The Framers Forum

Hi

Ive just been asked for a quote from a professional artist. He has smallish watercolours on thickish paper and wants 'float' mounting with no overlap of the top matt. He's shown me an example of previous work by another framer and the work is tightly fixed to the mountboard . Obviously he wants conservation quality so how would i do this (and how would it have been done!) without compromising the art?

Many thanks

Don't forget, when you float artwork without a windowmount you need to use spacers of some kind to keep the glass away from the artwork. The article posted by Grahame describes methods for both flush and raised mounting. I think the raised method works well for watercolour paper as it produces a shadow which I like, but it all comes down to personal preference and what the customer wants

For the flush method you can still use a windowmount(s) if you want, say cut with an aperture 10mm bigger than the artwork, but I do prefer the shadow look with spacers the same colour as the mountboard (undermount) as shown in the example https://frametek.com/articles/float-fra ... atercolor/

Regarding using/making paper hinges to attach to the artwork, it isn't recommended to use pressure sensitive tape (sticky tape) even if it is described as conservation quality. These tapes do have a use in framing for example the very good P90/P90 Plus tapes are good for sealing the art/glass package etc., just don't use them directly on the art. Where paper hinges have to be used as the mounting/supporting method, then Japanese papers and a paste (usually made from wheat or rice starch) should be used. Once you get used to making your own hinges and mixing up the paste, it all becomes second nature. The next best alternative is cotton rag gummed paper tape on a roll.

Does that link for Grahame's post work for others but not me?

DING!
Suddenly realised I've downloaded 15 or so copies of Hedgehog