The Framers Forum

Another question on which I'd appreciate the hive mind position.

When window mounting a piece, one colleague always mounts the artwork to mountboard, another mounts the artwork to barrier board (e.g. https://www.wessexpictures.com/barrier_board.html)

Is one method preferable to the other?

Artwork should be mounted to an undermount and the thickness. and quality will depend on the level of framing, but it should be sturdy enough for the size of the frame.
The stuff in your link is 600 microns which is flimsy. It may be OK as an additional barrier if acidic backing board is used but there’s no need to use acidic backing these days. It would be fine as an undermount if it comes thicker, 1100 microns and over.

I used to buy one particular colour of 1400
micron conservation board in large quantities for a good discount and used it for undermounts.

According to the FATG, the undermount should be a minimum of 1100 mic as Roboframer says, but preferably the same thickness as the window mount.

Always mount to an undermount,
I use Munken Duo board.

The 'book' mount is the preferred method of mounting paper items.

In large public galleries only a small percentage of the collection is on display at any given time. The rest is stored
away unframed. In order to facilitate handling the art is mounted in a way that it can be handled without actually touching the
artwork and can be examined by simply flipping the window back.
Hinging to the window mount is bad practice. We all did it when we didn't know better.

Interesting, thanks all!

I was kind of using both/either depending on materials/quality but will defo stick to using a proper undermount, and thanks for the tips on keeping the associated costs down too.

@prospero - I'm not sure if the 'book' mount this is a technique I already know by another name or a something I've not learned yet (I am but a newb), is this just where you attach the artwork to the the undermount and the window mount sits over the top?

A proper 'bookmount' consists of an undermount with a window mount hinged to it. There are many variations according to
the nature of the mounted item.

@Zac If you imagine the front and back cover of a hardback book, the window mount is the front cover and undermount the back cover. Line them up and tape down the seam, then hinge you work as usual onto the undermount. If it's portrait orientation then the book hinge is taped on the side, if it's landscape it's taped at the top.

Phew, that's a relief as that's how I do it! Hadn't heard it referred to as a 'bookmount'.

Thanks, as ever, for your patient replies, I love this forum