Print ripple

[toothy]

Hi there, I'm fairly new to framing and hoping for some advice!

I framed an a2-ish print on thin card around 10 months ago. Prior to framing, it was never rolled and was kept flat.

I used a reasonable sized window mount. The print was t-hinged with gum tape to the back mountboard. I used art-back standard backing board and sealed with gum tape.

The print has since started to ripple which I didn't expect, especially so soon. I'd like to know how much rippling is acceptable and why this may have happened and if there's anything I can do to minimise this in future.

I do live near the sea and there has been some quite strong temperature/humidity shifts in the UK recently. The only thing I felt I could have done differently is to use something like art-bak aqua backing board to limit moisture a little bit more...

Is there anything else I could have missed?

Many thanks for any help!

[Justintime]

Has the backing board bowed outwards?
From the photo it looks to have bowed rather than rippled.
I had a piece returned twice last year because the entire package bowed towards the wall but within a day or so back in my studio had relaxed back. The customer was upset when I suggested that there may be a damp issue with the wall. After remedial work I replaced the backing board with a plastic fluted backing and taped the back with an industrial silver moisture resistant tape and all is well!

[toothy]

Thanks for replying!

Interesting. I have looked at the backboard from reverse and it looks level to me. Leading to one question (does it matter which direction the fluting of backboard sits in a frame?)

I do remember one thing I did (which possibly could be the culprit), the rear mountboard that the artwork is hinged to, was made using my initial failed window mount with the centre placed back inside and resealed with gum tape. Not pretty, however it was a frame purely for myself and I assumed the general integrity would be ok. Do you think this could have caused it?

I think I may open the frame back up to see if the artwork lies flat when removed. If so, I could try switching the rear mountboard with a fresh piece?

Thanks again,
Jake

[Justintime]

I wouldn't have thought so. The hedgehog technique does something similar, by cutting a window mount mounting the work ti The fallout and reinserting it without any ill effects.

[toothy]

Perhaps I have found the culprit. I opened it up and unstuck the artwork, which did indeed have vertical ripples. After an hour or so, it just about returned to it's normal flat shape without much intervention.

I think the problem may have been that my hinges were too tight (and possibly over-wet). I think I need to add more of a gap between the top of the artwork and where the tape secures the hinge to the mountboard - allowing for breathing room. I have reattached the artwork and added a small gap on both hinges and re-sealed the frame. I will see what happens over time.

I'm not sure if there is an optimal distance? I've read that some people say one hinge should be tight and the other loose. Is there a general best practice?

I worry about all my previous frames now.

Thanks

[Justintime]

A couple of mm on each hinge is preferable. A tight hinge will not allow the necessary expansion and contraction.

[IFGL]

The one tight hing is an anchor point the loose hinge allows expansion and contraction, I usually have 15 to 20 mm of loose tape.

I find that foam board in-between your under mount and back board helps a lot with problematic hanging areas, it protects from moisture and heat (cold) transfer, I use this a lot if I have any doubts.

[Justintime]

This is a short video by Sue Harper GCF. We all have our own preferences it seems. I prefer a little more expansion room. Note the maximum 5mm onto the artwork, this surprises some people but it is sufficient to hold it.

[JKX]

Thin card? That’s not a normal thing for prints, maybe it being less absorptive than most usual papers doesn’t help??

How about not using any hinges at all? There’s the platform mount, edge mounting strips etc.

Platform mount



In the other video above - marking the corners, no!

Position the hinges on the back first, position artwork, weight in place, fix the T bars.

Emphasis is put on tearing the tape, this is to make a deckled edge to avoid a sort of tide mark a hard straight edge can make. What about the two sides?

I think the tape used in the vid was too wide, and both hinges were tight.

Make your own hinges and adhesive, give yourself control over weight, size and even colour of hinge and give yourself control over adhesive viscosity too. That’s if you have to use hinges at all of course. Even the best aren’t as good as nothing!

[toothy]

The one tight hing is an anchor point the loose hinge allows expansion and contraction, I usually have 15 to 20 mm of loose tape.

I find that foam board in-between your under mount and back board helps a lot with problematic hanging areas, it protects from moisture and heat (cold) transfer, I use this a lot if I have any doubts.

Thanks for the feedback, interesting... 15-20mm of loose tape seems a large amount? Is this just the gap between top of artwork and where the tape is held across?

What makes you decide to use the foamboard in the back of the frame? Is it if the customer wants more peace of mind on longevity?

Thanks!

[toothy]

Thin card? That’s not a normal thing for prints, maybe it being less absorptive than most usual papers doesn’t help??

How about not using any hinges at all? There’s the platform mount, edge mounting strips etc.

Platform mount



In the other video above - marking the corners, no!

Position the hinges on the back first, position artwork, weight in place, fix the T bars.

Emphasis is put on tearing the tape, this is to make a deckled edge to avoid a sort of tide mark a hard straight edge can make. What about the two sides?

I think the tape used in the vid was too wide, and both hinges were tight.

Make your own hinges and adhesive, give yourself control over weight, size and even colour of hinge and give yourself control over adhesive viscosity too. That’s if you have to use hinges at all of course. Even the best aren’t as good as nothing!

Thanks. Well I'm not sure exactly what the print is on. It's got a bit of weight to it.

Wow, that non-hinge technique is interesting. That's a unique approach - I might explore this!

Thanks for the points on the video above (I had my first classes with Sue). Some useful points I can improve. Especially tearing the tape. But yes I think it's worth having more slack in the hinges in future.

Cheers!

[Justintime]

Toothy, I think the important thing to takeaway from threads like this is that there are many ways to do things.
There are plenty of experts here. Some have specifically trained and been examined by the FATG and some have learnt their trade without the Guild. Experience and knowledge comes in many forms. We develop our own best techniques and even as a GCF I'll say there isn't one correct way to do things. It's a case of try them out and work out what works best for you imo. My location and the climate here means I have had to tweak some of the "correct" techniques to deal with issues that arise from time to time here as others will for other reasons.

[Tudor Rose]

I'd also add that the spacing of the hinges along the top edge of the artwork is very important. Too close to the edges or too close together in the middle, and you'll likely have problems.

[JKX]

Toothy, I think the important thing to takeaway from threads like this is that there are many ways to do things.
There are plenty of experts here. Some have specifically trained and been examined by the FATG and some have learnt their trade without the Guild. Experience and knowledge comes in many forms. We develop our own best techniques and even as a GCF I'll say there isn't one correct way to do things. It's a case of try them out and work out what works best for you imo. My location and the climate here means I have had to tweak some of the "correct" techniques to deal with issues that arise from time to time here as others will for other reasons.

Agreed it’s good to be able to make informed decisions.

A bit like panning for gold, toss out the gravel, leave the nuggets, fuse them all together into a nice ball of knowledge, then polish it. Every now and then melt it and add more nuggets!

[toothy]

Thank you all for your help, very interesting and some reassuring points. I will be experimenting with different methods/tweaks to see which I prefer over the long term I think. I will of course continue to annoy and ask lots of questions.

It seems there's not often a perfect solution for everything - often the way!

Thanks again.