translucent mounting and framing of drafting film, and a frame with no sides...

[Harrier]

I am an artist rather than a framer, and would like some advice on an unusual framing.
I have tried to explain all the aspects below, which I apologise has got rather long, but I have probably missed some vital info as well. Please excuse my ignorance.

The works are on drafting film. (This is a flexible film used as amore stable medium than tracing paper, made from polyester with a finely textured finish on both sides that holds either ink and polymer pencil, and looks frosted, similar in appearance to tracing paper.)

I would like the frame to have a transparent backing so the translucency of the artwork can be seen. I was considering glazing it both sides with either acrylic or polycarbonate sheet, but I am not sure how to mount the film to hold it flat. It does haves a preference to lie or hang flat, and no variation with humidity. It does move with temperature changes, but evenly. (For the maximum dimension of these works, of about 800 mm, with a temperature change of 30ºC, there would be a dimensional change of 3 mm for polyester, and 1.6 mm for either acrylic or polycarbonate sheet, and only 0.1 mm for glass.)

Is condensation less of an issue if the medium is non-absorbent? There would still be potential rubbing if there was contact with the pencil on the film and differential thermal movement, so I thought it would still be necessary to separate the glazing and the artwork. So I was considering effectively clamping the edges of the film between spacers and those being set between glazing. Is that feasible?

To make things more complex, they are a linear set of five linked images: a quintych.
I would like to frame them in a way that does not have a visual separation or frame between the sides of the artworks, because this would interrupt the linearity.

So there will be no sides to the frame mouldings, just top and bottom bars, which I thought could be held by being screwed to the polycarbonate sheet, so at least one of the sheets of glazing is structural to the frame. The other glazing sheetcould possibly be held from silding sideways by something like small metal pins in the frame edges either side of the glazing sheet, to hold the glazing within the frame.

I have found one example online of a frame with one side missing: https://ik.imagekit.io/theartling/prod/ ... g?tr=w-950

And another of an artwork mounted with a transparent surround: https://ik.imagekit.io/theartling/prod/ ... g?tr=w-950

I found them here: https://theartling.com/en/artzine/how-t ... r-artwork/

[JKX]

I should imagine a shallow acrylic "tray" could be fabricated, the back (and the front probably) would have to be glued on, unless a groove was made for it to slide in to, but it would still need to be sealed somehow. Condensation is (much) less of a problem with acrylic than glass, but no, you wouldn't want your type of medium touching it. Something like this with conservation grade acrylic would be very costly - make that optically coated as well (to avoid the reflection problems shown in your link) back AND fromt, and I don't think you'd want to know.

The top and bottom legs of the frame would need a wide lip to conceal any screws; it woud probably need glueing on - a bit of a "once only" job; not the sort of job you'd want to find a little black speck (AKA a "flumb") floating about in!

Fixing the artwork woud be problematic as water based adhesives don't stick to plastic, plus you may see any hinges, or dabs of adhesive through the drafting film. I suppose you could make sure they were under dark areas of the image though. Magnets would maybe work but you probably wouldn't want to see them. The spacers you suggest clamping the artwork with, would constrict the movement you have mentioned - it would probably cockle, if indeed it worked at all, and you'd see them very clearly.

Then there's hanging, you don't want to see cord or wire through it, so it''l have to be cleats or sawtooth type hangers and the moulding will have to be wide enough to conceal them and the wall fixings.

To be honest, in the unlikely event that I took this on, I'd be charging for my research and experimentation and that alone would cost more than the whole job done in any normal sort of way.

I don't see how the translucency of the film would be seen once against a wall; wouldn't there need to be a light source behind it?

Also not wanting the sides framed, well, acrylic or glass sides will show, just look at the cut edge of a piece of either, plus there's shadow to consider, so you'll definitley see the edges of the whole thing, plus top and bottom bars larger than you would otherwise need.

You can buy tiny but strong aluminium mouldings that would be overall far less conspicuous.

Assuming this translucency can be seen against a wall with glass as a backing, then you can mat and mount the atwork in the normal way, but back and front, and glaze the back, or don't use a mat on the back and mount the artwork to the back glazing. Then the skinny aluminium frame. That would be my £££££££'s cheaper, far better looking (IMO) and just as effective suggestion.

[JKX]

Here’s a simple but not risk-free to the artwork solution - as long as you don’t mind seeing those offsets.

You can see what I mean about the visible sides, grey on the right, white on the left but with acrylic spacers you’d see both sides dark from the front, plus at the sides but deeper

[JFeig]

How large are these drawings?

As an artist you want to keep those creative juices flowing. However, there is the reality of physics that will limit your imagination. There was a famous teacher in the picture framer industry who has been gone for many years. Her favorite quote was: "we are picture framers and not magicians".

[Gesso&Bole]

How about using a normal mount, solving the hingeing and touching the glass issues, and then incorporating some led lighting behind the artwork.

This would look dramatic and be much more cost effective. You might also find a framer willing to take on the job!

[Harrier]

Thank you very mucyh for the detailed replies.

In answer to the questions:
The drawing sheets are each about 120 mm high and 840 mm wide. There are 5 cut from an A1 sheet of film which is 564x841 mm.

The LED idea sounds interesting, and would give the sense of depth, but in addition to showing the translucency, one of the things I was looking for was a shadow on the wall behind from the drawing. Whether this would show, I will test out, to see whether this translucency is worth pursuing.

I am not concerned about the edge of the glazing material being visible, and had expected it would be. It will be a lot less solid a line than sides made of moulding.
I wonder whether I could do a frame with heavier top and bottom mouldings, and the sides made from very fine aluminium?

Mounting the film. I was thinking of fixinng it on the top and bottom edges only in an area to be covered by the frame, say 5 mm or less. Whether this is by clamping or gluing will depend on a few experiments.

This could result in thermal buckling if too tight and possibly sagging if too loose. The magnet suggestion is interesting and I will investigate that, but wouldn't this also result in thermal buckling if the pressure is sufficient to hold the film in place?
If the clamping or gluing was not continuous, and the gaps between sufficient, perhaps the buckling would not be very noticeable?

I have looked fora glue that could be used for mounting that will work on polyester film, but not erode or dissolve it, and be stable. (I know acetone will quicky dissolve it, and have seen someone lose a work to a spill of that.) From what I have seen most glues for plastics do use solvent to etch into the plastic and help form the bond.
So instead of solvent, probably something that uses a physical bond to grip by tightly fitting to the texture of the film? I looked for an archival hot glue that melts at a much lower temperature than polyester and found Ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer: an archival hot melt glue that melts at 110ºC which is 130ºC less than polyester, but also states not for use on artifacts.


Another possiblility is museum wax and museum gel, which are specifically used for fixing non porous objects in place. Has anyone used these in mounting items?

I was thinking of using cleat or similar fixings behind the top moulding, and using a moulding wide enough to conceal screws and hangings

[JFeig]

It might be best to get in touch with a professional picture in your area for suggestions and to see how picture frames a put together.

[JKX]

Or maybe a company that deals in display/signage. You could have your art bonded to acrylic so there is no chance of movement
whatsoever.

The whole thing would become the art, no frame required at all.

Such a company could advise on hanging too, probably just screw it directly to the wall and cover the screws with opaque acrylic domes or something, but personally, as a framer with bags of experience, I'd now be backing slowly away.