The Framers Forum

Can anyone help in identifying an archival adhesive film for mounting prints etc? Needs to be pressure sensitive rather than heat activated.

Thanks.

Do you mean archival, or reversible? There used to be a so called reversible dry mount film, but I don't know if it is still available and as far as I understand although it was described as reversible, it still left an adhesive residue on the reverse of the artwork, so not truly archival by what the purists would call archival.

Not reversible, I mean ‘acid free’.

Most self adhesive are an activated polymer, which means adding a polymeriser, as a general rule polymerisers are acidic, or employ hihly reactive substances. I think you might have a hard time finding what you are looking for, if it exists. The adhesive on post it stickers is often a wax based one and may be worth seeing if it is available as a self adhesive double sided film, but I don't know for sure, whether it may be acid free , or not.

Generally most types of alchohol are made by adding oxtgen to an acid, so alchohol based adhesives might well be acidic. Also most fats are acidic, so if it has to be a self adhesive and acid free, I'm not sure if something having both characteristics would be able to be formulated. Is the use of water based adhesives not acceptale? There are plenty of water soluble adhesive and pastes which are acid free.

I thought film might be easier. Looks like I might have to use a PVA of some sort.

5916 Permagrip Liquid Adhesive 5Lt

Liquid PVA adhesive for bonding paper to board. Use with roller coaters or with a small paint roller. Use with care and test first.

Ideal for mount prints, posters and labels to board

• Repositionable for up to 2 minutes

• Acid-free, Non-toxic and Non-yellowing

• Dries to a permanent bond in 20 minutes

• Very unlikely to crack or peel

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