Mounting
Did you know?
Framing isn't as simple as stick it in and close it?
There is soo much to say about mounting that I could bore you to sleep with my frame nerding speeches.
The first thing we look at is what is the item we are framing made of? Is it paper, old brittle acidic paper, archival paper, thin see thru paper or 400lb stiff thick watercolor paper? Is it irreplaceable, old, valuable fiscally or sentimentally, is it sensitive to the sun or humidity, is it crazy fragile and falling apart with age, is it fabric, metal, plastic, organic, and on and on... You are starting to get the picture. There is never a one way fits all way of mounting the items that come into our shop.
Framing Factoid # 1 - It is good to know there are ways to mount art, photographs, and objects in a way where no harm is done to them in the process and it can be safely reversed and removed. We work hard to stay educated on what the best preservation practices are for the different types of substrates and items. This isn't something required to be a framer, it is by our own integrity that we choose to go these extra steps.
Framing Factoid # 2 - there are some moments, where museum preservation isn't the goal for our customers and they want to enjoy the piece and have it framed at an affordable price. While we always, advise towards preservation and we do our best to educate our customers on what is best for their items, we also understand living within a budget and your unique design plans and ideas and will accommodate your needs. Preservation isn't all or nothing. There are various elements that are controllable ranging from mats, to backing boards, to glass, to the space between the glass and the art to the mounting of the art.
Mounting determines how each piece is held in place.
Here are just a few of the ways we mount items in our shop.
Hinge Mounting
This is our most common form of mounting 2-D non canvas items. We take into account expansion and contraction, weight, material strength and design when choosing how and where to hinge the items we are framing.
We have drawers full of different types of hinging material and we use all of it. Very rarely, are two projects identical in needs. It's a fundamental requirement for our staff to know how to handle your items before they get to this point.
Various techniques
Other mounting strategies include corner pockets, sink mounting, encapsulation, overlay mounting, acrylic mounting brackets, strip edging and more. Our techniques range between mounting materials that are water soluble, alcohol soluble, or pressure sensitive or sewn into place. We have custom made brackets to hold pistols, bear claws, sporting equipment and historical artifacts like this polish dance costume.
Never underestimate the engineering, art knowledge, fabric knowledge, wood knowledge, chemistry and protective knowledge that must go into every project we take on.
Dry Mounting
We can Dry-Mount your work, which ensures your artwork will not buckle or slump in its frame.
- Dry-mounting is a uniform adhesion to a strong foam core foundation.
- This is a very effective procedure and can remove wrinkles or keep your photo or art looking sharp for years!
- Removable Mounting
- Previously, Dry-Mounting was permanent, but we now have a removable and acid-free Dry-Mounting option available!
- Although we use acid free only dry mount material, it is not considered a truly archival process. In general, we recommend it for photographs or items that can easily be replicated.
Fabric Arts
We take enough pride in this that I feel it deserves it's own information section. Fabric Arts are beautiful and long lasting. Rugs and tapestries from centuries ago, if they have been taken care of, are here today to tell their stories. We aim to ensure everything we frame or hang or mount is here for the next few generations to enjoy. It may cost a bit more because of the labor, but every fiber piece we have framed has been mounted in a reversible, no adhesive involved way.
Factoid # 3 - We generally charge you an extra hour or two of labor for a fiber arts project, but in reality, we almost always put 4 to 8 hours and even much more into the work. Framing is another form of art. If we truly charged what it took to do it and the amount of time it takes to do it right, hardly anyone would get it done. But the fact is, we love what we do, so we try to keep it within your budget and still stay afloat while doing what we love.