Re: Mounting colour prints for exhibition

[Welch <Bill.Welch@pressroom.com>]

Harold Gess wrote:
> 
> Hi
> 
> I wonder whether anybody can assist me. I am preparing for an exhibition of
> my work (lots of it shot on Leicas!) and am having around 50 colour prints
> (500x330) printed at the moment. Now, I have organised with a framing
> company to mount and frame these. They have recommended that the best way
> to ensure they stay flat is to use a spray-type glue to attach them to
> acid-free board. I wonder whether anybody has experience of these glues and
> can perhaps recommend any which are better than others.

Harold, I would insist they not use those glues. I'd have them use paper 
corners to hold the print to the mounting board (I prefer a standard 
archival 4 ply mat board for mounting) and linen tape to hinge the front 
mat. That's pretty much standard archival mounting. 

A lot of frame shops that deal mainly with consumer prints, etc., like to 
spray because it's easy and they don't get complaints about the print 
buckling. Personally, I don't mind it if the print isn't perfectly flat 
as long as it is nicely matted. And with the paper corners you can always 
remove the print.

OTOH, dry mounting the print to the mounting board (using heat, not glue) 
is a perfectly acceptable way to go if you don't think you'll ever need 
to remove the print. If so, be sure you or they use the lower-temperature 
color adhesive paper. Then too I'd have them use a tape hinge for the top 
mat. Either way is better than the spray or glue, in my opinion.

Quality of materials is critical. I don't like to cut my own mats, so I 
take them to a shop. But I purchase my own mat board, linen tape, etc., 
and deliver it to the shop with the prints. I pay them just for the 
labor. Light Impressions in Rochester, NY, is an excellent source of 
those materials by mail order. As I recall they have mat boards designed 
for color prints as opposed to black and white fiber. Let me know if you 
need their number or address.

Hope this helps,

Bill