Wrinkles/Waves in Custom Frame Question

[PNWFramingGuy]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting on the board. Thanks in advance for your help. My wife and I just got a poster custom framed at a local shop. It looks beautiful from straight on, but when we view the poster from the side there are clear waves/wrinkles in the print. Please see the attached photo. This is also the first time we've had something custom framed and are unsure whether these waves are to be expected.

My question: Is this a normal frame job and should we live with the wrinkles/waves or should the frame shop be able to smooth these out and fix them at no charge?

Thanks again!

Adam

IMG_4145.JPG (1.1 MiB) Viewed 4035 times

[Abacus]

Does the poster have any current value or is it rare and likely to be valuable in the future?

If so then live with it

If not then they should have bonded it down to get rid of the wrinkles.

[PNWFramingGuy]

Thanks for the response... not concerned with the value of the poster. Can they go back in and bond it down now to get rid of the wrinkles? And should they charge me for that fix?

[IFGL]

If it was a rolled up poster you brought to them then yes you should expect a charge for them to flatten it, because the damage was done by who ever rolled it up, if you brought them a flat poster in perfect condition, then they should do it for free.

[Graysalchemy]

If it is of poster quality then it is the nature of the beast being printed on thin paper. If it was of no great financial value I would have suggested board mounting but i would have charged you in the first place.

[prospero]

Hi Adam.

There are recognised techniques for mounting paper art to minimise the likelihood of wrinkles. In short, paper will 'grow' according to prevailing climatic conditions. Humidity in particular. The idea is to use as little attachment to the paper and leave the edges unrestricted so as to allow the paper to move slightly.
Having said that, paper varies and sometimes whatever you do you get wrinkles. Sticking it to a board will cure this but it's a one-way process so irrevocably alters the piece so it's only used on items of no intrinsic value. Any decent framer will know this and go for the safe option first, As they have done.
As this appears to be something that isn't going to sit still I would take the frame back and ask them to dry-mount it. I would expect to pay, but if you speak to them nicely they maybe won't charge you for the dismantling.

[IFGL]

The ripples you see Prospero are from the item being rolled, no amount of proper hinging would have ever caused it to lay flat, I also would have suggested dry mounting, like others if the peice has no value or told you it would not lay flat, the framing looks very good, your complaint is actually with your print, if I had this come back to my shop and I or one of our staff had not given you the option at the point of sale, then I would dry mount it at a cheaper price.

[PNWFramingGuy]

Very helpful/informative posts. Thank you all for your replies.

The shop has been very helpful, but they did not offer the dry mount. I will take it back in and ask for them to dry mount it.

Any idea of a fair price for them to charge us to disassemble, dry mount, and reassemble?

[IFGL]

This is a mainly UK Forum, prices are wildly different over the pond, I doubt that any figures we would give you would be relevant in the US.

That said there are a few US members that could help

[Roboframer]

When this was laid out on the design counter if it was not laying flat then that should have been noted - and I'm guessing, looking at that photo, it was not laying flat, if it was then ignore the rest of this reply.

You should, at the design stage, have been given the option of having it presented as it is or having it stuck down, you should have been made aware that if not stuck down it would still look like this. If it was of value then it still should have been discussed, but the solutions in that case would be ever so slightly more expensive (LOL)

As you were not given those options ... or if the fact that it was not laying flat was not even mentioned, then I don't think you should pay anything, it should be sorted free of charge or you should be refunded if the framer is not capable.

It looks beautiful from straight on

Or you could just only view it straight on.

[PNWFramingGuy]

Got it dry mounted over the weekend and it looks GREAT! Thanks for the help everyone.