Framing a paperback

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BeatnikFraming
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Framing a paperback

Post by BeatnikFraming »

I've been asked to frame a paperback and wondered what's the best way to go about it. The customer actually wants me to replicate a job he's had done before (pictures included). Is encapsulating in mylar the way to go? I noticed in the side on photo there seems to be a piece of mount board on the side of the book, towards the edge. Possibly keeping the pages together? If so I'm guessing it's just been glued to the back so I'm not likely going to replicate that method
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by pramsay13 »

Encapsulating in mylar is definitely the way to go.
Here's a football programme I framed.
http://www.pictureframerml.co.uk/images/Objects/129.jpg

I don't understand where the mountboard is you're talking about, all I can see is the piece underneath the book.
BeatnikFraming
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by BeatnikFraming »

It doesn't help that it uploaded the wrong way round. Hopefully I've posted it the right way now. Just towards the edge there seems to be a strip of board/paper I think I only noticed it on a close inspection.

How difficult is the mylar method? I've not tried it as yet.
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BeatnikFraming
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by BeatnikFraming »

My phone doesn't want to upload the rotated pic for some reason. Oh well. It's on the side of the book anyway. Maybe a bit hard to see.

Also how visible is the mylar encapsulation? It looks good on your programme so I think I'll suggest it as the best method to my customer
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pramsay13
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by pramsay13 »

I can see a small white bit at corner of photo, is that the mountboard?
I'm not sure what the purpose of it would be.
Mylar is definitely the best for a whole number of reasons.
Even if you were to glue / fix the back of the book then the front will be unsupported and especially in a heavy book will fall forward or the pages will drop so you need to support it from the front.
It's pretty easy although might be worth practising on a small book first.
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by Jamesnkr »

If the book is worth anything, then it shouldn't be framed. It's very bad indeed for a book for it to hang like that.

If the book is not worth anything then take a pot of PVA and stick the pages together and stick it to the backing board.

If the book is worth something because perhaps it is signed then get them to buy another copy and use the PVA method - whilst keeping the signed book in a drawer. Books were not designed to be framed, there is no need for it. A book like that probably has a glued spine anyway so will fall to pieces within a few years.

Just my ha'penny's worth.
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by David »

I'd start with encapsulation as its reversible. It's quite straight forward with a bit of technique nothing difficult, you can get the polyester film from Lion along with a special double sided adhesive (3M 415). Search the web or Lion also do an excellent book by James Miller which shows the method along with a lot of other useful stuff. If its only the cover they want to see you could use a sink mount and if the book is relatively thick you could still show half the depth of the book protruding forward.

The film is glossy so you do get some reflection off the film. Also its a good idea to wear cotton gloves so you dont get finger prints all over the film.
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by Tudor Rose »

Jim Miller's method is definitely the way to go. I've just got back from WCAF and I took his class on this subject. The book encapsulation was very impressive. He shows examples that he did years ago and has taken to classes all round the world and the items look as good as new.

http://theframersforum.com/download/file.php?id=3804 this download has been on the Forum for a good few years now and is almost the same as the handout we got at the show. No adhesives used on or near the book and it is fully supported.
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by Jamesnkr »

I'm sorry Tudor Rose, but I'm afraid I must disagree. The book is not fully supported. It will, in time, develop a version of what book dealers call 'shelf lean'. It is quite clear in this picture that it is supported at the back, and thus will inevitably gradually sag.

I also don't understand melinex encapsulation; this is a personal view, but if the only way something can be framed is to wrap it up in shiny plastic, then it's much better not framed - or use liberal quantities of PVA as I suggested...
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prospero
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by prospero »

Assuming the book isn't valuable, or never likely to be, I would put a Mylar band around it. Top to
bottom and wrap it around a piece of mountboard just smaller than the book. Double stick tape the Mylar
to the back of the board. But go under the cover of the book. The main body of the book will then be
held solidly and the cover could be tacked down to the top of the Mylar with a tiny P-90 hinge. The Mylar
would only be visible along the top and bottom. The board could then be glued to a backer.

Not perfect conservation, but minimal mutilation. :lol:
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by IFGL »

Jamesnkr wrote:If the book is worth anything, then it shouldn't be framed. It's very bad indeed for a book for it to hang like that.

If the book is not worth anything then take a pot of PVA and stick the pages together and stick it to the backing board.

If the book is worth something because perhaps it is signed then get them to buy another copy and use the PVA method - whilst keeping the signed book in a drawer. Books were not designed to be framed, there is no need for it. A book like that probably has a glued spine anyway so will fall to pieces within a few years.

Just my ha'penny's worth.
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by Chris2103 »

Interesting article in the PFM December magazine on framing a book. Covers framing an open hardback book but could give you some ideas to adapt.
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by Jim Miller »

Jamesnkr wrote:If the book is worth anything, then it shouldn't be framed. It's very bad indeed for a book for it to hang like that.

If the book is not worth anything then take a pot of PVA and stick the pages together and stick it to the backing board.

If the book is worth something because perhaps it is signed then get them to buy another copy and use the PVA method - whilst keeping the signed book in a drawer. Books were not designed to be framed, there is no need for it. A book like that probably has a glued spine anyway so will fall to pieces within a few years.

Just my ha'penny's worth.
Jamesnkr, it seems that you have not seen or tried this mounting method. I just happened to find this thread from two years ago, and must comment. While the Clear Film Book Mount is not perfect, it is certainly less invasive (and less work) than gluing the pages together, and framers are not obliged to send away potential customers wanting to display books in frames. Yes, the plastic is shiny, and you're right. A valuable book should not be framed. Even though it would be well-supported, the ravages of light would do irreparable harm over time.

This mounting technique was born almost thirty years ago, when a customer brought a century-old, leather-bound family bible into my shop, asking if it could be framed so that all sides were visible. The leather binding was literally falling apart and the front cover was given separately. A book conservator told me that the book was beyond conservation and the leather binding could not be repaired without changing its appearance, so I decided to bind the book's parts together using clear polyester film. No adhesive touches the book.

The two wraps of clear film provide better vertical and lateral support than any other attachment technique I have seen, so I'm still using this with good results and satisfied customers. The horizontal wrap holds the separated cover in place, and the vertical strip under the cover holds the pages in place. The pages cannot bend or sag, and the covers are held tight against the pages.
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Re: Framing a paperback

Post by Not your average framer »

I have been using the clear film wrapping technique for quite a while now every customer that I have used this technique to retain their items in a frame has been totally delighted when they have seen the finished result. The fact that the film can be a bit glossy has not bothered any of them. In fact I get plenty of referrals as a result of others seeing items that I have framed in this way.

Anyone who has not learned to use this technique would do well to try it sometime. It's not particularly difficult to do, a little bit of practice and after that it's easy. I bought a massive 1 metre wide by 600 metre long roll from a packaging supplier for about £30 about five years ago and buying that was one the best things that I done.

It's incredible stuff and is also great for encaosulation, clear film overlays and for framing paper items behind a mount where you want to see the edges of the item, but don't want to see the method of fixing. There are times when I need a really solid 6mm MDF backing board, such as with larger frames when the customer requires a really skinny moulding, So I sometimes attach a layer of Polyester film inside the backing board as a barrier to block any contamination originating from the MDF.

What's not to like about using Polyester film as a framer.
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