Framing damaged prints and posters

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mbaister
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Framing damaged prints and posters

Post by mbaister »

Basic question - just starting out! I have a batch of a3 - A2 prints to frame, some are limited edition and the customer does not want to use the hotpress. Any advice on how best to frame these and still get rid of any bends, kinks and small creases without permanently sealing them to board?
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Re: Framing damaged prints and posters

Post by JFeig »

Previous damage to paper art (creases and dings) are not totally reversible, even by a conservator. They are what they are and we do not have magic wands like Harry Potter.
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mbaister
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Re: Framing damaged prints and posters

Post by mbaister »

Not trying to repair them, really just looking for the best way to keep them as flat as possible when they are in the mount.
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Re: Framing damaged prints and posters

Post by Justintime »

The advice from steve goodall, hotpress trainer, is her the Hotpress up to temperature, place the print on a board in the Hotpress for 10 mins without vacuum and then 10 mins with vacuum. You will find it is a great improvement, then mount as usual with t hinges.
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prospero
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Re: Framing damaged prints and posters

Post by prospero »

Pressing the prints as described (not sticking) will improve the appearance a lot, but beware.
If there is a 'bump', as opposed to 'wave' then pressing can result in a half-moon crease which is
essentially permanent. :cry: A lateral wave has room to spread out. A bump doesn't, so you are trying to shove it
back in a space that is of less area than the bump. (Think about it.... :roll: )

Placing the prints between two sheets of mountboard is good as it provides a gentle humidication. The vacuum
and heat will draw moisture from the mountboard and relax the fibres in the print. Use the back of the board and
check on every new pressing that no ink has transfered. Don't put release paper in.
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mbaister
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Re: Framing damaged prints and posters

Post by mbaister »

Brilliant, great idea, makes sense now you say it. I’ll do some experimentation with a few of my own first!
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Re: Framing damaged prints and posters

Post by Justintime »

Prospero, two sheets of mountboard is genius. I was noticing how much moisture a base sheet was releasing, so two will give an even dose of moisture. But why not release film on top? Doesn't that just serve to protect the glass from any nasties?
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prospero
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Re: Framing damaged prints and posters

Post by prospero »

The print needs to be in direct contact with the board to humidify. Release paper will restrict even relaxation
because it's waterproof.

The print goes between the two sheets btw. :wink:
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Re: Framing damaged prints and posters

Post by Not your average framer »

I regularly flatten artworks in the old fashioned screw down heated press, but I am careful to consider what sort of paper, if I am dealing with posters on thin glossy coated papers. Sorry, but you need to be aware about materials and processes used on some prints, not all prints are necessarily going to react the same when trying to flatten them in a heated press.

I have personally come accross prints where the printing is produced by a dye sumlimation process, where a wax like substance is included in the ink, bad things happen to these prints in a heated press. I was asked to dry mount some of these for a photographer, who did not tell me what they were, but all was o.k., he just wanted to see if they could be dry mounted and knew there might be a problem.

Some modern prints are printed using toner based inks and care must be taken not to use heat and press these against a glossy release paper, or the ink will become glossy as well. It is worth being aware that the toner type inks can act as an adhesive and bond the face side of the print to whatever it is in contact with in the wrong circumstances. I have in the past using a film like material called Omnichrom which stick a metallic gold film onto laser printed lettering using the toner to stick the gold to the lettering, so I already knew about this and used matt release paper.

Modern very thin and smooth printing paper are often made smooth with a coating which contains some sort of material, which does not take kindly to being heated, above a certain temperature. So again be careful to know what you are dealing with first. Older less dense, softer matt papers are normally quite o.k. in a heated press, but even old fashioned oil based ink will become glossy if they are against a glossy release paper. I do plenty of flttening old posters and stuff like this, and have found it worthwhile to stock the matt release paper, or release film to avoid noticaile glossiness being imparted to prints.

It's not an accident that the specialists have the knowledge and experience to do difficult things, when others don't. If you must do this, know what you are getting into and how to mitigate any problems, before you decide to do it. Don't rely on luck, rely on proper preparation and anyiysing the risks. I slightly dampen the mount board facing the verso of the artwork. Not everybody uses the exact same methods in each case, but this does not mean that anyone does not know what they are doing.

Those with experience of doing this will have a good feel for what they are doing and there's good business that comes from customers knowing that you are good at doing difficult remedial work of various kinds.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
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