Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

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Whitewater Gallery
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Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Whitewater Gallery »

We produce our own Ltd Edition prints from my wife's original paintings. These are printed on Somerset Enhanced Velvet paper (330gsm if I remember correctly) using 24" rolls on our HP printer so as we work though a roll the finished print has more curl, this is not a problem it just makes fitting a little more fiddly.

The most popular prints measure about 50 x 50 cm and 90 x 50 cm so are quite big and heavy. What would be the proper way for these to be fixed in their mounts?

Any advice would be most appreciated!

Thanks

Nick
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by David McCormack »

Windowmount hinged to undermount so it opens like a book then mount your prints to the undermount using paper T-hinges attached to the back of the print. Should be ok just on the top edge for the square print but for the rectangular ones you could put additional hinges on the sides but these need to be loose hinges. See this link for how it looks with loose side hinges http://www.frametek.com/HTML/Articles/Hinging2.html

Paper hinges if adhered correctly are very strong even on heavy paper. Never use linen hinges on heavy paper as they are too strong!
Paper-Hinges.jpg
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Whitewater Gallery
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Whitewater Gallery »

Many thanks David for the quick response, diagram and link. I have seen this technique but have not tried it as it looks as if it is more difficult to centre the image in the mount this way (we show a white border around the print and the mount) rather than hinging of the back of the front mount as we do at the moment. Is there a technique to getting the print centred?

These larger pieces we frame using 2.5mm mdf backboard with conservation card between it and the print. If I were to use this "correct" technique should I use a thicker conservation board rather than the card and fix the print to this?

Lastly, I use acid free self adhesive tape, if this OK to use for conservation framing?

Thanks again!

Nick
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prospero
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by prospero »

The under mount should be about the same thickness as the window mount. Together they form a self-contained unit that allows the art to be safely handled. Big public galleries use this method as they don't have all their collections on show at the same time. Art mounted in this way can be stored un-framed. The art can be examined in it's entirely by simply flipping the window mount back and the art isn't disturbed.

Aligning the margins is a fiddly job. I usually attach the vertical part of the hinges, put it on the undermount and flip the window and jiggle it into place. When it's right, carefully flip the window back and apply the T bars. If you are careful nothing should move, but you can weight it down. Or hold it it with a (clean) hand. It's actually a lot easier than hinging to the window when you get used to it. Yes, I did use to do it that way until I learned better.... :oops:

I use MDF for backing, but add a membrane of polyprop film as a moisture barrier.
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by David McCormack »

It’s quite easy to centre the print once you get used to working this way. The fact that the windowmount is hinged to the undermount makes it easier, you just need to lift the window a bit to nudge the print into position. Attach the hinges to the back of the print first and when in position on the undermount attach the tabs or T’s across the top of the hinge. One should be close to the print and the other (and all others) about 5mm away. I use a weight on a piece of clean card to keep the print in position while working.

Your undermount should be the same quality as your windowmount i.e. around 1.4mm. I don’t use mdf but if you wanted you could put a barrier between your undermount and mdf which only need be 0.5mm barrier board.

Self adhesive tape on the print/original is not really best practice so you should be using gummed tape and some folk will use cooked wheat starch. Once you get used to working with gummed tape you won’t look back.... the trick is not to over wet the tape.
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Graysalchemy

Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Graysalchemy »

You should be using self adhesive conservation tape on the print really, I use a gummed mulberry paper though I do use self adhesive tape on the hinge of the undermount something i saw done in a 'Big public Gallery' and was lead to believe that it was the norm, mind you they also used Mdf backs as well. :giggle: :giggle:
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Whitewater Gallery »

Thanks again for the input, time for some practice in think!

If you guys were framing a 113 x 70cm (outer mount dimensions) what would you use as backing? MDF as I do at the moment or is there a better option for the best overall framing job.

If mdf is best do I understand that it should run top mount, print, undercount, a moisture barrier and then the mdf?
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by David McCormack »

I use 2.3mm NuBord on all my framing jobs http://www.wessexpictures.com/kraft_lined_board.html

On large frames I sometimes glue wooden struts to the backing board and this makes for very good rigidity. I keep in stock a variety of these from Rose & Hollis which I use for spacers and struts.

My typical frame package for a print would be: glass, windowmount and undermount all sealed with P90 tape to form a sandwich and then the backing board.

I think mdf is like Marmite... you either hate it or you hate it :giggle: There are also some folk here who like to spread foamboard on their toast :lol:
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Whitewater Gallery
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Whitewater Gallery »

5 months on and I am about to start framing "properly" with an under mount! :?

Thanks for your help in pointing me in the right direction with this, just one final question (I hope) I am starting to use 2mm and 2.7mm mount board, does the under mount have to be the same? It all adds up!
Graysalchemy

Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Graysalchemy »

Reading back through this I see you are experiencing problems with paper curl. Lion sell a gadget for rolling the paper back on itself, but it is expensive. I have a printer who uses a roller blind to roll them up in. Works really well, must get one.
Roboframer

Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Roboframer »

Whitewater Gallery wrote: I am starting to use 2mm and 2.7mm mount board, does the under mount have to be the same?
No, and nor would it if you were using a double, triple, quadruple ... etc mount, or if you had a deep wrapped bevel, a mount slip etc etc etc. It's just not as easy to hinge two things of different thickness together, you have to make them flush first, I normally manage to do this with the glass and/or the backing board from the same job.
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Whitewater Gallery »

Thanks Roboframer, I was (honestly!) heading that way with my thinking but in my quest to do the job properly I thought I would check.

Graysalchemy, thanks I had see the Lion device, and as much as I like having the best toys (sorry tools) that I can I think I have run out of space now! Usually we have time to lay the prints in a draw for a few days under 550gsm conservation card and this pretty much flattens the Somerset Enhanced Velvet that use for our prints. I have had an idle thought about a quick blast in the Hotpress, but at the moment I am still wary of it with anything other than laminating canvases! :sweating:
Graysalchemy

Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Graysalchemy »

I quick blast in the hP can help but it can also take out too much moisture, which may cause problems as the paper rehydrates in the atmosphere. You also have the risk of any spec of dust or glue residue pressing into the print. The texture of the print can be flattened a little as well.

Personally a cheap roller blind that can sit in a corner when not in use would be ideal. :D
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by misterdiy »

We use quite a lot of 315gsm paper for prints and that curls at the beginning let alone near the end.

As Robo says, Lion sell a D Roller which I have purchased after using a piece of 28mm plastic waste pipe from Wickes. Very similar diameters but for some reason it is nowhere near as effective. The roller blind idea should work well. :evil: Wish I had thought of it rather than investing in a D Roller - although you only buy it once.
Whitewater Gallery
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Whitewater Gallery »

Ok I have to confess that I have still largely being fixing artwork to the back of the mount - it is hard to form new habits when in a rush - but that said, especially having just completed a 12 photo mount, I am getting to like the process.

To date I have actually used the same mount board as the window mount for the under mount but just wondered if there is a product actually made for the job which may also be cheaper than the mount board?
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by David McCormack »

Arqadia do a range of conservation board suitable for undermounts which they refer to as backing board. It's available in a range of thicknesses 550 suitable as barrier board only, 1100 and 1650 for undermounts. Compared to the cost of Minuet 1400 the 1100 is cheaper and the 1650 dearer. I use Minuet most of the time and 1100 for smaller print sizes. The fatg minimum requirement for undermount thickness is 1100 mic but it can be too thin for big prints I find. You are probably better off sticking to the same board for both window and undermounts.
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Chris_h »

I use one of the Mainline basic boards that are stated as conservation level for my backing board. It's much cheaper at £2.30 a sheet, I then use Arqadia for my main board for the mounts.

I have tried the roller blind method and it works well with certain papers. I never got on that well with it when using with really thick papers. If you leave it too long you can end up with a wavy effect to the paper, I prefer just to stick something heavy on the prints and leave them for 24 hours or so.
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Whitewater Gallery »

Thanks David/Chris

I use the Arqadia conservation backing board as a backing for mounted prints in our browser

http://www.arqadia.co.uk/productdetails ... =999120000

It is not far off the price of the Mainline budget board you mention so I might run with this. The only question I had in my mind is that this is a very flat finish and I wondered if the tape would adhere better on a more textured mount board finish? I also wonder if this board can also act as a good barrier between the artwork and the mdc back board? :?
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by David McCormack »

Hi Nick, the board in your link is a back board and not suitable for use as an undermount IMHO. The undermount should be the same quality as your windowmount. The boards I was on about are the following:

LLL008950
LLL008952
SSS008953

They are all fatg conservation level but as I say just use your standard mountboard for an undermount.

The LLL008952 barrier board 550 mic would be good to use between your mdf and undermount if you wanted extra piece of mind.

http://www.arqadia.co.uk/productdetails ... =LLL008952
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Whitewater Gallery
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Re: Ltd Ed Print mounting advice please!

Post by Whitewater Gallery »

Ah, I thought that looked strange, I think this is the one that I have been using for the browser

ARQ WC Backing Board 2200 FSC
http://www.arqadia.co.uk/productdetails ... =SSS008951

and looking at the price I will not be using it as am under mount!!

The 550 mic board I currently use as a barrier between the artwork and the mdf.

Thanks again for your comments David.
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