Posters with no mount

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girlfromkent
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Posters with no mount

Post by girlfromkent »

Ok don't shoot me

I know everything should have a mount or spacer etc but with posters people often just want it straight into the frame.

So, assuming I am giving in to this and using diffused 3mm acrylic in directly contact, are there any other measures I should take? E g is it OK to just put the poster against an acid free backing with the acrylic on top, straight into the frame the same size? Or should I mount the poster to an undermount a few mm bigger? Any other tips?

Thanks!
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Re: Posters with no mount

Post by JFeig »

It is a disaster waiting to happen. 99.9% of thin paper posters will not be able to support themselves in the vertical even is pressed against glass or acrylic with a backing board. A the weather changes, so will the poster's ability to stay flat. Direct contact overlays(DCO) are not recommended to very large items.

"E g is it OK to just put the poster against an acid free backing with the acrylic on top" That is the DOC process.
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Re: Posters with no mount

Post by Justintime »

If you're not using spacers and keeping it away from the glazing, personally I don't see the need to hinge it to board or worry about acid free backing. Chuck it in, cheap backboard and a few flexi tabs in the back, job done. It's an FATG Level 4 job.
If you don't have it already, I recommend buying a copy of the Fine Art Trade Guild's newly updated Guild Certified Framer Study Guide. It is jam packed with useful information and has a whole section on the four levels of framing. It's really useful to have industry standard levels to work to and helps you communicate better the choices of quality available to your customers.
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Re: Posters with no mount

Post by Justintime »

It's really important to explain why you wouldn't advise this method and the possible damage to the poster in the future. Customers need to be educated in order to be able to make educated choices. Once they know the possible outcomes, your conscience is clear!
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Re: Posters with no mount

Post by Gesso&Bole »

Let's be real about this. Explain to the customer what will happen if items are framed this way, and how the job should be done. But then it is up to the customer to decide. We earn a living framing stuff, so frame it.

I have done 2 prints today, with normal float glass, and no mounts or spacers. This is a regular customer of mine who normally spends whatever it costs to do the job right. In this instance her niece bought her 2 (fairly low quality) prints for Christmas that I don't think she particularly likes, that she is going to put in a spare bedroom, as they match the current decor. If I refuse the job because I want her to spend more than she wants to spend, she will just go to Ikea and buy ready-mades (they are standard sizes). There's £100 in my pocket, and I will sleep perfectly soundly.
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prospero
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Re: Posters with no mount

Post by prospero »

If the poster is drymounted to a board and glazing placed on top then chances are it will be OK if kept in a stable
environment. Don't pay too much heed to 'acid-free' considerations as the poster itself if likely to be far more acidic
to the materials it's in contact with. Only on replaceable items though. A bit of condensation might make it stick to the glass.
For large posters that have intrinsic 'collectable' value I have in the past used a method by which they are hinged to
a backboard and the glass is spaced with a slip. I don't like to use a conventional window mount on posters. On a big poster
an big heavy frame becomes a HUGE even heavier frame with the extra glass area.
They aren't watercolours or drawings of l/e prints. I like to use a wide, flat moulding. When you think about it, they were meant to
go on a flat wall. So moulding with shape don't really 'go'.
Here's the cunning part: If you use a slip, say 30mm wide then the back edge of the slip can be 'jacked up' by running a
strip of linen tape along it. This prevents the edges of the poster from being crimped and if you hinge it right it can expand
and contract. It then stands some chance of staying reasonably flat.

Easier to explain in a diagram... :D

raisedslipmat001.jpg
raisedslipmat001.jpg (5.48 KiB) Viewed 2812 times
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Re: Posters with no mount

Post by Justintime »

For low value posters I will often mount in a hotpress and use a matt laminate over the top. The advantage being that glass is not required, lessening the weight considerably. This process comes at a cost, but there is a saving on the glass to offset some of it at least. Before I had a hotpress I used to take it to a local signage company. Even when supplying them with mount and laminate materials, the cost of having this done was considerable.
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Re: Posters with no mount

Post by MITREMAN »

I agree if its a cheap decorative poster I would dry mount as well as heat seal with a satin finish instead of acrylic or glass, looks much better to.

I also like Prospero's idea with a little slip and tape'

Another option I have experimented with has been the Gasket option.
  • Normal frame.
    Glass or acrylic.
    Lay poster in.
    Cover the back of poster with thin inert foam with extra all-round protruding from beyond the glass area. (like white underlay or Ribs)
    Insert backing board of choice, glaze in, allow foam to protrude.
    Trim excess foam, tape in.
    This now forms a gasket and makes a micro-chamber and could eliminate the normal moisture and framing problems with direct framing onto glass.
Give it ago and feed back results on your own prints first.

Mitreman :D
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