a deep moulding using hand made spaces made from formcore lined with mountcard. What would be the best mounting technique and indeed tape/adhesive as I’ve read that photographic paper can be/is problematic with tapes adhering to it correctly and I would have thought that I would need multiple hinges to keep the picture flat?

Another related question, again another photograph but how to shadow float mount it?

With this I would gather the photograph would need to be fixed to a stiffer board (I looked self adhesive boards from Arqadia but read all the pitfalls in previous threads), which would then be glued (ATG tape) to some 5mm foamboard this then fixed to the backing mountboard in a similar way…?

One more question, as Colombo would say – Glass advice, the best glass to use for the above. The extra depth to the frame and that the images are also fairly dark, I guess an anti-glare glass would be needed? What is the general preference on type/manufacturer?

Am I on the right track; is there anything I need to be aware of?

Thank you in advance
Rafe
Framemaker Richard
Posts: 254
Joined: Wed 02 Jul, 2014 5:06 pm
Location: Worcestershire
Organisation: framemaker
Interests: Antique frames

Re: Float mounting a photograph

Post by Framemaker Richard »

You mention you want to keep the photograph flat, if you plan to use paper hinges of any sort then it's not going to be or stay flat so I would be aware of that from the start, and adding more hinges will if anything cause more ripples and cockles in the paper...

If you want to float mount a photograph and want it to be flat then I would either have it mounted on to aluminium or Foamex by whoever prints the image, or if it's already printed then have it cold mounted by someone who has done this before. You can then float mount the image on a mountboard backing (or on foamboard and then mountbaord for a shadow) using both double side tape (I'd use 3M 415 but the tape is really only needed until the adhesive sets) and an adhesive.

As for the glass then Artglass 70 or Tru Vue Ultravue 70, or one of the higher UV versions of these, they are all very similar.
Jamesnkr

Re: Float mounting a photograph

Post by Jamesnkr »

Hello Rafe, glad it's going well

I get my AR glass from Wessex. At about £50 per sheet including VAT compared with about £10 for plain glass it costs so little extra that I use it on (almost) everything. If I buy 20 sheets at a time they give me some extra discount on list.

"which would then be glued (ATG tape) to some 5mm foamboard this then fixed to the backing mountboard in a similar way…?"

ATG tape on its own will fail in due course. Moreover you can't burnish it down when you're sticking board down onto it so it might well fail well before that.

Rather than using mountboard stuck to foamboard for spacers, I use 3.5mm-thick mountboard, much less faff. I do cut it on the Keencut but I keep meaning to get round to getting somebody with a CMC to slice some up, it's quite hard to get consistent widths.
+Rafe+
Posts: 165
Joined: Wed 26 Apr, 2017 4:33 pm
Location: SE London
Organisation: Photographer/Framer
Interests: Theatre, film, the arts, a bit of this, a bit of that

Re: Float mounting a photograph

Post by +Rafe+ »

Thanks for the replies Richard/James -

I will look to have the images mounted on Foamex / aluminium. I had thought conventional hinging could cause cockling and keeping it flat another problem. I also just read over a previous post you had comment on Richard, 'Float mounted aluminium print' all good advice.

James - nice tip regarding the 3.5mm mount board, in this instance (cus I kept it simple) the mount card has been pained and will be using the continuation of pattern on the edges.

I will look into the glass too.

Cheers guys
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