The Framers Forum

Hi Fellow Framers

I wonder if anyone could give me some advice please. I have 2 limited editions lithographs but printed on a sort of plasticised material (like the material used for 'plastic canvasses). Gummed hinging tape doesn't stick to it. I want to use something that is reversible because of the potential value but I also want to ensure that it doesn't fail over time. What is the right thing to doing in this case please.

Many thanks for any help!

If V-strips would be suitable I'd use those.

I'd perfer to use a sink mount, or a platform type mount, so that the artwork is trapped in place by the piece of mountboard fix in behing the artwork, which is then tapped into the sink mount from behind. It may be a complete waste of time relying up on attempting to hinge on to the artwork and the potential would and for the adhesive on the hinges to fail at a later date, is Very difficult to determine.

This is the reason why I would not to hinge the artwork at all. Sink mount for me, with a piece of mountboard dropped in behind and taped in position fro behind, works for me.

Try Klucel G from Linco and other sources or Beva

That would probably work, but there's a bit of an unknown about what this plasticised coating may, or may not be. My instincts are to play it safe and not to attach anything to the artwork what so ever. That way, there are no nasty surprises further down the road and if a less knowledgable framer re-frames it at a later date, it's a really straight forward risk free operation for that framer.

As usual, I like quick, simple and easy, with as many things that I do as possible.

Thanks very much but I am not exactly what you mean by sink mount. Is this where you make a collar out of foamboard or mount board exactly the size of the picture and insert it in there?

Yes, it can be, but It can be made with a piece of mountboard as well. It this case it is more likely to a piece of mountboard glued on to the rear of the window mount and with a larger aperature in the rear piece of mountboard allowing the artwork to sit within the cut out inthe rear piece of mountboard, while the artwork is postioned cyrrently for the front mount and then held in to position against the front mount by reinserting the cut out back in to the cutout in the rear piece of mountboard to retain the artwork in to position.

There can be occasions when it can be helpful to very slightly trim down the cut out that is being re-inserted in to the cut out, to avoid too tight a fit. before adding tape to hold the cut out into the aperture where it was cut out from. By making the cut out a tiny bit smaller, there are times when this can prevent and interference between the sides of the aperture and the cut out from restricting the cut out going in fully.

Rainbow wrote: ↑Sun 22 Nov, 2020 12:28 pm If V-strips would be suitable I'd use those.

I just popped in and out yesterday when I posted this so here's some more info. I use V-strips if hinging isn't possible because they're archival quality, very quick & easy to use, and nothing is attached to the art. I don't use them if the paper is too flimsy, in case it sags and bows out. And I can't use them if there's not enough bleed on the art - sometimes the artist signs right on the bottom edge of the painting, leaving barely enough border for the mount to cover let alone a V-strip, although I have been known to shave a little bit off the V-strip if necessary so that it doesn't show. But otherwise they're very useful to have around, particularly for prints which have a shiny back. Here's the link:

https://www.secol.co.uk/products/polyes ... unt_strips (Obviously the bit about "ensuring the mount is discreet and unobtrusive" applies to different uses, not to picture framing where the strip is hidden)

Thanks very much - I've not seen these before. Do you put them on all 4 sides of the artwork just at the bottom and sides?

Thank you also to memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=218 for the sink mount description - this is really useful

Best to put them all-round as the picture might get stored upside down before it gets hung

You don't need to use a whole strip, just snip off some short pieces. On a small/medium sized picture, I just put a couple of short pieces on each length.

Prospero pointed me in the direction of V-strips a few years ago and they've been invaluable.

V strips are generally considered to be good practice and it is not all that unusual for frames to fold up their own V strips from achival quality paper, which is how V strips were made before manufactured one became available. I think that there may be some sort of Mal reynolds produced video, which demonstrates something along the same lines.